2024 Chevy Duramax Vs Ram Cummins Vs Ford Power Stroke: Which Diesel Is Best?

Hey everyone – it’s Ben Hardy here and today is a battle of the Titans. We are comparing the high output comments to the high output power stroke and to the new Duramax to see which diesel is best before we get in this article. I want to give a huge shout out and thank you to the large Miller Dodge Ram here in Provo, the Chevy here in Provo and the Ford here in Provo for me some time with all three of these trucks. All three of these trucks happen to be available for sale for the time being, so if you’re interested include a link to all of their websites in the description down below and then on a side note, if you want to save time and money, the next time Purchase the car link to my carbine guide in the description down below, let’s get into it,  powering this Ford is the high output Power Stroke, which goes through a 10-speed automatic transmission. It is a 6.

 liter turbo diesel V8, and it puts out a whopping, 500 horsepower and then 1200 pound feet of torque. Now, under the hood of the Chevy, we’ve got the new Duramax, which is a 6.6 liter turbo diesel V8 that goes to a 10-speed automatic transmission. Now power. Outputs with this are 470 horsepower and then 975 pound-feet of torque and then finally, we have the high output Cummins under the hood of the ram.

 

It is a 6.7 liter, inline 6 turbo diesel that goes through a six-speed automatic known. As the icing power. Outputs are 420 horsepower and then 1075 pound-feet of torque foreign. Now, let’s quickly talk suspension with the truck.

So with the Ford we have a solid front axle with the Silverado. We have independent front suspension and then with the ram. Just like the Ford, we have a solid front axle now in the rear, with the Ford, solid, rear axle, and then you guys can see leaf springs here. The biggest difference between an F350 and F250 is that little helper Spring right there, and when you look at the suspension of the Silverado, you can see solder axle in the same situation where you basically have a helper spring. On top of the regular stack of leaf springs and then, finally, with the Ram 3500 solid, rear axle, and then you guys can see just have a standard set of leaf springs.

And that’s because the 2500 series Ram has coil suspension and so yeah a little bit of a different setup. Now before I show the payload capacities, I do need to mention that this comparison is not perfect. That’S a Tradesman, that’s an LT, and that is a Lariat. It would be best if I had like an XLT Ford or an STX, but with Supply. This is the best I can do so.

 

I understand that there is going to be a little bit of a payload discrepancy because of that anyways. The Ford has 3837 pounds of payload capacity, understand that the payload is lower than what it would be. If this was an XLT or an STX, I mean a good example is this has a panoramic Center, which I mean literally lowers the payload by like 100 200 pounds, because yeah sunroofs are heavy and obviously all this leather and everything’s also going to add weight. So I understand it would be in the 4 000 pound range if it didn’t have all the options. This truck has oh and almost forgot to mention.

Gross vehicle weight rating is 12 000 pounds. Now, with the Chevy 3896. Pounds is the payload capacity and then, when it comes to the gross vehicle, weight rating is twelve thousand one hundred pounds so 100 pounds more than the Ford, and this one doesn’t have a center for anything like that. Um so yeah a little bit more comparable to the RAM and then when it comes to the ram, we’ve got 3890 pounds of payload capacity, and this is on a truck. We actually have to go over this thing right here that has a gross vehicle weight rating of 11 800 pounds and then it’s a Tradesman Sono Center for anything like that.

So I find it absolutely fascinating that the Ford with tons of options and including a sunroof has a similar payload capacity to the Chevy into the ram that don’t have options that are going to add weight and decrease payloads, so good job Ford. So before we move on to Towing capacity’s equipment to talk about bed sizes with the trucks – and you can actually see the difference since they’re all lined up the ram – has the shortest bed. It’S like six foot, four for the box and then the Silverado and the Ford beds are a little bit bigger. I think the Silverado is right at about six and a half feet and then the Ford is like 6.75 feet roughly, but I mean you can see that like when you look at them in a line.

 

The Ford kind of pokes out the furthest in the Chevy and then you’ve got the ram, so they’re all big beds, but there is a slight size difference, so starting towing capacities off with the ram again. This is high output, Cummins, 3 

73, axle ratio gross pick a weight rating of 11 800 pounds. You have a Max trailer and weight of 23 600 pounds with the ram. Now the Silverado actually makes things a little bit easier, because not only does it have the charts for the gross vehicle weight rating, it also has the towing charts. So we have a Max conventional towing capacity of 20 000 pounds and then in gooseneck towing capacity of 21 600 pounds, and that leaves us with the Ford so with the high output power stroke and the 3.

1x ratio. This truck has your towing capacity, whether gooseneck or bumper. Pull is right around that 24 000 pound range, and now this leads us into pricing. So the high output Power Stroke is 12 495 bucks. So it’s about 2 500 bucks more than a standard Power Stroke.

But it’s still a 12 000 upgrade now there’s quite a bit of glare on the Chevy window, but anyways the Duramax is 9490 as an upgrade and then finally, the high output Cummins is 12 495 bucks, just like the power stroke, which makes this about three ish Thousand dollars more expensive than any standard Cummins, and now that we’ve gone over the specs, let’s drive all of these trucks back to back to see who makes the best diesel well, we are going to start off here in the RAM and then we’ll do the Silverado And then we’ll do the Ford last um but anyways. I guess talk about visibility since uh, that’s important trucks. You can see the hood kind of has that raised section there and then here’s through both of the mirrors throw the rest of the rear, interesting to kind of compare it to the trucks. It’S really just a Ford that feels the most different because it has the window that kind of swoops downwards a little bit, but high output Cummins first off. Definitely the rowdiest diesel out of the bunch um, I’m a huge fan of the cumin sound.

 

I think that it is the best sounding diesel. It’S just it’s such a cool like muscular sound like listen to that like when you hear the comments you’re like that’s a diesel right, you’re like that’s it, that’s a real truck right, um. So, right off the bats, I can tell you that um with the solid axles with the leaf springs yeah. It’S definitely definitely a rougher ride, but focusing I guess, on the diesel side of things super torquey, the six-speed’s doing a good job of keeping it in the Power Band. I will say this is all about torque, though 100 percent powertrain is all about torque.

You can tell that with where it’s shifting and the overall setup that it’s definitely what they are optimizing in. This one see how the acceleration is so full throttle. Here. It’S quick, 1075 pound-feet torque. I mean it gets up and moves um, and you know I’ve driven the high output Cummins a lot over the years, so I’m pretty familiar with the powertrain, so uh upside sound, it’s great torque is amazing and you know the other thing that I think is really Appealing to this truck or with this truck is the reliability aspect right.

 

The Cummins has been around for a long time and you know Ram’s done a lot to make it so that this is a very reliable and durable powertrain uh. You can argue with me about that in the comment section below feel free, but I do think that they’ve done a good job with that. So, overall, I think this thing is a great powertrain, but let’s see how this compares to the Duramax and then also obviously, to the new high output power stroke. Okay, let’s talk about visibility here in the Silverado. Here’S your visibility over the hood both of the mirrors throughout the rest of the rear, and I will say right off the bat.

 

The seats in the ram the cloth seats were a little bit more comfy. These are a little bit uh harder, which is interesting. Now. First, off the engine’s A lot quieter than this: it’s a it’s, a significant difference actually and top of being quieter. It’S a lot smoother too, with the ram again, you can, like the ram, definitely felt like a bigger punch from the torque right off the bat, but this has a this: has a smoothness to it that the ram definitely doesn’t have such interest.

It’S interesting, the difference. The ram feels more like an old school diesel. This feels, let me see more like a modern one. I will see the rides a lot smoother too. I think I think, a big part of that’s the independent suspension and then also, I think you know, with the leaf spring setup, they’ve done with doing the helper spring and everything.

 

I think that also makes a difference. Yeah, it’s it’s crazy. It’S uh! It’S a big difference like I said this one’s a lot smoother, but let’s see what the acceleration is. It feeling like so Full Throttle here, oh wow, so it doesn’t uh.

 

It doesn’t actually feel any quicker to be honest, um you can like the the horsepower. It feels that that part of it um so like it’s hard to explain, um here’s the best way to explain it. I don’t feel like I’m getting punched as hard. The Cummins definitely feel like it was a bigger punch, but this feels like it keeps going more. So again, that’s horsepower versus torque right.

This has more horsepower, as the Cummins has more torque, but yeah you can like right off the bat. There is a perceivable difference with the the torque between the trucks. It’S not just numbers on a paper. So that’s good! For me to know, that’s why I do these driving comparisons um.

 

So, to sum things up with the Duramax Driving Experience, definitely a more comfortable truck when it comes to the suspension, but then less comfortable with the seats funny enough um and then, when it comes to the the ride. Yeah like I said that overall is more comfortable. Smoother powertrain, I like the power delivery on this more, even though the acceleration is pretty much the same, or at least feels about the same. I just I like how this is. I like the smoothness that this provides.

 

I still like the sound of the Cummins. More though, but with that being said, let’s hop into the power stroke and see if 500 horsepower and 1200 pound feet of torque really feels as crazy as it sounds. Thank you. Well, let’s talk about this Blood before we set off here’s a visibility over the hood. Both of the mirrors through the rest of the rear, funny enough, the Ford’s visibility over the hood is kind of weird, because the dash comes up so high.

It’S just kind of a thing it seems like, but let’s set off, I will say the Ford is the best column shifter, just like the the use of it feels the best out of the bunch. Now with the Ford. It should be right in between the other. Two, when it comes to riding all that because we have solid axles, but then we’ve got a helper spring, so it should be like again not as smooth as the Chevy, but it should be it’s smoother than the ram. Surprisingly, though, it’s pretty close to the Chevy, the Rams, definitely the the roughest riding out of the bunch.

 

Now I’m not really going to talk about seats with this one, because I just don’t feel like it’s fair, because this one has the leather seats. I will say: XLT seats are not quite as comfortable as the rain. I think the ram cell is the most comfortable seats if you compare cloth seats to cloth seats now, just like the Silverado very smooth, you can definitely tell that this has more torque, though than the Silverado. It feels torquier right off. The bat there is.

 

There is a perceivable difference. Let’S see if that perceivable difference is still perceivable. When you go full throttle, yeah, so yeah, it’s quicker, it is definitely quicker. There is no doubt about that. What I will say, though, is it spins the tires so much that it slows down?

It actually slows down the truck um. If you could put down the power be even it’d, be it would be like the acceleration difference would be more perceivable, but I mean it still is like you feel, like you have a more powerful truck. So summing things up with the three powertrains back to back the Cummins surprisingly, even though it’s not the torquiest has the tortiest feel out of the bunch. If that makes sense, the Duramax is more than powerful enough, but it it actually again. The Ford has like this crazy acceleration feel, whereas the Duramax it feels super similar to the Ford and the driving characteristics, which makes sense because it’s a V8 turbo diesel, just like the Ford with a 10-speed automatic transmission.

 

But it basically just feels like a less it. Basically feels like a less powerful Ford um, it sounds different different engine, but in terms of driving, feel that’s what you get so you know overall, like which one should you choose? I think it’s just going to come down to. You know actually the rest of the truck more so than the powertrain, because when you look at the capabilities, okay, there is a capability difference like the the four toes the most. The ram is a very close second and then with the Chevy.

 

It’S third and you know it’s like what three thousand pounds less roughly um, depending if you’re doing conventional or, if you’re doing a gooseneck uh toe. So you know, obviously, if you need the extra towing capacity, then you’re gon na have to go with the truck. That has the extra tongue capacity, but if towing capacity is not the thing, I think it’s just gon na come down to like what exterior styling. Do you like more? Do you like Ram?

Do you like Ford? Do you like Chevy, which interior layout, do you like? More RAM Ford Chevy. So with that being said, let me know which uh truck you like the most um, but when it comes down to the powertrains, I’d say that Howard raid, it uh, is, I feel, like, I trust the Duramax and the ram more than this pile of Power Stroke, Because, like again, 500 horsepower 1200 pound feet, torque like how reliable is this thing going to be? I feel like with GM, taking more conservative approach with you know, still crazy 470 horsepower and then 975 pound-feet torque.

 

I don’t know I just I feel like that’s gon na potentially be more reliable. Again, I might be talking to my you know what but anyways um if I were to rank them after driving them back to back. I’D say that this one’s the craziest uh and then the Duramax and the Cummins – I would put them in second place but like both second place, because I like them and dislike them both for different reasons. Hopefully that makes sense confusing conclusion. Let me know which power Trend and truck you like the most