F-150 vs Silverado 1500: Same Price, Different Risk

Here is the uncomfortable truth: the 2019 Ford F-150 and the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 cost exactly the same to own over five years. To the dollar. Both come out to $42,126, or $702 a month. There is no winner on total cost. The dollar difference is zero.

That means the real question is not which truck is cheaper. It is which truck is less likely to surprise you. And on that question, the F-150 has a modest edge, but not the kind that should make anyone feel safe. Both of these trucks carry real repair risk as they age past 60,000 miles, and the numbers show it clearly.

The Numbers Are Identical, So Stop Looking for a Price Winner

Every single cost category is the same across both trucks. Fuel, maintenance, repairs, depreciation, insurance, registration. The figures match line for line. This is not a rounding coincidence. At the used mileage range of 60,000 to 80,000 miles, these two trucks are priced and projected so similarly that no spreadsheet is going to tell you which one to buy.

What that means for you: if you are hoping the math will make the decision, it will not. You need to look elsewhere, specifically at reliability history, fuel economy specifics, and your own tolerance for shop visits.

Side-by-Side: Every Cost Category

Cost Category	2019 Ford F-150	2019 Chevy Silverado 1500
Total Five-Year Cost	$42,126	$42,126
Monthly Average	$702	$702
Fuel (5 yr)	$11,970	$11,970
Maintenance (5 yr)	$3,636	$3,636
Repairs (5 yr)	$3,780	$3,780
Depreciation (5 yr)	$14,040	$14,040
Insurance (5 yr)	$7,200	$7,200
Registration (5 yr)	$1,500	$1,500

Every row matches. If you were expecting one truck to undercut the other on depreciation or fuel, it does not happen here. These projections treat the trucks as functional equivalents.

How Costs Build Year by Year

Even though the totals match, the year-by-year pattern is worth understanding. Neither truck is cheap to run, and the costs do not stay flat.

Year one is the lightest year: $9,024 combined from all categories. Maintenance is low at $320, and repairs are modest at $420. This is the honeymoon period. The truck is recently serviced, and you have not hit the mileage thresholds that trigger bigger jobs.

Year three is where both trucks bite. Maintenance jumps to $1,624, which suggests a scheduled service interval that includes bigger items like transmission service, spark plugs, or other items specific to the 80,000 to 100,000 mile range. Repairs also climb to $700. Year three costs noticeably more than year one or year two.

Year five is the most expensive repair year at $1,190, even though maintenance drops back to $909 and depreciation falls to $1,890. The truck is aging, and unscheduled repairs are climbing. Depreciation is slowing down, which sounds good, but only because the truck has already lost most of its value.

The honest read: these trucks are not getting cheaper to own over time. They are getting more expensive to maintain and repair, while losing less in value each year. That trade-off gets less favorable the longer you keep the truck.

Reliability: Which One Is More Likely to Leave You Stranded

Since the projected costs are identical, actual reliability history becomes the deciding factor.

According to RepairPal, the Ford F-150 earns a reliability rating of 3.5 out of 5.0, which ranks it 18th out of 21 full-size trucks. That is not a good ranking. It is below average. The average annual repair cost for an F-150 is around $788, and owners report a higher-than-average likelihood of a severe or major repair in any given year.

The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 does somewhat better on RepairPal, with a reliability rating of 3.5 out of 5.0 as well, though its average annual repair cost sits around $714. Both trucks share a reputation for being capable and popular while also generating frequent shop visits.

Neither truck has a clean reliability record. The difference between them is not dramatic. But if you are buying a used example with 60,000 to 80,000 miles already on it, you are past the warranty window and heading into the years where the repair cost projections in this comparison start climbing fast. Year four is $910 in repairs. Year five is $1,190. Those numbers are averages. Real-world repairs can be higher.

If you have a trusted mechanic and plan to get a pre-purchase inspection, that matters more than the brand name on the tailgate.

Fuel Economy: The Numbers Behind the $2,394 Annual Cost

Both trucks are projected at the same $2,394 per year in fuel, which works out to about $199 per month. That projection is based on average driving, but your actual cost depends on which engine you choose.

The 2019 F-150 is available with several engines. The base 3.3-liter V6 earns 20 MPG combined on fueleconomy.gov. The popular 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 earns 22 MPG combined. The 5.0-liter V8 drops to 19 MPG combined.

The 2019 Silverado 1500 offers similar variation. The 2.7-liter four-cylinder earns 23 MPG combined on fueleconomy.gov. The 5.3-liter V8 earns 17 MPG combined. The 6.2-liter V8 drops to 16 MPG combined.

At $3.50 per gallon and 15,000 miles per year, the difference between a 22 MPG truck and a 17 MPG truck is about $700 per year, or nearly $60 per month. That is real money over five years. The fuel cost projection in this comparison uses a blended average. If you are cross-shopping a Silverado V8 against an F-150 EcoBoost V6, the F-150 wins on fuel by a meaningful margin. If you are comparing base engines, the gap is smaller.

Check the specific trim and engine before you assume the $2,394 figure applies to your situation. It may not.

Who Should Buy Which Truck

The five-year costs are identical, so the decision comes down to priorities.

Buy the 2019 F-150 if you are a higher-mileage driver who cares about fuel costs and plans to spec an EcoBoost V6. The F-150 has a broader range of engine choices that can give you real fuel savings depending on the trim, and the EcoBoost engines have a long track record in real-world use. The F-150 also has deeper aftermarket support and a larger owner community, which matters when you need to find a part or a shop that knows the platform. If you haul or tow regularly and want the widest range of configurations, the F-150's lineup is simply larger.

Buy the 2019 Silverado 1500 if you want simplicity, lower average repair costs based on historical data, and are not planning to push the engine hard. The Silverado's naturally aspirated V8 is straightforward in a way that turbocharged engines are not. There are fewer things to go wrong. If you drive moderate miles, park it mostly on weekdays, and want a truck that asks less of you mechanically, the Silverado's simpler powertrain options are a reasonable choice. The 5.3-liter V8 has been in production for decades. Mechanics know it cold, and parts are everywhere.

Neither truck is a bargain at $42,126 over five years on top of the purchase price. Neither one has a reliability record that should make you feel comfortable skipping a pre-purchase inspection. These are useful, capable trucks with real ownership costs that most buyers underestimate.

The numbers will not choose for you. But now you know what the numbers actually say.