Are you a first-time truck buyer? This guide is for you! We have plenty of tips that will help you choose the right pickup truck for you.
You’d think that shopping for a pickup truck is similar to shopping for a car, right? You may imagine that it all comes down to picking a color, an engine, and trim, and that’s all you should care about when buying a pickup truck.
Yet, shopping for a pickup truck is actually very different than purchasing a regular car. Why? Because pickup trucks generally fulfill some needs that regular cars don’t, such as providing a lot of extra space, heavy lifting, having a manly look, and being great vehicles for getting your family to camps and the countryside. What’s more, if you think of all the particular uses pickup trucks have and the increasing numbers of styles and options available, you can quickly get lost in a sea of choices.
First things first, before you go online looking for a pickup truck, it’s best to understand the differences between cars and pickup trucks.
There are obviously some evident differences in terms of size, style, and design. But, the biggest difference between the two is the purpose. More precisely, cars are generally designed to carry people but not so many things. In contrast, pickup trucks’ purpose is to carry things and fewer people. You could say that in comparison to cars, trucks are more focused on the job they need to do rather than on how comfortable the driving experience is for the driver.
So, if, say, you need to move a lot of things around and need a lot of extra space, you’d opt for a pickup truck. Whereas, if you’d need to be on the road all the time and wish for a comfortable driving experience, you’d better opt for a regular car.
Now that you know the main differences between the two vehicle types, you’d know what’s best to look for when searching for a pickup truck to buy. So, let’s move forward to what are the most important aspects to pay attention to as a first-time pickup truck buyer.
This step is similar to the steps you take when you want to buy a regular car. In fact, it’s similar to making any important purchase that involves a big investment. Yet, the difference is that when you want to purchase a pickup truck, you should be ready to spend more than you would do for a regular vehicle.
Trucks are expensive. And, if you have purchased cars up until now, consider that the price you paid in the past is going to be a lot higher.
In 2019, the average selling price for a midsize car was $26,486, for which the average monthly finance payment was $484. Yet, for a truck, the average price skyrocket by $23,000, making the average selling price for a large truck worth $49.713, for which the monthly finance payment accounted for $713.
So, it’s no doubt that you’ll have to pay a lot more for a pickup truck than you would for a normal car. For this reason, before you go truck hunting, check your budget and see how much you can afford to pay for your first pickup truck.
Searching for a vehicle, be it a car or pickup truck, can be a lengthy process. There are hundreds of carmakers in the automotive industry and thousands of vehicle models. Screening each truck model to find the right one for you can take a while and can be a really exhausting process.
So, to narrow your search and speed up the process of finding a pickup truck, you can start by choosing a carmaker that produces vehicles similar to your specific needs and personal preferences.
First, focus on those carmakers that make trucks, including Ram, Ford, Honda, Chevrolet, Nissan, and Toyota, which are considered to be the best truck brands of 2021.
Now, how do you choose a carmaker? There are plenty of things to consider, including style, technology, safety features, and prices.
Take Ford pickup trucks, for example. They are undeniable in their popularity and are still the most sold trucks around the world. Why are Ford trucks so popular? Because they are considered versatile, with plenty of cargo space, comfortability (despite the misconception that trucks need to be spartan vehicles), and performance. If you are leaning towards Ford trucks for as well for the same reasons, you can simply visit new ford f 150 dealers and search for your first pickup truck there instead of wasting a lot of time searching online for various trucks from other brands.
One important thing to consider when looking for a pickup truck is what you will be using the vehicle for.
More precisely, if you simply like the idea of a manly vehicle or driving a truck and you don’t necessarily plan to carry anything major with the vehicle, a midsize pickup truck would be a perfect choice. Midsize pickup trucks are much easier to drive and park, and they still provide plenty of space and utility. On the flip side, if you’re planning to make full use of the bed for cargo or you want to tow a heavy trailer, you should be looking for a larger truck.
Your answer to this question will narrow your search a lot by helping you only search for trucks of the size you need. Plus, it will also help you know if you should be looking for a two- or four-wheel drive. For example, if you plan to tow a boat or a Jet Ski, you should consider a four-wheel drive to gain traction on slippery boat ramps.
When it comes to engine power and size for pickup trucks, you’ll likely have to find the right balance between having enough power and getting food fuel economy.
Trucks have a long bad rap for being gas-guzzlers. Yet, modern trucks now include more engine options than ever before. Most vehicles provide more fuel-efficient options these days. In fact, a V6 engine could now do the work of a V8 used more than a decade ago in trucks and still get better fuel economy.
Now, you should know that engine size and power matter just as much as the towing capacity of the truck. For example, a smaller 4-cylinder engine might not give your pickup truck the power you want to have to get your work done. But it will save you some money on gas. So, if you plan to tow large boats, you should consider a V6 or even a V8 engine but expect to spend more money on gas.