Three-Quarter-Ton Gas Pickups - 15% Grade With 10,500# Trailer:
The 15% grade was where we separated the men from the boys. Inclinations this steep expose even the slightest powertrain and platform weaknesses. And there was almost no time for a truck to recover and mask any shortcomings in its powertrain during the brief 820-foot run.
| The Results: |
| Time (seconds) |
| Distance (Feet) | 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 Quad Cab 4x4 3.73 Rear Axle | 2008 Ford F-250 Super Duty Crew Cab 4x4 4.30 Rear Axle | 2007 GMC Sierra 2500 Crew Cab 4x4 3.73 Rear Axle |
| 164 | 12.73 | 11.14 | 12.38 |
| 328 | 19.93 | 17.25 | 20.04 |
| 492 | 26.51 | 22.46 | 26.05 |
| 656 | 32.78 | 27.16 | 31.02 |
| 820 | 38.93 | 31.53 | 35.55 |
| Speed (miles per hour) |
| Distance (Feet) | 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 Quad Cab 4x4 3.73 Rear Axle | 2008 Ford F-250 Super Duty Crew Cab 4x4 4.30 Rear Axle | 2007 GMC Sierra 2500 Crew Cab 4x4 3.73 Rear Axle |
| 164 | 14.3 | 16.61 | 12.27 |
| 328 | 16.66 | 20.45 | 16.38 |
| 492 | 17.7 | 23.01 | 19.81 |
| 656 | 18.19 | 25.14 | 23.97 |
| 820 | 18.36 | 26.93 | 28.23 |
15% Grade Cumulative Time...
15% Grade Cumulative Time Over 250-Meters 3/4-Tons With 10500# Trailer
15% Grade Cumulative Speed...
15% Grade Cumulative Speed Over 250-Meters 3/4-Tons With 10500# Trailer
| 15% Grade Cumulative Time Over 250-Meters 3/4-Tons With 10500# Trailer | 15% Grade Cumulative Speed Over 250-Meters 3/4-Tons With 10500# Trailer |
The V10 powered F-250's time was even better during the 15% incline than the 7% hill, relative to the Sierra and Ram times in the same tests. The 4.30 rear was a huge help, but the V10's monster torque was also required to get off to a dominant 16.61-mph start in the first 50-m. Ford's gas engine team should be very proud of how this truck performed on such a radical slope.
The Sierra also performed well, though we wondered how much closer or different the results would have been if the old 8.1-liter big block V8 was still available for the GMT900 heavy dutys.
The Ram? Whoa! It fell flat in this contest. In first gear the 5.7-liter HEMI V8 got off to a good start, neck and neck with the 6.0-liter Vortec Max in the GMC, but as soon as the HEMI shifted into that tall 1.67:1 second gear (that we first mentioned during the level 1/4-mile hauling tests) the truck could only lug its way up the rest of the hill. It was a graphic example of how a single mismatch in components caused a giant stumble in performance during this stress test.