Part 3: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]
[Intro] [3/4-Ton 7% Grade] [1-Ton 7% Grade] [Diesel v Gas Comparison 7% Grade]
[3/4-Ton 15% Grade] [1-Ton 15% Grade] [Diesel v Gas Comparison 15% Grade]
[F-450 All Grades] [Summary]

Summary:

We're immensely thankful to the manufacturers and our sponsors that supported us in putting together this event. We sincerely hope that you'll consider their products when you are shopping for your next truck or aftermarket modification. You owe it to yourself as a consumer.

We'd also like to thank the very professional and competent consultants from Ricardo Inc. who instrumented all the trucks and certified the test results.

And of course, we're very thankful to you, our readers. Many of you still remembered the original Shootout from a few years back and asked us when we would do it again. Well, here it is. This story is for you guys.

All of the gas and diesel pickups we tested are amazing vehicles - worlds better in performance and capability then their predecessors were less than 10 years ago. Summarizing our results was difficult, because each truck has strengths and features the others can't match - that go beyond pure performance scores. We'd tow and haul with any one of them on a regular basis and would be proud to own and drive all of these rigs.

But we know at least some of you are curious about which gas and diesel truck we'd select if we were in the market for a hard working hauler.

Out of the three-quarter-ton trucks we'd go with the Ford F-250 V10 Triton. It may not be the quickest performer on the flats but if you need a solid, proven powertrain that can pull hard in the hills with diesel-like performance, this is the truck for you.

We think the one-tons are an easier decision. We'd park the Chevrolet Silverado 3500 and its Duramax in our driveway tomorrow and not give it a second thought. For our reasons why, just read the results below and our assessments from each test.

And the Ford F-450? It's in a class all its own. With the form factor of heavy duty pickup and the towing power of a medium duty, this is one bad-to-the-bone pickup that begs to be used for towing and hauling only the biggest payloads. We think this is the first of new class of one-and-one-half-ton trucks we'll also be testing from Dodge and GM next time we do the Heavy Duty Shootout.

Next year, the light dutys! Till then...

Part 3: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]