Chevrolet Silverado Goes Head-to-Head with Ford and Ram Trucks Part 1

Real-world evaluations vs. Ford and Dodge heavy-duty diesel pickups

In the first test, three-quarter ton trucks loaded with 1500-pound payloads accelerated from zero to 60 mph on level ground at sea level, simulating merging on a busy freeway. The Silverado 2500HD outpaced the Ford F-250 Super Duty, 7.66 seconds to 8.36 seconds, despite the Ford’s advantage on paper, and beat the Ram HD by nearly two seconds

In the second test, one-ton trucks were loaded with a 3,000-pound payload, and accelerated from zero to 60 mph up a 7-percent grade at a 6,000-foot altitude. Again, real-world performance trumped the spec sheet, as the Silverado 3500HD outpaced the Ford by nearly three seconds, and the Dodge by nearly six seconds.

Bumper Sag: In the next test, a Silverado 2500HD and F-250 Super Duty were each loaded with 2,400 pounds in the bed, and then a trailer with a 400-pound tongue weight was added to the hitch. The rear bumper of the F-250 dropped a total of 6.3 inches under the load. The Silverado, with its beefier frame and 20-percent wider rear springs, dropped just 3.9 inches.