Pickup Truck Reviews and Buying Guide:

Buying a pickup truck used to be more about payload capacity, drive system, reliability, and sheer towing power but with todays gas prices reaching $4 a gallon you can't overlook the fuel economy. Mileage is a huge concern amongst pickup truck buyers in the market, especially those interested in diesel models like the Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 with Cummins engines. There's no doubt that fuel efficiency will play a larger part in the decision making of pickup truck consumers going forward. In years past the Toyota Trundra, Chevrolet Silverado and Ford F-150 have been top sellers and Toyota is slowly gaining market share over the American manufacturers as gas prices have risen. Toyota has excellent reliability records with almost all the cars they produce although much of America has continued to buy US made trucks - that is until recently. The Ford F-150 has been the top selling vehicle for many years (better than cars).

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Trucks are some of the most advertised vehicles on television and we have all seen ads for trucks going off road and spinning out in the dirt or snow. At the bottom of these commercials is the small print that says "please don't attempt this at home, the drivers are professional and on a closed course" or something to that extent. The scenes they show to sell these trucks are unlikely to ever happen in your life and therefore they should not sway your vote in what pickup truck you buy. There are many other features that are important when making your decision on which model and make to purchase. If you are going to use your truck primarily for work or business, then go with whichever model offers what you need - hauling capacity, towing, fuel mileage, drive system, etc. Some trucks have specific features that make them best for construction, farming, or delivery services. Experts generally agree that the payload and towing capacity of a truck are determining features that let you know how sturdy the truck will be. Other things to consider are the truck configuration - do you need an extended cab for more passengers, a regular cab, crew cab for employees, long bed, short bed, 4 wheel drive, front wheel drive, automatic/manual transmissions, or towing packages. One of the most important factors is brand name. For the last 2 or 3 decades Chevy and Ford have dominated pickup truck sales based on hard core marketing by the domestic automakers. In recent years Honda, Toyota, and even Nissan have entered the pickup truck market with more variety of vehicles and they are slowly taking sales from the Big 2. Fuel economy is now getting more respect in potential vehicles as gas prices escalate towards $4/gallon. The good news with pickup trucks is that they are very affordable when you compare them to sedans and SUV's. The 2008 GMC Sierra 1500 sells for under $18000 and the 2008 Toyota Tacoma has an MSRP of $14,280. Even the more expensive 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 is around $21K and the Toyota Tundra is just a bit over $22,000. The full-size trucks get decent gas mileage but I'm sure owners are always wishing for more from their tank of gas. Some of the recent studies show that the Chevrolet Silverado 5.3 liter V8 gets almost 22 miles per gallon the highway (not bad) while the similar Nissan Titan with a 5.6 liter V8 engine gets roughly 18 MPG. For consumers, the pickup truck market has become very competitive meaning pricing will be in your favor as you select which make and model you prefer. Don't just stick with a particular brand because your father or family buys it, you may be missing out on a better car in terms of reliability and performance by avoiding certain brands completely. We have tried to list the most popular trucks in a few categories down below with descriptions, specs, websites, and reviews on each model. Our findings include reviews we found at U.S. News Rankings, Autotropolis.com, About.com, Trucktrend.com, Consumer Reports, Popular Mechanics, and Automotive.com.

Best Full Size Pickups:

In the full size pickup field, 3 different makes are neck and neck this year. The 2008 GMC Sierra 1500 ($18425 - $43045) has be totally redesigned and now offers 4 different engines, 2 dashboard styles, and an impressive horsepower rating of 387 HP. You can get a regular cab, extended cab, crew cab, and long, short, or standard box. Of course there's the usually 2WD versus 4WD options. I really like the GMC.com website with a "Build Your GMC" section that allows you to enter in your configurations and options to get a price and complete spec list. We found an excellent online review for the 2008-09 GMC Sierra 1500 HERE. The big mover in this bunch is the Toyota Tundra ($22290 - $42070) which has gained popularity amongst the less hard core pickup truck users. There are 3 bed sizes, 3 engines, and 3 cab types to choose from with the newest Tundra and the V8 engine combined with Toyota's renowned durability and reliability should sway some diehard Ford, Chevy, and Dodge buyers over to the Tundra. Mileage ratings on the 2WD option are 15 city/19 highway while the 4WD ratings are 13/16 (city/hwy). One review from Automotive.com said "Overall, the Tundra might be the smoothest, most comfortable full-size pickup available". Even the review on Edmunds.com was very favorable for the Toyota Tundra and from what we could read Toyota is only getting more aggressive in their pricing structure to compete with the Big 3 pickup truck makers in America. Last, but not forgotten, is the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (starts at $18425, gets closer to $40 with the LTZ model). The Silverado is smooth to drive, handles quite well and has a solid reputation from last years model. The 2008 doesn't have any dramatic changes to it, although a few things like instruments, radio, seats, and a brake controller option were added. You can find all the details on line at http://www.chevrolet.com/silverado/.

Top Rated Pickup Truck:

We didn't want to leave out the top selling 2008 Ford F-150 on this page. Although some of it's popularity has slipped in the last few years, it still remains the truck of choice formany. The F-150 starts at a very reasonable $17700 with excellent mileage ratings of 14/20 (city/hwy). The new 2009 Ford F-150 has 7 models to choose from - XL, STX, XLT, FX4, Lariat, King Ranch, and Platinum. No matter your occupation, there is a model that will fit your needs. Most offer 2WD or 4WD, V6 or V8 engines, two transmission types, and deep truck beds on all models. This half-ton pickup truck can perform all day with a maximum payload rating of 3500 pounds, towing capacity of 11,000 pounds, and a heavy-duty package that will impress any truck enthusiast. Ford is one of the few trucks with so much fan base and owner support they have several websites dedicated to the F-150, go HERE for the official homepage or check out Fordf150.net for online forums and discussion boards where you can chat it up with fellow Ford lovers and read product reviews, research "how to articles", get repair manuals, or just look at the 1000's of photos that others have submitted.

Compact Pickup Truck:

When it comes to smaller pickup trucks, the 2008 Toyota Tacoma ($14280 - $26155) gets high praise from consumers as well as automotive experts. The Tacoma comes in a regular cab, access cab, double cab, or X-Runner models. Mileage ratings on the 2 smaller options are 20/25 (city/hwy), so you won't have to fill up nearly as much like you would with the larger full size pickups. In surveys done by Consumer Reports, Toyota rates well in "predicted reliability" and their overall "owner cost" (which includes things like fuel cost, depreciation, insurance, and maintenance and repair) is the best in compact pickup category. The Honda Ridgeline scores an overall higher score from CR than the Tacoma, but we found more reports and reviews online that favor the Tacoma. We do respect the Consumer Reports rating system and their auto surveys are well recognized. The Ridgeline is reported to drive smoother than the Tacoma with better handling. One other truck to watch out for is the Nissan Frontier which has been gaining popularity and appears ready to challenge Toyota and Honda. Other models like the Dodge Dakota, Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon all get fairly bad ratings from CR and we couldn't find too many positive reviews on those trucks online or in magazines.

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