V8 Rumble: 2025 Ford F-150 vs. Chevy Silverado vs. 2026 Ram 1500 on the Ike Gauntlet

With the Hemi return to the Ram 1500, we have a new three-truck V8 showdown on the Ike Gauntlet!

When we last tested the Ram 1500 on the Ike Gauntlet, we thought the brand’s new 3.0-liter twin-turbo Hurricane inline-six would be the range-topping option from here on out. Be it in the Tradesman or the high-performance RHO, it seemed like Ram’s V8 days were well and truly behind it…but boy, how a year or so really changes things. The Ram 1500 with the 5.7-liter Hemi is officially back on the menu, and with its return we can arrange a proper Big Three showdown between the V8-powered Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado 1500 and Ram 1500 once again. That’s exactly what we have here, as all three trucks take on the Ike Gauntlet.

More on the trucks

Specifically, we have one familiar contender and two new trucks to this showdown. Our long-term 2025 Ford F-150 Tremor joins the fight packing the long-running 5.0-liter Coyote V8. Under its hood, you’re looking at 400 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque, making its way through a 10-speed automatic transmission. In this particular configuration, the Tremor manages up to 9,900 pounds of towing capacity (though other V8 models can manage up to 12,900 pounds when equipped with the Max Towing Package).

From General Motors, we have a 2025 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 courtesy of our friends at Johnson Auto Plaza in Brighton, Colorado. This specific truck has the automaker’s smaller 5.3-liter EcoTec3 (L84) V8, putting out 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque. Like the Ford, it uses a 10-speed automatic transmission, but this LT model has a slightly lower towing capacity, at 9,300 pounds. When equipped with the optional 3.0-liter Duramax turbo-diesel or the 6.2-liter L87 gas V8, the Silverado (or its GMC Sierra sibling) can tow up to 13,300 pounds.

Finally, we have the resurrected 2026 Ram 1500 Hemi. Its 5.7-liter V8 manages 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque, while new V8 trucks come exclusively with the eTorque mild hybrid setup — you don’t get a choice in the matter. Similar to the Hurricane and the old-school Pentastar V6, Ram is sticking with an 8-speed automatic in its trucks, including this revamped V8 model. As far as towing capacity is concerned, this Warlock falls right between the F-150 and the Silverado, at a respectable 9,590 pounds. That figure is the highest you can get in a 4×4 V8 setup, though switching to a two-wheel drive Tradesman can up the max towing capacity to 11,320 pounds, when properly equipped.

Check out how each truck did in the test (followed by a written summary) below:

The results

On this run of the Ike Gauntlet, the World’s Toughest Towing Test^TM, the 2025 Ford F-150 Tremor managed 9 brake applications in the downhill test. After the run, the truck’s engine coolant temperature sat at 181 degrees Fahrenheit, while the transmission temperature is at 221 degrees, and the oil temperature 217 degrees — all well under control. As for the uphill test, the Tremor completed the 8-mile run to the 11,158-foot Eisenhower Tunnel in 7 minutes, 57 seconds, a perfect time. In towing our 8,000-pound load comprising a 3,000-pound Big Tex 14-foot trailer and our classic P38 Range Rover, the Ford F-150’s Coyote V8 managed 4.0 mpg.

What about the Chevy, then? In the downhill run, it fared a bit worse than the Ford, coming out to 12 brake applications. On the uphill, the smaller V8 in this Chevrolet Silverado still performed well, managing a 7 minute, 52-second run (also hitting a bit less traffic and one fewer red light than the Ford), while doing the uphill test a bit more efficiently as well, with a 4.2 mpg result.

Then we move to the 2026 Ram 1500 Hemi. This is the truck we’ve been wanting to see make a triumphant return to the V8 fold. On the downhill, things turn out a little better than the Chevy, with 11 brake applications. As for the uphill run, Ram’s V8 Warlock managed the run in 8 minutes, 20 seconds, though weather did play a factor in the result. Without it, it would have likely landed around the same 8-minute-flat run as the F-150 and the Silverado. As for fuel economy, it came out to 3.7 mpg, so this is the only sub-4-mpg run of the day.

Results table