2025 Ford F-350 vs 2025 GMC Sierra 3500 HD
We know a lot of people who choose powerful, full-size trucks for daily driving and taking care of everything they need to do. While something like the Ford F-150 is more than enough for many drivers, if you require a truck that is built to get some serious work done, then you owe it to yourself to check out Super Duty models. The F-350 is the perfect example of this: a bold, hard-working pickup that offers remarkable towing and payload potential. Even when you compare it to other popular models out there, like looking at the 2025 Ford F-350 vs 2025 GMC Sierra 3500 HD, you can see that Ford’s truck simply cannot be beat.
For one thing, while the Sierra 3500 HD has just two engines available for it, Ford gives you four different powerful engines to choose from on the F-350. GMC offers a 6.6L V8 gas engine as the standard powertrain with 401 hp and 464 lb-ft of torque. By comparison, the F-350 has a standard 6.8L V8 gas engine with 405 hp, while its available 7.3L V8 with its 485 lb-ft of torque cannot be beat by GMC’s truck. Although the turbo-diesel engine available for the Sierra 3500 HD is impressive with its 470 hp and 975 lb-ft of torque, it cannot surpass the 6.7L Power Stroke turbo-diesel Ford offers that delivers 475 hp and 1,050 lb-ft of torque. That’s not even mentioning the 1,200 lb-ft of max torque available for the F-350.
Beyond these impressive numbers, Ford also gives you a truck built to get more done, with greater towing and payload potential that you can take advantage of. When properly equipped, the GMC Sierra 3500 HD tops out at 7,290 lbs of payload or 36,000 lbs of maximum gooseneck/fifth-wheel towing. With the F-350, you can get up to 8,000 lbs of payload capacity or 38,000 lbs of fifth-wheel towing, taking your driving experience to the next level. Not only that, but you get superior standard features inside the 2025 Ford F-350 including a larger infotainment display, bigger driver information screen, and more. This means you get a truck built to do more and take you further, with power you can count on day after day.
| 2025 Ford F-350 | VS | 2025 GMC Sierra 3500 HD |
|---|---|---|
| $46,970[a] | MSRP | $65,900 |
| 500 | Horsepower | 470 |
| 1,200 lb-ft | Torque | 975 lb-ft |
| 38,000 lbs | Towing | 36,000 lbs |
Performance
No matter what kind of truck you are looking at, the engine is important; but we would say this is even more vital when it comes to a heavy-duty truck. Both of these pickups we are looking at today are in the same class, so directly comparing them reveals the level of performance that Ford and GMC deliver. These are trucks built to get some major work done, far beyond light-duty models like the Ford F-150 and the GMC Sierra 1500. As such, you expect some serious power to come from their engines, and while both trucks deliver big performance, there are some clear differences between them.
Starting with the 2025 Sierra 3500 HD, GMC offers two different engines on this truck, which provides a nice pair of options, but there is something lacking. The standard engine is a 6.6L V8 gas engine that provides 401 hp and 464 lb-ft of torque; this is undoubtedly a fine place to start even if there is some room for improvement. For more power, there is an available 6.6L Duramax turbo-diesel V8 engine that delivers 470 hp and 975 lb-ft of torque, greatly elevating performance with this pickup. Both engines come with a 10-speed automatic transmission, and both two-wheel drive (2WD) and four-wheel drive (4WD) are available. Ford goes further in two key ways: they give you double the engine options and more power to take advantage of.
To start, the F-350 comes with a standard 6.8L V8 gas engine that provides 405 hp and 445 lb-ft of torque, which is pretty comparable to GMC’s offering. You can also choose an available 7.3L V8 gas engine that boosts performance to 430 hp and 485 lb-ft of torque, clearly surpassing the gas engine of the Sierra 3500 HD. For greater power, there is an available 6.7L Power Stroke turbo-diesel V8 engine from Ford that delivers 475 hp and 1,050 lb-ft of torque, giving you more-robust performance than GMC’s engine. You can even get a High Output (HO) version of this diesel engine with 500 hp and 1,200 lb-ft of torque, far surpassing anything GMC offers. These engines offer incredible power that you also get with a 10-speed automatic for a responsive drive, along with both 2WD and 4WD available.
Payload and Towing Capabilities
Big numbers for horsepower and torque are great, of course, but more important than that is how those things translate into real-world performance and capabilities. These are both heavy-duty trucks designed to get some serious work done, so you need to know that they can deliver in that regard. While we would never say that the GMC Sierra 3500 HD is underpowered, it clearly comes in behind the F-350 in every way: horsepower, torque, payload, and towing potential. That is hard to argue with and it showcases why so many people turn to Ford when looking for a powerful and capable pickup.
With its standard gas engine, the GMC Sierra 3500 HD can handle up to 19,150 lbs of towing and has 7,290 lbs of maximum payload. Note that the best capabilities come from a model with a dual rear-wheel (DRW) configuration, creating a truck that can handle as much weight as possible. Fortunately, both of these pickups have DRW setups available, but they are not standard so you want to keep that in mind; the more-powerful Ford F-450 features a standard DRW setup that is perfect if you need something built to handle even more weight. With its available diesel engine, the max payload of the Sierra 3500 HD comes down to 6,644 lbs, but it can handle up to 36,000 lbs of maximum fifth-wheel/gooseneck towing.
The more robust power of the Ford F-350 is not just about bragging rights; it can also help you get more work done. Its standard gas engine lets the F-350 handle 8,000 lbs of payload, surpassing anything the Sierra 3500 HD has to offer, plus 18,900 lbs of maximum towing. With its available 7.3L gas engine, you get 22,500 lbs of maximum towing along with 7,635 lbs of max payload—both numbers surpass GMC’s gas engine. Going to the next level, the turbo-diesel engine lets the F-350 handle 36,400 lbs of maximum gooseneck/fifth-wheel towing and 6,952 lbs of max payload; again, both surpass the Sierra 3500 HD. And if you choose the High-Output diesel engine, then you can get 38,000 lbs of towing to go beyond what GMC’s truck can do.
Technology
You might not be looking for a lot of fancy technology and extra features in a work truck, but you still deserve something that feels good on the road, with tools to help you get your job done. Looking at the 2025 Sierra 3500 HD and its starting Pro model, it features a seven-inch GMC Infotainment system, a 3.5-inch monochromatic Driver Information Center, and a six-speaker sound system. The Pro trim comes with vinyl seating inside, four-way manually-adjustable front seats, and Remote Keyless Entry (which is nice). Overall, these features are fine and GMC offers plenty of upgrades on higher trims, but they certainly leave something to be desired if you are trying to keep things simple and still get a great truck.
With the 2025 F-350, Ford gives you a number of excellent standard features so you can get a terrific work truck without going overboard or paying more for a higher trim. For starters, you get an eight-inch SYNC 4 infotainment system along with a 4.2-inch LCD productivity screen in the instrument panel—both displays are larger than what the Sierra 3500 HD comes with. You get vinyl seating and a six-speaker sound system (in models with a two-row cab), plus numerous charging ports inside, cruise control, and more. Every F-350 also comes with Ford Telematics and Data Services to help you keep track of how you use your truck and stay connected with the rest of your team. This is perfect for large fleets and small businesses alike, giving you plenty of tools to get more done and make the most of your time working each day.
See What the Ford F-350 Can Do for You
When you are looking for a powerful truck to help you get your job done, you deserve something that can work hard and deliver what you need day after day. This is precisely what you find with the Ford F-350 and everything it brings to the road. With greater power, more impressive capabilities, and excellent standard features (plus plenty of remarkable upgrades available), the F-350 simply gives you more than GMC offers with the Sierra 3500 HD. It’s not that GMC’s truck is bad, but it cannot keep up with the power and features that Ford delivers.
Here at DePaula Ford, we are incredibly pleased to offer the F-350 and the rest of Ford’s stunning modern truck lineup. Whether you need a powerful work truck to help you meet the needs of your clients, a rugged pickup that you can take off-road on the weekend, or anything else, we can help you find it. Our wonderful team of friendly and knowledgeable salespeople will work closely with you, answer your questions, and help you find the right truck—no matter what you are looking for. Call or come visit us at DePaula Ford today and let us show you how easy it can be to find the perfect pickup.
