2020 GMC Sierra 2500HD vs 2020 Ford F-250 Super Duty

The 2020 GMC Sierra 2500HD was a behemoth of a truck, favoring function over aesthetic appeal, yet it exuded a commanding presence whether it was the base model or the luxurious Denali. The most distinguished aspect was its massive grille, essential for cooling the heavy-duty engine, paired with purposeful 8-lug wheels. Chrome was generously used on the Denali trim - from the extensive grille to the wheels, contributing to its flashy appeal. The exterior color choices were premium, with Onyx Black being particularly synonymous with the Denali trim, making it one of the most visually striking trucks available from General Motors. In terms of trims, the Sierra 2500HD offered the Base (Sierra), SLE, SLT, and the high-end Denali. The base model provided essential features, while the SLE added practical elements such as aluminum wheels and tinted glass. The SLT brought more upscale features like LED lighting and the Multi-Pro tailgate. Despite the chrome adornments and numerous features in the Denali, the cabin's fit-and-finish left room for improvement, especially when compared to competitors like the Ram 2500 Limited, which featured more soft-touch materials. However, the Sierra 2500HD ensured that all essential controls were user-friendly and straightforward, emphasizing function and usability over lavish complexity.

In contrast, the 2020 Ford F-250 Super Duty had subtle year-over-year visual updates, presenting a restrained styling. The revised front bumper featured more black-painted areas, reducing the bling factor, and a redesigned grille that replaced the large two-bar design with something less ostentatious. This new grille shape allowed for sleeker headlights without altering the overall silhouette of the truck. Ford offered the Super Duty in various trims including XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, Platinum, and Limited, each with distinctive visual features. The XL trim was rugged with a black grille and bumpers, and steel wheels. The XLT introduced brightwork on the grille and bumpers along with alloy wheels. Higher trims like King Ranch and Platinum added luxurious touches including chrome accents and 20-inch alloy wheels, while the range-topping Limited incorporated a satin-chrome grille. The Tremor package added off-road aesthetics like big tires and a lifted stance. Inside, the function-first cabin had logical control layouts, plenty of storage, but a lot of hard plastics, making it feel less inviting than some competitors. The higher trims provided more comfort with features like leather upholstery and unique stitching in the King Ranch.

The Sierra 2500HD was equipped with two powerful V8 engine options: a gas and a diesel, both displacing 6.6 liters. The gas engine delivered 401 horsepower and 464 pound-feet of torque, while the Duramax diesel V8 produced an immense 445 hp and 910 lb-ft of torque, offering impressive low-speed capabilities and strong acceleration at highway speeds. The gas engine was paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission, while the diesel's power was managed by a 10-speed Allison transmission, contributing to a lively driving experience. Despite its performance capabilities, the truck's massive size resulted in a poor turning radius, making handling within tight spaces challenging. The truck excelled in towing, capable of handling up to 18,510 pounds with appropriate equipment and a payload capacity of 3,979 pounds. In our testing, we observed an average fuel economy of 16.5 miles per gallon during combined city and highway driving.

The F-250 Super Duty came standard with a 6.2-liter gasoline V8 generating 385 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. An alternative 6.7-liter Power Stroke turbodiesel V8 provided an impressive 475 hp and a staggering 1,050 lb-ft of torque. For 2020, Ford introduced a new 7.3-liter gas V8 that produced 430 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque. The gas engines were paired with a new 10-speed automatic transmission, improving power management and acceleration. When equipped with the diesel engine and the High Capacity Tow Package, the F-250 could tow up to 30,000 pounds. The truck's suspension, designed to handle heavy loads, resulted in a bumpier ride when the truck was unloaded, highlighting its primary function as a workhorse. The FX4 off-road package offered additional off-road enhancements like upgraded shocks and skid plates. For more serious off-road capabilities, the Tremor package provided features such as a lift and rock crawl driving mode.

The 2020 GMC Sierra 2500HD was available in multiple bed and cab configurations, including regular single cab with a long bed, double cab with standard and long bed, and crew cab with either bed length. The Denali trim was only available as a crew cab. Both bed sizes featured corner steps at the rear bumper and ahead of the rear wheel, accommodating larger work boots. The EZ lift-and-lower tailgate with remote release was a standout feature, but the MultiPro tailgate was the most noteworthy, offering six different configurations and a significant step for easier bed access. Inside, the truck provided ample storage with numerous cubbies, cupholders, and bins. Higher trims included a storage area below the rear seats, which folded up for larger items.

The F-250 matched the Sierra 2500HD in versatility, with Regular Cab, extended SuperCab, and full four-door Crew Cab options, paired with 6-foot-9-inch or 8-foot beds. The Super Duty also featured a tailgate step that telescoped from the tailgate, making bed access easier. The cabin was spacious and practical, with abundant deep cupholders and cubbies designed for large items. The center console was particularly massive, ideal for storing large tools or even a laptop. The rear seats in the SuperCab and Crew Cab configurations folded up to reveal a load floor for large items, making it convenient to store valuable equipment inside the cabin overnight.

The 2020 GMC Sierra 2500HD came standard with a 7-inch touchscreen with GMC Infotainment 3, supporting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto via USB. The SLT and Denali trims offered an 8-inch infotainment screen with optional navigation. The Denali trim included a large 8-inch color driver-information screen between the speedometer and tachometer. Despite being modest compared to larger screens available in competitors, the GMC’s system was user-friendly, with customizable large icons for ease of use.

In comparison, the base XL trim of the Ford F-250 Super Duty came with a four-speaker AM/FM/MP3 radio unit, Bluetooth connectivity, and a USB-C port. The XLT trim increased the speaker count and added SiriusXM, an additional USB-C port, and the SYNC 3 infotainment system. SYNC 3 was intuitive with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto included. Standard across the lineup was FordPass Connect, which offered a WiFi hotspot for up to 10 devices and remote access functions like vehicle status updates and remote start through a smartphone app, although some features required a subscription.

The GMC Sierra 2500HD boasted significant safety features to manage its massive size, including cameras on all four sides and two-tier trailering mirrors. Standard safety equipment comprised front and side-impact airbags, traction control, reversing camera, and a tire pressure monitoring system. The Driver Alert Package I added front and rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert, while the Driver Alert Package II included forward-collision avoidance, lane-departure warning, and automatic high beams.

The Ford F-250 Super Duty was equipped with standard safety features such as front and side-impact airbags, trailer sway control, hill start assist, and AdvanceTrac traction control with roll stability control. Optional safety features encompassed forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams. Additional options included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, rear parking sensors, and a 360-degree camera system. Nonetheless, the lack of standard advanced safety features was noteworthy given the increasing size of modern trucks.