There are numerous reasons why people are still choosing pickup trucks over passenger vehicles. After all, these vehicles are durable, rugged, and can be used for hauling and towing. If you’re in the market for a truck and aren’t quite sure what to look for or where to start, we’ve got some pointers that will help you find the right vehicle for your needs.
Types of Trucks
The first thing you’ll want to do is figure out which type of truck best suits your lifestyle. There are a few different categories available:
Full-size trucks: These are usually the largest and heaviest models on the road, but they also offer plenty of room inside, and some of them have more than double the payload capacity of other pickups.
Mid-size trucks: These range from smaller SUVs with four doors down to models with three rows of seats and extended beds. They’re great if you need something big enough to haul big loads but don’t want something as big as a full-size truck.
Compact trucks: As the name suggests, these are small pickup trucks that can be used to carry small loads across short distances. They’re unlikely to have a great hauling or towing capacity. Still, they’re a great choice for first-time truck owners.
How to Choose the Right Pickup
Pickup trucks, just like other vehicles, come in all shapes and sizes, but there’s one thing that pretty much all the models have in common: They’re designed to carry stuff. If you don’t need to haul anything very often, then you probably don’t need a truck at all.
If you do need to carry things, then it’s time to start thinking about size. Is it just yourself and your dog? Or maybe it’s your family of five plus their pets? Do you plan on taking trips from time to time? Do you want four-wheel-drive capability or rear-wheel-drive? How much do you want to spend?
The answers to these questions will help you determine which size pickup truck is right for your situation — whether that be midsize like the Toyota Tacoma or full-size like the Chevrolet Silverado 1500.