Category: Truck

Trucks are the ultimate utility vehicle. If you have stuff to haul, there is a truck made to do it. Because of the wide range of applications for trucks, there is a wide range of options for truck consumers. The range is probably wider than you think: because of fuel economy standards, automakers designed many vehicles creatively, allowing vehicles like Chrysler’s PT Cruiser, for example, to fall under regulation for light trucks and escape stricter fuel economy standards. Ignoring automaker trickery, though, there are still many options for you to choose from. The three major considerations when choosing a truck are towing capacity, bed size, and cab size. The three basic cab options are regular (one bench or two bucket seats, with the rear window directly behind the seats), extended cab (with a little extra space behind the seats, and sometimes jump seats), or crew cab (with two rows of seating). There are also many bed options: A full-size bed will hold an uncut sheet of plywood or drywall. There are also long-bed and short-bed options, but there are no consistent sizes: it depends on model and year. Finally, towing capacity is the amount your truck can tow. If you know how much you need to haul, just make sure the number for the truck is greater than the load. Most truck makers have lighter- and heavier-duty trucks whose towing capacity can overlap each other depending on options.