Vehicles are unlike your average everyday item. For example, you likely have several pairs of shoes for different occasions: running shoes, snow boots, etc. However, many people only have one vehicle––or one they consider their primary car––so your car needs to accommodate your needs throughout the year. Pickup trucks are perhaps the best at this because their capabilities allow them to breeze through the New England winters and even hit your favorite off-roading spot if you buy a truck that’s properly equipped.
Today, we want to discuss two trucks everyone knows about and which are the two best-selling vehicles in America: the Chevy Silverado 1500 and the Ford F-150. The 2024 models are the focus today, so if you're thinking of heading to our Chevy dealership near North Adams, let’s discuss which of the two trucks will give you the truck experience you need.
Performance Matters
If performance matters to you, should you consider the 2024 Silverado 1500 or Ford F-150? Performance is one of the most interesting contention points between the two trucks, especially with numerous powertrain options for Chevy and Ford’s popular full-size trucks. In order to keep things simple, we're going to focus on their base engine options, which have been upgraded for 2024.
Both trucks have turbocharged engines with 2.7L of displacement. However, Chevy’s turbocharged engine is an I-4 engine, while the F-150 uses a V6. Ultimately, the difference between a turbocharged I-4 and a V6 engine shouldn’t sway your decision because how the truck can meet your wants and needs is the most important thing, and its raw performance delivers that.
Starting with the Chevy Silverado 1500, the standard powertrain gives you 310 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque. The F-150 adds 15 hp to bring the total to 325 hp, but it loses 30 lb-ft of torque, with a total of 400 lb-ft. Chevy’s truck uses an eight-speed automatic transmission, while the F-150 uses a 10-speed automatic transmission. However, in practice, you aren’t likely to notice this as much as you’ll notice the improvements to towing and payload capacities.
The base engine in the 2024 Silverado 1500 can tow more than 1,000 lbs over the base engine in the F-150––the Silverado 1500 has a towing capacity of 9,500 lbs, and the entry-level F-150 caps out at 8,400 lbs, a difference of 13%. With these towing capacities, both trucks make great use of their available towing packages.
You will see an even larger difference in the payload capacity of the base engines in two trucks, with the Silverado 1500 providing almost 27% more payload capacity than the F-150––1,785 lbs for Ford’s truck and 2,260 lbs for Chevy’s truck. With the 2024 Silverado 1500 and 2024 F-150 being so close in price––the F-150 has an MSRP of $36,770 and the Silverado 1500 starts at $36,800––the most cost-effective Silverado’s performance improvements over the base F-150 is an attractive proposition.[a]
It’s Not All About Towing, Is It?
Pickup trucks aren’t only used for towing. On average, most drivers are more likely to use their truck bed on any given day, especially if they don't tow for work. Buying a full-size truck means you’re expecting a large vehicle, and you’re also expecting versatility. It’s fair to say that whichever vehicle has the most cargo space makes it the most versatile for lugging cargo that isn’t on a trailer. The payload capacity also plays a role in a truck’s ability to haul cargo, but we’ve established that the base Silverado 1500 has the advantage over the base F-150. How do they compare with cargo?
The 2024 Silverado 1500 and F-150 both offer you three choices for your truck’s bed size. In the case of all three, Chevy’s full-size truck has the largest beds, not only in length but in volume, too. The shortest beds for both trucks measure 5.5 feet for the F-150 and 5.8 feet for the Silverado 1500. A difference of 0.3 feet doesn’t sound like much, but it ultimately equates to the smallest Silverado 1500 bed offering 10 cu.ft. more than the F-150, with 62.9 cu.ft. compared to 52.8 cu.ft. However, this is where things start to get interesting.
If you buy one of these trucks with its regular bed size, they are almost the same length––the Chevy Silverado's regular bed is 6.6 feet long, while the F-150’s bed is 6.5 feet long. What’s surprising is how both manufacturers utilize this length for their beds, as the F-150 with this bed only has 62.3 cu.ft. of space, which is less than what the Silverado 1500’s smallest bed has. As for the Silverado 1500 with its 6.6-foot bed, there’s 71.7 cu.ft. of space––an increase of 15%. Lastly, the largest beds measure 8.2 feet for the Silverado 1500 and 8.0 feet for the F-150. Again, with such similar lengths, it’s impressive how Chevy fit 89.1 cu.ft. of space over the F-150’s 77.4 cu.ft.––the Silverado 1500’s long bed has 15% more cargo room.
Are You a Diesel Driver? Listen Up!
Diesel engines are a great choice if you want a pickup truck with both power and efficiency, and many drivers have been using diesel powertrains for years. The 2024 Silverado 1500 and F-150 both tackle efficient powertrains in different ways, with Chevy going the route of the tried and true diesel powertrain, but the F-150 uses a hybrid powertrain. Trucks with hybrid or fully-electric powertrains are quite niche and don't have the proven performance of diesel trucks. However, given Ford doesn’t offer a diesel powertrain for the F-150 anymore, this means if you’re buying one of these two trucks and you want a diesel, you’ve eliminated the F-150 from your search, and the Silverado 1500 should be your choice.
How does the diesel powertrain perform? The powertrain includes a 3.0L turbo-diesel I-6 engine paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. This provides the best fuel efficiency and torque of the Chevy engine options, along with matching the Silverado 1500’s 6.2L V8 engine’s maximum towing capacity of 13,300 lbs.
With the diesel engine, your 2024 Silverado 1500 will output 305 hp and 495 lb-ft of torque. The diesel powertrain is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive––the former has EPA-estimated ratings of 23 MPG in the city, 29 MPG on the highway, and 26 MPG combined. If you live in North Adams, you can travel West to Albany, North to Vermont, or South towards Springfield, and your truck won’t eat nearly as much fuel as it would if you bought a powertrain like the aforementioned 6.2L V8 engine.
Keep On Truckin’ With Our Winner
North Adams drivers who have their minds set on a high-quality trucking experience will find it with either the F-150 or Silverado 1500. However, given that both vehicles have similar prices, which one should you pick? Choosing between two vehicles with similar prices can be a tricky decision, as it doesn’t come down to which truck has the lowest starting price but rather which truck offers more and better creates a value-packed experience. In that regard, the 2024 Silverado 1500 is a better truck for North Adams drivers, especially if you don’t want to spend extra on more lavish trim levels––higher towing and payload capacities with its base engine, plus more room for cargo, makes it the better option for your next truck. Contact us today to schedule a test drive.