There’s nothing that embodies the American spirit quite like the pickup truck with its rugged capability, incredible versatility, and hard-working spirit. Trucks have changed how we live, work, and play, from making our jobs more efficient and keeping our families safe on the road to serving as a gathering ground at football games around the country. This is the spirit of the American workhorse, and it’s that spirit that we find when we slate two of the most popular trucks in the segment against one another – the 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 vs 2022 Ram 1500.
While both the Silverado 1500 and the Ram 1500 share the American spirit, how they showcase that spirit is vastly different. Chevrolet, an automotive brand deeply rooted in the American automotive landscape, does so by offering the latest technology to design a Silverado that works smarter, not harder. For Ram, the 1500 is a venue that balances luxury and capability, both of which come at a premium. Which truck will better serve you? Making that decision starts now.
Difference #1: Bed and Tailgate Functionality
Think about how many times you use the bed of your truck and how many times you have to get in and out of the bed to load and unload cargo. Now, imagine that entire process being easier on your body and more efficient. Chevrolet and Ram both make this possible in two unique ways. The 2022 Ram 1500 offers a multifunctional tailgate that features 60/40-split swing-away doors that open 88 degrees to give you door-like access to the bed of the Ram 1500. If this type of access isn’t suitable for the situation, the tailgate folds 180-degrees flat like a traditional model to give you standard access and a solid workstation.
Chevrolet ups the ante on the 2022 Silverado 1500 with the most functional bed in the segment and the MultiFlex Tailgate. Offering a best-in-class cargo volume of 89.1 cubic feet, the Silverado’s bed comes equipped with 12 standard tie-downs and optional upgrades like the industry’s first-ever power up/down tailgate. The MultiFlex Tailgate also leads the industry with its six unique functions that start with the primary gate, which can be opened using a switch inside the truck, a button on the gate, or a button on the key fob. The primary gate features a load stop that prevents longer items from sliding out of the bed.
The MultiFlex’s inner gate folds down and allows you to reach farther into the bed. You can then fold the inner gate out into a full-width step that supports up to 375 pounds and provides solid footing for stepping into the Silverado’s bed. Second-tier items remain secure thanks to the inner gate load stop, or you can keep this feature stowed away to take advantage of the inner gate’s flat work surface. This gives you a great place to rest your laptop, read blueprints, or take a quick lunch break.
Difference #2: Trailering Technology
Trucks like the Silverado 1500 and the Ram 1500 are designed to work hard. Chevrolet, however, believes in working smarter as well as harder and equips the 2022 Silverado 1500 with a suite of cutting-edge trailering technology that does exactly that. This technology starts with the industry-leading 15-view camera system that allows you to tow any size load with confidence. Using cameras mounted around the truck and trailer, the system offers four available hitch views (Hitch View, Surround View, Rear Top-Down View, and Bed View), six available driving views (Transparent Trailer, Front Camera View, Pic-in-Pic Side View, Rear Camera Mirror, Rear Trailer View, and Inside Trailer View), and five available parking views (Rear Camera View, Rear Side View, Bowl View, Front Side View, and Front Top-Down View).
Along with this camera technology, the 2022 Silverado 1500 boasts the segment’s first Advanced Trailering System and in-vehicle trailering app. The app allows you to create customized trailer profiles for your trailers and gives you access to a variety of tools like pre-departure checklists, lighting diagnostics, trailer tire pressure and temperature monitoring, and beyond. You can sync these profiles from the Silverado’s infotainment system to the myChevrolet Mobile app, which puts your trailering information in the palm of your hand. Beyond this feature, you’ll also find several other firsts and a long list of advanced tools like Trailer Theft Alert, an Electric Parking Brake Hookup Assist, Brake Gain Memory, Trailer Sway Control, Auto Grade Braking, and Hill Start Assist.
With the 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 leading the segment in trailering technology, it’s no surprise that the 2022 Ram 1500 falls short of Chevy’s new standard in the industry. The Ram 1500 offers a Trailer 360-degree Surround View Camera that can be paired with the Trailer-Tow Power-Fold Mirrors, which gives you a bird’s eye view around the truck and trailer. As far as trailering assist tools, you’ll find the Ram 1500 offers a Trailer Tire Pressure Monitoring System and Trailer Reverse Steering Control, the latter of which helps you navigate your trailer in reverse. Like the Silverado, the Ram 1500 also offers advanced features like Electronic Stability Control, Trailer Sway Control, and Hill Start Assist for optimal handling and control when towing.
Difference #3: Cruising Technology
Difference #3: Cruising TechnologyChevrolet is at the helm of innovation, and it shows with cutting-edge technology like Super Cruise, which is available on the 2022 Silverado 1500. As the industry’s first true hands-free driver-assist technology, Super Cruise will dramatically impact your time behind the wheel. But how does it work, and does the Ram 1500 offer something similar?
Super Cruise is compatible with over 200,000 miles of roadways throughout the United States and Canada. Using LiDAR map data to determine the truck’s location and roadway, Super Cruise relies on the Driver Attention System’s integrated camera in the steering column to monitor your gaze and ensure your focus stays on the road. As long as you keep your eyes on the road, Super Cruise will take over the truck’s steering, acceleration, and braking, but if your gaze shifts away from the road for too long, a light bar in the steering wheel alerts you to return your attention to the road. Too many instances of this, and the tool will add audible alerts until you take control of the wheel.
For 2022, Chevrolet extends the functionality of Super Cruise by making it compatible with towing a trailer. The tool can accurately sense the weight of the trailer and calculate the appropriate distance needed to stop the Silverado and its accompanying rig. When you aren’t towing a trailer, Super Cruise offers Lane Change on Demand and Automatic Lane Change, both of which eliminate the guesswork of changing lanes when cruising at highway speeds.
So, does Ram offer something comparable to Super Cruise on the 2022 Ram 1500? Sadly, no. Instead, the Ram 1500 is merely equipped with adaptive cruise control, which extends the versatility of cruise control by actively monitoring the flow of traffic and adjusting the truck’s speed as needed. This eliminates the need to set and reset the truck’s cruising speed as traffic speeds up or slows down.
Which Will You Choose?
The 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 and the 2022 Ram 1500 are remarkable workhorses that offer exceptional capability, power, versatility, and performance. Choosing between the trucks is a difficult task. Do you opt for the technologically advanced and more affordable Silverado 1500, or are you happy to pay a little more for luxury? In terms of trailering, functionality, and cruising technology, there’s no denying that the 2022 Silverado 1500 leads the Ram, which might make choosing between the two a little easier if you’re looking for a road warrior that delivers on its promise to work smarter as well as harder.
