13 Best Pickup Trucks of All Time
The best pickup trucks are icons of power, performance, and versatility, no matter the era they were produced. To rank among the best, it needs to have an enduring appeal and truck-loads of versatility.
Although trucks have come a long way since their early days of nothing more than farm help, purists have never stopped seeing ‘real’ trucks as workhorses and crossbreeds like the Honda Ridgeline as featherweight duds.
They have evolved into luxurious, high-tech machines that can park sideways like a crab (GMC’s Hummer EV) and analyze vehicle data with AI-driven predictive maintenance systems, but we dare not forget their core utilitarian purposes when determining the best of the best.
This article celebrates 13 of the best pickup trucks of all time, from classics that helped set the stage for what’s to come to modern marvels that push the boundaries of innovation.
Ford F-150
If numbers do not lie, the Ford F-150 is the best of them all. No other truck has consistently taken the first spot in America’s list of bestselling trucks for 47 consecutive years while holding the title for overall bestselling vehicle for 42 years. In 2022, an F-150 sold every 49 seconds, and it wasn’t even the best of times.
It sold nearly 654,000 units versus 2023’s 750,789 units sold. The F-150’s impressive track record is thanks to its renowned durability, versatility, and innovation. Introduced in 1948, it is one of the longest-running nameplates in automotive history. There are others in the F-series family, but the F-150 is the best of them all.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Speaking of numbers and how they do not lie, Chevy’s Silverado, including the 1500 Light Duty model, is the second best-selling pickup truck after the F-150, with 555,148 units sold in 2023. Like the F-Series, the Silverado is a staple in the pickup truck market.
The Silverado’s appeal as a tough truck has remained strong since coming to the market as a heavy-duty trim level in the Chevy C/K line. It has favored high-strength steel even as Ford’s F-150 adopted aluminum. Notably, America saw its first hybrid pickup in the 2004 Chevy Silverado.
Dodge Ram 1500
The Dodge Ram 1500 (now Ram 1500 since the Ram brand became a standalone model in 2010) was the first full-size pickup to sharpen its road manners and ride quality with a coil spring rear suspension, resulting in a marked improvement over the typical leaf spring setup.
That was 2009, same year the model launched its innovative RamBox cargo management system that featured lockable, drainable storage bins in the bed rails. Ten years later, the Ram stirred the market with its eTorque mild hybrid system. It has always been at the forefront of innovation, paying equal attention to the utilitarian and passenger comfort qualities.
Toyota Tacoma
The Tacoma’s impressive off-road capability and unmatched dependability are partly why it is often called America’s version of the legendary Hilux. Toyota offers the Hilux in parts of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East regions known for car-killing roads.
Introduced in 1995, the Tacoma has grown from a compact replacement for the Toyota Pickup to its current midsize dimensions. It has always lived up to its name, derived from the Native American for Mount Rainier in Washington State. There’s nothing remotely unusual about a Tacoma exceeding 200,000 miles, and that’s partly why the truck enjoys a high resale value.
Chevrolet C/K Series
Few trucks set standards for future pickups like the classic C/K Series. It pioneered independent front suspension (IFS) in pickup trucks, and it was among the first to feature crew cab configurations in the early 1970s.
General Motors produced and sold them for decades (1960–2002), and historians will tell you GM retired the C/K just because it was time to move on. In fact, the C/K was never really discontinued; it merely evolved into the Silverado nameplate. The C/K name signified the truck’s 2- and 4-wheel models. It was easy to tell which uses a 4-wheel drivetrain with its K designation, same as the 2-wheel C models.
Ford Ranger
It is not the relatively new model that many think it is. The Ranger name is as old as the F Series, used in various Ford trucks as early as the 1950s. It came to North America in 1983 to compete with Japanese imports like the Nissan Hardbody and Toyota Hilux. That’s right — Toyota initially exported the Hilux to the U.S. market in 1969.
The first North American Ford Ranger was part of the Ford-Mazda joint venture and shared many components with the Mazda B-Series trucks.
It continued to sell in markets like Australia, Southeast Asia, and South America during its 7-year hiatus stateside. It returned in 2019, riding on the global platform with Ford’s Duratorq diesel engines known for their fuel efficiency and torque.
GMC Sierra 1500
The GMC Sierra 1500 is famous for its luxury touches, especially since launching the Denali trim to represent its luxury line. One of the standout features elevating the Sierra’s status in the truck world is its innovative MultiPro Tailgate system. It has six versatile functions: a load stop, a step for easier bed access, and a work surface.
Exclusive to the Sierra 1500 is the CarbonPro bed option, offering a lighter, more durable bed made of carbon fiber instead of steel.
Its dedicated AT4 off-road package effectively makes the Sierra 1500 one of the most competitive go-anywhere pickup trucks money can buy. The package unboxes skid plates, off-road-tuned Rancho shock absorbers, a 2-inch factory lift, and a locking rear differential.
Jeep Gladiator
All Gladiators boast Jeep’s Trail Rated badge to reinforce their off-road prowess. It boasts a best-in-class towing capacity in the midsize category of up to 7,700 lbs. Hitting the market in 1962 in full-size form, the Gladiator is one of the oldest names in the pickup market.
It rode on the classic Wagoneer station wagon’s architecture and was just in time for Willy’s Overland Motors to become Kaiser Jeep Corp. Jeep quit making it in 1988, but the Gladiator was too good to stay dead.
It reemerged in 2019 for the 2020 model year, reviving the iconic nameplate and connecting Jeep’s off-road heritage with the utility of a pickup. Like its Wrangler sibling, the Gladiator offers a unique open-air driving experience with its removable doors and roof.
Nissan Frontier
The Frontier stunned everyone in 2022 when it overtook the Jeep Gladiator, Ford Ranger, and Chevrolet Colorado to become the second bestselling truck in the midsize category after the Toyota Tacoma. It says a lot about the truck’s affordability relative to its reliability and strong following among midsize truck enthusiasts.
Only the Frontier can be confident enough to run a single generation for 18 years. It only recently entered its third generation in 2022, after remaining largely unchanged from its 2004 introduction to the second generation in 2020. Its Pro-4X dedicated off-road trim is among its highlights. It unboxes an electronic locking rear differential, Bilstein shocks, off-road tires, and skid plates.
Toyota Tundra
How to tow a 3,000lb airplane? Get a Toyota Tundra. Indeed, the Tundra made history in 2012 when it towed the Space Shuttle Endeavor across Manchester Boulevard on Interstate 405. The best part is that the truck didn’t need any special modifications in order to ‘assist’ the space shuttle through a 12-mile route to its home at the California Science Center.
It was a stock 2012 Tundra CrewMax 4×4 with the 381-hp 5.7-liter iForce V8. The Tundra is built in the US and has always been known for its strength, durability, off-road packages, and impressive i-Force Max hybrid powertrain.
Ford Super Duty (F-250/F-350)
The F-150 may be the F-Series golden child, but it isn’t the only star in the family. The Super Duty line, such as the F-250 and F-350, are the kings of heavy-duty trucks renowned for their impressive towing and hauling capabilities around the world. It’s not unusual to see the F-350s serving as bullion vans in high-risk African regions.
Introduced in 1998, the Super Duty trucks go to work with powerful engines such as the 7.3-liter V8 so-called “Godzilla.” We wouldn’t be as stunned to see them tow the space shuttle because these trucks can tow up to 40,000 lbs without breaking a sweat. They’ve won a military-grade aluminum alloy body since the 2017 model year.
Chevrolet Avalanche
The Avalanche was widely criticized for its plastic claddings, but some have correctly described them as “plastics on a tank.” In other words, the Avalanche is far from a featherweight. It stood out with its innovative midgate design and integrated bed that significantly improved its flexibility.
It successfully blended SUV and pickup functionality, as evidenced by the overwhelmingly positive owner satisfaction ratings.
The ease of transforming the same car from a 5-passenger SUV to a 2-passenger full-size truck, complete with lockable storage compartments (saddle bags) is the primary reason for its strong following, despite being discontinued in 2013. With a towing capacity of up to 8,100 pounds, the Avalanche is ready for your heavy hauling needs.
Dodge Power Wagon
It’s been more than four decades, but we still remember the Power Wagon like yesterday. It was a medium-duty 4X4 based on the WWII Dodge WC series. The Power Wagons is considered the mother of 4-wheel-drive trucks in the mass market, setting a precedent for off-road capabilities.
It came with a winch and the Power Take-Off (PTO) unit, allowing it to power auxiliary equipment such as winches and hydraulic pumps. This feature alone made the Power Wagon extremely useful for personal, agricultural, industrial, and military applications.
