Chevrolet Silverado vs Ford F-150 Lightning: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Ford F-150 Lightning burns about $1,050 of fuel annually against $1,100 for the Chevrolet Silverado. That $50 yearly gap compounds to roughly $250 over five years and $400 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City and highway economy: the Ford F-150 Lightning leads in both cycles — 79 mpg city and 65 mpg highway against 78 and 63 mpg — so its fuel-efficiency advantage holds whether you commute in traffic or cover long highway miles.

Powertrain choice: the Chevrolet Silverado is recorded with 4 distinct engine configurations (SIDI, w/ Sport and Off Road Mode, 3.0), the Ford F-150 Lightning with no. Across 300 recorded Chevrolet Silverado configurations and 15 for the Ford F-150 Lightning, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Chevrolet Silverado is offered with 4-Wheel Drive, Rear-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive, the Ford F-150 Lightning with 4-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Standard Pickup Trucks 4WD and Standard Pickup Trucks 4WD respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.