2022’s Top Heavy-Duty Trucks: Quality vs. Appeal—Which Will You Choose?
Chevrolet is one of America’s oldest automakers, and currently, it’s still building some of the most popular trucks in the American car market. Automakers have a lot of trucks on the market right now, but one of the more powerful options are heavy-duty trucks. Here’s a look at the top heavy-duty trucks from 2022, and how truck shoppers are going to have to make a choice between quality and appeal.
The differences between the quality and appeal of a truck
Like many other car critics, J.D. Power gets data from its members and readers, and that data offers real-world insights into cars. That said, J.D. Power actually has two main surveys that it gets data from. One is called IQS, which stands for Initial Quality Study, and the other is called APEAL, which stands for Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout.
Overall, the two surveys ask owners similar questions about their cars, though there are some differences. For example, while both surveys look at how a car’s infotainment system is performing, the IQS will take a deep dive by looking at 223 problems that are organized into nine categories. The APEAL study, however, asks owners to rank their cars based on 10 categories.
Cars that perform well on the IQS will probably have few issues, while cars that perform well on APEAL will likely be enjoyable to own. Currently, the best heavy-duty truck in terms of quality is the Chevy Silverado HD.
The 2022 Chevy Silverado HD has the best overall quality
Chevy offers two versions of this heavy-duty truck, the 2500 and the 3500. Potential owners have a few cab and bed configurations that they can choose between. The Silverado HD can have a regular cab, an extended cab, or a crew cab. Potential owners can equip it with the standard bed or long bed. There’s also the choice between a single or a dual-rear-wheel axle.
The main reason why drivers may want this Chevy is because of what’s under the hood. It starts with a 6.6-liter V8 that gets 401 hp and 464 lb-ft of torque. That being said, the truck’s most powerful configuration has a 6.6-liter turbodiesel V8. It gets 445 hp but 910 lb-ft of torque.
Thanks to that large amount of torque, a properly-equipped Silverado HD can tow upwards of 36,000 pounds, and it can carry just over 7,400 pounds of payload.
The main issues with this Chevy truck come with the territory of heavy-duty trucks. It gets a terrible fuel economy of about 13 mpg combined, and thanks to its large size, it will be hard to park in urban settings. It also won’t be cheap, as it starts at over $43,000.
The 2022 Ford F-Series Super Duty has the most appeal
The heavy-duty truck with the most appeal, however, is the Ford F-Series Super Duty. There are currently three options, and they’re the F-250, the F-350, and the F-450. Just like Chevy, Ford also offers these heavy-duty trucks with multiple cab and bed options. In terms of capabilities, Ford is the better option thanks to the new engines that it gave the trucks.
Ford offers a 6.7-liter turbodiesel V8 that gets 475 hp and 1,050 lb-ft of torque. That’s more horsepower and torque than what the Silverado HD gets.
As a result, the F-Series Super Duty can tow up to 37,000 pounds, and it can carry 7,800 pounds of payload. Thanks to a recent update, owners can also add a 12-inch touchscreen to their heavy-duty Ford.
That said, these Ford trucks have many of the same problems that the Chevy has. They’re more expensive too, as a F-Series Super Duty starts at over $45,000.