When it comes to full-size pickups, the Ford F-150 generally receives the most attention. This is because the F-150 has been the best selling vehicle in the United States for decades. Up until recently, the Silverado 1500 stood at number two, and the Ram 1500 was the third best-selling vehicle in the United States. However, this last year, the Ram 1500 moved into the second-place spot. Is there any real reason why? Both two pickups are fine trucks, but the best way to determine which of the two is best is to compare the 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500 vs 2020 Ram 1500.
Looking at the Price
The price point of pickup trims might vary more than any other vehicle type on the market. Of course, with the number of engine options and feature upgrades available on these kinds of vehicles, it is easy enough to understand why. With the base, Chevy Work Truck, a two-wheel drive Regular Cab (two-door, only front seats), you’ll find a starting MSRP of $28,300. The Ram 1500 is a bit different. The base trim for the Ram is a Tradesman Quad Cab. However, Ram does not sell it as a two-door, front seat only option, so it is a bit difficult to directly compare the two. If you want only the front row for your pickup, you’ll need to go with the Chevy. The base Ram 1500 Tradesman Quad Cab has a starting MSRP of $32,145 (if you were to go with the Double Cab Work Truck Chevy, the starting MSRP is $32,200).
So if you want a Quad Cab, both the Ram and the Chevy are almost identical with a difference of just $55. However, if you want a single row pickup, the Chevy is your only option.
The High Country is the top-tier trim for the Silverado 1500. This particular pickup with the four-wheel drive Crew Cab design (the Crew Cab has a larger back seat than a double cab) comes in at $58,095. As for the Ram 1500, the top-tier trim package is the Limited four-wheel-drive Crew Cab, which has an initial MSRP asking price of $57,165. Again, this isn’t all that much different from the Chevy. Both top packages are pretty close to each other. Due to this, the main difference sits with the kind of specs you find with the two vehicles.
Examining Engine Choices and Performance
When comparing engine specs of the Chevy and the Ram, you’ll find that the Chevy has so many more engine options. You can go with a 4.3L V6, a 2.7L I4, a 5.3L V8, a 6.2L V8, or a 3.0L turbo-diesel I6. With the Ram? You only have three engine options. Now, with that said, the gas engine options do come with the ability to upgrade and include what is called eTorque. This is where the traditional alternator is replaced with a new, all-electric setup. Instead of pulling energy off of the engine, it stores energy from the breaking into a dedicated battery to use later for improved towing numbers. As for the engines though, Ram offers a 3.6L V6, a 5.7L V8 HEMI, and a 3.0 EcoDiesel V6.
Many of the engine options on both the Chevy and the Ram come as optional features. Due to this, the best way to compare the two pickups is to look at what is standard. On the Silverado Work Truck, the pickup comes standard with a 4.3L V6. This pickup produces 285 horsepower and 305 lb-ft of torque. On the flip side, the Ram 1500 base model uses a smaller 3.6L V6 that produces 305 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque.
The top-tier trim packages come with the V8s as standard. With the Chevy Silverado High Country, you’ll receive a 5.3L V8 as standard (if you want the 3.0L turbo-diesel or 6.2L V8, you’ll need to spring for an upgrade). The 5.3L engine produces 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque. On the Ram, the 5.7L V8 HEMI comes standard on the Limited. This engine offers 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque. However, the 6.2L engine gets up to 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque, a significant increase in engine power.
If you were to go with the diesel engine on the Chevy, you’d get up to 277 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. If you wanted the 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 on the Ram the upgrade with providing 260 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque.
But Which One Can Tow?
Sometimes you just want solid towing without having to go with the top-level trim. After all, if you’re going for a work truck, you want something that is affordable and can tow. On the Work Truck Silverado, you’ll have 10,000 pounds of max towing. That is better than many other trucks out there on the market, and with the Work Truck, you can go with the bare bones V6 and land these kinds of towing numbers. On the Ram Tradesman, which is the bare-bones pickup from Ram? It has a max towing of 6,730. While this is still better than the base Ford F-150 and other full-size pickups out there, it’s still a full 3,370 pounds less than the base Chevy Silverado.
If you were to opt for a higher trim and obtain the full towing potential, you’d find the Chevy still is the king of towing. With the Chevy Silverado, if you opt for the 6.2L V8 engine on the mid-level RST trim, you will be able to max out your towing potential to 13,400 pounds. No other pickup out there can compete with these kinds of towing numbers. While you will need to upgrade from the 5.3L V8 to one of the larger engines if all you’re looking for is max towing, the Silverado is the way to go. As for the Ram 1500? You will need to go with the 5.7L HEMI V8 with eTorque. This pickup will give you a total towing of 12,750 pounds.
The Right Pickup For Your Needs
There’s no way to go wrong with a Chevy or Ram pickup. Both of these models offers you performance features and specs you would have never received just a few years ago. With several engine options and impressive towing numbers, there is much to love about these pickups. However, when comparing price points, engine options, and towing numbers, it’s obvious the Chevy Silverado 1500 is way better than the Ram 1500. Even though the Ram 1500 has picked up in sales as of late, it doesn’t change the fact that the Silverado dominates with its engines and towing numbers. Yes, the Ram has some nice features like the eTorque add-on, the multi-use tailgate, and the storage above the rear wheels, but you’re not buying a pickup just for a few nice features. You’re buying a truck for the engine and towing. So, if you’re interested in one of the best trucks on the market today, make sure to check out all the upgrades and impressive features found on the Chevy Silverado 1500.
