Buying a pre-owned vehicle of any kind can be life-changing in the best ways. However, purchasing a pre-owned pickup truck is something else. Pickup trucks aren’t your average everyday vehicle. Although they can easily be utilized as a daily driver, driving a pickup truck is more of a hobby and lifestyle. Unlike what you’re bound to find with practical sedans and family-oriented minivans, you'll find a passionate community. If you’re looking for used trucks for sale, keep reading because we’ll tell you what you should consider or prioritize when shopping for a used truck.
Towing Capacity
One of the first, and some would argue the most crucial, things that you should consider when shopping for a pickup truck is its maximum towing capacity. If you’re buying a pickup truck, there’s a chance you currently need towing capabilities or believe you may need them in the future. However, all trucks are built differently, which makes specific trucks better for specific things.
If you’re buying a midsize truck, you have some decent options for towing, especially if all of your towing is for leisure and other personal uses, like camping, boating, moving, etc. However, your towing abilities are ultimately more restricted if you purchase a midsize truck over a full-size or heavy-duty one. Midsize trucks are regularly more cost-effective options than full-size trucks, making up for their smaller frame and commonly smaller engines that prevent them from towing as much as the larger models on the market. Some examples of midsize trucks with sufficient towing capacities include the Ford Ranger and Chevy Colorado. Looking at 2020 models, every Ranger can tow up to 7,500 lbs, and the Colorado can be fitted to tow up to 7,700 lbs with the diesel powertrain.
With a full-size truck, you’re entering the realm of more professional-grade towing. That’s not to say some great trucks don’t walk a fine line between the ultimate leisure pickup and the part-time money-maker. For example, the Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado 1500, Ram 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 are all powerful trucks, some with exceptional towing capacities. The 2020 F-150 and Silverado 1500 possess maximum towing capacities of 13,200 lbs and 13,400 lbs, respectively.
Heavy-duty trucks are where you should turn your attention if you’re looking for a truck that primarily serves as your livelihood. Are you a freelancer who needs a truck with serious towing power for your clients? Perhaps you’re a small business owner and need a truck for the business that you’ll bring between job sites. Heavy-duty pickup trucks are perfect for such occasions, trucks like the Ford F-250 and F-350, Chevy Silverado 2500HD and 3500HD, and trucks like the Ram 2500, 3500, and the two GMC Sierra heavy-duty models, the Sierra 2500HD and 3500HD. The top-end trucks are phenomenal towing machines, with the 2020 F-350 towing a maximum of 35,750 lbs and the Silverado 3500HD providing a similar capacity of 35,500 lbs.
Payload Capacity
You should always consider the payload capacities of any truck you’re considering purchasing. Payload capacities aren’t related to the weight of the cargo you’re towing. Instead, payload capacities are the total amount of weight you can effectively carry in your vehicle and in its bed. Unlike towing capacities, sometimes it’s hard to gauge how much payload capacity is best for you because you may likely be carrying something in the truck bed more often than towing cargo, so it’s always best to pick a generous payload capacity.
Not unlike towing capacities, the payload capacity of your pickup truck is bound to be higher if you purchase a larger truck. However, payload capacities can wildly differ between competitors. For example, if you’re looking for a high payload capacity, a heavy-duty truck like the 2020 Nissan Titan XD performs well with a capacity of 2,240 lbs. However, the 2020 Ford F-350, GMC Sierra 3500 HD, and Ram 3500 take the cake, with Ford’s truck garnering a payload capacity of 7,033 lbs, GMC’s with 7,442 lbs, and the 2020 Ram 3500 and its class-leading payload capacity of 7,680 lbs.
Like with full-size trucks, you should consider payload capacities when shopping for a midsize truck. Although midsize trucks have notably lower payload capacities than larger trucks, you may not need more than the payload capacities seen on some of the most popular midsize trucks. If you’re shopping for a used midsize truck and want the best payload capacity, then consider a truck like the Ford Ranger, with models like the 2020 Ranger providing a class-leading 1,860 lbs. Some other popular midsize trucks with ample payload capacities include the Toyota Tacoma at 1,620 lbs, the GMC Canyon at 1,609 lbs, and the Honda Ridgeline at 1,580 lbs.
Bed Length and Cargo Space
One of the main reasons anybody would purchase a pickup truck is the cargo space available in the bed. Beds offer versatility you won’t get with any other vehicle class. Although great towing capabilities are another staple of the traditional pickup truck experience, you can tow with other vehicle classes, like SUVs. What SUVs don’t have, however, are beds.
Truck beds are offered in various sizes, with some trucks offering up to three options. The length of your bed is also a byproduct of the type of pickup truck class you buy, although that doesn’t mean there’s always a difference between regular full-size trucks and heavy-duty ones. Some midsize examples we’d like to mention include the Ford Ranger and Chevy Colorado.
The 2020 Ranger, which we already discussed, has a class-leading payload capacity within its model year and provides two bed sizes, 5.1 ft and 6.1 ft. With the smaller bed, your 2020 Ranger will have 43.3 cu.ft. of cargo space, which increases to 51.8 cu.ft. if you buy the longer bed. With the 2020 Colorado, you can choose between a short and long bed measuring 5.1 ft with 41.3 cu.ft.of space or 6.2 ft with 49.9 cu.ft.
Some full-size pickup trucks most notable for their bed sizes and available cargo space include the Silverado lineup, the Sierra vehicles, and the Ford F-Series. The 2020 Ford F-150 offers a 5.5, 6.5, and 8.0-ft bed, providing 52.8, 62.3, and 77.4 cu.ft., respectively. Heavy-duty variants like the F-250 and F-350 offer a 6.8 ft bed offering 65.4 cu.ft. of space on the shorter end and an 8.2 ft bed with 78.5 cu.ft. of space.
Each 2020 Sierra and Silverado model can be fitted with an 8.2-ft bed, with the HD variants fitting 83.5 cu.ft. worth of cargo space in the bed. However, the Sierra 1500 and Silverado 1500 have a class-leading 89.1 cu.ft. of space. For the Silverado and Sierra 1500, you can also opt for a 5.8 ft or 6.6 ft bed, with 62.9 and 71.7 cu.ft. of space, respectively. Lastly, the Sierra 2500 HD, 3500 HD, and Silverado HD models have a 6.9-ft bed with 69.6 cu.ft. of space.
A Pre-Owned Truck Can Change Your Life
If you’re purchasing a pre-owned truck, you have plenty of options, especially with the assistance of our dealership. Take the advice we’ve given you today and use it as a baseline for your shopping. Remember, you should purchase a pickup truck that suits your needs, which may be one of the key areas we mentioned, like towing capabilities, payload capacities, and bed sizes. That’s not to say you shouldn’t put your considerations into the mix. If you want to prioritize comfort, we’ll help you find a truck with the best comfort features. We’re here to help you, so let’s find your dream pickup truck together.