Video: Chevrolet Silverado HD Pummels Ram and Ford in GM Comparison

When it comes to heavy duty hauling, 1/4-mile times and lateral-g capability really have no place in a discussion that matters. Real world performance encompasses things like acceleration under load, brake fade and durability. Static numbers like towing capacity have traditionally been the battleground between manufacturers, particularly in the heavy duty truck segment. Of recent, that approach has been changing.

A few months ago, Ford released a series of videos comparing aspects of performance between the domestic truck brands, and now Chevrolet has responded. Engaging an independent company to run the tests, the folks at Chevrolet put up a Duramax diesel and Allison transmission-equipped Silverado HD against Ford and Chrysler’s competitive products.

Intended to be real-world tests of capabilities that matter, acceleration, passing, and braking tests were conducted using loaded vehicles. The results were recorded and covered in the introduction video below.

“We wanted to get away from spec-sheet comparisons and show how these trucks perform in the real world,” said Rick Spina, global vehicle line executive for full size trucks. “To do so, we engaged an independent company to test the Silverado HD with the Duramax diesel and Allison transmission head-to-head with the competition, and record those tests for everyone to see.”

In a zero-to-60 acceleration test of the trucks with a 1,500-pound load, designed to simulate merging onto a busy freeway, the Silverado 2500HD outpaced the F-250 Super Duty, 7.66 seconds to 8.36 seconds, despite a small advantage in Ford’s published horsepower and torque numbers.

“We worked hard on the Duramax-Allison combination to deliver torque smoothly throughout the entire power band,” said Spina. “That is what gives us class-leading acceleration.” Additional video results are expected shortly from the company.