The Best Heavy-Duty Truck for the Money in 2023 Isn’t the Ram 2500
For some folks, a heavy-duty truck is a necessity. Whether it be a Ford Super Duty or a Ram 2500, these large pickups offer serious capability and utility. If you’re looking for the best heavy-duty truck in 2023, there is probably an option out there for you. But if you want the best truck for the money, it might not be the 2023 Ram 2500.
What is considered a heavy-duty pickup truck?
A heavy-duty truck is a pickup that has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of over 8,500 pounds. Trucks with a GVWR under that are considered to be light-duty trucks. Even if a pickup truck weighs under 10,000 lbs, if that GVWR is over 8,500 lbs, it still counts as heavy-duty.
Most truck manufacturers do offer a range of heavy-duty trucks. Ford has its Super Duty, and Ram has a variety of HD models. It is worth mentioning if you don’t need massive towing and hauling capability, a full-size truck might be the better route. Heavy-duty pickups are more expensive and also less efficient.
The 2023 Ford F-250 beats the 2023 Ram 2500
The 2023 Ford F-250 has a starting MSRP of around $45k, and it can tow up to 20,000. While higher trim levels mean some eye-watering prices, a base model is cheaper than the base 2023 Ram 2500.
There’s a near-endless amount of configurations for the Ford Super Duty. And because of that, it might have the Ram 2500 beat out. Both heavy-duty trucks are extremely capable. So it might come down to personal preference on whether you want a Ram product or something from the Blue Oval.
According to True Car, the Ford F-250 is the better heavy-duty pickup for the money. It also ranks the Ford Super Duty F-350 above the Ram 2500. At the end of the day, neither of these trucks can be considered cheap. So researching both options is probably the right call.
The Ford Super Duty is all-new for 2023
In 2023, the Blue Oval is giving its heavy-duty truck a complete makeover. It gets a new exterior and interior, plus new technology has been introduced. The biggest news might be that Ford is giving its big pickup even more power. And that should mean better towing and hauling capability.
The 7.3-liter V8 engine is getting a revised air intake and improved tuning. That will lead to better performance. If you are after a diesel truck, the 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 diesel engine is all-new. That engine is going to make 500 hp and 1,200 lb-ft of torque.
The standard 6.2-liter V8 is getting a boost in displacement and is up to 6.8 liters. Although, Ford has not revealed what kind of power output that powerplant will have. It looks like the brand is shooting to have the most powerful engine in its class.
If you need an indicator of how far modern trucks have come, the 2023 Ford Super Duty will also feature an available 5G Wi-Fi hotspot. And that will probably come in handy at the job site.
