2014 Full Size Truck Comparison: Truck Power

Are you looking to buy a new truck?  Well, you have plenty to choose from on the dealership lots.  The 2014 trucks are out and are ready to play!

Every year there are plenty of changes, upgrades, and additions to each of the big three's full size pickup trucks, and each year truck connoisseurs compare their strength, capacity, comfort, and price.  This year we will do the same, but will add a fourth truck, the Toyota Tundra, into the mix.

Now before you American Pickup purists leave this website vowing never to return since I have gone "Furrin", hear me out and lets truly see where the Tundra has strengths and where it has weaknesses.  For those of you who are screaming "What about the Nissan Titan or the Honda Ridgeline?", first, I can only handle so much import at a time, and second, the Ridgeline is not really a truck...

So, without further adieu, lets talk truck.

First on everyone's mind these days in truck comparisons is truck strength.  However, a change in the days of previous decades is that the consumer's desire for power is balanced by their need for fuel efficiency.  With that in mind, a current truck consumer has to step back and say "Wow, where did Ram come from?"  No, I am not inherently a Dodge fan, but with their recent changes one has to appreciate that they are now changing the industry.  This year Ram is premiering their half ton truck with a diesel engine, leap frogging the innovations Ford brought to the market a few years ago with the Ecoboost V6.

In the engine capability realm, we must compare apples to apples as much as possible, so lets look at the power of each engine class.  In the V6 market, the Ford Ecoboost is still top dog. 

1. Ford Ecoboost 3.5L V6:  HP - 365, Torque - 420 lbs
2. Ram Pentastar 3.6L V6:  HP - 305, Torque - 269 lbs
3. Chevy EcoTec3 4.3L V6: HP - 285, Torque - 305 lbs
4. Ford 3.6L V6:                   HP - 302, Torque - 278 lbs
5. Toyota 4.0L V6:               HP - 270, Torque - 278 lbs

In the mid range engines, Ford's 5.0L V8 just edges out Chevy's 5.3L V8 this year, though both have added strength in recent years.  Dodge is not listed in this area, as their mid range V8 is not currently available.

1. Ford 5.0L V8:                   HP - 360, Torque - 380 lbs
2. Chevy 5.3L EcoTec3 V8:  HP - 355, Torque - 383 lbs
3. Toyota 4.6L V8:               HP - 305, Torque - 327 lbs

And in the large V8 area, Chevy's 6.2L V8 comes in at the top this year.

1. Chevy 6.2L EcoTec3 V8: HP - 420, Torque - 460 lbs
2. Ford 6.2L V8:                   HP - 411, Torque - 434 lbs
3. Ram Hemi 5.7L V8:         HP - 395, Torque - 410 lbs
4. Toyota 5.7L V8:               HP - 381, Torque - 401 lbs

You will notice that the one setup I did not include is the new Ram 6 cylinder diesel for their half ton trucks.  The 3.0L Ecodiesel is rated at 240 HP and can deliver a whopping 420 lbs of Torque.

As stated above, buyers also want efficiency.  So since these four makes have attempted to enhance their efficiency, here are the best at saving fuel:

1. Ram 3.0L Ecodiesel:        30 MPG
2. Ram 3.6L Pentastar V6:   25 MPG
3. Chevy 4.3L EcoTec3 V6: 24 MPG
4. Chevy 5.3L EcoTec3 V8: 23 MPG
5. Ford 3.6L V6:                   23 MPG
6. Ford 3.5L Ecoboost V6:   22 MPG
7. Ram Hemi 5.7L V8:         22 MPG
8. Ford 5.0L V8:                   21 MPG
9. Chevy 6.2L V8:                21 MPG
10. Toyota 4.0L V6:               20 MPG
11. Toyota 4.6L V8:               19 MPG
12. Toyota 5.7L V8:               18 MPG
13. Ford 6.2L V8:                   18 MPG

Although one could argue over the newness of Ram's most efficient options and the balance needed between power and efficiency, nobody could argue that Toyota's efficiency is anywhere near that of the 3 "American" brands.

Check back next week for the next installment of the 2014 Full Size Truck Comparison: Towing and Room.