The heaviest loads and trailers demand a 1-ton diesel dually pickup. But those are unwieldy to maneuver, and their ride quality can be downright punishing when they’re not fully loaded. Plus, to tow more than half of those trucks’ max capacity you need a commercial driving license (CDL). Scale back your towing needs to “operator license” territory (26,000 pounds for the truck and trailer combined), and you’ll find a 3/4-ton diesel pickup with single rear wheels (SRWs) fits the bill much more comfortably. Our MotorTrend Ultimate Car Rankings already assess 1-ton diesel (350 or 3500) pickups and 3/4-ton gasoline-burners, so this 3/4-ton diesel truck comparison explores new territory.
The heavy-duty Rams are currently our picks in both of those categories, having claimed our 2020 Truck of the Year calipers against competition that included then-new competitors from Chevy and GMC. The contest pitted Ram’s high-output Cummins (now rated at 420 hp and 1,075 lb-ft) against GM’s 445-hp, 910-lb-ft Duramax, but in a 3/4-ton Ram, the Cummins produces just 370 hp and 850 lb-ft. Chevy doesn’t downrate its Duramax diesel for 3/4-ton duty, and it’s mated to a 10-speed automatic that tops the Ram’s gearbox by four ratios. Last year’s revised Ford Super Duty trucks competed for our 2021 Truck of the Year laurels, sporting a Power Stroke diesel and 10-speed automatic combo good for a whopping 475 hp and 1,050 lb-ft in everything from the F-250 to the F-450. But the Ford Super Duty failed to capture the calipers, so this contest is truly up for grabs.
The 3/4-Ton Diesel 4WD Crew Cab Short-Box Contenders
To back up our impressions, we fed all the objective test and measurement data from these 3/4-ton diesels into the MotorTrend Ultimate Car Rankings formula and revised the subjective assessments to reflect these specific trucks. Sure enough, the Silverado’s score surged by 3.4 percent, while the Ram and Ford ratings fell by 5.0 and 1.6 percent relative to the mainstream gas models we rank, but that resulted in precisely the finishing order we chose.
3rd Place: Ford F-250 Super Duty Lariat Tremor 6.7L Power Stroke
Concessions to off-road ability compromise ride, and the underperforming powertrain lacks smoothness.
2nd Place: Chevrolet Silverado Z71 LTZ Carhartt
A killer powertrain and clever towing technology are let down by a dour interior and hard seats.
1st Place: Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Laramie 4×4 Cummins Turbo Diesel
If your truck is your office, this one is the quietest, comfiest, and best furnished available.
| Heavy Duty 4×4 Diesel Crew-Cab Pickup Comparo | |||
| POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS | 2021 Chevrolet Silverado Z71 LTZ (2500 HD 4X4 Carhartt) | 2021 Ford F-250 Super Duty Lariat Tremor 6.7L Power Stroke Turbo Diesel | 2021 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Laramie 4×4 Cummins Turbo Diesel |
| DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT | Front-engine, 4WD | Front-engine, 4WD | Front-engine, 4WD |
| ENGINE TYPE | Turbodiesel 90-deg V-8, iron block/alum heads | Turbodiesel 90-deg V-8, iron block/alum heads | Turbodiesel, I-6, iron block/head |
| VALVETRAIN | OHV, 4 valves/cyl | OHV, 4 valves/cyl | OHV, 4 valves/cyl |
| DISPLACEMENT | 402.7 cu in/6,599 cc | 405.9 cu in/6,651 cc | 408.2 cu in/6,690 cc |
| COMPRESSION RATIO | 16.0:1 | 15.8:1 | 16.2:1 |
| POWER (SAE NET) | 445 hp @ 2,800 rpm | 475 hp @ 2,800 rpm | 370 hp @ 2,800 rpm |
| TORQUE (SAE NET) | 910 lb-ft @ 1,600 rpm | 1,050 lb-ft @ 1,600 rpm | 850 lb-ft @ 1,152 rpm |
| REDLINE | 4,600 rpm | 4,500 rpm | 3,250 rpm |
| WEIGHT TO POWER | 18.8 lb/hp | 16.6 lb/hp | 21.6 lb/hp |
| TRANSMISSION | 10-speed automatic | 10-speed automatic | 6-speed automatic |
| AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE/LOW RATIO | 3.42:1/2.15:1/2.72:1 | 3.55:1/2.24:1/2.64:1 | 3.73:1/2.35:1/2.64:1 |
| SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR | Control arms, torsion bars, anti-roll bar; live axle, leaf springs | Live axle, coil springs, anti-roll bar; live axle, leaf springs | Live axle, coil springs, anti-roll bar; live axle, air springs, anti-roll bar |
| STEERING RATIO | 18.0:1 | 17.5:1 | 14.2:1 |
| TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.0 |
| BRAKES, F; R | 14.0-in vented disc; 14.1-in vented disc, ABS | 14.3-in vented disc; 14.3-in vented disc, ABS | 14.2-in vented disc; 14.1-in vented, disc, ABS |
| WHEELS | 8.5 x 20-in, cast aluminum | 8.0 x 18-in cast aluminum | 8.0 x 18-in cast aluminum |
| TIRES | LT275/65R20 126/123S Goodyear Wrangler TrailRunner AT | LT285/75R18 129/1260 Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac | LT275/70R18 Firestone Transforce HT |
| DIMENSIONS | |||
| WHEELBASE | 158.9 in | 159.8 in | 149.0 in |
| TRACK, F/R | 68.1/68.3 in | 68.3/67.2 in | 69.6/75.9 in |
| LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT | 250.0 x 81.9 x 79.8 in | 250.0 x 80.0 x 82.9 in | 238.8 x 83.5 x 80.2 in |
| GROUND CLEARANCE | 8.8 in | 10.8 in | 8.6 in |
| TURNING CIRCLE | 52.8 ft | 55.0 ft | 53.7 ft |
| CURB WEIGHT | 8,353 lb | 7,874 lb | 7,980 lb |
| WEIGHT DIST, F/R | 58/42% | 59/41% | 59/41% |
| SEATING CAPACITY | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| HEADROOM, F/R | 43.0/40.1 in | 40.8/40.4 in | 40.9/39.8 in |
| LEGROOM, F/R | 44.5/43.4 in | 43.9/43.6 in | 40.9/40.2 in |
| SHOULDER ROOM, F/R | 66.0/65.3 in | 66.7/65.9 in | 65.9/65.6 in |
| PICKUP BOX L x W x H | 80.2 x 71.4 x 21.0 in | 81.9 x 66.9 x 21.1 in | 76.3 x 66.4 x 20.1 in |
| PICKUP BOX CARGO VOLUME | 69.6 cu ft | 65.4 cu ft | 57.5 cu ft |
| WIDTH BET WHEELHOUSES | 51.9 in | 50.5 in | 51.0 in |
| CARGO LIFT-OVER HEIGHT | 37.2 in | 39.0 in | 36.8 in |
| PAYLOAD CAPACITY | 2,797 lb | 2,926 lb | 2,020 lb |
| TOWING CAPACITY, CONV/5th WHEEL | 18,500/18,500 lb | 20,000/22,400 lb | 19,020/19,020 lb |
| TEST DATA | |||
| ACCELERATION TO MPH | |||
| 0-30 | 2.2 sec | 2.9 sec | 2.5 sec |
| 0-40 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 3.9 |
| 0-50 | 4.7 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| 0-60 | 6.5 | 7.2 | 7.6 |
| 0-70 | 8.7 | 9.1 | 10.0 |
| 0-80 | 11.3 | 11.5 | 13.0 |
| 0-90 | 14.5 | 14.6 | — |
| PASSING, 45-65 MPH | 3.5 | 3.3 | 4.1 |
| QUARTER MILE | 15.0 sec @ 91.3 mph | 15.5 sec @ 92.2 mph | 15.8 sec @ 87.7 mph |
| BRAKING, 60-0 MPH | 134 ft | 163 ft | 144 ft |
| LATERAL ACCELERATION | 0.71 g (avg) | 0.67 g (avg) | 0.70 g (avg) |
| MT FIGURE EIGHT | 28.3 sec @ 0.60 g (avg) | 29.0 sec @ 0.57 g (avg) | 29.8 sec @ 0.54 g (avg) |
| TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH | 1,250 rpm | 1,450 rpm | 1,700 rpm |
| CONSUMER INFO | |||
| BASE PRICE | $73,855 | $69,455 | $64,080 |
| PRICE AS TESTED | $76,075 | $75,625 | $78,055 |
| STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL | Yes/Yes | Yes/Yes | Yes/Yes |
| AIRBAGS | 6: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain | 6: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain | 6: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain |
| BASIC WARRANTY | 3 yrs/36,000 miles | 3 yrs/36,000 miles | 3 yrs/36,000 miles |
| POWERTRAIN WARRANTY | 5 yrs/100,000 miles | 5 yrs/100,000 miles | 5 yrs/100,000 miles |
| ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE | 5 yrs/100,000 miles | 5 yrs/60,000 miles | 5 yrs/100,000 miles |
| FUEL CAPACITY | 36.0 gal | 34.0 gal | 32.0 gal |
| EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON | Exempt from testing | Exempt from testing | Exempt from testing |
| RECOMMENDED FUEL | Diesel | Diesel | Diesel |
| Note: Mechanically identical 2020-model trucks were tested, except for Ram lateral acceleration and figure-eight results, which are from a similar 2018 truck. | |||
By: Erika Pizano
Title: 2021 Ford F-250 vs. Ram 2500 HD, Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD: Gentler Giants
Sourced From: www.motortrend.com/cars/ram/2500/2021/ford-super-duty-f-250-ram-2500-chevy-silverado-2500-3-4-ton-diesel-hd-truck-comparison-test-review/
Published Date: Fri, 04 Jun 2021 11:30:07 +0000
