Ford's newest F-150 is more than capable of continuing its reign of dominance.
Latest and Greatest
The Ford F-150 has dominated pickup sales for decades, and now that the all-new, 14th generation model has launched, that trend doesn't look likely to end any time soon. There's no denying that the half-ton pickup market is the most competitive segment in the U.S., which means that each refresh or redesign results in a win for consumers who want the latest technologies, capabilities, and innovations. So now is a good time to look at how the 2021 F-150 stacks up to its main rivals - GM's Silverado/Sierra and Ram.
Photos: Ford
Power of Choice
2021 F-150 buyers have their choice of six different powerplants, including the base naturally-aspirated V6, the Coyote V8, a Power Stroke diesel, a pair of EcoBoost V6s, and the new PowerBoost hybrid. Meanwhile, both GM and Ram offer five different engines, the most interesting of which is the Ram TRX's supercharged 6.2-liter V8. But when it comes to sheer choices here, Ford takes the close win.
Photos: Ford
All About That Base
Few folks actually buy a bare-bones, base F-150, but those that do will get a decent powerplant in the 3.3-liter V6 that produces 290 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque. However, it does lag a bit behind GM's 4.3-liter V6 (285 hp, 305 lb-ft) and the Ram's 3.6-liter V6 (305 hp, 269 lb-ft).
Photos: Ford
Top Of the Line
On the other end of the spectrum, Ford's new 3.5-liter PowerBoost V6 offers up an impressive 430 horsepower and 570 pound-feet of torque, while GM's best is a 6.2-liter V8 that makes 420 hp and 460 lb-ft. Yes, the Ram TRX wins this battle, technically, because of its 702 hp and 650 lb-ft, but that truck is a pricey limited-edition. Otherwise, the regular old 5.7-liter V8 makes up to 410 hp and 395 lb-ft.
Photos: Ford
Max Towing and Payload
As is the case with all trucks, the 2021 F-150 has to be configured in a certain way to achieve max towing but is capable of pulling up to 14,000 pounds. That's good enough to top GM's max rating of 13,300 pounds, as well as Ram's 12,750-pound rating. The F-150 also dominates payload ratings by carrying up to 3,325 pounds - a number that blows away the General Motors duo, which has a max payload rating of 2,280 pounds, as well as the Ram and its 2,300-pound rating.
Photos: Ford
Top Feature
All of these trucks come with a host of cool features and tech, but Ford's Pro Power Onboard generator might just be the coolest and most useful feature of all. GM does have its MultiPro and MultiFlex tailgates, which Ford does not offer in any way/shape/form, while Ram comes with a very nice 12-inch Uconnect screen that has drawn rave reviews from all that have used it.
Photos: Ford
Conclusion
On paper, it's obvious that the 2021 F-150 is the clear winner in this comparison. It offers buyers more choices, more features, more power, and more capability than the competition. Of course, these things tend to change on a nearly annual basis, but if there's one thing we know for sure, it's that the F-150 will always eventually come out on top.
Photos: Ford
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