New vs. Used

When in the market for your next vehicle, the first consideration is whether to buy a new or used pickup truck. Buying a brand-new pickup truck certainly has its benefits. Most notably, new vehicles can have the very latest safety gear and engineering improvements. And with a new truck, you know what you're getting, and it is backed by a comprehensive factory warranty. You don't have to worry about potential service problems or concealed collision damage. Further, you can have your choice of color, trim line, and option level. And financing rates are typically lower than for a used vehicle.

The key drawback with buying a new truck is rapid depreciation. A new pickup truck can shed half its value in its first two or three years on the road. If you have financed the new car with a low down payment, you can easily find yourself "upside down" on the loan, where you owe more than the car is worth.

Used pickup trucks can be a welcome alternative. The used-truck market is about three times the size of the new-truck market, so there's certainly plenty of choice out there. One of the best strategies is to find an pickup truck you like that's only a couple of years old. Such an pickup truck has already taken its biggest depreciation hit, which works to your advantage, but it should still have most of its useful life ahead of it. Modern pickup trucks, if soundly maintained, can stay on the road for 150,000 miles or longer. Rust, for example, isn't nearly the problem it was years ago. Solid-state electronics have eliminated the need for a lot of regular servicing.

The key to selecting a good used pickup truck is to focus on reliability, even when a prospective vehicle is still covered by its original factory warranty. Look for a pickup truck that has done well in our Reliability judgments.

CR's reliability scores are no guarantee, of course, but they do carry the weight of probability. If you shop for pickup truck with top-notch reliability scores, the odds are on your side. At the same time, every used truck is unique. A careful pre-purchase inspection remains a vital part of the process. Given that trucks can often lead hard lives, it is important to look for signs of extreme duty, such as off-roading or large-trailer towing. When buying from a private seller, learn how it was used and maintained to judge if it is truly in desirable condition.

Whether buying new or used, it is important to do research if you want to choose a good model, and follow that up with effective negotiation.

Learn more in our guides to buying a new or used car
See coming pickup trucks in our New Car Preview

See also:

GPS Navigation Systems

Car batteries

Car seats

Special Section:
Guide to Driving Green