Who Made Car & Driver's Best Full- and Mid-Size Pickup Truck Lists?
Car and Driver ranked the "Best Mid-Size Pickup Trucks" and "Best Full-Size Pickup Trucks" based on roughly 200 data points - check who made the list!
The 2023 Ram 1500 and 2023 Honda Ridgeline were named best-of-the-best in Car and Driver's recent awards.
Photo: Work Truck/Stellantis/Honda
Car and Driver ranked the "Best Mid-Size Pickup Trucks" and "Best Full-Size Pickup Trucks" based on roughly 200 data points encompassing acceleration, handling, comfort, cargo space, fuel efficiency, value, and how enjoyable they are to drive.
Car and Driver's rankings are arrived at from the results of instrumented testing of more than 400 vehicles each year and from our expert editors' subjective impressions gained in real-world driving.
Winner, Winner: 2023 Best Mid-Size Trucks
For 2023, the following seven trucks were named as "best" of the mid-size pickup truck category:
2023 Honda Ridgeline
2024 GMC Canyon
2023 Jeep Gladiator
2023 Nissan Frontier
2023 Ford Ranger
2023 Toyota Tacoma
Winner, Winner: 2023 Best Full-Size Trucks
For 2023, Car and Driver named the following 10 trucks as "best" of the full-size pickup truck category:
2023 Ram 1500
2023 Ram 1500 TRX
2023 Ford F-150
2023 Ford F-150 Raptor
2023 GMC Sierra 1500
2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
2023 Chevrolet Silverado ZR2
2024 Toyota Tundra Hybrid
2024 Toyota Tundra
2024 Nissan Titan
How Does Car and Driver Test these Trucks?
For more than 60 years, Car and Driver has been performing vehicle tests and sharing the results with the public. Those tests have changed over the years, currently focusing on the following areas:
Performance testing.
Acceleration
Braking
Maximum cornering (skidpad)
Following set test-vehicle prep protocols
Interior sound level (noise/vibration/harshness).
Fuel economy and driving range.
Highway fuel economy test at 75 mph on a 200-mile out and back loop.
Highway driving range.
Observed fuel economy.
Cargo space and storage.
Carry-ons (how much standard luggage can it fit?)
Ping pong balls (filling interior pockets with ping pong balls)
Lift-over height.
Visibility and seating height.
Want even more updates delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Work Truck's eNewsletters today!
More Vehicle Research
Rush Enterprises Expands with Acquisition of Peterbilt of Louisiana
Rush Enterprises’ acquisition of Peterbilt of Louisiana adds 46 service bays, more than 23,000 square feet of parts storage, and approximately 107,000 square feet of facility space to the company's footprint.
Read More →
International HV515 Dump Truck Walkaround
The International HV515 combines the new S13 Integrated Powertrain, improved driver visibility, simplified maintenance, and advanced vocational controls into a capable dump truck platform. Take a closer look at the HV515, which International showcased at EUFMC.
Read More →
Chevrolet Brings Back 'Heartbeat of America' Campaign Featuring Trucks and Everyday Workers
Chevrolet brings back Heartbeat of America, spotlighting the trucks, workers, and communities that continue to drive the brand's legacy forward.
Read More →
Light-Duty Work Truck Fleets Get a Fresh, Affordable Alternative
Work Truck caught up with Drew Walker, Slate’s head of fleet sales, at the company’s design hub in Gardena, California, for an interview on how the company’s pickup and SUV electric vehicles can meet the needs of both private and public sector fleets.
Read More →
Ford Ranks First in JD Power Initial Quality Study, Ford & GM Icons Take First in Segments
Both Ford and General Motors vehicles ranked first in their respective segments in the JD Power 2026 U.S. Initial Quality Study, and Ford ranked as the mainstream brand with the highest initial quality.
Read More →
Beyond Utilization Rates: Smarter Fleet Replacement Decisions
Vehicle replacement decisions affect every aspect of fleet performance, from operating costs to asset availability. This guide explores how fleet leaders use integrated data, benchmarking, and lifecycle analytics to determine the right fleet size and optimize replacement timing with greater confidence.
Read More →
Nissan Produces 1-Millionth Frontier in Mississippi as Demand Grows for Midsize Work Trucks
Nissan's 1-millionth Frontier marks a major manufacturing milestone as contractors, utilities, and vocational fleets turn to capable midsize pickups.
Read More →
Kenworth Chillicothe Plant Hosts Fifth Annual Kenworth Truck Parade
The 2026 Kenworth Truck Parade celebrated “American Owned, American Made” to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary. The annual event is held in downtown Chillicothe, Ohio, where the Kenworth Chillicothe plant is located.
Read More →
Mack Defense Receives $47 Million in Federal Funding for HDT Production
Mack Defense received $47 million in programmatic funding to continue building the M917A3 Heavy Dump Truck, based on the Mack Granite, as part of a five-year contract to build up to 450 trucks for the military.
Read More →
DTNA to Equip Vehicles with Updated DEF Inducement Software
Daimler Truck North America is equipping its Detroit engines with updated software reflecting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) revised guidance on diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) inducements.
Read More →