CHEVROLET TRUCKS VS. FORD TRUCKS - RELIABILITY, QUALITY, AWARDS FOR 2025
The question of which brand has the best pickup truck has been hotly debated ever since the second pickup truck model debuted. And the most intense rivalry of all is Chevrolet vs Ford, with pickups serving as each brand’s best-selling models. So, which of the two has put their century of pickup-building experience to better use? We put together this guide to some of the highlights that set them apart.
J.D. Power Quality And Dependability Awards
At the end of every year, J.D. Power publishes their list of award winners for quality and dependability, two incredibly important qualities for any truck to have. For 2024*, Chevrolet won seven of these awards, compared to Ford taking home only three. Not all of these awards were for trucks, but they still indicate an overall higher commitment to quality and reliability.
Chevrolet is always one of the top brands honored by J.D. Power, sitting in the #1 spot more often than any other brand. Much of this is due to the strength of Chevrolet’s truck lineup, and we should mention that the heavy-duty models, the Silverado HD 2500 and 3500, tend to be the most-awarded trucks in the lineup.
Automotive Loyalty Awards
You can read reports that get into the minutia of build quality all day, but sometimes the best way to get a clear and complete picture of what it’s like to own a given vehicle is simply to ask an owner if they would buy another one. That’s why S&P Global tracks these things, and reports their findings with their annual Automotive Loyalty Awards** reveal which manufacturers command the most loyalty. For 2025, the overall winner was, for the tenth consecutive year, General Motors.
Colorado VS Ranger
It’s usually full-size trucks that win awards, but we’re going to focus this section on the midsize offerings from both brands. Comparing features on full-size pickups can be difficult, as they’re often aimed at fleet/commercial buyers, and sometimes the specificity of what they’ll be used for makes these kinds of general comparisons less helpful. But that’s not so with midsize trucks, as they’re more consumer-oriented. On top of that, the Chevy Colorado and Ford Ranger were both recently redesigned, so this will be an exciting comparison.
| 2025 Chevrolet Colorado | VS | 2025 Ford Ranger |
| $31,900 ✓ | MSRP | $33,080 |
| 7,700 lbs ✓ | Max Towing Capacity | 7,500 lbs |
| 2 ✓ | Dedicated Offroad Trims | 1 |
| 12.2 inches ✓ | Max Ground Clearance | 10.7 inches |
| Up to 20 inches ✓ | Wheels | Up to 18 inches |
As you probably noticed right from the start, the Ranger starts off at a higher price than the Colorado, and you also probably noticed that this higher price certainly doesn’t translate into a better towing capacity. Midsize pickups are popular for offroading, thanks to robust 4x4 systems and relatively low weight for a pickup. That’s why Chevrolet made two different dedicated offroad trims for the Colorado, as well as the option of the Bison package for the ZR2, which is practically an entire third trim. Ford offers a smaller trim lineup in general, but this is especially noticeable with the single offroad option, the Raptor. This is certainly a competent offroad pickup, but it really had better be for the price, which comes in at nearly $20,000 more than the Trail Boss, the Colorado’s point of entry to factory offroad trims. $20,000 is a big difference, and even the higher-end ZR2 trim for the Colorado delivers a noticeable price advantage over the Ford Ranger Raptor, and while equipment packages and even aftermarket options exist for both trucks, there is always an advantage to an entire trim level dedicated to offroading, and that’s both easier and much more accessible with the Colorado. But whatever you want to do with your truck, the Colorado gives you more choices, more configurations, and more capability, all at a lower starting price.
Winner - Chevrolet Trucks
Trucks can be incredibly versatile tools, a way of tackling a huge variety of tasks. But in order to get the most out of a truck, whether you’re picking the kids up from school in it or towing a trailer across rough terrain, you need to make sure that you pick the right truck. The experts and buyers agree that Chevrolet is the right brand of truck, with the quality and reliability that keeps customers coming back. Come and see why Chevrolet makes the right truck for you at Schumacher Chevrolet of Little Falls.