To come to this conclusion, I had to subtract all the bells and whistles from the F-150 — the price difference between the Silverado LTZ and the F-150 Limited was close to $20,000 — and focus more on basics.
By that analysis, it was actually a close call. The knock on the new Silverado is that Chevy didn't update it enough to really challenge the F-150, and as a result some buyers are being wooed by the equally new RAM 1500 (RAM's incentives are perhaps helping there).
But when I got right down to it, I decided that both the F-150 and the Silverado accomplish their missions with near-equivalent aplomb. For bed capacity and towing, both trucks match up closely. My testers each had capable four-wheel-drive systems, and while the F-150 was more lushly appointed, the Silverado wasn't bad — in fact, for $57,000, it was impressive.
I'm not a rancher or a contractor, so I can't really subject the Ford's aluminum frame to everyday tortures, but the word is that it's holding up to all manner of abuse in the field. The Silverado, as I noted in my review, also feel like you could beat it to pieces.
Tech-wise, the two trucks are neck-and-neck, but if I had to pick an infotainment system, I'd lean toward Chevy.
Sooo ... it kind of came down to the engines. The Silverado's V8 versus the F-150's turbo V6. And here's where the Ford took it. The Chevy 6.2L is a beast, but the EcoBoost 3.5L high-output is a masterpiece. You could almost say that Ford is cheating with this configuration. At no time did I think I was helming an underpowered rig.
Slight edge, then, to the Ford.
But I have to admit that for under $60,000, the new Silverado is truly bringing it. This is the type of argument that goes on endlessly in pickup-land, but for the money, in this comparison, the Silverado challenged the best F-150 on the market.