2023 Chevy Silverado 1500 vs 2023 Ford F-150

• 2023 Chevy Silverado 1500

  

  Starting at

  $36,300^[a]

  2023 Ford F-150

  

  Starting at

  $33,695

  310	Base Horsepower (hp)	290
  430	Base Torque (lb-ft)	265
  13,300	Max Towing (lbs)	14,000

  Finding the perfect truck means doing a lot of research into powertrains, towing capacity, reliability, and affordability. Here we will pit the two top trucks on the market against one another and see which performs the best and which helps your dollar go the farthest: the 2023 Chevy Silverado 1500 vs 2023 Ford F-150. Both come from reputable brands and have similar price points, power options, and towing capacity. They are both hard-working, tough trucks that perform admirably in even disadvantageous conditions.

  The Silverado tends to be a better deal due to the more powerful engine option at the starting price. Although the Silverado is a bit more expensive for the lowest trim, the engine at that level provides a lot more power and torque than the equivalent F-150 base engine. The interior options and safety features are also very similar on each truck. A lot of the decision on which is better will come down to personal preference, but we believe the Silverado is the superior choice and a better bang for your buck.

• Performance

  

  Both the Silverado and F-150 have some great powertrain options, making for highly capable trucks. The performance of each truck differs slightly, but both provide more than adequate power options for most applications. The Silverado has a more powerful engine as its standard option for the most affordable of its trims, while the baseline F-150 has a weaker engine as its base offering—although it does have more capable engines available on its most expensive trims.

  With four powertrain options, Chevy provides enough variety for its truck shoppers to pair the perfect horse to their wagon. The Chevy Silverado 1500's standard engine is a 2.7L High-Output Turbo I-4 that produces 310 hp with 430 lb-ft of torque and is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. One level up is a 5.3L EcoTec V8 engine capable of 355 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque; this engine and the two ranked above it are paired with a glorious ten-speed automatic transmission. The third engine available for the Silverado 1500 is an exceptional 6.2L EcoTec V8 with 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque, but the pièce de résistance is the supreme hauler known as the Duramax Turbo-Diesel, a 3.0L inline-six diesel engine capable of 305 hp and 495 lb-ft of torque.

  The Ford F-150 produces some significant power with its five powertrain options. The base engine on the F-150 is a 3.3L V6 with 290 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque, making it more of a cumbersome commuter than a pragmatic workhorse. The next level up is a 2.7L EcoBoost V6 capable of 325 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque, followed by a 3.5L EcoBoost V6 that produces 400 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque—some formidable numbers. A 5.0L TI-VCT "Coyote" V8 produces 400 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque as a smaller alternative to Ford's 3.5L V6. The largest of the F-150's available engines is a 3.5L PowerBoost Hybrid V6 capable of 430 hp and 570 lb-ft of torque. This, and all engines lesser than it, share the same ten-speed automatic transmission.

  Both engines have high towing and payload capacities, making them hard-working and capable trucks. The Silverado has a maximum towing capacity of 13,300 lbs and a maximum payload capacity of 2,260 lbs, whereas the Ford F-150 is capable of 14,000 lbs of towing capacity and 3,315 lbs of payload capacity with its 3.5L EcoBoost V6. While the Ford does have a bit higher performance in towing and payload capacity, the difference isn't too huge, especially when you factor in the added costs of the highest-level trim and Ford's most powerful engine. Both trucks provide a high level of performance in their powertrain and in their towing and payload capacities, making them both impressive pickups—but for the F-150, the costs outweigh the benefits.

• Interior

  

  Trucks were formerly vehicles of pure function and performance, lacking in interior comfort and tech features—but those days have passed. Modern trucks are as comfortable and luxurious as pretty much any other vehicle. Plush and intelligent interiors now complement their rugged exteriors—so, in our comparison, choosing a clear winner for interior features is rather difficult given that eclectic color options, alternative seating fabric, the extent of convenience features, and overall interior design are commonplace, diverse, and subjective. However, we can say that both of these pickups provide a similar level of interior comfort and tech features, making them tied for this category.

  Whether considering the Silverado or the F-150, you'll find that both have cloth and leather seating options. Each truck provides a variety of color and fabric options, allowing a buyer to find a good fit for their needs in line with their personal taste. Both trucks come with between three to six seats, depending on the cab configuration you opt for. Heated and ventilated seats are available on both trucks, too.

  The tech features here are also impressive. Each truck includes an infotainment touchscreen, with easy connectivity for your smartphone and subsequent access to either your phone's apps or the apps of the inboard multimedia system. Both trucks also have an available driver information center that provides a digital screen in the dashboard to keep track of your truck's active operating information. The Silverado and F-150 also come with a powerful standard audio system and an upgradeable premium audio and media system.

  Safety measures on both trucks are very similar. All the modern driver assistance technology is available in one form or another on each truck. From automatic braking to cruise control with consistent following distance, driving these large trucks has gotten a lot safer than it used to be—and while driving safely is always the responsibility of the driver, having the aid of extra safety features is great for peace of mind.

• Affordability

  

  Buying a truck that is well-equipped will cost tens of thousands of dollars, so it is no wonder that people want to make sure their dollar goes far. Finding out which truck is more affordable requires looking deeper than the starting MSRP. You want to look at what features are available at what price point, as well as the expected cost of repairs and gas expenditure. Fuel efficiency, for example, is pretty much the same on both trucks; the base Silverado gets an EPA-estimated 19 MPG in the city and 22 MPG on the highway, in rear-wheel drive, compared to the base F-150 at 19 MPG in the city and 24 MPG on the highway. Their two most robust engines see another minor difference, in the opposite direction, with the Silverado's Turbo-Diesel netting 24 MPG in the city and 29 MPG on the highway compared to the F-150's PowerBoost Hybrid getting 25 MPG in the city and 25 MPG on the highway.

  Looking at the starting MSRP for both trucks, you'll find that the Ford has a starting MSRP of $33,695, which is about $2,600 cheaper than the Silverado, which has a starting MSRP of $36,300^[a]. Were we to stop there, you could argue that the F-150 is more affordable; however, a quick investigation into the standard engines for both baseline trims reveals the Ford to have a weaker engine. The Silverado's 2.7L Turbo engine produces significantly more power than the 3.3L V6 of the F-150; this means that the Silverado, though outwardly slightly more expensive, is actually a far better value than the F-150.

  Two other considerations are the top trim prices. The highest trim package for the Silverado starts at $70,100 and provides a powerful engine and tons of luxury features. The F-150 has two trim options that are more expensive than that, at $76,775 and $84,910; both are nice vehicles, but their marginal advantage in power and functionality—over the highest-trim Silverado—is not significant enough to warrant such a drastic rise in price. Furthermore, the average yearly repair costs are less for the Silverado, at $712, as opposed to $788 for the F-150—not an outright disparity but one that would surely add up over time, should you intend to keep your workhorse for its expected lifetime. Ultimately, the Silverado will help your dollar go farther than would the F-150.

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