Pickup Trucks: Reviews

Updated June 2009
 

Best full-size pickup truck

2009 Ford F-150 *Est. $21,565 to $44,355 Compare Prices
 
Expert & User Review Sources:

Motor Trend: The Ford F-150 wins Motor Trend's annual Truck of the Year award. Judges like its best-in-class towing and hauling capacities and ...

PickupTrucks.com: PickupTrucks.com puts together an all-encompassing truck shootout that pits all the '09 models -- new and old -- against one ...

Truck Trend: Truck Trend takes part in the competition organized by PickupTrucks.com, which includes all six of the major full-size pickups on ...

Edmunds Inside Line: The Ford F-150 finishes last in this comparison of the bestselling 2009 full-size pickups. Its engine is its weakness: the F-150 ...

PopularMechanics.com: The Ford F-150 beats four major competitors (the Dodge Ram, Chevy Silverado, Toyota Tundra and Nissan Titan) in this test. The ...

Car and Driver: The Ford F-150 places second in this comparison, falling behind the Dodge Ram when testers here -- like those at Edmunds.com -- ...

ConsumerReports.org: ConsumerReports.org buys then exhaustively tests the Ford F-150 and most other pickups on-road, with emphasis on handling, ...

Autoblog.com: This video review shows why the 2009 Ford F-150 edges out its rival, the Dodge Ram 1500. Autoblog's Chris Shunk appreciates the ...

LeftLaneNews.com: The 2009 Ford F-150's superior steering feel and rigid body make it a better daily driver than the Dodge Ram 1500, reviewer ...

The Truth About Cars: TheTruthAboutCars.com�s Justin Berkowitz provides a full review of the 2009 Ford F-150, including a head-to-head towing test ...

The New York Times: Christopher Jensen tests and compares the 2009 Ford F-150 and Dodge Ram 1500, but he doesn't pick a favorite. He says the F-150's ...

Petersen's 4 Wheel & Off Road: This magazine's off-road shootout includes five 2009 pickups: the Dodge Ram TRX4, Hummer H3 Alpha, Ford F-150 FX4, Hummer H3T ...

Kelley Blue Book: Both the Ford F-150 and Dodge Ram 1500 make Kelley Blue Book's 2009 Recommended list. However, editors have much more praise for ...

FuelEconomy.gov: Fuel economy varies for different versions of the Ford F-150, this chart shows. The Environmental Protection Agency includes ...

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: The Ford F-150 gets perfect five-star ratings in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash tests. In rollover tests, ...

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: The 2009 Ford F-150 is a Top Safety Pick here, earning the highest rating of "good" in all crash tests conducted by this ...

J.D. Power and Associates: Among large pickups, the Ford F-150 ranks second behind the Toyota Tundra in J.D. Power and Associates' most recent dependability ...

 

Best midsize pickup truck

2009 Honda Ridgeline *Est. $28,000 to $36,330 Compare Prices
 
Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: ConsumerReports.org's review focuses mainly on reliability, ride quality, handling and safety. A unique aspect of this review is ...

Edmunds.com: Editors here say the Honda Ridgeline isn't the best choice for off-roading or heavy towing, but they like its comfortable cabin, ...

Cars.com: Cars.com selects the Honda Ridgeline as a Best Bet pickup for 2009. This brief review of the Ridgeline includes a detailed list ...

TheCarConnection.com: Reviewer Colin Mathews tests the Honda Ridgeline on the highway, as a work truck and as a log-hauler for a friend's weekend ...

ConsumerGuide.com: The Honda Ridgeline is a Recommended pick at ConsumerGuide.com. Editors say the Ridgeline drives more like a car than a pickup. ...

Kelley Blue Book: The Honda Ridgeline makes the 2009 Recommended Shopping List at Kelley Blue Book. Editors here praise the Ridgeline's quality, ...

Car and Driver: Car and Driver editors choose the Honda Ridgeline as one of the five pickups they'd probably buy for themselves in their 2009 ...

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: The Honda Ridgeline is one of three large 2009 pickups (along with the Ford F-150 and Toyota Tundra) to earn a Top Safety Pick ...

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: The Honda Ridgeline (along with the rear-wheel-drive Toyota Tacoma) is the pickup least likely to roll over, National Highway ...

FuelEconomy.gov: This chart compares Environmental Protection Agency fuel-economy estimates for just about every large pickup on the market. ...

J.D. Power & Associates: J.D. Power and Associates names the Honda Ridgeline the most appealing midsize pickup for the fourth straight year. This chart ...

 

Best compact pickup truck

2009 Toyota Tacoma *Est. $15,170 to $27,075 Compare Prices
 
Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerGuide.com: Editors conclude that the Toyota Tacoma pickup truck is the class leader in refinement and value, making it a Best Buy for 2009. ...

ConsumerReports.org: ConsumerReports.org reviews focus mainly on reliability, ride quality, handling and safety. The magazine is unique in that it ...

Edmunds.com: Edmunds.com editors say the Toyota Tacoma is an extremely versatile pickup truck, offering a variety of styles and ...

PickupTrucks.com: PickupTrucks.com tests three off-road-equipped compact pickups: the 2009 Hummer H3T, Nissan Frontier PRO-4X and Toyota Tacoma TRD ...

Kelley Blue Book: The Toyota Tacoma wins the Best Resale Value award for compact pickups at Kelley Blue Book. Editors say it's a much better truck ...

Car and Driver: This brief buyer's guide review praises the Toyota Tacoma's quality, reliability and ride. Editors also like the variety of ...

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: The Toyota Tacoma is the only small pickup to earn a Top Safety Pick designation based on crash tests at the Insurance Institute ...

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: The rear-wheel-drive Toyota Tacoma is one of the two most rollover-resistant pickups you can buy, National Highway Traffic Safety ...

FuelEconomy.gov: The rear-wheel-drive, four-cylinder version of the Toyota Tacoma is one of the most fuel-efficient pickup trucks on the market, ...

Truck Trend: Once again, the Toyota Tacoma is Truck Trend's Best in Class selection for the compact pickup segment. Editors praise the ...

WCVB (Boston): More than 800,000 Toyota Tacoma pickups built between 1995 and 2000 suffered severe frame rust because of inadequate corrosion ...

 

Pickup Trucks Runners Up:

2009 Dodge Ram 1500 *Est. $21,270 to $43,240

8 picks including: FuelEconomy.gov, Car and Driver…

2009 Toyota Tundra *Est. $22,490 to $41,605

7 picks including: FuelEconomy.gov, Edmunds.com…

2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 *Est. $19,375 to $41,355

5 picks including: FuelEconomy.gov, Car and Driver…

2009 Dodge Dakota *Est. $21,075 to $31,280

5 picks including: FuelEconomy.gov, Car and Driver…

2009 Nissan Frontier *Est. $17,460 to $29,740

5 picks including: FuelEconomy.gov, Edmunds.com…

2009 GMC Sierra 1500 *Est. $19,375 to $44,020

3 picks including: FuelEconomy.gov, Car and Driver…

2009 Chevrolet Avalanche *Est. $35,460 to $46,700

2 picks including: FuelEconomy.gov, Car and Driver…

2009 Ford Ranger *Est. $15,835 to $25,235

2 picks including: FuelEconomy.gov, Car and Driver…

2009 GMC Sierra Hybrid *Est. $38,390 to $47,675

1 pick including: FuelEconomy.gov, Car and Driver…

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