Chevrolet vs Ford vs Dodge, Head to Head in Cheap, Under $5K Truck Challenge

Of course, it doesn't always have to be that way, but in most cases, you'll find that to be true. And the same statement becomes obvious once again as the people over at The Fast Lane Truck have started a new series, in which they are comparing three cheap trucks to each other. Each driver has had a total budget of $5,000, and we get to see a 1998 Chevrolet K1500, a 2001 Dodge Ram 1500, and a 2004 Ford F-150 being brought forth for testing.

All three trucks have 4WD, and they're all going to be submitted to the same tests. The F-150 was purchased for $3,700, while the older Chevrolet only cost $3,200. The Dodge Ram comes in last, and while it does seem slightly better prepared for the challenges up ahead, it ate up all of the existing budget in one shot. For the first challenge, these three trucks will be going drag racing, and they're bound to be quite slow considering how cheap they are.

The F-150 is powered by a 4.6-liter Triton V8 unit, which should be good for about 231 horsepower and 293 lb-ft (397 Nm) of torque. The Dodge Ram comes into play with a larger displacement engine, as its V8 is a 5.9-liter Magnum. That being said, the Ram has the upper hand with 245 horsepower and 335 lb-ft (454 Nm) of torque. Last but not least, the K1500 has a 5.0-liter Vortec V8, which is capable of 230 horsepower and 285 lb-ft (386 Nm) of torque.

Going into the first test of the day, the Ram takes on the K1500. In what seems to be one of the slowest races ever, the Dodge is somehow left behind, as the Chevrolet crosses the line first. The second test has got the oldest truck on set going up against the newest one here, and they're neck and neck all the way, but the Ford just barely manages to get ahead as they cross the finish line.

For a more conclusive result, the three trucks are now subjected to a 0-60 mph (96 km/h) acceleration test. The runway isn't all that long, at just 1/8 miles (201 meters), so there might be some issues there. These trucks were never meant to go fast, and it's soon obvious that neither can get up to the desired speed, with such a short runway, and they all wind up going off-track even though they're hard on the brakes.

Seeing that speed isn't their strong point, the next test consists of an off-road test. With each truck having different tires on, this isn't necessarily the most relevant test, but it might provide an insight as to which one of them has the most capable 4WD system. Given an uphill section with snow still on it, each truck will be aiming to go as high up as possible. The F-150 is the least impressive of the bunch, while the K1500 does just slightly better. But it's the Ram that gets crowned King of the Hill.