2017 3/4-Ton Work Truck Challenge: Video Preview
Posted by Mark Williams | March 11, 2017
Although often ignored, we know how important the three-quarter-ton pickup truck can be to small and large companies, municipalities and even growing families. They might not be the best-selling pickups, but they do serve a real need for family and commercial buyers.
For our upcoming 2017 3/4-Ton Work Truck Challenge, we brought together four of the major players in the segment for a head-to-head competition; all were regular-cab pickups with V-8 gas engines and 8-foot beds. We'll provide complete details about all the competitors on Monday.
For now, here's a quick preview of our three-quarter-ton players.
Cars.com photos by Angela Conners
Comments
Finish order prediction: Chevy, Ford, Dodge, Nissan.
This is a different story if these are up-level trucks with diesels. Still, I'm looking forward to seeing how the gassers stack up.
Ford
Ram
Chevy
Nissan
This is good. Im curious which is the best value. I only have expierience with the ford and chev work truck xl and wt. Chev makes a much nicer truck at their lowest trim. Fords have plastic interiors on the xl or atleast used too.
If by plastic you mean dash and door panels, that's what most people want in a work truck. Durable and easy to clean.
Ram is cheating, the truck they provided is not white like the majority of work trucks are... just saying in case they win...
Hope they are not judged on how easy it is to turn the turn signals on, cause most guys in work trucks do not use them. They have cell phone in left hand leaning on window sill, and just change lanes when ever they want
I will be happy for the domestic to win-place-and-show.
he did say the Ford was the fastest but the true test is what is the fastest truck with a heavy load or a heavy trailer
(the 2016 Ford Van 3500 with the NON-TURBO 3.7 V6 is faster with a heavy payload than the Chevy Van with the 6.0 V8)
Plastic and I might add perhaps the ugliest plastic available in recent memory...
http://i.imgur.com/Awkrb8r.jpg
Is the Ford still sold with the 6.2? A terrific truck engine.
A shame it's no longer available as an option in the F150.
The fan boys ruin the discussions on this site. I don't mind discussions that get into other things besides trucks but the fan boy discussion is childish.
In my town a work truck never goes for more the 8 miles at a time.,all start and stop also. So need to test gas mileage for tha, plus longevity onbrakes and engines/trannies.t
The fan boys ruin the discussions on this site. I don't mind discussions that get into other things besides trucks but the fan boy discussion is childish.
Posted by: Jeff S | Mar 11, 2017 3:37:33 PM
I agree, the Ford guys get to their crude commenting and it all goes to h@LL.
All new 6.2? Ford must of been digging in their spare parts bin again trying to find spare parts to update and reuse old 6.2Ls to compete. Once again Ford is following and not leading. If Nissan did anything it got Ford to step up in quality. Chevy will take this one.
@Sierra,
Really? You want to call Ford's 6.2 old. How long had GM been using their antiquated 6.0...the oldest engine in this test.
A Titan Xd comparison to a real 3/4 ton makes little sense.
The vast majority of gasoline powered work trucks I see are Ford and Chevy. I rarely ever see a Ram 2500 gasser work truck.
Is the Nissan actually classified as a 3/4 ton?
The Ford has to be the winner.
It's the only truck of the group that's been completely redesigned and Ford did their homework making it better than the old design.
I mean even the older designed Ford Super Duty would win where Ford made the new Super Duty so much better.
There's no contest!
Easy win for Ford.
Preferred finishing order: Chevy, Ram, Nissan, Ford.
I'll bet the "Order of Choice" is:
Ford
Ram
Chevy
Nissan
Same order as you see them shown in the photo above.
Ford's power, speed, and light weight give it an advantage;
Ram's air suspension and GVWR are great for towing;
Chevy is the old standby with great reliability;
Nissan is the new kid, but not really a full 3/4 ton.
No big surprise here. They're all good trucks. Hard to buy a bad truck nowadays: they would've been weeded out long ago.
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The 3/4 would most likely be the size I would want if I were doing more hauling. There were many times when I lived in the country that I could have used the capacity of a 3/4 ton but now a midsize truck does all that I need it to do. Where I live most of the lawn service and construction use 3/4 to 1 ton. I like the fact that Ram still maintains the manual transmission option in their heavy duty trucks. There are times when a manual transmission is better especially for hauling heavier loads.
It`s not fair...the Ford is using Tone-Technology!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kejSdrfeT4
As far as work truck interiors go Chevy has that... As far as performance Chevy will likely be last... Now long term.. you can't beat the Chevy 6.0L for reliability... It's literally bullet proof..along with the 6L90E, but it's not winning any awards for that...
By the sound of it , the 3/4 ton is too much truck for most of the posters on this site. I think they need to do a Tonka toy comparison for the immature boys on this site.
I don't like these trucks. They look very cheap.
I am waiting for a used 2017 Honda Ridgeline to come down in price.
@Jeff S- the Japanese have a saying that roughly translates to "Please be waiting." The meaning is to 'we're glad you're here and hope you are comfortable- it may be a while"
While the XD definitely hasa lower payload than whats POSSIBLE in a domestic 3/4 ton, a test conducted with ~2000lb loads will probably come out pretty even.
regardless of who wins(Ford), just another pointless article about towing/hauling. If you really want to know what these trucks are like, go drive them for yourself.
FORD!
As someone who is not in and probably never will be in the market for a diesel but do like and own a 3/4 ton and would buy another im looking forward to testing of the gassers. Im predicting the following order
Ford
Fiat
Chevy
Nissan
Honestly with it being "all new" anything but 1st for Ford is a fail.
The camera person has EXCELLENT taste.
Finally a real shootout between real trucks. I want to know which one's seat reclines further back. Regular cab seats are always broken. The seat reclining function never works no matter how hard you push back on the seat it won't move back far enough to sleep comfortably. I believe this is a problem with the seat back mechanism. These trucks are always so cheap and uncomfortable. Harsh ride especially with a trailer you fell every nook, cranny and pebble in the road. Even when your out doing a non-work activity it feels like you're always working.
Tailpipes look they are running gassers, so I predict the finish order as follows:
1) Dodge**
2) Ford
3) Chevrolet
4) Titan
**This is only valid if PUTC doesnt do something weird like they did last time where the Dodge was weighed down with several thousand pounds more than the rest in the hill climb portion of the gas HD test to tilt the scales back to Ford.
@Nitro- Not everyone has time and access to driving the whole field, especially in models that might not be common. And conducting tests of how a truck will handle loads, never mind fuel economy, is not something that fits into a spin at the dealership.
@mrknowitall, I should clarify, experience is know-how, you are right you cant always get to real world test these trucks. The main point is, these tests dont always show accuracy as every truck is different, just because the ram in the test tows X and hauls X doesnt mean the one at the dealership will do the same.
The GM 6.0 liter engine has been around in Silverados since 2000. That's 18 years of proven dependability. The GM auto transmission puts Ford's and RAMs autos to shame. Irrespective of the outcome of the finishing order of this comparo, there is only one sure winner here if dependable reliable transportation is required and that's the Silverado.
@Nitro- definitely a valid point- the Ram in particular, has about the same payload as the Nissan, unless you specify a high GVW option. The domestics have gearing options, allowing them to pull a lot more, but potentially suck down WAY more fuel.
Hopefully PUTC doesn't do this nonsensical individual payload testing, like they did with the recent midsize test. They started with every truck spece'd mechanically the same (4wd, 4door, auto trans) but then had the trucks haul different loads. Much better is a safe-for-all test load, and then we get an apples-to-apples comparison.
They are all nice. We are at a time where it seems to be your taste that determines which to buy. I prefer Fords, but would be happy to use any of the above trucks.
"The GM auto transmission puts Ford's and RAMs autos to shame"
Umm could you explain? My understanding is that all of the gasser autos were reliable
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