10 Most Popular Trucks in America
Shopping for a new truck is a big decision. The last thing you want to do is purchase a truck that doesn’t work for your needs or that acts as a drain on your wallet without having enough cargo space for your work or weekend adventures.
If you don’t know where to start, you’ve come to the right place. Today, we’ll break down the 10 most popular trucks in America in no particular order. Odds are one of these truck models will be the perfect buy for your budget, cargo requirements, and other preferences.
Ford F-150
Let’s start with a classic: the Ford F-150. The full-size F-150 is a staple of the American truck industry for a reason. In fact, the Ford F-series overall includes the best-selling vehicles in America and comes with a whopping three different cab options, three different bed lengths depending on your needs, plus a hybrid variant if you prefer.
The F-150 is also phenomenal thanks to its excellent features, such as towing capabilities of up to 14,000 pounds and an onboard generator that can provide over 7 kW of power.
Suffice it to say that the F-150 is perfect for folks looking for a workhorse truck or those who need an all-around excellent vehicle for both work and play. It comes with tons of driver’s aids, too, such as Active Drive Assist (perfect for relaxing or multitasking when driving on long open roads, such as on the freeways in America’s heartland).
Ford Ranger
The Ford Ranger is a phenomenal midsize truck that recently released a 2022 model. This model’s towing capacity maxes out at 7500 pounds and it can haul over 1900 pounds of payload. You can choose from either a two or four-wheel drive variant of this vehicle.
Regardless, you’ll benefit from excellent wheel torque to accelerate quickly and stop easily, plus an eight-inch touchscreen that comes with every new vehicle. There’s even a blind spot monitoring system that covers the length of any trailer you tow behind you, making this one of the best trucks for moving a trailer from place to place.
Toyota Tundra
Then there’s the Toyota Tundra. This quality truck may not come with as many engine choices as the F-150, but its built-in 3.5 L twin-turbo V6 engine is a quality piece of machinery on its own. Boasting 389 hp and excellent torque, the Tundra is a sturdy and dependable vehicle through and through.
It can tow up to 12,000 pounds and carry a maximum payload of nearly 2000 pounds. Like the F-150, it comes with a straight path assist feature to help you tow a trailer behind you without it swinging too much to the left or right. This next-generation truck also comes with a 14-inch touchscreen that integrates well with any gadgets you may bring on your journey.
Ram 2500
The Ram 2500 is a powerhouse of a truck, with a high-output 6.7 L engine that produces 420 hp. It also produces over 1000 pound-feet of torque. It can tow, in total, 37,000 pounds with a standard gooseneck trailer. That means it’s a lean, mean towing machine, perfectly capable of doing any hard work you have on your day’s schedule in no time.
It can also carry a payload of over 7600 pounds. It’s fairly smooth and enjoyable to drive, too, featuring an air suspension or five-link coil suspension depending on your preferences.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500
The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is a full-size pickup truck and a solid alternative to the above Dodge Ram. This truck is a tower’s dream, featuring 15 different camera views so you can always see what’s going on with your trailer. This feature also makes backing up with the Silverado 1500 a breeze.
Indeed, the Chevy Silverado really leans into modern technological gadgets. It includes on-screen checklists to make sure you don’t miss a step when setting up a trailer, a bed camera with zooming functionality, and even monitors for trailer tire pressure or temperature. It can tow up to over 13,000 pounds depending on the engine configuration you select.
Jeep Gladiator
Sometimes you want a fun truck that blurs the line between adventure vehicle and work vehicle. The Jeep Gladiator is an excellent example, offering durable and comfortable 2.5-inch internal bypass shocks. That means offroading with this vehicle will be smooth and enjoyable no matter how hard you push it.
The Gladiator comes with a few different trim options; 11-inch rims are usually best so you can rise over any rocks in your path without difficulty. The Gladiator can also tow up to 6000 pounds and haul 1200 pounds in the bed by default.
Ram 1500 TRX
The Ram 1500 TRX is a relatively new truck, but it’s well worth a look. It comes with high-quality and comfortable 2.5 Bilstein Blackhawk E2 shocks for extra cushioning while offroading, 650 pound-feet of torque, and a V-8 engine that can produce 702 hp.
Even better, this truck was made for catching air. According to Ram, the truck benefits from up to 2000 pounds of damping force in each corner.
Ford Maverick
The 2022 Ford Maverick is a unibody vehicle that technically doesn’t classify as a truck, but it can do a lot of things trucks are known for, like carrying loads and trailers with ease. It produces 191 hp and has excellent fuel economy at 37 miles per gallon on average.
It can carry a payload of up to 1500 pounds and benefits from independent front and rear suspensions. Driving the vehicle is, therefore, comfortable and enjoyable no matter where you roll.
Honda Ridgeline
The 2022 Honda Ridgeline is another small unibody vehicle that offers a V-6 engine that can produce 280 hp and 262 pound-feet of torque. It can tow up to 5000 pounds and carry up to nearly 1600 pounds in its bed. Ride quality is also good here thanks to the independent front and rear suspensions. However, keep in mind that this truck is not meant for offroading in any capacity.
Toyota Tacoma
The Toyota Tacoma is a good midsized pickup truck that focuses on reliability and resale value. It comes with a four or six-cylinder engine depending on your preferences (six is usually better for most drivers), though fuel mileage isn’t the best at just 20 miles per gallon.
Instead, the Tacoma is a good choice for serious haulers since it can tow nearly 7000 pounds and it can carry over 1600 pounds in the bed. The interior, while a little closed, is fairly comfortable. The Tacoma further comes with a six-speed automatic transmission, making it easy for you to accelerate or decelerate depending on road conditions.
Summary
Keep in mind that this is far from an exhaustive ranking list. There are lots of other great best-selling trucks to consider, such as the GMC Sierra line, more Ram pickups, and trucks from other automakers. Use the above 10 trucks as starting points in your search.
In fact, you can check out Advantage Rent-a-Car’s rental fleet to try one of these trucks if you want to see how it feels before making a final purchase. In addition to trucks, we offer a wide range of other rental vehicles, like SUVs and convertibles, at many of our convenient locations. Contact us today for more information!
Sources:
Ford pickup remains America’s top-selling truck for 45th year, automaker says | CNBC
Unibody vs. Body-on-Frame Construction | CARFAX
Consumer Reports – Active Driving Assistance Systems | Consumer Reports
