Ace of Base: Detroit's Half-Ton Work Trucks

Earlier this morning, Jack regaled us with a tale of a young man buying himself a loaded regular-cab F-150. Such a beast still exists, often selling at the rate of glacier progression and celebrating birthdays as they loiter on dealer lots. At the other end of the spectrum, rear-drive regular cab base models – with an 8-foot box, natch – ply the roads and work for a living.

How do entry-level trucks from the Detroit Three stack up when compared to each other? Ace of Base breaks them down in alphabetical order with the caveat that, based on price and feature content, there is a clear winner.

First up: the 2017 Chevy Silverado 1500 WT. Absent of any options, its Monroney shows a price of $27,975. For this sum, buyers will net themselves vinyl floors and a vinyl bench, bringing back childhood memories of peeling sticky legs off the seat during hot summer drives. At least its standard air conditioning will cool down the cab a bit. Manual windows and mirrors are expected at this instant ramen price, but USB and AUX ports for the audio system mean drivers are not limited to staticky terrestrial radio. Its 4.3-liter V6 puts out 285 horsepower with direct injection. Power locks and cruise control are good additions to the base model feature list.

Next, the 2017 Ford F-150 XL. The Blue Oval sees fit to grant truck shoppers with the choice of vinyl or no-charge cloth bench seating, a sorely under-appreciated option. Some will argue cloth simply soaks up coffee spills and gear-oil stains from the coveralls of its hardworking drivers. I say simply accept the inevitable damage and spring for a secondhand bench to replace the trashed unit at trade time. Air conditioning is along for the ride, as are a tilt wheel and the ability to haul about 5000 pounds. Suggested price? $27,030. Keep in mind, Ford has already shown its 2018 model with a different face and new 3.3-liter V6 base engine. This means dealers are probably more than willing to cut a deal and clear out the suddenly old-hat 2017s.

Finally, we find the 2017 Ram 1500 Tradesman, the oldest design of the lot. Like the Chevy, Ram forces cheapskate buyers to endure a vinyl bench, but the interior is with air conditioning and USB/AUX audio ports. Cruise control appears thanks to the magic of economies-of-scale, as it’s no doubt cheaper for Ram to fit a tilt/cruise equipped wheel than to engineer a tilt-only unit for lower trims. The Ram is rated about 150-pounds less than the Ford in terms of towing prowess. But here’s the kicker, though: Ram includes a Class IV hitch and a 7-pin trailer wiring connection at its $26,395 base price.

This makes Ram the winner in the Ace of Base measure … and I’m not just saying that because there’s a much-loved seven-year old Quad Cab Sport sitting in my driveway. With the exception of a vile vinyl bench seat, Ram’s inclusion of a hitch and 7-pin connector right from the factory at the lowest MSRP is an appealing feature combination.

Not every base model has aced it. The ones which have? They help make the automotive landscape a lot better. Any others you can think of, B&B? Let us know in the comments. Naturally, feel free to eviscerate our selections.

The models above is shown in American dollars absent of destination charges and incentives. As always, your dealer may sell for less, especially on a base model truck.