The heavy duty truck wars continue with this 2024 Ford Super Duty and Ram 2500/3500 comparison.
Heavy Duty Showdown
The Ford Super Duty line of trucks has helped The Blue Oval dominate the sales charts for many years now, following its debut back in 1999 that effectively separated it from its F-Series stablemate, the F-150. These days, the Super Duty is a proverbial cash cow for Ford, but it certainly isn't lacking in terms of competition, with the Ram 2500/3500 proving to be a formidable foe. Thus, we decided to take a closer look at how these two workhorses stack up against each other.
Photo: Ford
Configurations
As has been the case for quite a few years now, the Ford Super Duty comes in a wide array of configurations including regular cab, SuperCrew, and Crew Cab, as well as with either a 6' 3/4" or 8-foot bed, two- and four-wheel-drive, and single or dual rear wheels.
The Ram 2500 and 3500 can also be had in regular, Crew Cab, or Mega Cab configurations, a 5'4" or 8-foot bed, and two- or four-wheel-drive, as well as both single and dual rear wheels, depending on configuration.
Photo: Ford
Trim Levels
Trim levels for these two truck lineups are also plentiful, with the Super Duty offering buyers everything from the base XL to the better-equipped XLT and the luxurious Lariat, King Ranch, Platinum, and Limited. Not including the medium-duty range, the Super Duty can be spec'd as an F-250, F-350, or F-450 depending on how much capability one desires.
The Ram 2500 is available in several trim levels including
- Tradesman
- Big Horn
- Laramie
- Rebel
- Power Wagon
- Limited Longhorn
- Limited
The Ram 3500 features fewer trims than its less-capable counterpart, a list that consists of
- Tradesman
- Big Horn
- Laramie
- Limited Longhorn
- Limited
Photo: Ram
Engines
The Super Duty received a bit of a shakeup in terms of powertrains as part of its 2023 redesign, with the new 6.8-liter V8 replacing the outgoing 6.2-liter unit. It produces 405 hp and 445 lb-ft of torque, while buyers can also opt for the larger gas 7.3-liter V8 and its 430 hp and 485 lb-ft output. The 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel V8 carries over with 475 horsepower and 1,050 pound-feet of twist, while the new high-output version of that engine churns out 500 horsepower and 1,200 pound-feet.
Meanwhile, the Ram HD lineup can be had with a 6.4-liter V8 making 410 hp and 429 pound-feet of torque, or a 6.7-liter Cummins inline-six diesel in two guises - one making 370 horsepower and 850 pound-feet of torque, the other - only available in the 3500 - churning out 400 hp and 1,075 pound-feet.
Photo: Ram
Max Payload
In optimal guise, the 2024 Ford Super Duty is capable of towing a rather impressive 8,000 pounds, which is more than some pickups can tow - highlighting why people love these HD models so much. The Ram, on the other hand, offers a slightly lower max payload of 7,680 pounds in 3500 guise with the Cummins diesel.
Photo: Ford
Towing Capacity
The same goes for max towing capacity - the Super Duty can pull up to 30,000 pounds using a conventional hitch, or as much as 40,000 pounds with a gooseneck setup. The Ram counters that with either 22,670 or 37,090 pounds of pulling power with a conventional or gooseneck hitch, respectively.
Photo: Ram
Pricing
As is typically the case with trucks these days, pricing varies greatly depending on which trim, configuration, engine, and other options boxes one ticks. The 2024 Ford Super Duty starts out as low as $44,970 for a regular cab XL, though the range-topping F450 Limited has a base price of $104,030.
The Ram 2500 base price ranges from $46,740 for the entry-level Tradesman in 2500 guise to $90,655 for the 3500 Limited, though both of these trucks can easily climb well into the six-figure range with the right options.
Photo: Ford
