Take a Look at Some Great Midsize Trucks

When you’re shopping for a truck, it’s important to consider all of your options. There are a ton of different models and classes available since we all have different needs. While full-size trucks deliver tremendous power and capability, they can also be a bit overbearing if you don’t need everything they have to offer. That’s where midsize models come into play. As you start looking at used trucks for sale in Duluth, considering a midsize pickup can open a lot of doors for you and give you many more options to get the right truck. But even if you narrow down your choice to a midsize model, you still have plenty of different vehicles available to you.

While not every manufacturer produces a midsize truck, there are a vast number of great ones available for you to remember as you consider different used options. Today, we’re going to take a look at the midsize trucks on the market so that you have a sense of each one you’re likely to find while shopping for a used model. We can’t go into every detail of these since so much depends on the model year and trims you find while shopping, but we’ll give a brief overview, so you have an idea of what each brings to the road.

The GMC Canyon

It should come as no surprise that the GMC Canyon is our top pick for our favorite midsize truck, not only because we’re a GMC dealership but also because it’s just a fantastic pickup. This truck has been around for quite a while and has proven itself as a great option for a lot of truck shoppers looking for something with impressive power and plenty of engine options. The engines you find will depend on the year and the choices the original owner made, but you can find used models with a 2.5L four-cylinder engine, a 3.6L V6, or even a stout turbo-diesel engine. You won’t find a lot of midsize trucks out there with diesel engines in them, and the one GMC packed into the Canyon is an absolute beauty.

Beyond these great engine choices, the GMC Canyon is simply an excellent option for a wide range of uses thanks to the numerous trim levels that have been offered on it. If you are looking for something that can handle the trail well, then watch for the off-road focused AT4 trim as you look at different models. The interior of the Canyon has been well-appointed for years now, and most used models you find will have a terrific selection of luxury, comfort, and tech features. For the very best in your truck, look for the Denali trim when shopping for a used Canyon, as this will typically have the latest features offered for any given year.

The Chevy Colorado

If you like the engineering of the GMC Canyon, but can’t quite find what you’re looking for there, then you should check out the Chevy Colorado. Built on the same platform as the Canyon, the Colorado typically delivers comparable performance and great available engines across its various model years. The Colorado is particularly well renowned for its off-road ZR2 trim, so look for one of those if you want a midsize truck that can tear up the trail. For the most part, either a Canyon or Colorado is going to give you similar features and a terrific driving experience in your next midsize truck.

The Ford Ranger

Your third option when looking at the big domestic brands, the Ford Ranger is a popular model that lacks some of the power of Ford’s F-Series models, but it’s still a great option. One thing to be mindful of with the Ranger is that it wasn’t available here in the US for quite some time prior to the 2019 model year. That can be an issue when shopping for a used truck since it limits the number of Ranger models you’ll find on the market, but the upside is that you know any Ranger out there will be a recent one.

The Honda Ridgeline

One of the most popular midsize trucks on the market, the Honda Ridgeline is a great option to watch for while shopping for a used model. There’s a lot to like about the Ridgeline, but it’s a particularly solid choice when shopping used since there are relatively few customization options available for it when sold as new. Every Ridgeline has the same overall engineering and there’s a single engine offered on it––this means any used Ridgeline you find will have an impressive powertrain and deliver an incredible drive. Honda also uses a unibody design, rather than body-on-frame, for a comfortable driving experience that feels more like a crossover SUV.

The Jeep Gladiator

If going off-road with your truck is your top concern while shopping, then the Jeep Gladiator can be a good one to watch for. This midsize pickup takes a variety of design cues from the popular Wrangler and includes a number of excellent off-road features and options, especially if you find a Rubicon model. The price of the Gladiator when new is pretty steep for a midsize pickup, and it has only been around since the 2020 model year, which means this can be an expensive choice even when shopping for a used truck. With that in mind, however, it’s a great choice that delivers remarkable off-road capability.

The Nissan Frontier

While you won’t find many older models with something like the Ranger or Gladiator, the Nissan Frontier goes the other way with a lot of older vehicles out there. Although the 2022 Frontier launched an all-new generation, the one prior to that went from the 2005 model year through 2021. That’s a long time without a redesign, so Frontier models from 2019 and earlier can feel a bit dated. The 2020 Frontier received an updated engine as a preview of what the new generation would bring. That being said, the Frontier is otherwise a tremendous midsize truck that can bring a lot to the road and is a terrific choice if you’re shopping on a budget.

The Toyota Tacoma

The Toyota Tacoma is a decent choice, but ultimately its greatest weakness is that it just doesn’t do anything better than any of the other models we’ve looked at. It can be a good choice for going off-road, but it’s outclassed by models like the Jeep Gladiator. Similarly, it is a great budget-friendly option, but other trucks like the Ridgeline and Frontier can be even easier on your wallet and give you great features throughout. The Tacoma is a good truck, and there’s nothing wrong with it; the other models just tend to bring more to the road.

Find the Used Truck That’s Right for You

As you can see, when you’re shopping for your next used truck, you have a lot of decisions to make. We just looked at seven different models from seven manufacturers, and that’s without considering trim levels, engine options, and much more. While you can’t customize a used truck the way someone can when ordering a new vehicle, you’ll find all of these different combinations out there, which is why it helps to have someone by your side to navigate all of these decisions and help ensure you get the perfect pickup. Here at Rick Hendrick Buick GMC Duluth, we have a terrific selection of pre-owned trucks for you to choose from and friendly people ready to help you find the right one to meet your needs.