The diesel trucks hold a nominal edge in horsepower and a huge advantage in torque, but the rev-happy gas-powered Ram felt the friskiest of the three.

What the diesels lack in outright speed, they make up for with a certain relentlessness. In testing by Popular Mechanics, the GMC’s 0-to-60 acceleration took 7.8 seconds. That’s not a head-turning number in the context of gasoline-powered trucks, but the Sierra felt as if it would clock the same time even if it were hitched to the Pacific Plate.

I used the GMC to tow a 3,500-pound boat, and the Denali seemed ready to yank the trailer out from beneath the boat, like a magician pulling a tablecloth from under a dinner setting.

Nonetheless, I get the idea that the manufacturers’ fixation on power numbers (the Ford got a power bump midway through the model year, just so it would have three more horsepower than General Motors’ trucks) created unrealistic expectations. While I was driving the F-350, a guy in a white Econoline van pulled alongside and asked, “That’s got the new 6.7, right? Is it fast?” Well, I’m sure the Great White Whale looked pretty fast to Ahab, in the manner of all huge things that move with anything other than ponderous deliberation.

Perhaps a better question would be, “Do you have to take the whole cab off to gain access to the turbocharger?” No you do not, and that’s a new development. If the pre-2011 model needed a new turbo, it was as if the dentist were to say: “O.K., we’re going to fill that cavity. Just keep your mouth closed while we get the skull saw.”

Your local Super Duty mechanic might not need a cab hoist, but he’ll want a sturdy stepladder. To give you an idea of how tall the F-350 is, the tailgate includes a fold-down step and a vertical grab handle. You know you’ve got a tall truck when it has its own staircase and newel post.