Notice: Function _load_textdomain_just_in_time was called incorrectly. Translation loading for the wp-rss-aggregator domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home/inthedri/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6131 Evergreen Archives - Deprecated: Function WP_Dependencies->add_data() was called with an argument that is deprecated since version 6.9.0! IE conditional comments are ignored by all supported browsers. in /home/inthedri/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6131
The only full hybrid in the segment, available PowerBoost™ provides targeted best-in-class horsepower and torque, a projected EPA-estimated range of approximately over 700 miles on a single tank of gas and at least 12,000 pounds of maximum available towing capacity. ItÕs available across the lineup from XL to Limited.
Used cars have had ups and downs in pricing over the past few years, but they remain a generally solid alternative to paying new MSRPs. Letting someone else eat the depreciation can net buyers a great deal, but that’s only if the used car they’re buying is reliable and in good condition. Consumer Reports recently ranked the used cars to avoid with an eye on reliability and maintenance costs, and some automakers have several models on the list.
Consumer Reports came up with 60 vehicles based on responses from its annual member surveys.
Used cars to avoid in 2024
Audi
A3: 2018
A6: 2019
Q3: 2016, 2022
E-tron: 2019
Even if the model you’re searching for isn’t on this list, it’s always a great idea to get a pre-purchase inspection before buying. A reputable third-party inspection can help identify existing issues and may find potential problems that could crop up down the road. Spending a few hundred dollars up front could save thousands down the road, so don’t slack on your research when shopping for used cars.
(left to right) All-new F-150 Limited in Smoked Quartz Tinted Clearcoat, F-150 Lariat in Rapid Red Metallic Tinted Clearcoat and F-150 XLT Sport Appearance Package in Carbonized Gray.
American car buyers have an almost unbelievable affinity for pickup trucks of all shapes and sizes. For just about as long as pretty much anyone reading this can likely remember, the best-selling vehicles overall in the United States have been trucks, led for 42 years by the Ford F-Series (it’s been the best-selling truck for 47 consecutive years), closely followed by competitors like the Chevrolet Silverado, Ram and GMC Sierra lineups. This being the case, it certainly won’t come as a surprise to see that the best-selling used vehicles in America are also trucks. But which used trucks are the best used trucks to buy in 2024?
iSeeCars, an online resource that bills itself as “a data-driven car search and research company” analyzed over 9.2 million used car sales from the past five model years (that would start in 2018 and end in 2022). After compiling all the numbers, the researchers calculated each vehicle model’s share of used car sales. You can see the list of the best-selling used pickup trucks down below, but before we get to that, let’s highlight some of the used truck buys in America.
Best used trucks to buy in 2024
Best used truck under $10,000: 2005-2011 Dodge and Ram Dakota
The Dodge Dakota, which in its final few years was known as the Ram Dakota, with its standard 3.7-liter V6 won’t win any drag races — the optional V8s offered more power, naturally — but a decent Dakota offers the ability to haul and tow for just about the lowest price point in America.
Best full-size truck under $10,000: 2008-2012 Nissan Titan
The Toyota Tacoma is known for reliability and durability. High resale value is another, as well as a cramped interior and below-average comfort, even for a truck. Still, Toyota’s compact Tacoma is likely to offer more years of trouble-free service than anything else in this price range. Expect to see a lot of Tacomas with comparatively high mileage.
Best used full-size truck under $15,000: 2013 or newer Ram 1500
Look for a 2013 or newer Ram, and consider choosing the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 and 8-speed automatic combo over the V8 and six-speed auto. The 5.7-liter Hemi V8 is generally a reliable engine, but it’s thirsty and this budget doesn’t allow for a truck new enough to snag the desirable V8/8-speed automatic combination.
Best used pickup truck under $20,000: 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado
The Chevy Silverado is slightly more affordable than its competitor from Ford, which went to a lightweight aluminum body for the 2015 model year. GM’s V8 engine options are all very solid and have well-earned reputations for durability. The Toyota Tundra is also a solid choice, but it’s not easy to find nice options in this price range.
Best used pickup truck under $25,000: 2015-2019 Ford F-150
Look for a 2015 or later Ford F-150 to take advantage of the lighter weight and great capability offered by the aluminum-intensive construction Ford switched to starting that year. Budget buyers should look for an XLT model, and Ford’s base V6 and optional 5.0-liter V8 engines are both solid choices. In fact, the F-150 with the V8 engine offers impressive payload and towing capabilities that match what heavy duty buyers were looking for just a decade or so previously.
Best used compact pickup truck under $25,000: 2016-2019 Toyota Tacoma
A redesign of the Toyota Tacoma for the 2016 model year brought about welcome changes to the best-selling compact truck, but it’s still less refined and less comfortable than most of its competition.
Best car-like used pickup truck under $25,000: 2017-2019 Honda Ridgeline
The Honda Ridgeline’s car-like ride and handling come courtesy of a car-like unibody design. It can’t tow like a proper full-size pickup truck, but it’s more efficient and more comfortable for daily use.
Best-selling used trucks over the past five years
Ford F-150: 21.9% of all used truck sales
Chevrolet Silverado: 17.7% of all used truck sales
Ram 1500: 14.0% of all used truck sales
Toyota Tacoma: 9.1% of all used truck sales
GMC Sierra: 8.1% of all used truck sales
No real surprises there. The Ford F-Series is the best-selling new nameplate, and the light-duty Ford F-150 is the best-selling used vehicle overall. Ford’s popular truck takes top honors as the best-selling used vehicle in 34 out of the 50 states in America. In second spot is the Chevy Silverado (below left), which, for what it’s worth, is the best-seller in the state of Iowa.
It is interesting to note that the Ram 1500 (below right) actually fell behind the Chevrolet Equinox crossover on the overall chart that includes all vehicle types. Chevy’s compact crossover barely edged out the fullsize Ram truck for third-place when all vehicle styles were included, but the numbers were so close between the ‘ute and the pickup that they both claimed roughly 2.1% of the overall market.
“Trucks have been so dominant in the U.S. market for so long that it’s strange to see the Ram lose its top-three ranking, even to an SUV as popular as the Chevrolet Equinox,” said Karl Brauer, iSeeCars Executive Analyst, who goes on to offer a reasonable explanation. “This shift reflects the jump in gas prices during 2023, which led many consumers to move away from large trucks and SUVs and into smaller, more fuel-efficient models.”
The Toyota Tacoma is the best-selling midsize pickup truck in America, easily outselling its larger sibling, the Toyota Tundra (a truck that doesn’t even crack the top 20 overall). As well as the Tacoma sells, however, it is outsold on the used market by well-known nameplates like the Toyota Camry, RAV4 and Corolla, Honda Civic and CR-V, Ford Explorer and Escape, and the Nissan Rogue and Jeep Grand Cherokee.
In fifth spot on the used trucks list and 17th overall, the GMC Sierra is almost identical to the Chevrolet Silverado underneath its skin, with similar powertrains and interior technology. Combining the sales of the Silverado and Sierra would put General Motors in the top light-duty used truck position by manufacturer, ahead of Ford.
Trucks that don’t appear on the list include fullsize models like the aforementioned Toyota Tundra and the Nissan Titan, as well as mid-size nameplates like the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Ford Ranger, Honda Ridgeline, Jeep Gladiator and Nissan Frontier. The resurgence of the compact truck market, which currently consists of the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz, means we could see some smaller trucks crack their way onto the list in the coming years.
Pickup trucks are hugely popular in the United States, but most of them carry huge dimensions and huge price tags to match. That’s where the rapidly expanding midsize truck market comes into play. With options from nearly every major manufacturer in America, there are plenty of midsize trucks to consider, but the best midsize pickup trucks are more comfortable, more capable off-road or more luxurious than the rest of the crowd.
Put simply, there’s an excellent midsize truck for every buyer, whether they want to save money with a low starting price and strong efficiency, tackle technical trails, surround themselves with leather and wood or even hit the road with the wind in their hair on their way to the beach. We’ve tested all of the midsize trucks in America available for 2024 and picked out the best choices for any type of buyer. Read on to find out which option is the best midsize truck for you for 2024 or 2025 (expect more versions of the Toyota Tacoma and Jeep Gladiator in 2025, too).
If you’re needs don’t require a midsize truck, you may want to consider a compact. There are only two for sale in 2024, and we break down our rankings here.
Best midsize trucks for 2024
2024 Chevrolet Colorado
Why it stands out: Good ride, handling; powerful engines; strong towing; refined interior; Google infotainment
Could be better: Only one cab/bed combination (four door, short bed)
Suffice it to say, we’re big fans of the latest Chevy Colorado. In fact, we think the Colorado is the best midsize pickup truck in America overall. Thanks to the base WT offering, the starting price is reasonable, but the Colorado is really at its best in one of its more specialized forms. The Trail Boss expands its off-road capabilities with a suspension lift and chunky tires, the ZR2 adds an even larger suspension lift and a gaggle of off-road special bits and the ZR2 Bison tops the range with sensational Multimatic DSSV spool-valve dampers, special bumpers and underbody cladding for rock-crawling prowess.
In between those specialist packages lie the LT and Z71 trims, which is what will make up the majority of sales. A low-power turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder making 237 horsepower and 259 pound-feet of torque is standard, while the more common engine is a more powerful version with 310 HP and 390 lb-ft. A High-Output engine option keeps the same 310 HP but boosts torque to 430 lb-ft. An eight-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive are standard; four-wheel drive is, of course, available and standard on the off-road models.
2024 Toyota Tacoma
Why it stands out: Strong power and torque; enormous configurability; loads of off-road options; quiet and refined ride; manual transmission availability
Could be better: Coarse engine; on the expensive side; Limited not as plush as it could be; manual is clunky
As before, there are multiple cab and bed configurations and loads of trims, including multiple off-road versions, but the variety of options increases further for 2024. There are two suspension variants, with lower trim models getting traditional leaf-spring rear suspension, while higher trim versions get coil springs. Turbocharged four-cylinders are available across the line, replacing the naturally aspirated four- and six-cylinder options. There’s also now a hybrid as the range topper, with more than 300 horsepower and more than 400 pound-feet of torque. Two- and four-wheel drive are available, as is a manual transmission with the more powerful turbo-four.
We’ve had the opportunity to try out both non-hybrid and top-spec hybrid versions (and we also got to test out its sweet IsoDynamic seats), and they are finally strong competitors with good performance, economy and comfort. By now, we’ve driven the Tacoma enough to know that it’s finally worthy of its segment-leading sales figures. If you want to know well the latest Toyota Tacoma is equipped to do some of the day-to-day activities midsize truck owners are likely to ask their trucks to perform, read about our experiences hauling some rocks.
2024 GMC Canyon
Why it stands out: Luxurious interior in Denali; strong powertrain; good ride and handling
Could be better: No low-cost trim; only one cab/bed combination
The GMC Canyon shares most of its underpinnings with the Chevy Colorado that we rate as the best midsize truck overall. Pretty much all the good things we said about the Colorado apply to the Canyon as well, but GMC focuses more on high-end buyers than the more mainstream focus of the Chevy option. That means the average transaction prices of the Canyon are going to be a lot higher than the prices paid for the Colorado.
The good news is high-end Canyon models like the AT4X AEV and especially the range-topping Denali both look and act the part of off-road readiness and ultimate luxury, respectively. And, despite its seemingly high base price, the Denali is a surprisingly good deal when compared to the Toyota Tacoma Limited, which is more expensive and decidedly less luxurious inside than the GMC.
2024 Honda Ridgeline
Why it stands out: Great on-road ride and handling; innovative bed design; standard AWD
Could be better: Controversial design; no inexpensive base models; limited off-road
All of that means midsize pickup rides and comports itself better on the road than the Ridgeline, making it this truck’s biggest selling point. Most trucks give off the rough-and-tumble vibes when cruising around town, but in the Ridgeline, it’s so SUV-like that you may as well be driving a Honda Pilot with a bed (because that’s basically what it is). The Ridgeline’s innovative swing-out tailgate tech continues to be a segment-exclusive feature — we loved it on our long-term Ridgeline test truck. Its interior doesn’t try to overwhelm with rugged, tough-looking styling. Instead, it’s similar to the family-oriented SUVs from Honda, remaining pleasantly ergonomic and full of storage/cubbies.
As we mentioned at the outset, new for 2024 are a revised interior (it’s still very car-like and without the overt trucky tones of its competitors) and an available Trailsport trim with a unique spring rates, damper valve tuning and stabilizer bars for the suspension along with chunky General Grabber A/T Sport tires.
2024 Jeep Gladiator
Why it stands out: The only truck with a removable roof and doors; rugged off-road design; strong towing
Could be better: Rugged design means poor on-road performance; only one underwhelming engine option
The 2024 Jeep Gladiator greatly benefits from a new interior (borrowed, like most of the truck’s bits and pieces, from the ever-popular Wrangler off-road SUV), excellent infotainment and lots of cool off-road tech. New Mojave X and Rubicon X trim levels add more capability and, seemingly paradoxically, more refinement at the same time. Sadly, while the excellent 4Xe plug-in hybrid powertrain is coming to the Gladiator, it won’t be here for the 2024 model year.
Even though the 3.6-liter V6 engine, with its 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, isn’t going to set any speed or efficiency records and is clearly falling well behind class leaders from General Motors and Toyota, it’s at least decent. It’s offered with either a standard six-speed manual or optional eight-speed automatic, and it sends power to all four wheels through multiple heavy-duty transfer case options.
If there’s one killer app that the Jeep Gladiator offers that none of its competitors can match, it’s the ability to completely remove the top and doors, and even fold down the windshield for ultimate wind-in-the-hair fun. If that’s what’s most important to you as a buyer, the Gladiator remains in a class of its own. For most buyers, though, a more well-rounded truck like the Chevy Colorado or Toyota Tacoma will be nicer to live with on a day-to-day basis.
As technology advances, electric cars are improving their fast-charging times. That means less time spent waiting at a DC public charger when you’re out on the road. While Level 3 chargers used to provide a maximum of 150 kilowatts of power, 350-kW chargers are become more common, making for super-fast charging … if your car is capable of taking advantage of it. So how do automakers improve the charging speed of their EV batteries? Some are turning to higher voltage, specifically 800V charging.
What’s the difference between 800-volt charging and 400-volt charging?
So how does 800V charging improve upon the more common 400V EVs? Put simply, the higher the voltage, the less amperage (current) it requires to charge. In other words, with more voltage, you get more wattage (power, aka charge rate) from the same amperage (current).
800V architecture is also more efficient, with less electrical resistance, so it can use thinner cables and smaller, lighter components while needing less cooling. The tradeoff is that it is more costly, and guess who that cost gets passed on to. While automakers don’t break down their pricing to show how much more you’re paying for that 800V system, you’ll just have to evaluate any potential purchases as a whole, and make your decision based on overall pricing of the vehicle. Thankfully, the 800V EVs on sale now are generally ones we like.
Now, 800V charging capability doesn’t necessarily mean an EV has 800V vehicle architecture. For instance, the GMC Hummer EV and Chevy Silverado EV operate at 400V, but with their dual battery packs, can switch to 800V when charging by temporarily connecting those packs in series.
Currently, there are only a handful of EVs available with 800V charging. But if you are going to find yourself taking longer trips in your EV and using DC fast chargers more often, you might want to consider choosing one with this faster charging capability. With that in mind, these are the EVs available with 800V charging, either on sale now or coming in 2024.
From the very beginning of doing these luggage tests, I specifically had no intention of doing one for the Chevy Suburban or any extended-length full-size SUVs. Quite simply, there was no question that my six suitcases were going to fit behind the third row. And not only that, I was pretty confident there’d be a ton of space left over, much as there is in mid- and full-size two-row SUVs.
And yet, you know what vehicle I’ve received more requests for cargo-related information about over the years? That’s right, the Chevrolet Suburban. Sure, it’s not exactly BTS fan mail volumes, but it’s more than anything else. Apparently, people want to know how much fits in the back of a Suburban (or GMC Yukon XL … or Cadillac Escalade ESV). So, when a Suburban popped up in the press fleet I decided to finally give the people what they want.
As a reminder, this is the amount of cargo space behind the THIRD row of a Suburban. Chevrolet says this is 41.5 cubic feet, and it sure looks like it.
For the record, the most stuff I’ve ever put into the back of a three-row vehicle is a Honda Odyssey, which has 32.8 cubic feet of space. I never did another minivan after that, for reasons effectively described above. And no one has asked for it.
Now, because I’m greedy, I lifted up the floor to see if there’s any underfloor space. Wow, there is! Theoretically, it could lower the floor a bit and allow for even more stuff, but the floor’s hinges don’t allow it. Unlike those in a BMW that can be propped into an upright position, these’ll just drop the floor back down again. That’s OK, I won’t use this then.
Let’s get to the bags. As with every Luggage Test, I use two midsize roller suitcases that would need to be checked in at the airport (26 inches long, 16 wide, 11 deep), two black roll-aboard suitcases that just barely fit in the overhead (24L x 15W x 10D), and one smaller green roll-aboard that fits easily (23L x 15W x 10D). I also include my wife’s fancy overnight bag just to spruce things up a bit (21L x 12W x 12D).
So yeah, it all fits. No surprise there. In fact, there’s even more room leftover than I anticipated.
Let’s go to the extra (and imaginary) items, then!
First up, the trusty 38-quart Coleman cooler. This added to my bags, plus maybe a duffle bag, is what big “compact” SUVs like the Kia Sportage and Toyota RAV4 can manage. It’s also the extra stuff I managed to fit inside the Odyssey, so we already have a new three-row luggage test winner and it’s not even close.
Furthermore, there’s obviously still room left over.
Rather than stuffing a whole bunch of random crap from my garage inside that wouldn’t be useful to anyone (“Hey, a Cozy Coupe fits!”), I decided to turn to the wonders of Photoshop to clone my three roll-aboards. There is no trickery here, though. A second set of my exact same bags would fit without issue. I lined them up with a spot on the bottom, closed the gate with them placed on each side, it worked.
As such, what fits inside the Suburban are … two midsize roller suitcases that would need to be checked in at the airport (26 inches long, 16 wide, 11 deep), four black roll-aboard suitcases that just barely fit in the overhead (24L x 15W x 10D), two smaller green roll-aboards that fit easily (23L x 15W x 10D), my wife’s fancy overnight bag (21L x 12W x 12D) and the 38-quart Coleman cooler.
In other words, that’s eight suitcases for seven people plus an overnight bag and a cooler. Think that should probably handle it, eh?
Now, you might be wondering, how does this compare to a Chevy Tahoe?
GM says the Tahoe has 25.5 cubic-feet of space behind its third row. I say it can hold everything but the fancy bag. That’s very good, although the Jeep Wagoneer bests it within the segment.
Given this, if you plan to routinely use the third row (and if not, why are you buying something as enormous as a full-size SUV???), the only reason I see to choose a Tahoe over the Suburban is because your garage or driveway is too small. If you’re going jumbo, why not go all the way? It’s also only a $3,000 premium, which by car options standards on something costing nearly $60,000 is chump change.
So that’s how much a Suburban can hold. You’re welcome.
