What’s makes a truck truly great? If you were to pare it down to just one or two things, what would they be? A luxurious interior with plush seating? No, that’s more a luxury car attribute. Stellar fuel economy? That’s more hybrid and electric car territory. A low price? Nah, there are better bargains if you’re on a tight budget. At the end of the day, pickup trucks were made for hauling and towing. Those other things are nice, but they’re not as important as a truck’s work potential. In this comparison between the 2019 Ford F-150 and the GMC Sierra 1500, we’ll show you exactly what we mean.
Towing and Payload Capacity: 2019 Ford F-150
True to its reputation, the 2019 Ford F-150 has unrivaled towing and hauling power. Numbers don’t lie. When properly equipped, the F-150 can tow up to 13,200 pounds. And when you load the truck bed, you don’t need to stop until you’ve thrown 3,300 pounds in there. Those are best-in-class figures.
Meanwhile, the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 tows up to 12,000 pounds and hauls up to 2,000 pounds. You can comfortably tow a boat or trailer, but the Sierra might feel a little more sluggish than the Ford F-150 would with the same load.
Engine Options: 2019 Ford F-150
If you want maximum power, there’s a very clear choice here, whether we’re looking at base engines or the best money can buy. The 2019 F-150 comes standard with a 290-horsepower 3.3-liter V6 engine good for 265 pound-feet of torque. That marginally outpaces the GMC Sierra’s base engine, a 4.3-liter V6 generating 285 horsepower.
The Ford F-150 also has more engine options overall, six to choose from compared to the GMC Sierra’s four options. What’s the very best that each truck has to offer? For the Ford F-150, that would be the 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine unleashing 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque. This engine is exclusive to the Raptor and Limited trim levels and is for those of you who like unrelenting waves of torque. The GMC Sierra 1500 does well but not quite as well with a 6.2-liter V8, exclusive to the SLT, AT4, Denali trim levels. This powerhouse is good for 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque.
Price: 2019 Ford F-150
With better engines and more towing and hauling power, you might think the Ford F-150 would be a more expensive truck. And that might be true on upper trim models--you can easily spend in excess of $70,000--but it’s more affordable to step into an F-150 than you might think. Because the starting price for a base 2019 F-150 is just $28,000. This model is designed to be a work truck only, so features are few, but include everything to get the job done: automatic high beams, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, and a rearview camera with Dynamic Hitch Assist.
The 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 comes standard with Teen Driver, rearview camera, infotainment system with 7-inch touch screen, six-speaker audio system, Bluetooth, USB port, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. But those extras are going to cost you; the 2019 Sierra 1500 starts at $29,600.