The Chevy Silverado is the third best selling car in America, and it’s one of the best pickup trucks on the market too. However, when AutoGuide put the Silverado through some of its paces, it fell short compared to the Ford F-150. Here’s why.

Worse performance

In AutoGuide’s tests of the Silverado against the F-150, both trucks were outfitted with a relatively similar engine. The Silverado had a 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine that generated 310-hp and 348 lb-ft of torque. The F-150 had a 2.7-liter V6 that generated 325-hp and 400 lb-ft of torque.

In terms of speed and fuel economy, both trucks were relatively similar. They weren’t very fast, and they both averaged about 20 or so MPG. In terms of acceleration, the F-150 was slightly faster. It clocked a 0 to 60 MPH time of 6.7 seconds. The Silverado’s time was 7.9 seconds. However, the extra 52 lb-ft of torque that the F-150 has paid dividends when it came to towing capacity.

According to AutoGuide, the F-150 could tow about 7,600 lb of goods. The Silverado, on the other hand, was rated at only about 6,900 lb. Towing capacity is an important factor for choosing a truck, but that said, the Silverado was better than the F-150 when it came to payload capacity and bed room. 

Horrible ride comfort

The F-150 beat the Silverado in terms of ride comfort on several areas, according to AutoGuide. The $49,000 Silverado that AutoGuide drove around in not only had uncomfortable seats, but also not much head or legroom. AutoGuide also mentions that although the rear-seats are more roomy, the driver’s seat didn’t fit the test driver comfortably. 

However, the worst part, in terms of ride comfort, was when the Silverado was actually moving. AutoGuide’s test driver had a lot of problems with the Silverado’s eight-speed transmission. Not only did it feel bad to use, but the Silverado’s transmission also caused what the test driver described as “hammering upshifts.” 

These upshifts were so severe that, according to AutoGuide, in one instance, the test driver thought that he had been rear-ended because the upshift rocked the truck so much. The test driver wasn’t doing anything unique either, those kinds of upshifts just seemed to be routine occurrences with the Silverado. The F-150, on the other hand, didn’t experience anything like that in AutoGuide’s test drives.

Cheap interior

For its price tag, AutoGuide was extremely disappointed with the Silverado’s interior. In fairness, AutoGuide also didn’t like the F-150’s interior very much, but the Chevy’s interior was simply worse than the Ford’s. For example, the Silverado’s interior was full of cheap plastic, according to AutoGuide. 

Furthermore, its design and layout weren’t great. There were mold lines on the door handle, the door trim, and the steering wheel. The A/C was also creaky. And, as mentioned earlier, the seats were not made with a comfortable material. That said, Chevy does offer a leather interior as a premium option for drivers.

But the worst part about all of those lackluster interior features is the fact that the Silverado was recently redesigned. The F-150 hasn’t been redesigned since 2015, according to AutoGuide, yet its old and dated interior was still better than the Silverado’s new one. And remember, AutoGuide was testing a $49,000 Silverado, but the interior clearly was where Chevy was cutting costs at. 

Indeed, the Silverado’s cheap interior is the reason why the CEO of General Motors, the parent company of Chevy, thinks that the Silverado isn’t selling well compared to its competitors. The Silverado’s cheap interior was a major reason why many reviewers didn’t enjoy the Silverado, and AutoGuide was one of them.