2020 Ford F-250 Super Duty vs 2020 Toyota Tundra

The 2020 Ford F-250 Super Duty received subtle updates that were noticeable to keen observers but might have been missed by casual onlookers. The front bumper featured more black-painted areas and less chrome, while the massive grille adopted a less gaudy design. The headlights became sleeker due to the altered grille shape, resulting in a truck that exhibited styling restraint without a complete redesign. The F-250 was available in various trims, each offering distinct visual elements, from the basic XL with its black grille and bumpers to the luxurious Limited with a satin-chrome grille and twin-panel moonroof.

In contrast, the 2020 Toyota Tundra was available in SR, SR5, Limited, TRD Pro, Platinum, and 1794 Edition trims, with each level adding more luxury and features. The TRD Pro, the most expensive version, sported an exclusive Army Green color, black 18-inch forged aluminum wheels, and a tough, military-grade appearance. Inside, the TRD Pro featured black leather with red stitching and embroidery, but the interior was criticized for its industrial-grade plastic, which felt out of place at higher price levels. The Tundra's design had aged well, but it lacked the refinement expected in a modern truck.

The 2020 Ford F-250 Super Duty came standard with a 6.2-liter gasoline V8 engine producing 385 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. Ford also offered a 6.7-liter Power Stroke turbodiesel V8 with 475 hp and an astonishing 1,050 lb-ft of torque. A new 7.3-liter gas V8 was introduced, delivering 430 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque. The gas engines were paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, while the diesel V8 used a six-speed automatic. The F-250 could tow up to 30,000 pounds when properly equipped. The truck's suspension was designed for heavy-duty work, resulting in a bumpy ride when not loaded. The Tremor off-road package added features like 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler tires, a 2-inch lift, and rock crawl driving mode.

The 2020 Toyota Tundra, on the other hand, was powered by a 5.7-liter V8 engine paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission, producing 381 horsepower and 401 pound-feet of torque. The Tundra's maximum towing capacity was 10,200 pounds, and it could carry up to 1,730 pounds of payload. The TRD Pro model came with an electronic shift-on-the-fly 4WD system, BBS forged aluminum wheels, heavy-duty Fox off-road shocks, and a TRD-tuned dual exhaust system. The Tundra's V8 sounded impressive but was loud, and the truck's turning radius was tight, making U-turns easier. However, the Tundra's fuel economy was poor, averaging 14.3 mpg during a week of driving.

The 2020 Ford F-250 Super Duty was available in Regular Cab, extended SuperCab, and full four-door Crew Cab configurations, with either a 6-foot-9-inch or 8-foot bed. The cabin was spacious and functional, with deep cup holders and cubbies designed to hold large items. The center console was massive, capable of storing files, tools, or even a laptop. The rear seats in the SuperCrew and Crew Cab models folded up to reveal a load floor for large items, providing secure storage inside the cabin.

The 2020 Toyota Tundra, built in Texas, featured a spacious interior, especially in the CrewMax configuration. The rear seating area was large, with a low and flat bench. The front seats were leather-bound, supportive, and comfortable for long drives. Storage was abundant, except for the small glove compartment and limited backseat storage options. The rear seat cushions flipped up to create extra floor space, but there wasn't much storage underneath. The Tundra's bed was basic, lacking advanced features like locking storage wells or multifunctional tailgates found in competitors.

The 2020 Ford F-250 Super Duty's base XL trim came with four speakers, an AM/FM/MP3 radio, Bluetooth connectivity, and a USB-C port. The XLT trim added more speakers, SiriusXM satellite radio, an additional USB-C port, and the SYNC 3 infotainment system, which included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. FordPass Connect was standard across the lineup, offering a WiFi hotspot, remote lock/unlock, vehicle status updates, and remote start via a smartphone app.

The 2020 Toyota Tundra's infotainment system, though surrounded by hard plastic, was up-to-date. Lower trims featured a 7-inch display, while higher trims upgraded to an 8-inch screen. The system included Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, satellite radio, USB ports, and free trial subscriptions to connected services. The TRD Pro trim had dynamic navigation, voice recognition, point-of-interest search, and a 12-speaker JBL premium sound system. However, the Tundra lacked advanced towing technology found in competitors, offering only a reversing camera.

The 2020 Ford F-250 Super Duty came with standard safety features like front- and side-impact airbags, trailer sway control, hill start assist, and AdvanceTrac traction control with roll stability control. Optional features included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, rear parking sensors, and a 360-degree camera system. However, the F-250 had not been tested by the NHTSA or IIHS.

The 2020 Toyota Tundra included Toyota Safety Sense as standard, along with an optional blind-spot monitoring system with rear cross-traffic alert. Every Tundra also came with a free year of Safety Connect services. However, the Tundra's crash-test performance was poor, with Marginal and Poor ratings in small-overlap, frontal-impact tests from the IIHS. The NHTSA ratings were more favorable, with 5 stars for side-impact protection, 4 stars for frontal-impact protection, and 4 stars for rollover resistance with 4WD (3 stars with RWD).