Sport Truck Comparison: 2003 Chevrolet Silverado SS vs. Dodge 1500 SLT vs. Ford F-150 Harley-Davidson

There's something intoxicating about smashing an accelerator pedal to the floor. It's even better when you blow the doors off an unsuspecting teenager driving a lowered hot hatch. But it's even more rewarding when you're doing it in a pickup.

Chevrolet, Dodge, and Ford--the Big Three of Truckdom--all have one thing in common: Guys on their design and engineering teams are dyed-in-the-wool hot-rodders and have the opportunity to bring a plate of steaming American muscle to the table--with a bed on the back.

This year, we aren't calling them "sport trucks." Rather, they're specialists in their field. Ford's Harley-Davidson F-150, for example, takes "in your face" to a whole new level. Some may say this is a truck with an identity crisis--there are more Harley-Davidson badges and logos affixed to it (even a few thousand in the tape stripe) than Ford plates. The Harley's silver-and-black two-tone paint scheme draws attention, as does the standard-issue 20-inch chrome wheels and bright tubular grille. If the Harley-isms are too much for you, just shave off the logos, and you'd swear it's a Boyd Coddington creation.

The Silverado SS (or "55" depending on how you look at the badge) is as near to the original concept as you can get, sans the big-horsepower engine we all hoped for. In the looks department, not much has changed over a base Silverado, with the exception of the egg- crate grille, front fascia replete with lower Hoover vacuum attachments, and ground effects. The monochromatic paint scheme is the truck's saving grace, as well as its mongo 20-inch wheels.

Leave it to Dodge to bring the sleeper at the party. What looks like an ordinary, everyday 1500 Ram regular cab is really a rabid wolf in sheep's clothing. Sure, it wears the chromed five-spoke 20-inch wheels and that don't-mess-with-me grille, but the only thing giving this truck away to its prey is the HEMI badge on the front fenders and the telltale burble from the exhaust.