By Beverly & Steve Smirnis
The newest iteration pick-ups are fuel-efficient, with carlike interiors, handling and ride comfort. Automakers remain keenly focused on their market share in the pickup segments and other new breeds in their truck line-ups, offering a wide variety of body styles and engine/payload/towing combinations to anticipate every buyer need.
suspension and available off-road features.
Midsize:
Buyers wanting a more maneuverable sized truck no longer have to settle for bare bones creature comforts. The revived mid-size truck segment includes Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Honda Ridgeline, Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma—all nicely appointed.
Full-Size Light Duty:
and gear, expanding choice and versatility.
Top ranked among full-size light duty pickups are the Ram 1500, Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra. Luxury trim packages are best-sellers because buyers typically use these trucks for everything—work, play and family road trips.
Heavy Duty:
trailer sway control and diesel exhaust braking
all help make towing smoother and easier
on Chevy Silverado Heavy Duty trucks.
If the horse trailer or large boat demands a heavy duty truck, you don’t have to settle for a lumbering lug and you’ll find plenty of class and refinement among the Ram 2500 and 3500; Ford F-250, F-350 and F-450; and the 2500 and 3500 options in Chevy Silverado and GMC Seirra. The all-new 2016 Nissan TITAN XD creates a “new class” altogether that stakes out a unique position in between these traditional heavy-duty and light-duty entries.
Unique Needs? Think Commercial:
Perhaps you have a large family who likes to take the friends along too, or you’re dreaming about a decked-out camper? Huge cargo spaces inside the Nissan NV, Ford Transit, or Ram Promaster offer countless configuration options. While primarily designed for tradesman and professional fleet customers, there are lots of options to make these viable non-commercial passenger vans or campers. You’ll find them remarkably fuel efficient, comfortable, and easy to maneuver. Also check out Mercedes-Benz’s Sprinter and the new Metris.
