Performance
The showdown between the 2020 Ram 1500 vs the 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500 may not be as simple as some enthusiasts might be expecting. The two pickups come with a number of different trims that can drastically alter the overall performance ceiling for both trucks. While some trims may allow for more payload or tow capacity, others offer more horsepower or top speed. We'll be dissecting exactly which default trims offer what and how well they rank against each other so you can get an idea of which truck might be worth purchasing.
Ram's Engine Options
There are three different engine options for the 2020 Ram 1500 and five different engine options for the 2020 Chevy Silverado. Each of the engine options alter the towing capacity, payload, and price for the two truck brands, so depending on what you're looking for and what your budget is will determine which seems like the better option, but if we're talking a default package, then the Ram 1500 easily comes out on top.
The standard engine option is a 305 horsepower 3.6L Pentastar V6 engine that is equipped with eTorque. The 2020 Ram 1500 comes with an available 5.7L Hemi V8 engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission, boasting 395 horsepower, topping out most of the competition in its class. The V6 and V8 iterations also come with an optional 48V electric hybrid system. Even if you consider the diesel trim of the 2020 Ram 1500, the 3.0L V6 EcoDiesel line comes with some impressive stats at 480 lb-ft of torque and up to 32 MPG on the highway.
Chevy's Standard Engine
The Chevy Silverado 1500 comes standard with a 4.3L V6 engine that gets up to 285 horsepower, and is a bit weaker than the Ram 1500's standard engine. The 3.0L Duramax Turbo-Diesel trim does narrow the gap in terms of performance with the Ram 1500 when it comes to fuel efficiency and horsepower, but the stats for the default packages of both trucks seem to weigh in favor of the Ram.
Capability
When it comes to towing and payload capacity, it's like the heart and soul of what you expect from a pickup truck. If your truck can't tow or haul then what's it good for? In the case of the 2020 Ram 1500 and the 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500, both trucks thankfully come out strong in the category of towing and payload.
The 2020 Ram 1500
The 2020 Ram 1500's default powertrain, a 3.6L V6 engine, is designed to give drivers up to 7,730 lbs of towing capacity right out of the gate. This is thanks to Ram's hybrid eTorque technology that boosts the gas towing capacity as well as the payload capacity, all while being able to maintain 269 lb-ft of torque.
If you opt for the EcoDiesel trim, you're looking at up to 480 lb-ft of torque muscling down the road with a towing capacity of 12,560 lbs. The 5.7L Hemi V8 engine offers a towing capacity of up to 11,610 lbs, while the eTorque iteration of the Hemi V8 maxes out its towing capacity at around 12,750 lbs.
The 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500
The standard 4.3L engine for the 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500 offers a max horsepower rating of 285, thus giving up 20 hp compared to its Chrysler counterpart. Things are no less slanted in favor of the Ram when it comes to the diesel options for the Silverado as well. The 3.0L Duramax Turbo-Diesel powertrain offers up to 460 lb-ft of torque, which is 20 less lb-per-ft compared to the Ram.
The Turbo-Diesel iteration also falls short in the towing category, topping off at only 8,700 lbs, which is much less towing capacity than what you get with the Ram's diesel engine, a full 3,860 pounds less. If you are looking for a diesel truck, the Ram 1500 cannot be beat.
Safety
As important as it is to have a pickup truck that can get you from point 'A' to point 'B' while hauling heavy tonnage around town, it's also important to be able to get from one destination to the next safely. In this match-up between the 2020 Ram 1500 vs the 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500, both the Ram 1500 and Silverado 1500 are relatively safe based on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash test ratings and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration safety ratings.
The 2020 Ram 1500
The 2020 Ram 1500 comes with front and rear head airbags for the driver and passenger, along with 4-wheel ABS and brake assistance. Traction control and electronic stability control come standard, meaning that you won't slip and slide all over the road or easily lose control during off-road excursions. Child safety locks and automatic cross-traffic alerts are also built-in, along with a blind-spot monitor so you can see when other cars are in those hard-to-see spots alongside the truck.
The Ram 1500 also managed to score impressive results on the IIHS safety ratings, which means it scored top marks across the side-impact, rear impact, and front crash tests. The Ram 1500 also managed some notable results via the NHTSA safety ratings, scoring five out of five stars in the side crash tests, while scoring four out of five stars in rollover tests and frontal crash tests, ending up with an overall NHTSA safety rating of four out of five stars.
The 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500
The 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500 comes with many of the same safety features as the 2020 Ram 1500, including traction control, 4-wheel ABS, front and rear head airbags for the driver and passenger, along with stability control, so you can still take the Silverado off-road without worrying about losing control. And while it also comes with front tow hooks, it lacks the brake assistance of its Ram rival. Blind-spot monitors and cross-traffic alerts are also built in.
The Silverado scored fairly decently in the IIHS safety ratings, mostly capturing a “Good” score when it comes to side-impact tests, rear crash tests, and roof strength. However, the front passenger tests were labeled as “Marginal” while the headlights scored “Poor” due to the low beams creating excessive glare and being “inadequate” on right curves, according to the IIHS. The Silverado did score evenly on the NHTSA safety ratings alongside the Ram. The Silverado had a five out of five-star rating for the side-crash tests, and the frontal crash tests and rollover tests netted the Silverado four out of five stars, thus earning it an overall NHTSA safety rating of four out of five stars.
