F-150 vs. Ram 1500 vs. Tundra vs. Silverado vs. Sierra: The Ultimate Full-Size Truck Comparison Test

Everyone already has a favorite full-size truck. But we've figured out which one is actually the best. The GMC Sierra, Ford F-150, Ram 1500, Toyota Tundra, and Chevrolet Silverado. We know it's impossible for you to drive all five of these, and even if you went to five different dealerships, you would just get five short test drives. But we spent weeks with each of these trucks, and we know them very well from nose to tailgate. So we're going to cover the best and worst of what each of these trucks has to offer, and we're also going to cover a wild card for each one that might make you consider it over its competitors. Lots to cover. Let's get trucking. As a part of the famous Edmunds rating, we score these trucks as well as every other vehicle across eight different categories. And that's more than we can cover in this video. So for more information about any of these trucks or any other new or used car on the road, head over to edmunds.com. Now we're going to kick things off with our lowest rated overall truck, the Chevrolet Silverado, which is an old school pickup with some new tricks. We really like his technology, but found that it's lacking in comfort score compared to the other pickups in this test. This giant screen grabs your attention as soon as you get into the vehicle. But what makes the Chevy a contender here is not just that the screen is pretty. The headline here is extensive Google integration. Your native Maps app is actually Google Maps, and that means that if you log into your Google account, it'll automatically load in all of your saved places and locations like home, work or even Clint's house. What? It looks and works great. And the nice thing is that Chevy makes this screen standard on all the trims except for the bottom two. Google Assistant makes this truck really good at understanding voice commands. It can do a lot more than just changing the radio station. For example. OK, Google, what time is sunset today? Today, sunset is at 7.03 p.m. It's going to be a long day. You also get access to the Google Play Store, which means you can download apps that you'll use frequently like Spotify. So a pretty screen with really useful software that has me really happy. But what has me a lot less enthusiastic is that to get the data connection to power all this stuff after a three month trial period, you're going to have to pay twenty six dollars a month to get that data or connect it to your phone as a Wi-Fi hotspot. And at that point, you'll probably just resort to using Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. But Apple CarPlay and Android Auto don't take up the whole screen. So it's not great. Where the Chevy really struggles is comfort, and it struggles in multiple ways. The first one being these seats. Now, these front seats, they are firm. They are not really supportive. And you actually slide around to them a fair bit when you're driving. And on a longer trip, they'll get uncomfortable rather quickly. And if you move to the back seat, things get even worse because somehow those seats are both firmer and flatter. And you're also sitting too upright and you can't adjust it. So even though there's a lot of room, backseat passengers won't be comfortable either. And also the ride quality in the Silverado is not very good, which you kind of expect because it is a truck. But both small and large bumps alike really upset it. And it just kind of bounces its way down the road and never really settles in. And also in the cabin, you're going to get a lot of road noise, wind noise, and especially engine noise if you have that clickety-clack diesel under the hood. So what else do you need to know about the Chevy? The rest of it is just kind of about average, I would say. You get an average amount of interior storage space. Like this bin is fairly large, but it's not convertible like you're going to get in some of the other trucks. And these cup holders, they're not quite big enough to fit the large water bottles that we like to test with. However, the bed is nice and big, though it doesn't have the most payload. And as you can tell, everything with this Chevy just sort of levels out. The Chevy's wild card is that it is simply cheaper to get off-road in the Silverado. The Z71, the Trail Boss, and the Desert Ready ZR2 are all priced lower than their competitors, and they offer similar capability. The Silverado isn't a bad truck, but the problem is it just doesn't really stand out in any way, and its interior feels a step behind competitors without offering any advantage in cost. And for most buyers, we recommend that you would look elsewhere. The GMC Sierra is closely related to the Silverado, and just like that truck, it's not our favorite to drive on the road. However, it does have a few small advantages over its close rival. When you start to look at it, a lot of it looks the same as the Silverado, same screen, a lot of the same buttons and switches, and even the same gear shifter. But this is a Denali Ultimate trim, and since you shelled out the big bucks to get it, there are some things that give you a clear advantage over the Chevy, like much better materials. You've got this full-grain leather. You've got open-pore wood on the dash. It's a big step up in quality that you get along with the step up in price. The Sierra is easy to get in and out of thanks to wide door openings and well-positioned grab handles. And like the Silverado, this interior is really large and has plenty of room for front and rear passengers alike. The controls and storage space here in the GMC are basically the same as what you're going to get as in the Chevy. So just average. This bin is a decent size, but not very flexible. The nice thing, though, is that there are some cool design touches, like on this second glove box here, that make the GMC feel a little bit classier. Remember when I said that the Chevy Silverado doesn't drive very well? Well, unsurprisingly, neither does its GMC cousin. And the problems start with the brake pedal, which feels wooden and doesn't offer very much feedback. And that means that it's actually kind of hard to stop this truck smoothly in everyday driving. Now, actual stopping power is decent. This thing stops at about the same distance as the other trucks do. It's just that since you get no feedback from the pedal and it's kind of squishy at the top, these kind of get herky-jerky whenever you're trying to slow down. The other problem is with the active dampers that you find here on the Denali Ultimate trim. Now, this system is supposed to make things more comfortable on the road, but it kind of has the opposite effect. It actually makes the ride a bit too stiff most of the time. And whenever you go over bumps or potholes, you definitely feel them reverberate through the cabin. And then the suspension softens and the truck starts to bounce up and down. So all in all, it's just not very comfortable. We know you're not looking for your truck to drive like a sports car, but the fact remains that the GMC is just not that enjoyable from behind the wheel. While the GMC might not drive great, what you can get under the hood is actually this truck's wild card. And we did cheat a bit because this is something that it shares along with the Silverado. And that is the fact that if you want a diesel powertrain in a light-duty truck, the GM twins are now the only place that you can get one. So if you want that added torque, better fuel economy, and big range, it's going to be GMC or Chevy. So what's the story with the Sierra? It basically has the exact same strengths and weaknesses as a Silverado, but it has a much nicer interior and thankfully more comfortable front and rear seats. However, unless your heart is set on having a diesel powertrain, we do think that the other trucks that are coming up in this test offer a much more well-rounded experience at similar value. The Toyota Tundra is a well-rounded truck that's better to drive than both the Chevy and the GMC, with a well-appointed interior and strong technology of its own. But the main thing holding the Toyota back is subpar fuel economy, and you'll be surprised to hear that that's true of the hybrid models as well. The Tundra's infotainment doesn't have quite the same functionality that you're getting out of the GM trucks, but it's still worth highlighting. This 14-inch screen is the second largest screen that you can get among all these trucks. And while it might not use Google Maps, its navigation system does use Google Points of Interest data, so you're always getting the latest updated locations. And I would love to show you what that looks like, but just like the GM trucks, you're going to need a subscription to power that. And unfortunately, even if you connect the truck to your phone to use it as a Wi-Fi hotspot, you're still going to need a data subscription. Oh, and if you want to use music streaming services with this too, you're going to need a separate data subscription for that. I mean, I don't know why these car companies are doing this. I do know why. That doesn't make it any less maddening. Driver aids are also part of the tech score, and in that area, the Tundra really excels. Every Tundra comes standard with adaptive cruise control with lane centering, automatic emergency braking, among many other standard safety features. In our experience with the truck, those systems all work quite well, and they're very unintrusive as long as you don't expect the Tundra to drive itself. And that's important because the Toyota is actually the only truck here that doesn't offer some sort of hands-free level two plus driving system. Now, the downside of the Tundra, it is really thirsty, and that might be surprising to hear, given that Toyota got rid of the V8 on the Tundra, and it now has a twin turbo V6 and a hybrid powertrain. But both of those in our real world experience with the Tundra only got about 15 or 16 MPG, and that's just a lot worse than the other trucks all get. And that means that even if you live in an area where fuel is cheap, it's just going to cost you more to live with the Tundra. So the hybrid powertrain is going to cost you more, but it doesn't get you any better fuel economy. And while we like the performance, it also costs you some storage on the interior. In the gas versions of the Tundra under this seat here, you get a pretty good storage space. But as you can see with a hybrid, this is where the battery lives. No secure storage under the rear seat at all. Now for the rest of the interior, the front storage, pretty good for small items. The cup holders are a bit larger than what you're getting in the GM trucks. And that center bin, I found that to be better designed as well. And there's some great features here. For example, this back seat is both heated and ventilated. So with the Toyota, you're getting a pretty practical cabin with good features. But just be aware that if you get the hybrid, there are compromises. Remember earlier when I said that the Tundra was a well-rounded truck? Well, that's its wild card. It's good at pretty much everything you'd want to do with a full size truck, except for that fuel economy. However, if greatness is what you're after, you'd probably be better served by one of our two final contenders. Great scores for interior and comfort, as you might expect, elevate the Ram. But it's meh technology and less workmanlike nature prevent it from reaching the top. Now, most of the other trucks in this test have a traditional leaf spring suspension, which means that they're made to be tough more than anything else. However, here in the Ram, we have a rear coil suspension. That means that at times this truck can actually ride more like a car, and it has a very supple ride without being floaty. Higher trim levels of the Ram also offer an air suspension, which means that when it's parked, it will lower itself to make it easier for you to climb in. And this cabin is also really quiet when you're on the road, and that gives it almost a luxury car type of experience. The only noise that can really penetrate this cabin is the somewhat unpleasant exhaust note you're getting out of those straight six turbo engines. But that's a trade you might be willing to make, because those engines are actually this vehicle's wild card because of the performance and power that they deliver. Ram dropped the V8 from the 1500 lineup, but I promise you, you won't miss it at all except for the noise, because these things can really scoot. With the high output version of that engine under the hood, like we have here in this Limited, it can cover zero to 60 miles an hour in just 4.7 seconds, and that's faster than even things like the Toyota GR Corolla, and that's a hot hatch. And the standard output version of this engine, standard output, it's not much slower than that either. The Ram also features a massive interior score, and part of the reason for that is because it is so roomy back here. Even among all these big trucks, this back seat stands out for the quality of materials, for how comfortable the seats are, and because you get features like heating and ventilation. The interior of the Ram is also notable for the quality of its materials, and you know you don't have to go to the top trim level to get there. This is a limited version of the truck, and it's already nicer than the GMC Denali Ultimate, which is itself supposed to be a luxury truck, but the Ram, everything just looks and feels that much better than the GMC. These seats are also incredible. On the top tungsten trim level, they actually come with 24 different power adjustments, and Ram also offers massaging seats on a few trim levels. Unlike some of the other trucks here, which have a second glove box, the Ram does not, and that's because it has a third screen here for the passenger to watch, but it makes up for it by having an extra large center storage bin. The shifter has been moved up here onto the dash, so this whole area is basically open, and you can access all these bins in different ways. Yes, the cup holders are just regular size, but you don't even care because the rest of it is extra large. Where the Ram really comes up short, though, is technology, and it's definitely not driver aids, because this truck comes with a hands-free system that actually works quite well. The problem is with this big screen, and that's because being big is just about the only thing that it has going for it. Vertically orienting screens just isn't a very good idea. Ford even tried it with the F-150 Lightning, but then when they refreshed the F-150, they went ahead and flipped that thing back sideways, because that's just a better orientation for a screen. And part of the reason for that is because of the problems that it causes with cameras. So, for example, the Ram's surround view cameras, if you look at them here, they only take up about half of the screen, and the view is pretty pixelated, so it's actually harder to see what's around you in the Ram than in the other trucks. Not only is the screen oriented in the wrong direction, it's also pretty complicated to use. Ram's menu structure is not the most intuitive, but that's something that you can kind of learn over time. What you can't get over, though, is the fact that the screen is a bit laggy and doesn't really respond that well to inputs. And so if you want to use things like the ventilator or heated seats, you actually have to use the screen to turn those on. At times, those button presses just don't seem to register, and that can get really annoying real fast. Technology is an area where the other trucks have a definite leg up over the Ram. While the Ram might not be the best work truck, you'll be able to tow and haul more elsewhere, what it is is an ultra comfortable and luxurious truck that you'd be happy to drive every day. And that brings us to our final truck and the winner, and eat your heart out, blue or I guess black oval fanboys. It's the Ford F-150, and we think that this is the best all-around truck for most people. A big part of the reason that the Ford is our winner is its edge in technology. Now, its interior can't quite match the Ram's luxurious trappings, but that big advantage on tech takes it over the top. The layout of this center stack is absolutely fantastic. I love that you get physical controls for all the stuff you're going to use a lot, and anything that's in the screen, really easy to access. And it's a super responsive, very fast screen in direct contrast to the Ram. This 12-inch screen actually standard up and down the entire F-150 lineup, which is great. Also comes with standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. And the other thing I love about this system, a really great surround view camera, my favorite of the whole bunch. It's also got a navigation system that works without having to pay for a subscription. Imagine that. The F-150 also has a lot of great small item storage. You get a second small glove box above the regular glove box, really big pockets in the doors, and nice cubbies all around here. Though these cup holders, they are a bit on the smaller side. You can't fit this cup, but you can't fit a larger water bottle of any kind. Now, where the F-150 also excels is as a mobile office. The household outlet is actually here for easy access to charge your laptop and things like that. And you can actually fold this out here to give yourself a nice desk to work from while you're on the go. Just like the other trucks that we have here, this backseat area is absolutely massive. Though I will say that the Ford's rear seats are more comfortable than most of the other trucks that we have here. And beneath them, you also get this nice little storage bin. And as a bonus, it's lockable so you can secure all your stuff. The Ford's work truck credentials are unquestioned. And not just because it has pro power onboard back there in the bed, which means you can power a whole worksite with the truck. It also offers best in class towing and payload. And I also love the Ford's towing technology aids better than any of the other ones offered in these other trucks. So while the Ram might be more comfortable on the road with its coil suspension, the Ford, if you are towing a load, feels a lot more planted and robust. If we had to pick a con for the Ford, which is admittedly kind of hard to do, it's that it lacks a bit of the personality that you're going to get with the other trucks. The Ram has its great interior, the Tundra looks all angular and sharp, and the GM Twins both look very brawny. But the Ford, it does kind of get lost in the crowd a little bit. The Ford F-150's wildcard is its off-road capability. Now at the top end, you have the Raptor and the Raptor R, and we don't need to tell you about those. But even in something like this, the Tremor, you're getting a ton of capability. And in our latest off-road full-size truck comparison, this truck took down both the Chevy and the Ram. There's a reason that the F-150 is so ubiquitous, and that's simply because it's excellent. It is by far the best work truck out of the bunch, and it also has our favorite technology. And on top of that, you can configure it a bajillion different ways to get the exact truck that you need. So while the Ram is excellent in its own way, for us, the F-150 is still the king. So here are all the scores again if you want to check them out. There are different reasons why you might buy any of these trucks. Let's say you really want a diesel engine, or you like the way the Toyota looks, or you just want the most luxurious interior possible. In the end though, we have to give the win to the Ford because it's really an excellent pickup truck without any real weaknesses. 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