North Georgia Ford Compares 2012 Ford F-150 VS 2012 Chevrolet Silverado Near Calhoun, GA

Both the F-150 and the Silverado have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height-adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding and available four-wheel drive.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Ford F-150 is safer than the Chevrolet Silverado:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Ford F-150 is safer than the Chevrolet Silverado:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

In a 31 MPH side-impact test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crashes a 3300 pound sled into the side of new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Ford F-150 SuperCrew is safer than the Silverado Crew Cab:

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ( IIHS) performs roof strength tests. In that test the F-150 earned the top rating of “Good” because its roof supported over four times the F-150’s weight before being crushed five inches. The Silverado was rated two rankings lower at “Marginal.”

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates the general design of front seat head restraints for their ability to protect front seat occupants from whiplash injuries. The IIHS also performs a dynamic test on those seats with “good” or “acceptable” geometry. In these ratings, the F-150 with power recline seats is safer then the Silverado:

(Lower numerical results are better in all tests.)

For its top level performance in frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and its standard AdvanceTrac™, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates the F-150 SuperCrew as a “Top Pick” for 2011, a rating only granted to 97 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Silverado was not a “Top Pick.”

The F-150’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Silverado’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the F-150 have an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the engines in the Silverado.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without their vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports predicts that the Ford F-150 4x4 V8’s reliability will be 23% better than the Chevrolet Silverado 2WD V6 and the Ford F-150 2WD V8 is 10% better than the Chevrolet Silverado 4x4 V6.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the F-150 first among large pickups in their 2011 Initial Quality Study. The Silverado isn’t in the top three.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2011 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford 12th in reliability, above the industry average. With 16 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked 16th.

The F-150 has more powerful engines than the Silverado:

As tested in Motor Trend the Ford F-150 V6 is faster than the Chevrolet Silverado V8:

On the EPA test cycle the F-150 gets better fuel mileage than the Silverado:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Ford F-150 uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Silverado LT/LTZ requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The F-150’s optional fuel tank has 2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Silverado Long Box’s standard fuel tank (36 vs. 34 gallons).

The F-150 has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Silverado doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

For better stopping power the F-150’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Silverado:

The F-150’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs standard on the Silverado are solid, not vented.

The Ford F-150 has standard four-wheel disc brakes for better stopping power and improved directional control in poor weather. Rear drums are standard on the Silverado. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes, which work much harder than conventional brakes.

The F-150 stops much shorter than the Silverado:

The F-150 has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Silverado’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the F-150’s wheelbase is longer than on the Silverado:

The F-150 5.5 ft. bed Harley Davidson SuperCrew 4x4 handles at .77 G’s, while the Silverado 1500 standard box LTZ Extended Cab 4x4 pulls only .73 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The F-150 5.5 ft. bed Harley Davidson SuperCrew 4x4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Silverado 1500 standard box LTZ Extended Cab 4x4 (28.3 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28.9 seconds @ .55 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the F-150’s turning circle is tighter than the Silverado’s:

For greater off-road capability the F-150 8 ft. bed SuperCab has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Silverado 1500 long box Regular Cab (10 vs. 9.5 inches), allowing the F-150 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The F-150 Regular Cab has .1 inches more front legroom and 1.4 inches more front shoulder room than the Silverado Regular Cab.

The F-150 SuperCab has .1 inches more front legroom, .7 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear headroom, 3.5 inches more rear hip room and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Silverado Extended Cab.

The F-150 SuperCrew has .1 inches more front legroom, .7 inches more front shoulder room, 4.5 inches more rear legroom and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Silverado Crew Cab.

The F-150 shortbed has a much larger cargo box than the Silverado shortbed (65.5 vs. 60.7 cubic feet). The F-150 Regular Cab longbed has a much larger cargo box than the Silverado longbed (81.2 vs. 75.5 cubic feet).

The F-150 SuperCrew shortbed has a much larger cargo box than the Silverado Crew Cab shortbed (55.5 vs. 53.2 cubic feet).

The Ford F-150 has a standard tailgate assist feature, which prevents the heavy tailgate from falling with a crash and causing injury. It allows adults and children to easily open and close the tailgate with one hand to better facilitate loading and unloading. Tailgate assist costs extra on the Chevrolet Silverado, and isn’t available on the Silverado LS.

The F-150’s front power windows open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Silverado’s basic optional power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the available exterior keypad (not available on F-150 XL/STX). The Silverado doesn’t offer an exterior keypad entry system, and its extra cost OnStar ® can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The F-150 Platinum’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Silverado’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Both the F-150 and the Silverado offer available heated front seats. The F-150 Platinum also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Silverado.

Optional Sync AppLink for the F-150 allows the driver and passengers access to select programs on their smartphones, including reading text messages aloud, playing internet radio stations, searching the internet, following twitter accounts and other online activities without taking their eyes off the road or their hands from the wheel. The Silverado doesn’t offer factory integrated smartphone program access.

The F-150 offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters, which can break or get misplaced. The Silverado doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the F-150 is less expensive to operate than the Silverado because it costs $350 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the F-150 than the Silverado, including $157 less for a water pump, $216 less for an alternator, $46 less for front brake pads, $77 less for fuel injection, $215 less for a fuel pump, $108 less for front struts and $63 less for a power steering pump.