One of the most important tests of a heavy-duty truck is its ability to tow, so when we got two 3500 series trucks, we had to do a side-by-side towing comparison test to find out which one would get better fuel economy on the highway. In this case, we had the opportunity to compare a 2016 Ram 3500 dually with a 2016 Chevy Silverado 3500 dually. Unfortunately, the day of the test, Nathan and Andre were faced with apocalyptic weather and the test had to be aborted. On the bright side, the weather never stays dreary in Colorado for long and the test was back on the following day.
With 900 lb-ft of rotational force, the Ram 3500 boasts the most torque of any truck in its class. During its 8-mile Ike Gauntlet run, the Ram achieved an uphill MPG of 3.0 in a time of 9:58. The Silverado, on the other hand, did the test in 9:48 but with a lower MPG of 2.8 and 765 lb-ft of torque. Both trucks have a diesel engine mated to a 6-speed transmission. More evenly matched comparisons don’t come our way often.
| Year | Make | Model | Power | Torque | Towing MPG |
| 2016 | Chevy | Silverado 3500 Crew 4×4 6.6L | 397 hp | 765 lb-ft | 10.4 |
| 2016 | Ram | 3500 Crew 4×4 6.7L | 385 hp | 900 lb-ft | 10.2 |
The procedure is to tow the same trailer loaded to 5,600 lbs behind each truck down a 100-mile (98, to be exact) highway loop northeast of Denver. To calculate fuel economy, we divide 98 miles by the number of gallons of fuel consumed. Watch the video below to see the full test along with some gratuitous hay shots… apparently Nathan likes to play with hay.
