What makes the Silverado 1500 so much better than the RAM 1500
Shopping for a pickup truck these days can be tough business.
That’s because there are so many trucks to choose from! All with features and engines that make the trucks of just 10 years seems more closely related to a horse and a wagon than modern pickups.
Some of the best truck manufacturers are Chevrolet and RAM, and their iconic Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and the RAM 1500 are some of the most sought-after trucks on the market.
Today we’ll compare the two to see which one is better, or if they’re just indistinguishably good.
First off are exterior aesthetics.
The Silverado 1500 got a complete redesign in 2020 and it shows. Adhering to Chevrolet’s new design language, the truck looks modern and sports sharp lines that give it a borderline stylish look. Its considerable size also gives the Silverado a commanding presence on the road. One thing's for sure, be it on the job site or on your way to getting some groceries, the Silverado 1500 is a car you'll be proud to call your own.
The RAM 1500 can’t be called an ugly truck, but its design is nothing to write home about. It’s an aging exterior that looks its age and is in need of a facelift asap. Only then can it hold a candle to the Silverado 1500.
If design goes to Chevrolet, under the hood is an almost perfect tie with both models giving future owners a choice of three engines. The RAM comes with a standard 3.6-liter V6 gas engine that will deliver 305 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque. You can upgrade that to either the 5.7-liter V8 that will produce 395 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque or the newly added 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 that can deliver 260 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque.
RAM’s diesel will tow as much as 12,560 pounds and the V8 12,750 pounds. That’s almost perfectly on par with what the Silverado can deliver, 12,500 pounds of towing power when fitted with the 6.2-liter V8 engine. That will get future owners access to 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. What’s truly impressive is that with all that power at your disposal, you’ll still get an impressive 21 miles per gallon on the highway.
The other two Silverado 1500 engines are the 4.3-liter V6 at 24 miles per gallon on the highway and 285 horsepower plus 305 pound-feet of torque, and the 5.3-liter V-8 that will churn out 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque.
Both trucks come with very solid engine choices but when it comes to standard features, the Silverado 1500 once again takes the lead. That's mainly because of the very little connectivity and entertainment the RAM offers.
Just compare the 5.0-inch color touch the RAM comes equipped with to the 7.0-inch color touch of the Silverado. Then think of the fact that the RAM 1500 doesn't feature either Android Auto or Apple CarPlay on its first two trims when that’s standard on even the most basic of sedans in 2020. The Silverado 1500 has both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay on the basic model plus perks such as a wireless charging dock and a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot.
Just like with exterior design, the RAM 1500 is a little stuck in the past while the Silverado 1500 is blazing the way towards the future of all modern pickup trucks.
If you want to see for yourself just how incredibly good modern trucks have become, visit us here at O'Neill's Chevrolet Buick in Avon, CT .
We have all Silverado 1500 trims already on display as well as most available colors.
Visit us today and we’ll make all the necessary arrangements for you to take the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 for a test drive.