Best Trucks for 2024

How Does iSeeCars Determine the Best Trucks?

iSeeCars’ Reliability Rating is a reflection of a vehicle’s long-term quality and durability. It is based on an analysis of each vehicle’s useful lifespan and its ability to last 200,000 miles or more. Reliability often translates to lower operating costs for a vehicle owner, as well as reduced time and energy spent visiting dealerships to address issues beyond scheduled maintenance.

iSeeCars’ Value Retention Score indicates how much market value a vehicle has after several years of use. This is typically the most expensive factor in vehicle ownership. Models that lose a substantial amount of value over time contribute far less to a consumer’s future trade-in value for their next purchase, or what the vehicle can be sold for in the used car market.

iSeeCars’ Safety Score comes from a standardized set of safety tests performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). These organizations perform comprehensive studies to determine the potential for occupant injury or death if a vehicle is involved in an accident.

For each model, the data related to these three components is aggregated across multiple model years and updated regularly. The data is combined to create iSeeCars’ Quality Score, and that quality score is compared across all models within a segment to determine the ranking for the Best Trucks.

What Kind of Trucks are Available?

Trucks have substantially improved in both capability and refinement over the past 20 years, making them one of the most effective choices for accomplishing a wide range of tasks. Where they were once pure workhorse vehicles with crude ride quality, terrible fuel economy and rudimentary styling, today’s pickup trucks offer large touchscreens running advanced infotainment systems, fuel efficient powertrains, and plush four-door crew cab interiors featuring high-quality materials.

Modern trucks are primarily offered in two categories, full-size pickup trucks and midsize trucks, although there is a growing market for compact trucks, too.

What Type of Truck Should I Buy?

A wide range of truck variants exist to satisfy nearly any consumer need. In the full-size truck category buyers can configure a basic half-ton, rear-wheel drive work truck with a two-door cab and minimum frills. This would be the least expensive version of a modern truck, but its uses would be limited to simple tasks like hauling basic cargo on a paved route.

A more sophisticated truck would feature towing and/or off-road equipment, including a trailer brake controller, a trailer hitch camera, four-wheel drive, and a two-range transfer case. These features would be reflected in improved towing capacity and off-roading specs. For truck buyers looking to haul as much weight as possible in the bed, configuring a truck with a revised rear suspension and enhanced braking and cooling components can improve its payload capacity.

While full-size trucks are typically associated with maximum towing and payload demands, the best pickup trucks for these activities are heavy duty models. These models feature more robust frames, higher horsepower and torque figures, and improved standard and optional features to enhance their ability to tow and haul extremely heavy loads.

Another popular truck segment is the high-performance truck. These trucks offer some of the highest horsepower and fastest acceleration figures in the truck world while maintaining exceptional towing, hauling and off-road specs.

The midsize truck category features smaller models, and unlike the V8 and turbocharged V6s seen in most full-size trucks, these midsize versions typically feature four-cylinder base engines with six-cylinder options. Their smaller size and improved mpg ratings make for better daily drivers, particularly in urban and suburban environments. Yet these midsize models still offer impressive payload and towing capacities.

For eco-conscious buyers seeking truck utility, electric drivetrains have swept across the automotive world and now include the truck segment. These models benefit from the instant torque offered by electric motors, giving them over 700 lb-ft of peak torque and some of the highest tow ratings in the industry. But like all electric vehicles, these models cost substantially more than their gasoline counterparts, and their driving range drops dramatically when their payload or towing capabilities are utilized.