Pickup trucks, of course, vary widely - from easy to drive compacts to full-size behemoths designed to carry a ton of cargo and tow another ton behind them. Choosing the best depends a lot on what you need in a truck. This is the time of year when the new models come out and truck companies show us what they have been working on making it the ideal time to look at what the best trucks of 2017 are likely to be. Or, at least, those with the most hype. Selecting a top five is tough, especially given the variety of pickup truck sizes and purposes out here, but here are five that are worth looking at: Ford F-150, Nissan Titan Light Duty, Honda Ridgeline, Dodge RAM 1500 and the Chevrolet Silverado.
Top 5 Pickup Trucks of 2017
- Ford F-150
- Nissan Titan Light Duty
- Honda Ridgeline
- Dodge RAM 1500 SRT Hellcat
- Chevrolet Silverado
Ford F-150
You can’t talk about pickup trucks without talking about the F-150. And the 2017 F-150 has a completely new engine, a new 3.5 liter Ecoboost V6 redesigned from the bottom up. Oh, and they gave it a new transmission, too, a 10-speed automatic transmission. The Ford Raptor will have the same transmission (and a 2017 Raptor completed the Baja 1000), but we need to talk about the F-150. Because - it is still the top selling pickup truck in America and it still outsells the top selling car, the Toyota Camry by, well, a lot. Americans love their F-150s.
Highlights:
- Most popular pickup in America
- New redesigned engine
- New 10-speed automatic transmission
Nissan Titan Light Duty
A variant of the Nissan Titan XD - a new one designed to be lighter, easier to handle, and with unique new suspension tuning. The front is shorter and it does not have the traditional Cummins turbo-diesel, but rather a 5.6-liter Endurance V8 gas engine. Although it might be a scaled-down XD, it looks quite different because of the shorter fender and lower hood. It has an interesting new interior and while it does not have the towing capacity of its larger cousin, it does have more efficiency and a much, much nicer steering feel. The XD both come with the Titan Box, an intriguing removable bed storage system.
Highlights:
- Good handling
- Suspension tuning
- Removable bed storage system
Honda Ridgeline
The 2017 Honda Ridgeline is a next generation update, but the standard is front wheel drive. Why? The target customer is not people who need heavy duty hauling or towing, but rather a truck they can toss stuff in the back of. It’s more like a “sport utility truck” with an upscale interior reminiscent of a small crossover that comfortably seats five passengers. This is designed for people who want a truck to carry dirty stuff in the back rather than do heavy duty work.
Highlights:
- Front wheel drive
- Comfortably seats five
- Upscale interior
Dodge RAM 1500
The RAM 1500 is the F-150’s primary competition, and has been named the Full-Sized Pickup Truck of Texas in 2016. Now there’s a Texas-exclusive trim level, the Lone Star. Like the F-150, this is a workman’s truck, and while it lacks the overwhelming popularity of the Ford, it is still considered a good, reliable truck by most, with a solid reputation. It has good off-road capability with a 5.7L HEMI engine for some serious torque and performance. RAM’s rugged styling completes the picture.
Highlights:
- Solid reputation
- Off-road capability
- Available 5.7L HEMI engine
Chevrolet Silverado
Another F-150 competitor, Chevrolet claims the Silverado is the most dependable full-size pickup on the road. They certainly have received a lot of awards for the truck, and they claim it has a more durable truck bed, a muscular front end design, and great performance. On the one hand, it can’t compete in sales, on the other hand those who own one tend to swear by it.
Highlights:
- Dependable reputation
- Durable truck bed
- Muscular front end
Conclusion
Whichever truck you pick likely depends on what you need to move and haul - whether it’s people, cargo, or a trailer full of who knows what. Take a good look under the engine and decide if you need that heavy duty HEMI. And, don’t forget to check out the comfort of the interior.