If you think you have to splash a lot of money and you will get the best vehicle on the market, you are wrong. Choosing the best luxury pickup truck is not so simple. Yes, one of the indicators is the price. But that is only one of the necessary things a premium truck have to satisfy and be among the best. But, when we choose the top one, we will take all into consideration.
Just an example – Americans are spending $45,000 average on trucks. The full-size class is starting at $30,000. Toyota Tacoma is the most affordable mid-size pickup in the market with a price below $20,000. So, buyers love comfort, safety, a lot of entertaining features and various gadgets. They are ready to pay even $70k for some models. But, which one is the favorite? Which pickup is the best luxury truck?
Price
We will start with the price. And we will take big three companies, major players on the market. Ford F-150 is the best truck on the market, without doubts. But, when it comes to the luxurious parts, then the battle is more complicating. Well, the legendary truck is the most expensive units we can find. To be clear, we are taking only light duty pickup trucks and regular models, without special editions.
So, with the price of $60,000, Ford F-150 Limited is the most expensive. Even its Platinum trim level belongs to the luxury class. However, for less money, we can buy Chevy Silverado 1500 High Country or Ram 1500 Limited. Laramie Longhorn is a model worth of mentioning. Even the Japanese carmakers can compete to have the top luxury pickup truck with Nissan Titan Platinum Reserve. We expect to see what will Toyota Tundra with TRD Pro package introduce. However, this model is going to be expensive but will be more oriented to off-road drive, rather than unnecessary parts that boost luxury. Silverado’s sibling GMC Sierra 1500 is that only mechanically. In the premium segment, Denali version will rival the others.
Exterior
As always, all vehicles must be attractive to draw attention. Bold design and distinctive look are the first things to do that. The special grille on the Ford F-150 limited is showing a dose of elegance. On the other hand, we have F-150 Raptor with too aggressive and too big “Ford” badge on the grille. There are words telling that Chevy could drop its bow tie on the grille. Again, Chevrolet is a longer word, letters are smaller, and it looks nicer on the grille.
In this section, all trucks are built upon the same pattern. Big grille and headlights, a huge bumper that holds fog lights are there on all of them. Nissan Titan is slightly different with the bumper in a different color than the rest of the body. However, elegant and distinctive appearance is just an eye-catching tool. It doesn’t have too much importance in choosing the best luxury pickup truck.
Interior
Well, if the exterior is not the key factor, then cabin definitely is. The impression of sitting inside the premium vehicle is usually decisive for buyers to spend more money. It is very important, that we will analyze few segments of the cabin.
Seats
To be the best premium pickup truck, seats must be wrapped in leather. Well, none company is crazy enough to experiment with it. So, all luxury trucks will bring leather and other premium materials to the cabin. However, to pick up the best luxury truck, we are going further. Heating and ventilating system, adjustable buckets, the position of the driver. There are tiny details that can decide this enigma. Again, Ram, Ford, and Chevy are not failing on such easy test.
Entertaining
And this is totally the segment where personal impressions come to the first plan. Ford F-150 Limited has a Sync3 infotainment system with Wi-Fi hotspot. Navigation and an 8-inch screen are standard. Once again, Chevy Silverado 1500 High Country copies almost the all most important features. However, the navigation system is more interesting with unique controls. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard. Uconnect of Ram 1500 Limited is equipped with similar services but comes with an 8.4-inch screen. Some will appreciate that. The GMC Sierra 1500 Denali stands up here.
Rear seat entertaining system, Active noise cancellation, and DVD systems are something we can expect from the high-end luxury crossovers. The Denali is making this competition silly in the truck segment.
Audio Systems
Maybe this could be the key factor. All premium trucks have chosen the best companies in this segment to make their cabins loud. Rami 1500 Limited is using nine speakers and Alpine audio. Bose installed six speakers and offers additional seven for special buckets. More of these will boost overall impression. Ford’s partner is B&O. So, we can say Ram is slightly behind its rivals in this segment.
Safety
This is not the ordinary safety, but the luxury Pickup Truck safety. Carmakers are packing trucks with more and more gear that can save lives in unwanted situations. However, most of these features were never used. Luckily.
However, safety feeling boosts comfort and peace of mind as well. So, extra features are a tool for showing off and luring more attention. We can’t write down all systems we can find. Innovations in this sector are probably the fastest. So, all leading manufacturers are up to date with the safety equipment.
So, which is the best luxury pickup truck?
It is totally personally impression. Most trucks offer similar details and equipment, so details are decisive. In this case, we won’t take the most expensive truck as the top luxurious pickup. Sorry, Ford. Maybe F-450 could have more chance with its offer.
In this case, we choose GMC Sierra Denali as the best pickup truck in the luxury segment. Its premium info-entertaining and audio systems are making a big difference. A difference that couldn’t be made up with other small advantages from other models. Also, as a bonus, we can get a discount. With DVD players, the Denali version costs $55,000.