New & Used: 9673 Kings Auto Mall Road, Cincinnati, OH 45249
Used: 435 E Galbraith Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45215
Sales:
(513) 741-1111
Service:
(513) 697-5200
Starting at
Starting at
| 460 LB-FT | Max Diesel Torque | 440 LB-FT |
| 420 HP | Max V8 Horsepower | 395 HP |
| 13,400 LBS | Max Towing Capacity | 13,200 LBS |
Trucks have come a long way over the last decade or so. There's been a dramatic improvement in fuel economy, engine performance, and the kind of gear you can haul with a half-ton pickup nowadays you would have never dreamed of towing with a three-quarter or even a full-ton not too long ago. With so much power and performance potential, the sky's the limit with your pickup. You just need to decide which is right for you. While American trucks continue to lead the way and are constantly rated at the top of the pack, you will need to take a deeper dive into direct comparisons to determine which of the trucks is right for you. As two of the most popular options, here is what you need to know to compare the 2020 Chevy Silverado vs 2020 Ford F-150.
The base trim for the 2020 Chevy Silverado is the Work Truck. This is the bare bones trim that is as spartan as you'll get with a truck. It has a starting MSRP of $28,300. As for the Ford, the base Ford F-150 has an initial MSRP of $28,495.
If you wanted to max out the features on either the Chevy or the Ford, there are several trims to choose from. Most of these packages allow you to alter the cabin size and the bed size, so it better fits your truck needs. With regards to the top-tier Chevy, this is the Silverado High Country. The High Country has a starting MSRP of $53,300.
The top-level trim on the Ford F-150 is called the Limited. The MSRP for this pickup starts at $67,485. As you can see, there is a massive price difference between the two pickups. Due to this, it is important to compare all the specifics of the truck to see if there is a reason why it costs so much more.
More than any other vehicle, you're going to be comparing the engine on trucks as the truck engine makes all the difference between towing, payload size, and other performance specs. That is also why both the Chevy and Ford come with several engine options.
On the base Chevy Silverado Work Truck, the pickup comes with a 4.3L V6 that produces 285 horsepower and 305 lb-ft of torque. The base Ford F-150 uses a slightly smaller 3.3L V6 that produces 290 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque.
Depending on the trim model you go with, there are several different engine options to choose from. This can include everything from a 2.7L to a 3.0L diesel engine. You can also mix and match engines into different trims if there is a specific engine option you want in a set trim.
As for the top-tier High Country, the Chevy comes with a 5.3L V8, which produces 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque. On the flip side, the Ford F-150 Limited uses a 3.5L turbo V6 that produces 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque. This is probably best known as the Ford Raptor engine. Ford just happens to also use it under the hood of the Limited trim.
While the 5.3L V8 comes standard in the Chevy, it isn't the largest or the top-performing engine Chevy uses. You can upgrade to include a 3.0L Duramax turbo-diesel I6, which produces 277 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. If you'd rather have a regular gas engine, you can also go with a 6.2L V8 that produces 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. Ford offers the 5.0L V8 as the largest engine, which produces 395 hp and 400 lb-ft. It also has a 3.0L Power Stroke diesel engine, which produces 250 horsepower and 440 lb-ft of torque. Not bad, but nothing like Chevy's more powerful engine offering.
When selecting a truck for towing, you have a few decisions to make. If you want max towing on the pickup you'll need to look at the configurations for the trucks to determine which offers you this. The top-trim does not always offer the best towing, so you'll need to keep all of this in mind. And if you don't necessarily need max towing but just want solid towing numbers without paying additional fees for an upper trim, you'll want to look at what the base engines can offer.
With the Chevy Silverado Work Truck, the base truck and engine package will give you a max towing of 7,900 pounds with the 4.3L V6 engine. As for the base Ford F-150, the truck will give you just over 5,000 pounds to start with.
As for the High Country with the 5.3L V8 engine, the truck can tow up to 11,500 pounds. If you are looking for even more towing ability, you will need to go with the RST trim coupled with the 6.2L V8 engine and the Max Trailering Package; the towing capacity is 13,400 lbs. As for the top-tier Ford, the Limited and Raptor models using the turbo V6 can tow around 7,000 pounds. If you're interested in maxing out the towing on the Ford you will need to go with the XL SuperCrew, plus the add-on towing package. With these alterations, you will up the towing to 13,200 pounds.
On the Chevy Work Truck, you'll get an AM/FM stereo, MP3 player, AUX input, smart device integration (through Bluetooth), plus optional WiFi. With the Ford F-150 base, the truck comes with an AM/FM stereo and Aux input. It doesn't come with any other features.
The Chevy High Country comes with the same standard features, plus HD radio, satellite radio, WiFi, a navigation system, plus a Bose Premium sound system running through the Chevrolet Infotainment 3 Premium System and Navigation. The Ford F-150 Limited comes with the same radio and AUX input, plus HD radio, satellite radio, WiFi, navigation, and a premium sound system: B&O by Bang & Olufsen. All of this comes together with the Ford SYNC 3 platform.
One of the biggest debates you're going to have between Ford and Chevy trucks has nothing to do with fuel economy and towing capacity. It's with the material of the paneling. Chevy uses industrial-grade steel in its paneling, while Ford made the switch a few years ago to "military-grade" aluminum. To the naked eye, it won't look any different. It also won't feel any different. However, aluminum is lighter, so it cuts some weight off of the vehicle, and, technically, it is less expensive to manufacture than steel. Because of this, Ford states it is less expensive to repair and insure. But is that truly the case?
Aluminum is, in fact, less expensive to produce, so this can help with repair costs. However, this isn't the entire story. Steel has a material memory. This means that as long as the steel isn't cracked or the paint damaged, a dented piece of steel can often be popped back into place. That isn't possible with aluminum. As an illustration, take an empty soda can and squeeze it in your hand. Now, try to push it back to its original shape. You can't do it without having serious creases left over. That's the big problem with aluminum. There will be plenty of times where a steel panel can be popped back in, but with an aluminum panel, it needs to be replaced. Less expensive or not, it's still a new part you need to buy that you didn't need to buy on the Chevy.
You want your truck to fit you like a glove. When driving around on a Sunday, doing your best to tune out the score of the Bengals game, you need a stereo that will let you do so. When you've had a long day of running errands and need a moment to recline, you need a truck that will let you do that. And when you're heading to work and need a truck that can support your full towing needs, you need a truck for that. The 2020 Chevy Silverado does all of this and then some. But don't take our word for it. The direct comparisons against the Ford F-150 say as much. So if you're ready to discover the truck of your dreams, come on out to McCluskey Chevy here in Cincinnati, Ohio. There's a pickup, color, and trim with your name on it right here.
*Images, fuel economy, and other stats, may reflect higher trim levels, options, or features that may result in a higher cost from the starting MSRP.
MSRP excludes tax, license, registration, additional options, and possible destination charges. Dealers set own prices.
