And the highway towing MPG winner is…
Big American V8 engines are still hanging on in the light-duty truck market. The 2016 Chevy Silverado is still available with the latest (EcoTec3) generation of the 6.2L V8. The latest generation of the Ford F-150 no longer comes with the 6.2L V8, but our long-term 2014 SVT Raptor does. Yes, the Raptor is not built to be the highway MPG king, but can it still get into the ring and take on the Chevy? This is exactly what we wanted to find out.
We used the Raptor as a towing rig before, and it’s a comfortable highway towing machine. Our standardized highway MPG loop is a stretch of relatively flat interstate I-76. We start at the truck stop fueling station, drive 98 miles (according to GPS) on the highway at 70 MPH, and then return back to use the same fuel pump to verify the results.
It’s worth noting that our long-term Raptor is equipped with two accessories that add to the curb weight: 12,000 lbs winch and an aluminum tonneau cover. When all is said and done, the Raptor weighed in 680 lbs more than the Silverado. However, around 180 lbs are due to the extra accessories.
| 2016 Chevy Silverado | 2014 Ford F-150 Raptor | |||
| Model | CrewCab HighCountry 4×4 | CrewCab SVT Raptor 4×4 | ||
| Engine | 6.2-liter V8 | 6.2-liter V8 | ||
| Transmission | 8-speed Auto | 6-speed Auto | ||
| Power (hp / lb-ft) | 420 / 460 | 411 / 434 | ||
| Axle Ratio | 3.23 | 4.10 | ||
| EPA mpg | 15/21/17 | 11/16/13 | ||
| Trailer lbs | 5,760 lbs * | 5,760 lbs * | ||
| GCWR lbs | 12,000 lbs | 12,680 lbs | ||
| Result MPG | 10.1 | 9.4 |
- the trailer weight was adjusted to 5,760 lbs is each case to compensate for having two, instead of three people in the trucks.
Watch the battle here.
