We all depend on workers to make the world go round. We need farmers for food, construction workers for roads and shelter, truckers to deliver important goods, and so on. When your livelihood—and that of everyone else—depends on your truck, you can’t afford to have less than the best. With the new line of trucks rolling out, you’re going to want the best work truck on the market—one that’s reliable; functional; and capable against all odds, terrains, and weather conditions. In this 2022 GMC Sierra 3500 vs 2022 Ram 3500 face-off, we pit two incredible trucks against each other to see which one is the champion of the workers, the farmers, and the overall do-ers among us!
Will It Work?
If you’re working hard, you want to know that your truck is working hard, too! The type of engines these trucks run is an important consideration before putting money down. The 2022 GMC Sierra 3500 HD features a 6.6-L V8 engine that pumps out 464 lb-ft of torque and 401 horsepower. The available 6.6-L Duramax Turbo Diesel V8 is capable of 910 lb-ft of torque and 445 horsepower.
So when it comes to overall power in the Sierra, you’re definitely going to want to opt into the diesel powertrain if you can. Higher torque capability means better performance and higher efficiency when the Sierra transports heavy loads, offering more rpms at lower speeds.
One of the other things we need to know about a working truck is what it’s going to cost to use it. If these trucks were your employees, you could think of their fuel efficiency and their hourly wages. While there are no listed MPG ratings on this vehicle yet, past models indicate that it probably gets around 17-20 MPG. While we may not have a definitive mile per gallon rating, we do have a set-in-stone tank size. With 36 gallons of fuel space, the Sierra 3500 HD can get you from point A to point B and back—over and over again!
The last consideration to make is cost. Sierra 3500 HDs range from $39,400 to right under $70,000, depending on the trim you select. This is a hefty price tag, but certainly unnecessary; higher trims like the Denali are regarded for their lush, sophisticated cabins, which would be a careless business investment.
The 2022 Ram 3500 features one of three different engines. A 6.4-L Hemi Apache V8 engine outputs 410 horsepower and 429 lb-ft of torque. They also offer a 6.7-L Cummins Turbo Diesel I6, meanwhile, only generates 370 horsepower but manages 850 lb-ft of torque. The last engine available on the Ram is a 6.7-L Cummins Turbo Diesel High-Output I6. This engine is capable of 1,075 lb-ft of torque and 420 horsepower!
As with the Sierra, the diesel engine is going to be the best bet for getting the job done in the Ram. Like the Sierra, there is no official fuel efficiency rating yet, but past models are getting around 16 miles to the gallon. However, we do know that the tank size of the Ram is a whopping 31 gallons! This means that even if the gas mileage is a bit lower, you can still expect to not have to fill up after every stop. Ram 3500s run in cost between $40,940 up to around $70,000. This price is really dependent on what trim you want, but the Ram’s higher trims certainly offer more comfort than utility.
When it comes down to productivity, you can expect either of these trucks to rise to your challenge. The Ram produces a bit more torque; however, the Sierra produces consistently high horsepower in all powertrains, gets better gas mileage, has a larger tank, and costs a little less, though. These factors make the Sierra a slightly better choice for workers.
Will It Haul?
Now, I’d like to know: if we were to take these trucks to a fairground tractor pull, would they win? We know they’d spit out dirt and make loud noises, but would they pull the tractor? The light-duty Sierra 1500 is able to pull just under 13,000 lbs; while that’s not nothing, it’s not quite enough. Thankfully, the 2022 GMC Sierra 3500’s most powerful engine is the 6.6-L Duramax Turbo Diesel V8, which gets a substantial boost to its towing capabilities. It’s capable of pulling 36,000 lbs! That’s more than double the amount of weight—and it’s actually enough towing power to haul two full-grown elephants, with some wiggle room!
Moving our focus to payload, the V8 gasoline engine has a slight advantage over the Duramax diesel, capable of accommodating almost 7,500 lbs of cargo space weight. The diesel powertrain can sustain 6,523 lbs of payload weight, but I’m willing to forgive that very small difference because its towing capacity is double that of the gasoline V8.
When it comes to the Ram’s towing abilities, the engine makes a big difference as well. The Apache model is capable of towing 18,210 lbs and has a payload capacity of just over 7,500 lbs. This model has the highest payload and lowest towing capacities. The most capable version of the Ram 3500 for 2022 is the High-Output Cummins. This engine can haul up to 37,090 lbs! This is just a little more than the GMC Sierra can manage.
The Ram 3500 High Output Cummins also has a payload capacity of 6,570 lbs. Again, slightly lower than the weaker models, but also allowable because Ram certainly focused on making this truck a trailering monster. The good news is: if you need a truck that can handle a little more weight, the Ram makes it so those two full-grown elephants don’t entirely tap out your truck’s abilities.
So, will it haul? In short, both models absolutely will haul! However, the 2022 Ram has a slight edge here because it has about an extra thousand pounds of capability on the strongest model—when compared to the Sierra’s strongest model.
And the Winner Is…
With a one-to-one tie, I have to dig into the actual specifics to determine a winner. After considering everything, I actually prefer the 2022 GMC Sierra 3500 HD. It’s more cost-effective, has better torque and horsepower, and the increased price of the Ram really only gets you a little over 1,000 more lbs of weight. However, if you need two elephants and then some, you’ll need the Ram to make that happen.
These trucks truly are the champions of their kind, and you ultimately can’t lose with either option. Even when you’re dealing with snow, sleet, rain, or hail, your truck needs to be tough enough to deliver—and not fail. If you want a work vehicle that will pick up what you need and not let you down, you honestly can’t go wrong with the 2022 GMC Sierra 3500 HD or the 2022 Ram 3500. With that in mind, I still recommend the Sierra because it will work hard, it drives well, and it gives you your money’s worth—and that’s what keeps the world moving.
