Ford is an incredibly popular American automaker, and the one segment in its lineup that has been consistently popular for decades is the truck segment. It’s a very competitive segment though, and as far as heavy-duty trucks go, Ford’s offering, the F-250, has some potent competition from other trucks, such as the Ram 2500.

Here’s a comparison between the 2023 Ford F-250 and the Ram 2500 and which truck is the more affordable heavy-duty option.

The 2023 Ford F-250 is a much cheaper truck than the 2023 Ram 2500

Edmunds created a comparison between the specs and prices of these two heavy-duty trucks, but as any truck owner knows, trucks are complicated. Trucks often come with a long list of trims and options, and that makes it difficult to get a fair comparison between two different models. Even for a heavy-duty truck that’s geared towards commercial purposes, although there are fewer trims, there still are plenty to choose from.

For this comparison, the F-250 was the XL Regular Cab. This means that it has two doors, the standard engine, and it’s the cheapest trim option available. The Ram 2500 was similar, and it was a Tradesman Regular Cab with a long bed. That makes it the cheapest work truck option, just like the F-250.

In that configuration, the cheapest F-250 is significantly more affordable than the cheapest Ram 2500. The F-250 starts at just under $44,000, while the Ram 2500 goes for a tad over $46,000. That’s a price difference of about $2,000. This isn’t a huge difference, but for many car shoppers, it’s big enough to notice.

Comparing the specs of these two heavy-duty pickup trucks

Since this comparison is between the standard versions of the two heavy-duty trucks, naturally, neither are going to have much in the way of features, and their specs aren’t going to be the best possible. Both have a bench that seats three, and the upholstery is vinyl. Both trucks have relatively standard interior features, such as Bluetooth, cruise control, etc. 

As far as specs go, the F-250 gets a 6.8-liter V8 that makes 405 hp and 445 lb-ft of torque. The Ram 2500 isn’t so different as it has a 6.4-liter V8 that gets 410 hp and 429 lb-ft of torque. The Ford is paired to a 10-speed automatic, while the Ram has an eight-speed automatic. Rear-wheel drive is standard on both.

Towing capacity wise, the two trucks ultimately tow about the same, as their standard versions can tow about 15,000 pounds. Both get an 8-foot long bed. However, their overall dimensions are different. Both trucks are around 232 inches long and 78 inches tall.

The F-250 is much wider though as its overall width tops out at 105 inches compared to the Ram 2500’s 83 inches. The Ram also has 13 inches of ground clearance, which is 4 inches more than the Ford.

Possible reasons why the 2023 Ram 2500 is more expensive

Another big difference between the two heavy-duty trucks is in their tech features. For example, Ram gave its heavy-duty truck a standard keyless ignition system, while the F-250 has an optional one. The Ram 2500 also has a five-speaker sound system.

This difference with their interiors may explain why the Ram is about $2,000 more expensive. Its 4 inches of additional ground clearance may play a role too, as ground clearance is coveted by some truck owners.

Ulimately both trucks apepar to be solid choices in a segment full of great options. But if base price is your main concern, Ford is the clear winner.