Although often ignored, we know how important the three-quarter-ton pickup truck can be to small and large companies, municipalities and even growing families. They might not be the best-selling pickups, but they do serve a real need for family and commercial buyers.
Related: What’s the Best One-Ton Heavy-Duty Pickup for 2017?
For our 2017 3/4-Ton Work Truck Challenge, we brought together four of the major players in the segment for a head-to-head competition; all were regular-cab pickups with V-8 gas engines and 8-foot beds. These base vehicles had few options by design. The contenders in this Challenge were the 2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 WT, 2017 Ford Super Duty F-250 XL, 2017 Nissan Titan XD S and 2017 Ram 2500 Tradesman.
How do these three-quarter-ton pickups stack up against their larger and smaller counterparts? They’re more capable but with less of a focus on comfort than the smaller half-ton pickup trucks. The one-ton pickups beat the three-quarter tons on capability – of course, the heavier-duty trucks also are more expensive.
Let’s take a closer look at these three-quarter-ton pickup trucks:
The Chevrolet Silverado 2500 WT had the 360-horsepower, 6.0-liter V-8 Vortec engine making 380 pounds-feet of torque. The Chevrolet was the oldest of the trucks, but it proved to be a solid performer in testing. Despite its minimal features, the Chevy Silverado had 4G LTE Wi-Fi, Apple CarPlay integration and an auto-locking limited-slip differential. The Chevrolet Silverado 2500 WT cost $37,040 (all prices include a destination charge).
With its 6.2-liter V-8 making 385 hp and 430 pounds-feet of torque, the Ford Super Duty F-250 XL made an additional 50 pounds-feet of torque compared to the Chevy. Like the Ford F-150, the Super Duty is mostly aluminum over a steel chassis as a weight-saving measure. The Ford F-250 had cruise control, a four-speaker audio system and chrome bumpers thanks to the XL Value Package. The Super Duty also had remote keyless entry, a blind spot warning system and an upfitter switch panel in the overhead console. The grand total for the Ford F-250 was $38,220.
By design, the Nissan Titan XD isn’t quite a three-quarter ton, but it’s more than a half ton. It was the most inexpensive vehicle in this Challenge, coming in at $36,115, For that price, the Nissan had a 5.6-liter V-8 Endurance engine making 390 hp and 394 pounds-feet of torque. The Titan XD also had a USB port, Bluetooth audio and a spray-in bedliner courtesy of the Convenience and Utility Package. The Nissan struggled in our loaded track testing and fuel-economy tests.
The Ram 2500 Tradesman was the classic work truck because it weighed the least and had the biggest engine. It also had the highest gross vehicle weight rating and most payload capacity. The Ram 2500 had a 410-hp, 6.4-liter V-8 Hemi making 429 pounds-feet of torque. The Ram added a Chrome Appearance Group with 18-inch steel wheels and chrome bumpers and trim as well as the Popular Equipment Group with towing mirrors, Bluetooth and trailer brake control. The Ram’s price was $36,795.
Get the full details on the 2017 3/4-Ton Work Truck Challenge on PickupTrucks.com.
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