As far as heavy-duty trucks go, diesel is the right choice for those in the market for a towing workhorse. As ever, prospective customers are presented with three choices, beginning with the Ford Super Duty Power Stroke V8.
Those who prefer General Motors are presented with the Duramax V8-powered Chevrolet Silverado HD, whereas the Ram HD soldiers on with a Cummins inline-six lump. The maximum towing capacities for the Ram and its Chevy-branded rival are 37,090 and 36,000 pounds. In other words, 16,824 and 16,329 kilograms.
Opting for the Ford Motor Company's toughest F-350 pickup truck yet gets you 38,000 pounds (17,237 kilograms), but only if you specify dual rear wheels and the high-output version of the 6.7-liter Power Stroke. Although none of these mechanical beasts of burden were designed with quarter-mile performance in mind, The Fast Lane drag raced all three for our amusement.
Due to the narrowness of the runway, the good folks at TFL raced two at a time. First up, the Silverado easily beats the Ram at launch and through the quarter mile. Part of the reason is more power from the Duramax V8, which puts out 470 ponies and 975 pound-feet (1,322 Nm) versus 420 and 1,075 (1,458) for the Cummins.
The Chevy also features a ten-speed automatic rather than a sixer. Don't be fooled by the Allison Transmission badging. The Duramax is actually connected to GM's very own 10L, which is known as 10R in Ford vehicles. The Dearborn-based automaker is credited with the development work, although GM does run a different TCM and software for its transmission.
In the Silverado's case, Allison transmissions are featured in the 4500 and up, which are classified as medium-duty trucks. The Ram features an Aisin-supplied unit for the high-output Cummins or the Chrysler 68RFE sixer for the standard-output engine.
The Silverado doesn't even break a sweat against the Ram from a rolling start, asserting dominance over the less powerful yet torquier Ram. The same can be said about the Super Duty against the Chevy, with the F-350 clocking 15.57 at 92.3 miles per hour (149 kilometers per hour) in the quarter mile. By comparison, the Silverado and Ram recorded 16.24 and 17.71 at 89 and 83 miles per hour (143 and 134 kilometers per hour).
Considering that a 2014 model year Ford Mustang GT with the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 needs 14.77 seconds, the F-350 dually's ET is all the more impressive. Then again, what did you expect from 500 horsepower and 1,200 pound-feet (1,627 Nm) of earth-shattering torque?
Also available with not one, but two gas engines, the 2023 model year Super Duty carries a starting price of $43,970 – excluding fees – at press time. The F-450 Limited is the most expensive spec available right now, as it starts at $103,030 sans options like the gooseneck dual hitch kit or 5th wheel hitch kit.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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