2014 Ram 1500 vs. 2014 Chevy Silverado 1500 - V-6 Truck Test - Four Wheeler Magazine
Isn’t ’wheeling all about big torque, big cubic inches, putting maximum power to the ground. We’d guess that the V-6–powered Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Ram 1500 will get the job done for a lot of pickup owners. Both trucks are roomy, comfortable, and quick when they need to be, and both can scramble up a trail and return mid-20-mpg fuel economy numbers on the highway—not bad for trucks that weigh close to 3 tons. If you tow or haul big loads, you still need a V-8 (or a diesel). But a trailer with a UTV, ATVs, or a light trail rig can be pulled with either truck. If your loads are mostly family and their gear, and what you tow weighs 5,000 or 6,000 pounds, these trucks just may be all you need. The Chevy’s 4. 3L V-6 is all new but shares similar block architecture with the EcoTec3 V-8 engines. The engine’s top half is all about efficiency, with direct fuel injection, variable valve timing, and cylinder deactivation technology (called Active Fuel Management) that closes the valves on two cylinders under light loads. You’ll only know it’s happening when the small V-6 light on the dash changes to V-4. GM rates the 4. 3 at 285 hp at 5,300 rpm and 305 lb-ft of torque at 3,900 rpm. For those used to driving V-8 trucks, the biggest difference between the eight and the six (in the Ram, too) is the lack of instant torque response when you tip into the. Source: www.fourwheeler.com
