Should I buy a new Ram, Chevy, or a Ford pickup truck? Should I buy a lightly used truck versus a brand new one? I take a close look at drive four new (and used) pickup trucks, and I need your help. Here are the trucks I am considering. Let’s dig in!
I am looking for a crew cab 4×4 full-size pickup truck. It must be relatively economical to buy and reasonably-price to operate. My total budget is maxing out near $55,000 for a brand-new pickup. This is why I am also considering a used truck. That will lower the purchase price significantly.
I recently sold my 2019 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, and I am not considering a new Tundra.
New 2026 or 2027 Ram 1500
I have never owned a Ram truck, and the new Ram 1500 is impossible to ignore. Several of my local Ram dealers are offering really great discounts on new Ram trucks. We are talking between $10,000 – $20,000 off various Ram 1500 trim levels.
I picked out a 2026 Ram 1500 Big Horn with a 5.7L HEMI V8. This has the eTorque mild-hybrid system. There is information that says Ram is removing the eTorque system from all 2027 HEMI V8 trucks. This will make some people happy, but I don’t mind the eTorque system. I am actually more drawn to the 3.0L Hurricane twin-turbo in the new Ram 1500. This engine is more powerful and can be more efficient under certain conditions.
The new Ram 1500 I am looking at has a towing package and over 1,600 lbs of payload. It’s also listed at around $10,000 off MSRP. It listed on sale at around $55,000.
Local Sales Tax & Registration Fees
I live in Adams County Colorado. My city has an 8.5% sales tax and my county has a 2.1% of 85% value vehicle registration fee. This is a lot! It’s discouraging me from buying any new or fancy pickup truck. If I bought a $55,000 truck, then I would pay $4,675 + $981.75 = $5,656.75 in taxes and fees. This is before a potentially high insurance rate as well.
Let’s keep moving to the next truck.
2026 Chevy Silverado 1500
I found this new Trail Boss off-road trim with a 3.0L Duramax turbo-diesel. This one is attractive because I have never owned a 3.0L diesel before. I used to own a 6.6L Duramax V8 and a 1.9L TDI VW before. The 3-liter strikes a good balance between. This latest generation is rated at 305 hp and 495 lb-ft of torque. This Trail Boss is also rated at 24 MPG on the highway, but our Denver 100 MPG loop testing suggests that it can be far more efficient than that.
This is a Custom Trail Boss, which is the more affordable model. This one has a very simple interior with seating for six. This truck is also offered at discount. It’s approximately the same price as the new Ram 1500 Big Horn.
Let’s compare against a lightly used pickup truck.
2024 Ram 1500 – Used
This truck is nearly identical to the new Ram 1500, except it’s over two years old and has 22,000 miles on the odometer. It has the same engine, the same power, features, payload, and towing capability as the new truck.
The big difference is the asking price. Johnson Auto Plaza is asking $38,900 from this used Ram. This price can also be further negotiated. This truck doesn’t smell like cigarettes, it has a clean history, and relatively low miles. Instead of paying about $5,700 in taxes and fees, it’s about $4,000 for this used truck.
What About Ford?
2026 Ford F-150
My favorite full-size truck powertrain is the PowerBoost Hybrid in the 2021+ Ford F-150. It combines power, efficiency, and optional 7.2 kW of export power all into one pickup truck. I used to own a 2021 F-150 XL Hybrid, and I regret selling it. Let’s look for a new one.
The 3.5L twin-turbo V6 hybrid is still rated at 430 hp and 570 lb-ft of torque. This is one of the quickest internal combustion pickups this side of the Ram TRX and the Raptor R.
We recently voted a 2026 Ford F-150 as TFLtruck’s 2026 truck of the year! It was the most efficient and quickest truck we tested last year.
There is a big negative to the F-150 I found. The least expensive new F-150 Hybrid is a well-optioned Lariat with a sticker price of $78,000 before some additional incentives. This is a whole different league in terms of pricing.
The final answer may just be a used Ford F-150 Hybrid. I have found several used 2023-2024 F-150 Hybrid trucks with asking prices between $42,000 – $52,000.
What do you think? Which pickup should I buy?
