Best small pickup truck

With brand new offerings from Chevy, Ford, GMC, and Toyota, this auto class has never been better, or more competitive.

Car and Driver 's rankings are arrived at from the results of our extensive instrumented testing of more than vehicles each year and from our expert editors' subjective impressions gained in real-world driving. We've ranked the Best Compact Pickup Trucks based on roughly data points encompassing acceleration, handling, comfort, cargo space, fuel efficiency, value, and how enjoyable they are to drive. We take rankings seriously because we want you to know everything about the vehicles that you're interested in. Buyer's Guide. Best Compact Pickup Trucks Car and Driver 's rankings are arrived at from the results of our extensive instrumented testing of more than vehicles each year and from our expert editors' subjective impressions gained in real-world driving.

Best small pickup truck

You can forget Romeo and Juliet; America and pickup trucks is the real love story that has stood the test of time. From their earliest days, pickups have been a stable workhorse, providing people the means of transporting heavy loads from one place to another, over long distances. Through the years, though, pickups evolved from being simple, honest, and hard-working pieces of automobile machinery into everyday cars. With today's trend of pickup trucks for everyday use , many people are opting for smaller-sized trucks. Mainly because smaller trucks are easier and more convenient to manage than full-size trucks on the city streets and parking lots. In this regard, there are plenty of pickup trucks that offer the best value for money , combining practicality and workhorse ability in one package. Vehicle manufacturers take note of this and now make smaller-sized trucks that have the versatility for today's living but still retain the work vehicle ethic that is the hallmark of a pickup. To that end, we have compiled a list of some smaller pickup trucks that have surprisingly capable workhorse abilities. The new Ford Maverick is a revival of an old nameplate, but this time it takes the shape of a pickup truck — a very small pickup truck. The Ford Maverick may be small, but it's a great truck as it's got all the features that make Ford trucks some of the best-selling trucks in America. All you have to do is look at its big brother, the F, and that will tell you just what the Maverick is capable of, just on a smaller scale. Powering the Maverick is a 2. The power gets distributed to the wheels through an electrically variable-speed automatic transmission EVT. All of this allows the Maverick to have a towing capacity of up to 4, lbs and with a 4.

The big news in this segment is the Tacoma has adopted coil rear springs on higher trims.

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Our editors carefully select every product we recommend. We may earn a commission from these links. Learn more. By: Tim Huber Updated: Jan 02, Pickup trucks are an immensely popular genre of automobile, currently accounting for one out of every five new vehicles sold. Like SUVs, pickups have slowly but steadily grown larger and larger over the last few decades, gaining additional power and cargo space along the way. At the same time, however, manufacturers have also been rolling out ever-more competent compact pickup models that offer serious workhorse capabilities in a surprisingly small footprint — making them increasingly viable alternatives to full and mid-sized trucks. Once dominated primarily by foreign makes , as of late, the compact pickup market has experienced a significant influx in popularity, leading to more and more major OEMs tossing their hat in the compact pickup ring. The compact pickup sector offers a fairly straightforward buying experience, though there are still a handful of factors that are important to take into account before deciding on your purchase. Off-Road Performance: Compact or otherwise, most pickup trucks offer at least some level of off-roading abilities right off of the showroom floor, however, certain models — or trim levels — are designed specifically for all-terrain use.

Best small pickup truck

With a low starting price and available hybrid powertrain, the Ford Maverick delivers a car-like ride with a comfortable interior and excellent utility. For drivers who need light pickup truck capability but don't want the expense of a larger truck, the Maverick is an ideal solution. The Ford Maverick is a 5-seater vehicle that comes in 5 trim levels. Ford has had great success with pickup trucks, and its F full-size pickup has led the market for decades.

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We've ranked the Best Compact Pickup Trucks based on roughly data points encompassing acceleration, handling, comfort, cargo space, fuel efficiency, value, and how enjoyable they are to drive. Thanks to an optional disconnecting front sway bar unique in this class , articulation on the new fourth-generation Tacoma is said to be 10 percent improved over the third-gen. So, that payload must include passengers, dogs, gasoline, and anything you carry in or bolt to the truck. When it comes to power, the Jeep Gladiator doesn't disappoint. Starting at. Compact trucks have bed lengths ranging from 4 feet in the Hyundai Santa Cruz to 4. How much can small trucks tow? The big question mark hanging over coil Tacomas will be articulation. The Maverick only has its 2. It makes horsepower and a seriously impressive pound-feet of torque—the most torque in this class. FAQs What is a compact truck? The bed is also wide enough to accommodate 4-foot wide sheets sitting between the wheel wells. There are two seats in the front row, one for the driver and one for a front passenger.

Buyers now have more choices than ever. In addition to midsize trucks like the Ford Ranger, Nissan Frontier, or Honda Ridgeline, some genuinely compact models are now on the market as well. The Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz are both relatively diminutive unibody pickups and scale below the current midsize trucks.

Among the many features that make the Ridgeline impressive as a work truck are a lockable trunk in the bed and a split two-way tailgate. As for capability, well Nissan hasn't changed that. Ford sold about 57, Rangers in Starting at. Best Mid-Size Pickup Trucks. Compact trucks can tow anywhere between pounds and pounds depending on model, trim level, and equipment. Filed to: Autos Indefinitely Wild Trucks. Transmission is a six-speed manual, which isn't common on new pickups, but where the Gladiator excels is in its payload numbers. It's easier to maneuver around city streets than larger trucks with plenty of capability to match its rivals both as an everyday driver and as a robust workhorse. What is the difference between compact trucks and midsize trucks? Hybrid Tacos will only be available with the eight-speed auto. You can forget Romeo and Juliet; America and pickup trucks is the real love story that has stood the test of time.