Heavy-duty work trucks are becoming increasingly popular—and powerful. It seems that every year the latest heavy-duty Chevy, Ford, GMC, and Ram trucks are more powerful and more impressive than what would have been deemed reasonable only a few short years ago. This year’s lineup of heavy-duty work trucks is certainly no exception to that trend. These trucks get work done, and they can haul and handle incredible weights and payloads. If you are in the market for a work truck, you will undoubtedly wonder which one is the better buy. Obviously, there is a lot to consider as these complex machines have a variety of trims and configurations that they come in, each with different features and positives and negatives. But a good place to start is to consider and compare the 2020 Chevy Silverado 2500HD vs 2020 Ford F-250.
Both of these outstanding heavy-duty work trucks check a lot of boxes, and either one is a reasonable choice. But to get a better idea of which one is truly the best, here is more information on what makes them great.
Different Trims of the Silverado
One of the first things you will notice about the Chevy Silverado 2500HD is that it comes in five available trims, two-wheel and four-wheel drive options for each trim, and a variety of bed and cab configurations available at every level. The trims start with the Work Truck, which is, in a word, loaded. Under the hood of the Silverado 2500 HD Work Truck is a powerful 6.6L V8 Direct Injection engine that is capable of generating 401 hp and 464 lb-ft of torque. The Work Truck and other trims can also come with an available 6.6L Duramax Turbo-Diesel V8 engine that is even more fun than the standard offering.
The second trim is the Custom, which includes all of the features of the Work Truck and adds a little flavor of its own, including LED trailing lamps. One step up from the Custom is the LT model, which comes equipped with several nice upgrades, including a more stylish grille and a tailgate with EZ Lift, making loading and unloading a breeze. After the LT comes the LTZ, which comes with, among other things, a keyless remote start, which is great for those who live in colder climates. It’s nice to be able to start your truck and let it warm up a bit before braving the cold yourself. The highest of the Silverado 2500HD’s five trims is the High Country, which boasts an impressive suite of finishes, including some of the best safety features on the market and the high-quality infotainment system.
The variety that is available with the different trims, cab configurations (which can seat as many as six passengers with the double cab option) and bed layouts, is nothing short of stunning and makes the 2020 Chevy Silverado 2500HD a force to be reckoned with. What makes these trims even more exciting is the price. The base price of the Work Truck starts at just north of $34,000.
Trims of the F-250
The Ford F-250 comes in six different trims: the XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, Platinum, and Limited. The F-250 also has a variety of cab and bed configurations that make it so that almost no two F-250’s are exactly the same. While there are some differences between the Chevy Silverado 2500HD’s trims and the F-250’s trims, there are mostly similarities as both trucks test and perform in the same range for a number of metrics. However, the Silverado 2500 HD does have more power on its standard engine than the F-250 does.
The F-250 comes with a 6.2L Flex Fuel V8 engine that is capable of generating 385 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque, in comparison to the Silverado’s standard engine that is noticeably more powerful and capable of churning out 401 hp and 464 lb-ft of torque. While the Ford F-250 does have more powerful engines available on some of its higher trims, they also cost substantially more. If you are looking for the most bang for your buck, then the base model Silverado 2500HD Work Truck will be the better option.
Comparing Safety
The Silverado 2500HD also has an impressive suite of safety features that make it not only a powerful behemoth but a safe one too. At every trim level, Chevy’s commitment to safety shines through and has made the Silverado 2500 HD an award-winning safety pick on many lists.
The safety features found on the Silverado include plenty of airbags, anti-lock disc brakes on all four wheels, and a rearview camera to help with backing up, parking, and making sure you know where pedestrians are. More advanced safety features include hitch guidance and a hitch view to assist you as you attach your trailer. It also comes with a lane departure warning system and forward collision alert to ensure you continue on the straight and narrow as you drive. Finally, the IntelliBeam headlights adjust from high beam to low beam depending on need and are not only safe but convenient too.
The Ford F-250 has a rich array of safety features too, though many of them come at the higher trims and require significant investment if you want to get your hands on them. The only standard safety features that come on the F-250 are airbags, a seat belt reminder alert system, and a few other low tech items. Therefore, the Silverado is the better option.
Interior Features
The interior of the Silverado 2500 HD is very spacious and boasts plenty of room for five passengers to sit comfortably. The Silverado also comes equipped with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so you can stay connected no matter where you are headed. An ultra-functional and super-convenient 120-volt outlet also comes standard on the Silverado and is a feature you will undoubtedly get a lot of use out of. Finally, if you want to increase the size of the infotainment center on the Silverado 2500 HD from the standard 4.5” screen to the larger, more robust 8” display, that option is available.
When it comes to the Ford F-250, the infotainment system is relatively comparable to the Silverado and has many of the same features, including an infotainment system of its own. Overall, however, there aren’t too many surprises, and everything on the inside of the Ford F-250 is pretty standard and what you would expect it to be.
Warranties
The 2020 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD comes with a solid bumper to bumper 3-year/36,000-mile limited warranty and a powertrain limited warranty that includes 5 years/60,000 miles of coverage in addition to a few other helpful warranties. These not only protect you and your truck in the case of an accident or emergency, but they speak to the confidence Chevy has in the Silverado. Additionally, the Ford F-250 has very similar warranties to the Silverado and doesn’t offer anything extra or noteworthy, meaning they are on similar levels in this regard.
Verdict: 2020 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD vs 2020 Ford F-250
When comparing these two powerful work trucks, it is hard to decide which one is the better choice. They both have a long list of great features on the inside and out and have engines that will get the job done. That said, given all the relevant information and the more powerful base engine, you definitely can’t go wrong by choosing the 2020 Chevy Silverado 2500HD. It is a powerful machine full of great safety features, tons of goodies on the inside, and a warranty that will give you confidence in your truck.
