Both the F‑150 and the Silverado have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height-adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding and available four-wheel drive.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Ford F‑150 is safer than the Chevrolet Silverado:
F‑150 |
Silverado |
|
Front Seat |
||
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
29 |
68 |
Chest Movement |
.5 inches |
.6 inches |
Hip Force |
248 lbs. |
269 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The F‑150’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Silverado’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).
For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the F‑150 have an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the engines in the Silverado.
To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the F‑150 has a standard 750-amp battery. The Silverado’s standard 730-amp battery and largest (V8 Crew Cab/Double Cab) 720 amp battery aren’t as powerful.
The F‑150 has more powerful engines than the Silverado:
Horsepower |
|
F‑150 3.7 DOHC V6 |
302 HP |
F‑150 5.0 DOHC V8 |
360 HP |
F‑150 3.5 turbo V6 |
365 HP |
F‑150 6.2 SOHC V8 |
411 HP |
Silverado 4.3 V6 |
285 HP |
Silverado 5.3 V8 |
355 HP |
As tested in Motor Trend the Ford F‑150 6.2 V8 is faster than the Chevrolet Silverado 5.3 V8:
F‑150 |
Silverado |
|
Zero to 60 MPH |
6.9 sec |
7.1 sec |
Quarter Mile |
15.3 sec |
15.5 sec |
Speed in 1/4 Mile |
93.3 MPH |
90.8 MPH |
To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Ford F‑150 uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Silverado with the 6.2 V8 engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.
The F‑150’s optional fuel tank has 2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Silverado Long Bed’s standard fuel tank (36 vs. 34 gallons).
The F‑150 has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Silverado doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.
For better stopping power the F‑150’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Silverado:
F‑150 |
Silverado |
|
Front Rotors |
13.8 inches |
13 inches |
Rear Rotors |
13.7 inches |
13.6 inches |
The F‑150 stops much shorter than the Silverado:
F‑150 |
Silverado |
||
60 to 0 MPH |
117 feet |
131 feet |
Motor Trend |
60 to 0 MPH (Wet) |
150 feet |
164 feet |
Consumer Reports |
For better traction, the F‑150 Raptor’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Silverado (315/70R17 vs. 285/45R22).
The Ford F‑150’s wheels have 7 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Chevrolet Silverado only has 6 wheel lugs per wheel.
For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the F‑150’s wheelbase is longer than on the Silverado:
F‑150 |
Silverado |
|
Regular Cab Standard Bed |
125.9 inches |
119 inches |
Extended Cab Standard Bed |
144.5 inches |
143.5 inches |
Crew Cab Short Bed |
144.5 inches |
143.5 inches |
Crew Cab Standard Bed |
156.6 inches |
153 inches |
For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the F‑150 is 1.5 inches wider in the front and 2.7 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Silverado.
The F‑150 5.5 ft. bed Limited SuperCrew 4x4 handles at .77 G’s, while the Silverado 1500 Standard Box LTZ Double Cab 4x4 pulls only .74 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.
For greater off-road capability the F‑150 5.5 ft. bed SVT Raptor SuperCab has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Silverado 1500 Standard Box Double Cab (9.5 vs. 8.9 inches), allowing the F‑150 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.
As tested by Car and Driver while at idle, the interior of the F‑150 5.5 ft. bed Lariat SuperCrew 4x4 is quieter than the Silverado 1500 Short Box LTZ Crew Cab 4x4 (40 vs. 41 dB).
The F‑150 SuperCab has 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear headroom and 5.2 inches more rear hip room than the Silverado Double Cab.
The F‑150 SuperCrew has 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, 2.6 inches more rear legroom and 4.3 inches more rear hip room than the Silverado Crew Cab.
The F‑150 SuperCrew 5.5 ft. bed has a much larger cargo box than the Silverado Short Bed (55.4 vs. 53.4 cubic feet). The F‑150 6.5 ft. bed has a much larger cargo box than the Silverado Standard Bed (65.5 vs. 61 cubic feet). The F‑150 Cab 8.0 ft. bed has a much larger cargo box than the Silverado Regular Cab Long Bed (81.3 vs. 76.3 cubic feet).
A low lift-over bed design makes loading and unloading the F‑150 easier. The F‑150 Regular Cab’s bed lift-over height is 34.1 inches, while the Silverado Regular Cab’s liftover is 36.3 inches. The F‑150 SuperCab’s bed lift-over height is 33.8 inches, while the Silverado Double Cab’s liftover is 34.8 inches. The F‑150 SuperCrew’s bed lift-over height is 33.1 inches, while the Silverado Crew Cab’s liftover is 34.9 inches.
The Ford F‑150 has a standard tailgate assist feature, which prevents the heavy tailgate from falling with a crash and causing injury. It allows adults and children to easily open and close the tailgate with one hand to better facilitate loading and unloading. Tailgate assist is only available on the Chevrolet Silverado LT/LTZ.
The F‑150’s front power windows open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Silverado’s optional power windows’ front passenger window doesn’t close automatically.
In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the F‑150’s standard exterior keypad (not available on F‑150 XL/STX). The Silverado doesn’t offer an exterior keypad entry system, and its extra cost OnStar ® can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.
The F‑150 Platinum/Limited’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Silverado’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.
Both the F‑150 and the Silverado offer available heated front seats. The F‑150 King Ranch/Platinum/Limited also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Silverado.
Both the F‑150 and the Silverado offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the F‑150 Crew Cab offers optional rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Silverado doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.
J.D. Power and Associates rated the F‑150 first among large pickups in owner reported satisfaction in 2014. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Silverado was rated third.
Motor Trend selected the F‑150 as their 2012 Truck of the Year. The Silverado was Truck of the Year in 2007.
The Ford F-Series outsold the Chevrolet Silverado by 59% during 2013.
© 1991-2016 Advanta-STAR Automotive Research. All rights reserved.
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