Apparently having the highest torque, horsepower, payload and towing ratings doesn’t mean everything, especially in a real-world comparison test.
Pickuptrucks.com – an authority on all things involving an open cargo bed – performed a rigorous, high-altitude towing comparison test with Diesel Power Magazine within the steep, cold and high Rocky Mountains on the I-70 Eisenhower Pass. The stretch of road used in particular rested at an elevation of 8,776 feet, with an incline of 2,224 feet over 7.6 miles. Each truck had to pull a 19,000 pound trailer both up and down the mountain to evaluate uphill towing proficiency and exhaust braking capabilities.
Entering the test, the Ford F-350 Super Duty seemed to be the favorite on paper, with its 6.7L Powerstroke diesel engine pushing out a class-leading 400 horsepower and 800 pound feet of torque capable of towing up to 22,600 pounds. The Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD was coming in as the assumed underdog, holding weaker numbers in all aforementioned categories (but still had Max and Al.) Despite this, Chevrolet was able to finish the 7.6 mile stretch of road a full two minutes ahead of the Super Duty. This high-altitude win is in no small way a great demonstration of the engineering gone into the Silverado HD.
Next up: a comparison test on a straight sea-level desert highway?
Source: Pickuptrucks.com
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