There’s an old saying that the numbers don’t lie. If you do your math and check out the right statistics, then you can usually find the answers to the questions you may have. This is certainly the case if you plan on buying a full-size pickup truck to help out with your work. If you need to hitch a trailer to pull some equipment or carry stuff in the bed, you will want to know how much you can tow, haul, and fit. However, after comparing the 2023 Chevy Silverado 1500 vs 2023 Ford F-150, you may find yourself heading to a Chevy Silverado 1500 dealer.
Both of these models are exceptionally versatile and quite capable. As a result, you are going to get a lot of value out of your truck no matter which one you choose. Features like advanced driver assistance tools and a capable infotainment system come standard on both models. So, as a person looking to use your truck for work, you need to focus on what sets them apart: their capabilities. This is why you need to dig deep into the numbers to find the answer you are looking for when deciding between the Chevy Silverado and the Ford F-150.
Multiple Factors to Consider
One of the things that has made these two trucks so popular is the ability to outfit them with various features to best suit your needs. Both models are offered with three different cab styles. Chevy and Ford have a two-door Regular Cab with one row of seats, a model with two full-size doors and two rows of seats called a Crew Cab by Chevy and a SuperCrew by Ford, and one with a slightly smaller rear row of seats called a Double Cab by Chevy and a SuperCab by Ford. Finally, both offer their trucks with rear-wheel or front-wheel drive. However, Chevy offers the 2023 Silverado 1500 in nine different trims, while Ford only has seven different trims on the 2023 F-150.
Choosing the Right Engine
Both the 2023 Chevy Silverado 1500 and the 2023 Ford F-150 offer multiple engine options. Chevy has four different engines to choose from, while Ford has five different engines. However, the two brands have gone in different directions with the powertrain lineups for their full-size trucks. Chevy favors traditional V8 and diesel engines, while Ford is better on smaller turbocharged engines and has even introduced a hybrid option.
The base engine on the 2023 Silverado 1500 is the 2.7-liter TurboMax. This is the only Chevy engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission, as the other three come paired with a 10-speed automatic. It is also the only turbocharged gasoline engine in the Chevy lineup, producing 310 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque. In contrast, the base engine on the 2023 Ford F-150 is a 3.3-liter V6 with a 10-speed automatic transmission. Despite its larger size, this engine can only provide 290 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque.
If you want better performance on the Ford F-150, you will have to move up to one of the four other available engines. The 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 adds a turbocharger to deliver up to 325 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. This is comparable to the output of the Chevy Silverado 1500’s base engine. Ford also offers a larger 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 for the 2023 F-150 that can provide up to 400 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque.
The biggest engine for the F-150 is a 5.0-liter V8. Although larger than the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6, it has a lower output of 400 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque. The final Ford engine option is the PowerBoost hybrid. This pairs a 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 with an electric motor, providing 430 hp and 570 lb-ft of torque of combined output. This is the only alternative energy option on the F-150, as Ford no longer offers a diesel engine.
Chevy also offers three other engines if you want to upgrade the performance of your 2023 Silverado 1500. The first is a 5.3-liter EcoTec3 V8. This uses direct high-pressure fuel injection and Dynamic Fuel Management to provide 355 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque. There is also an available 6.2-liter EcoTec3 V8 that delivers an impressive 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. Finally, Chevy offers a 3.0-liter Duramax I-6 turbo-diesel on the 2023 Silverado 1500. This is the only diesel option available on either truck. It uses high-pressure common-rail direct injection to deliver 305 hp and 495 lb-ft of torque.
What You Need to Know About Towing and Hauling
Your choice of engine will affect how much your truck can tow and haul. If you are concerned about saving money, you will want to choose the base engine on your truck since opting for one of the available engine upgrades will increase the cost of your vehicle. This is the same whether you choose the Chevy or the Ford. With that in mind, the 2023 Chevy Silverado 1500 will give you more towing and hauling capability than the Ford F-150 if you opt for the base engine. A Silverado 1500 with the 2.7-liter TurboMax can tow up to 9,500 lbs and haul up to 2,260 lbs of cargo. This is significantly more than an F-150 with the 3.3-liter V6, which can only tow up to 8,200 lbs and carry up to 1,955 lbs of cargo in its bed.
If you go for the Chevy Silverado 1500 with the 5.3-liter V8, you can tow up to 11,300 lbs and haul up to 2,140 lbs. Moving up to the 6.2-liter V8 increases the max towing capability to 13,300 lbs but also slightly decreases the maximum payload capacity to 1,980 lbs. Finally, the available Duramax turbo-diesel provides similar capabilities as the 6.2-liter V8, with up to 13,300 lbs of towing and 1,970 lbs of payload.
Except for one engine option, the 2023 Ford F-150 doesn’t match the towing numbers of the Chevy Silverado, but it does surpass this truck when it comes to hauling. For example, an F-150 with the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 can only tow up to 10,100 lbs but still haul 2,465 lbs of cargo. Similarly, the 5.0-liter V8 on the F-150 only improves maximum trailering to 13,000 lbs yet allows you to carry up to 3,235 lbs of cargo. Finally, the F-150 hybrid disappoints in both categories, with a maximum towing capacity of only 12,700 lbs and a maximum payload rating of 2,120 lbs. The only engine that stands out for the Ford F-150 is the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6, which can tow up to 14,000 lbs and haul up to 3,315 lbs.
Cargo Space Considerations
The final number you need to consider is how much space there is in the bed. Both the 2023 Chevy Silverado 1500 and the 2023 Ford F-150 provide you with a choice of three different box sizes. However, the Silverado 1500 has considerably more space in its bed options than the F-150 does. For example, if you opt for a short box, the Silverado 1500 offers 62.9 cu.ft. of cargo space, while the F-150 only has 52.8 cu.ft. for cargo. Similarly, the standard box on the Silverado 1500 has 71.7 cu.ft. of space, significantly more than the 62.3 cu.ft. that are available in the standard box on the Ford. Finally, the Chevy’s long box measures an impressive 8.2 feet with 89.1 cu.ft. compared to only eight feet and 77.4 cu.ft. for the Ford.
Built for Work and More
The 2023 Chevy Silverado 1500 and the 2023 Ford F-150 are both rugged trucks that are built to help you handle your toughest jobs at work. They also have standard features like driver assistance technology, infotainment systems, and comfortable cabs to make using them more enjoyable. However, when you look at the numbers, the Chevy Silverado 1500 gives you more accessible towing capacity than the Ford F-150. This is especially true if you choose to save money by going with the base engine on your truck. While Ford does offer higher payload ratings, with the smaller beds available for the F-150, you might have trouble fitting everything onto your truck. If you are looking for a work truck, then you’d probably be better served by a Chevy Silverado 1500 than a Ford F-150.
