2021 Ford F-150 vs. Ram 1500: Two of the best go head to head

Rejoice truck lovers! Ford has finally released its 2021 F-150 full size pickup. Almost. See, while the company has already demonstrated some pretty cool new features – 180 degree reclining seats in the front? – We are still amazed at many important specifications. We still don’t know what the power or torque is or what the payload and trailer load are. However, there is enough information to put the F-150 against our current favorite light truck, the Ram 1500to see how they stack up in terms of size, suspension geometry, and powertrain options.

Both trucks are offered in different bed and cabin sizes. For this article and the video, we therefore decided on the popular combination of a short bed and all-wheel drive with a crew cab. In Ford language, that’s the SuperCrew 4×4 with a 5.5-foot bed. The ram equivalent is the crew cab with a 5-foot, 7-inch bed.

The two trucks are only one centimeter apart in terms of length, wheelbase and height. The biggest difference can be seen in the width, with the ram becoming about 5 cm wider.

However, what is really remarkable are the measurements of the suspension geometry, which are important as they give a preview of how powerful these trucks are in the field. The F-150 has an approach angle of 24.3 degrees, the Ram is 19 degrees. The departure angle for the Ford is 25.3, the Ram is 24.9. After all, the overturn angle is 20 degrees for the F-150 and 19.5 degrees for the 1500. Ground clearance for the Ford is 9.4 inches, while the Ram drives 8.7 inches above the ground.

At first glance, it looks like the Ford is winning this fight. However, the Ram can be equipped with an optional air suspension (the second numbers in the table apply to this model). Equipped to raise the game’s 1500 to an approach angle of 23.3 degrees, its departure angle to 27.2 degrees and its overturn angle to 23 degrees. At full height, the ground clearance is increased to 10.8 inches. You don’t even have to trade the Ram Rebel off-road specification to get these numbers. Pretty cool.

Looking for storage for people and things, the F-150 offers more leg room in the front, but the Ram gains leg room in the rear seats. The actual length of the 5.5-foot bed in the Ford is closer to 5 feet, 7 inches – very close to the length of the 1500 bed. As such, both have essentially the same volume: 52.8 cubic feet for the Ford, 53.9 cubic feet for the Ram. As previously mentioned, Ford has not released any payload weight capacity or towing numbers at this time.

Ford has also given us no power or torque information for its myriad engine options. We only know that the 2021 F-150 is offered with a gas-powered 3.3-liter V6, a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6, a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 and a 5.0-liter V8 becomes. If you want diesel, you can take the 3.0-liter Power Stroke V6. You can even get a full PowerBoost hybrid that’s tuned to the 3.5-liter V6. All engines use a 10-speed automatic transmission.

The only non-hybridized gas engine that is on tap with the Ram 1500 is a 5.7-liter V8. However, you can get the company 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 or Ram’s eTorque Mild Hybrid on the 3.6-liter V6 or 5.7-liter V8. Regardless of the powertrain, the drivers receive an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Of course, we still want to learn more about the F-150. I’m particularly curious to see how the hybrid powertrain affects towing, but it seems that we have to be patient a little longer. Of course, we can’t give recommendations until we actually get our butts in the driver seat of the 2021 Ford F-150, but at first glance it looks like it has the goods to remain a very tough batsman. Size of the truck segment.