Okay, that’s a very loud statement – Chevy and Ford are competitors and both have their advantages. It’s like PlayStation and Xbox, Pepsi and Coca-Cola. You love one and hate the other. So, why Chevy is better than Ford? If we speak about pickup trucks, there is a room for debates.
These two warring manufacturers achieved a huge success with their trucks, Chevrolet Silverado and Ford F-Series, but their overall sales are relatively close from year to year – there is no sole leader at the market. Let’s look closer, which one to choose.
Engine
2016 Silverado 1500 has three EcoTec3 engines to choose from: 4.3L V6 (285 hp), 5.3L V8 (355 hp), and 6.2L V8 (420 hp).
2016 F-150, in turn, has four engines to offer: 2.7L EcoBoost® V6 (325 hp), 3.5L EcoBoost® V6 (365 hp), 3.5L Ti-VCT V6 (282 hp), and 5.0L Ti-VCT V8 (385 hp).
The Chevy’s best motor is able to generate 460 pounds per foot of torque while Ford’s 5.0L Ti-VCT V8 – only 387 pounds per foot (the best torque among Ford’s engines has 3.5L EcoBoost® V6 – 420 pounds per foot). It’s safe to say that Silverado is preferable if you want more power and torque under the hood for the same price.
Fuel Economy
The competition here is pretty close. Chevrolet’s official site states that its 5.3L V8 has the best fuel economy in class with 16 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway.
Ford’s 5.0L Ti-VCT V8 is close enough – 15 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway. At the same time, Ford offers the best fuel economy overall with its 2.7L EcoBoost® V6 engine – 19 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway.
So, the most powerful Chevy is more powerful and economic than the most powerful Ford, and the cheapest Ford is more powerful and economic than the cheapest Chevy. Oh-oh, they know how to compete, that’s for sure.
2016 Ford F-150 Limited. © Ford Motor Company
Warranty
As for bumper to bumper warranty, Silverado and F-150 offer the same short terms, 3 years or 36,000 miles. However, Chevy boasts a slightly stronger 5-year/100,000-mile warranty to the F-150’s 5-year/60,000 mile plan. Another vote for Chevy – it is not much but everything counts at the end of the day.
Safety
Safety is really good in both pickup trucks. They have both achieved NHTSA’s overall rating of 5 Stars, the highest score possible (here’s Chevy, here’s Ford).
There are a lot of extra features both manufacturers can provide with different names but same concept, so let’s say they are both pretty reliable and creative in this question.
Design
It’s definitely a personal call when it comes to the appearance and design. Silverado has more straight lines in the exterior, with emphasis on toughness. F-150 seems to be less straightforward, with all that curves and shapes indicating its modernity.
Cost
Let’s be realistic – the final decision depends greatly on vehicle’s cost. Both makes established MSRP starting from around $27,000 for pickup trucks, but, in general, Silverado has a slightly lower price tag, offering more additional features into the base package, while Ford adds similar enhancements to F-150 for an extra fee.
On the other hand, Ford has more exclusive features, so if you don’t bother about money, engine power and design differences, you might be interested in the top-of-the-line F-150 Limited for $58,770.
Conclusion
As for Carrrs.com, we’ll choose Chevy this year. It offers a slightly more powerful engine, better fuel economy and warranty, it is slightly cheaper, and we like its design.
