So Many Ways the Chevy Silverado 1500 Tops the Ram 1500

As a Chevy dealer, we might be slightly biased, but it isn’t any stretch to say that the Chevy Silverado 1500 is one of the finest full-size trucks on the road today. If you’re looking for a Silverado at a Chevy dealer near Charleston, you might know how impressive this truck is. Whether that’s the case or not, we think it’s worth taking a few moments to get a good idea of what makes the Silverado so impressive compared to other trucks within the same class. A few models stand out among the full-size truck market, but one option that has gained some traction in the last few years is the Ram 1500. So today, we thought we would compare the 2024 Silverado 1500 to the 2024 Ram 1500 and see how they stack up.

A World of Difference in Engines

There are many differences between the Chevy Silverado 1500 and the Ram 1500, as you’d expect, but perhaps the most dramatic and remarkable is the kinds of engines you can get on them. Not only do you have more engine options available from Chevy, but you can also get more power at a lower cost.

The Ram 1500 only has two engines available for most of its trims. There’s a standard 3.6L Pentastar V6 engine that offers 305 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque to start off with. This engine has an eTorque mild hybrid system, so we’d expect more power from it, but it’s generally okay. Ram also offers a 5.7L HEMI V8 engine with much better performance thanks to 395 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque. These engines come with just an eight-speed automatic transmission, with no additional options for a ten-speed or higher. While these engines can get the job done, we wish there was more to play with regarding customizability.

Comparatively, the 2024 Chevy Silverado 1500 has four different engines available, giving you much more freedom to get the kind of performance you want. The standard engine is a 2.7L TurboMax turbocharged I-4 that delivers 310 hp and a massive 430 lb-ft of torque, which is fantastic for a starting point and already vastly outclasses both of the Ram 1500’s available engines. If you want something with more power, there’s an available 5.3L EcoTec3 V8 with 355 hp to help boost your driving experience. The standard engine comes with an eight-speed automatic transmission, while all other options for the Silverado come with a 10-speed automatic for smoother responsiveness.

For the best experience with a conventional gas engine, there’s an available 6.2L EcoTec3 V8 for the Silverado 1500 that delivers 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque, as well as an available 3.0L Duramax turbo-diesel engine with 305 hp and a monstrous 495 lb-ft of torque. Alongside these incredible performance numbers, the Duramax is the last diesel engine available on any light-duty truck, making the Silverado 1500 an invaluable option for drivers tackling heavy towing jobs. While one can appreciate what Ram has done with its mild hybrid engines, Chevy comes through with much more power overall, and the value of diesel simply can’t be beaten.

Real Power: Towing and Payload Capacities

We just saw that Chevy gives you more engines to choose from, with greater horsepower and torque offered, but what does that mean for your daily drive? You’ll have a better time getting around Charleston in the Silverado because this improved performance is ideal for daily driving. Beyond that, it can also come through in real-world ways, such as how easy it is to haul a bunch of stuff across town. Whether you are looking to get a load of building materials to a job site or help your kid move into their first apartment, the Silverado is the perfect choice to make it easier.

Maximum payload for the Chevy Silverado 1500 comes with its standard TurboMax engine, which can handle up to 2,260 lbs. For towing, Chevy takes a big lead over the Ram by giving you up to 13,300 lbs of towing capacity on the 6.2L V8 and 3.0L Duramax, while the Ram 1500 tops out at 12,750 lbs of maximum towing on the 5.7L HEMI V8.

Exterior Features and Design

At a glance, it can seem like these two full-size trucks are essentially the same, but once you look closer, some important differences emerge. Consider how you can configure the truck that you’re looking for. Ram offers a limited number of options with just two cab sizes: a quad cab or a larger crew cab. Both of these have two rows of seats and four doors. Similarly, Ram only offers two bed lengths for the Ram 1500: a 5.6-foot bed with about 54 cu.ft. of cargo space and a 6.4-foot bed with just over 61 cu.ft. of total cargo volume to take advantage of.

On the other hand, Chevy gives you far more configuration options so you can get the perfect truck with the setup you need. There’s a small regular cab with a single row and two doors, perfect if you’re looking for something minimal. You can also choose between a larger, two-row double cab and a big crew cab that gives you a lot of room inside to stretch out. What’s more, Chevy offers three bed lengths for the Ram 1500: a 5.8-foot bed with nearly 63 cu.ft. of cargo space, a 6.6-foot bed with more than 71 cu.ft. of room, and an 8.2-foot bed with nearly 90 cu.ft. of total cargo volume inside. You can see that these aren’t just more options; they’re also much larger than the two available beds from Ram, giving you much more room to take everything you need along with you.

Interior Features and Tech

Not too long ago, Ram could brag about being the industry leader in terms of tech features. Since then, others like Chevy have caught up with them and even surpassed them in some ways. The 2024 Ram 1500 comes with a standard five-inch infotainment display, though an eight-inch screen is available, as is a larger 12-inch display. High-end models have some comforts like leather-appointed seating, and an available Harman Kardon sound system is a nice touch.

However, looking at the 2024 Chevy Silverado 1500, the Ram 1500 continues to fall short. It has a standard seven-inch infotainment screen, which is much better than Ram’s starting display, and a massive 13.4-inch infotainment as an available upgrade (standard on higher trims like the RST and LT) with Google Built-In. You get the perfect truck for driving around Charleston when you pair this with the impressive 12.3-inch color Driver Information Center offered with wireless compatibility for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Trims like the High Country also feature a Bose Premium sound system with a Richbass woofer, perforated leather seating, a wireless charging pad, and much more. Add in something like the available Super Cruise hands-free driving system, and you have a technologically advanced truck that nothing else can beat.

Chevy Silverado 1500: The Best for Charleston Drivers

With everything we’ve looked at, it’s easy to see why we’re so passionate about the Chevy Silverado and everything it has to offer as one of the most powerful and impressive trucks on the market. Compared to the Ram 1500, the Silverado 1500 simply does it better and gives you more to enjoy on the road with a highly customizable chassis. That’s why we love offering this remarkable truck to our customers: we know you’re driving away feeling like you found the truck of your dreams. All you have to do now is decide which of the many trims and features offered by Chevy suits you.