Cheapest Trucks in 2024 & 2025

The Ford Maverick really shook up the pickup-truck market when it arrived as a 2022 model. Ford’s compact pickup utilizes the same basic platform as the Escape and Bronco Sport crossovers, but offers real truck capability and a hybrid powertrain to boot. The 2025 model features styling and tech updates, but the biggest news is a Maverick Lobo performance variant and an all-wheel drive (AWD) hybrid, so that’s what we focused on for this first drive.

Verdict: The Maverick is still a great vehicle, but it’s not quite the bargain it once was.

Based on the Hyundai Tucson compact crossover SUV, the Santa Cruz is not about towing the most weight, carrying the largest and heaviest loads, or driving to off-the-grid locations. Instead, it’s perfect for weekend do-it-yourself projects, hauling bulky items home from the big-box store, and carrying adventure gear on day trips. The 2025 Santa Cruz is better at these tasks than ever, thanks to new tech, styling updates, and off-roading enhancements.

Verdict: We realize the Santa Cruz’s styling isn’t broadly appealing, so if this Hyundai trucklet’s appearance is just too hard to accept, its direct rival, the Ford Maverick, might be more to your liking. If you like the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz, consider getting a turbocharged version. It’s not as fuel-efficient, but it’s a ton more fun to drive.

The midsize truck segment is chock full of options to entice buyers, and the 2025 Chevrolet Colorado is a strong entry. We expect some buyers will have sticker shock when they see the price tag attached to this medium-sized crew cab truck, but it’s mostly priced on par with its primary competition.

Verdict: If you’re in the market for a right-sized truck that will fit in your garage and won’t be too hard to park in town, the 2025 Chevrolet Colorado is an appealing package. With a powerful standard turbocharged engine and multiple option packages designed to appeal to the off-road crowd, including the top-spec ZR2 Bison, the only thing the Colorado lineup is missing is a long-bed option to compete on level footing with the sales-leading Toyota Tacoma.

Equipped with a V6 engine, body-on-frame construction, and competitive towing and payload ratings, the 2025 Frontier gets several improvements that should help it to better compete with newer rivals. All Frontiers come with more standard safety features, and most models receive a new 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Towing capacity is up, more versions offer a long cargo bed option, and Nissan refines the look and feel of its only pickup.

Verdict: Those changes make the 2025 Nissan Frontier more appealing. Not only that, but compared to some alternative models, the Frontier offers more comfortable front seats and a higher sense of quality. The Nissan’s excellent V6 engine is increasingly rare, too. But what the Frontier needs is a more compelling value equation.

While Ford outsells all other brands with its full-size pickup trucks, it's dead last in the midsize class. The Ranger, once the king of small trucks, sold terribly after Ford relaunched it for the 2019 model year. The smaller Maverick outsold the Ranger by three to one in 2023. For 2024, the new Ranger brings more of everything—power, tech, refinement, space, and most importantly, choice. Is it too late for Ford to catch up? We tested a Ranger XLT to find out.

Verdict: With new V6 engines and a Raptor trim, the 2024 Ford Ranger offers greater choice and capability to finally match the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Nissan Frontier, and Toyota Tacoma.

Whether it’s towing your boat out to the lake house, hauling power tools to the job site or transporting the kiddos to school, a pickup truck is the ultimate get-things-done vehicle. Now well into its fourth generation, the full-size Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickup truck stands out thanks to its available diesel engine and Super Cruise hands-free driving assist on the very top trim.

Verdict: The 2024 Chevy Silverado looks good, offers a versitile range of engines, and can be had in three different cab sizes. It doesn't tow or haul quite as much as a Ford F-150, but we're impressed with its overall value, and the ZR2 trim's off-road chops.

Available in three cab styles with three bed lengths and eight trim levels, there is a 2025 F-150 for almost any budget or requirement. Six powertrains are also on the menu, and you can opt for an electric version called the F-150 Lightning. For the 2025 model year, Ford has added a slew of new standard and optional driver-assistance systems to the F-150, and a plush new Platinum Plus option package offers extra decadence for luxury-truck buyers.

Verdict: The depth and breadth of the 2025 Ford F-150 lineup are downright staggering. Fortunately for Ford, each version of this truck boasts serious substance, and while some rivals may be more appealing in one way or another, considered as a whole, the F-150 is the best light-duty pickup truck your money can buy.

While this midsize truck can tow up to 7,700 pounds and haul up to 1,725 pounds of payload, those figures apply only to the base Sport trim. The more you spend, the less capable the Gladiator is. The 2025 Gladiator loses its manual transmission, gains a few special-edition models, and adds Fathom Blue, ’41, Joose, and Mojito paint colors. The Sport trim now has standard power windows and door locks as well.

Verdict: Unique among pickup trucks, the Jeep Gladiator is an appealing alternative to the status quo. That’s especially true if you value open-air driving or you plan to tackle untrodden territory. But for serious towing and hauling tasks, there are better choices than the Gladiator.

Taller and wider than most midsize pickup trucks like the Ford Ranger or Toyota Tacoma, the GMC Canyon is designed to go farther and work harder than the rest of its class. GMC redesigned the Canyon for 2023, and a new AEV package arrives for the 2024 model year. With this off-road-specific kit, the rugged Canyon AT4X grows yet another inch taller and adds 35-inch tires, steel skid plates, and a full-size spare tire.

Verdict: You don’t need to test drive an AT4X AEV trim to walk away impressed with the 2024 Canyon. Although pricey, this truck delivers a more impressive array of standard equipment than any other vehicle in its class, and its high-output turbocharged four-cylinder engine provides more than enough firepower for towing, hauling, and off-road driving.

As the third-generation Toyota Tundra enters its third model year, it adds some new tech features (including an available massaging seat in upper trims) and a retro TRD Rally Package inspired by Toyota Racing Development’s motorsports exploits. Though the mustachioed front-end design was polarizing at launch, it’s starting to grow on us, and we love the tech-forward interior and available hybrid powertrain.

Verdict: The 2025 Toyota Tundra puts a fresh face on the full-size pickup truck segment and is full of interesting and useful technology. However, it does fall short of some competitors with lower max tow ratings and the lack of front recovery hooks. For those worried about reliability and recalls, know that Toyota has fixed the engine issue that plagued 2022 to 2024 models.

Honda isn’t known for pickup trucks, but that means it approaches them without any preconceived notions. The 2025 Honda Ridgeline takes a different approach than rivals like the Chevrolet Colorado, Ford Ranger, and Toyota Tacoma with crossover-like unibody construction and clever storage solutions. Having received a few updates for the 2024 model year, the 2025 Ridgeline carries over unchanged.

Verdict: It doesn’t offer the towing capacity or off-road capability of more traditional trucks, but the Ridgeline is much easier to live with.

There's a new super-luxe trim joining the perennial favorites. There's lots and lots of new tech, including a hands-free driver-assistance system. There are new powertrain options, bringing more power at better efficiency. And we're told we can expect the fully electric Ram 1500 REV and plug-in hybrid Ram 1500 Ramcharger soon, too.

Verdict: The full-size truck market just seems to get more and more competitive every year, and Ram just brought its offering back up to the front of the pack. Whether it will stay there another five years remains to be seen, but this update has certainly proven the brand is motivated to fight.

Chevy's line of heavy duty Silverado models has long suffered by comparison to the like of the Ford SuperDuty. This mid-cycle refresh brings better styling and a new off-road trim that pushes the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD ever closer to its top rival.

Ram HD trucks, such as the 2500 and the 3500, may be expensive, but they're invaluable to the owners who need their immense durability. There’s a Ram truck to match the needs of every heavy duty truck buyer, from off-roaders to camping enthusiasts and those who make their living hauling loads across the country.

Verdict: The latest Ram 2500 represents a meaningful upgrade to one of America’s most capable trucks, continuing to impress with ever-increasing levels of luxury and refinement. And did we mention its 1,075 pound-feet of torque?

The 2025 Ford F-250 is a versatile and capable workhorse that can haul impressive loads while also delivering an abundance of luxury, comfort, and technology. It's unbeaten with its 23,000-pound towing capacity, and with a deep roster of configurations to choose from, there's likely one that matches your budget and needs.

Verdict: With unmatched towing capacity at a comparable price to other heavy-duty pickups, the F-250 is a compelling package.

Sitting at the top of the Sierra’s six available trims, the Denali Ultimate is newly added for the 2024 model year and comes with nearly every available option that can be included on this full-size truck.

The Denali Ultimate trim level is offered on both the 2500 and 3500 HD models. Each provides a higher degree of towing and payload capacity than what’s available in the standard GMC Sierra 1500. To put it bluntly, the Sierra HD models are pickup overkill for anyone simply looking to tow a couple of jet skis or haul a moderately-sized camper. The “HD” in the name stands for “Heavy Duty,” and its capabilities (and price) reflect this.

Powered exclusively by a 6.6-liter turbocharged Duramax diesel V8, the HD Denali Ultimate we test drove has a maximum towing capacity of 22,500 pounds—a 4,000 pound increase versus the 2023 model. Need to tow something along the lines of construction equipment or, say, a small island? Stepping up to the Sierra 3500 HD equates to a max tow rating of 36,500 pounds when using a gooseneck trailer hitch.

Okay, so the Sierra HD lineup has serious chops for getting tough tasks done. But how does it stack up against the competition? Hop aboard as we take a look at every aspect of the HD Denali Ultimate, from how it drives, to the user-friendliness of its infotainment system, trailer tech, and whether this new top-of-the-range trim is worth the price.