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CARLOS LAGO: Full size trucks are
getting super massive and super expensive,
so it's great to see a resurgence in midsize trucks.
Midsize trucks are plenty capable.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah.
CARLOS LAGO: They can tow, they can go off road,
they can have a ton of benefits that you may not
realize in contrast to where light-duty full size trucks are
at now.
DAN EDMUNDS: Absolutely.
CARLOS LAGO: And they're a lot cheaper.
DAN EDMUNDS: Oh, yeah.
CARLOS LAGO: We've put every midsize truck on the market
through our rigorous, standardized testing process.
And have done plenty of truck-specific tests as well.
We've commuted with them, we've driven long distances,
we've towed.
We've gone off road, even with the trucks that aren't
necessarily optimized for it.
So this ranking list covers all the trucks
that you will find at dealer lots currently.
And you can find more details about our ratings
and rankings process at Edmunds.com.
Our number one ranked midsize truck--
DAN EDMUNDS: Numero uno.
CARLOS LAGO: Is the Honda Ridgeline.
So we just lost all our credibility, right?
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah, absolutely.
CARLOS LAGO: So we understand how this looks
to truck dudes, quote unquote.
But why do we like it so much?
DAN EDMUNDS: Because when it comes right down to it,
if you're really coldly logical about it,
off-road performance isn't something
that very many people actually need.
And if you just look at how nice it
is to drive every day, the bed, the cargo options.
The Ridgeline's bed is amazing with a trunk that's lockable,
you can put stuff in there and it could be raining outside
and it won't care.
CARLOS LAGO: It's a pretty sizable bed,
you can fit four by eight sheets in there.
DAN EDMUNDS: It is.
It's the only one where they will lay flat on the deck
because the wheel wells are far enough apart.
And it's a composite bed so you don't need a bed liner.
The tailgate opens two ways.
And that's the bed, and it's even
a longer bed than any of the other crew cabs have, you know,
the crew cab short bag configuration.
It's a little bit longer than those.
CARLOS LAGO: Also you can reach into the bed--
DAN EDMUNDS: Easily.
CARLOS LAGO: Without needing a stool.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yep.
And then when you get in the cab the rear seat is huge.
And four of me will fit in the cab.
I'm 6'2''.
CARLOS LAGO: You've got the trunk underneath bed is great.
DAN EDMUNDS: Right.
CARLOS LAGO: Interior storage is great as well.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yep.
CARLOS LAGO: And this thing is just a nice truck
to drive around town.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah, and it's the only one
that has independent suspension in the rear.
And that really smooths out the ride.
I mean, the tow rating is only 5,000 pounds
with the all-wheel drive version, which isn't terribly
high compared to the others.
But for my mind in a midsize truck
if you're towing a lot more than 5,000 pounds anyway,
a full size truck might be a better choice.
CARLOS LAGO: But it also brings some benefits
on, like, washboard roads.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah, this thing really
excels because with an independent suspension
you don't have very much unsprung mass.
And so what that means is it rides smoother
but it also puts less stress on the components,
like the shock absorbers.
CARLOS LAGO: We're talking specifically
about a test we did with the Nissan Titan XD PRO
4X and the Toyota Tacoma TRD Off Road 4x4
where we drove them quite a distance on washboard road.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah, we went to a place called
the Racetrack in Death Valley.
And it's 27 miles of washboard in, U-turn,
27 miles of washboard out.
And the point of the test was to see if the Ridgeline would--
CARLOS LAGO: Survive.
DAN EDMUNDS: Fall on its knees.
And the other trucks were just there to support.
And it turned out that the Ridgeline out
did the other two trucks.
CARLOS LAGO: Well, just out did.
Like, the Titan and the Tacoma blew up their rear shocks.
And when we say blew up, like, they actually melted.
There was smoke.
DAN EDMUNDS: All the oil came out, there was smoke.
The yellow shocks looked like burnt French fries.
CARLOS LAGO: If you're serious about off roading,
if you're serious about towing, this is definitely
not the truck for you.
But if you're realistic about your needs,
this is a really solid, well-executed truck.
DAN EDMUNDS: It's a solid truck.
CARLOS LAGO: So our number two ranked midsize truck is
the Jeep Gladiator.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah.
CARLOS LAGO: And if the Ridgeline is here--
DAN EDMUNDS: Couldn't be more different.
CARLOS LAGO: The Gladiator's, like,
over there somewhere in terms of--
DAN EDMUNDS: In a different county.
CARLOS LAGO: It's quite different, the Gladiator.
But we like the Gladiator a lot.
DAN EDMUNDS: Oh, yeah.
I mean, it's got personality by the train load.
I mean, it really is like a Wrangler
with a bed that's very functional.
CARLOS LAGO: Yeah.
DAN EDMUNDS: It's not just a glued-on little shorty
that doesn't do anything.
It's as big as the other beds out there.
CARLOS LAGO: Yeah.
DAN EDMUNDS: And it has a payload and tow rating
to match that really makes it a useful truck.
But when you look at the cab part,
it's got the doors that come off, the roof that comes off--
CARLOS LAGO: The windshield the flips down, right?
DAN EDMUNDS: Windshield flips down.
Back seat has the second-most leg room after the Ridgeline
as far as passenger comfort.
And the seat flips and folds in a nice way
so you can store stuff.
And the bed--
CARLOS LAGO: It's pretty low, right?
DAN EDMUNDS: The sides aren't very tall
so it's actually really nice because you
can reach in and grab a motorcycle tie down strap, give
it a cinch.
CARLOS LAGO: It actually has some advantages
over the Wrangler, too.
It rides better.
DAN EDMUNDS: Oh, yeah.
Because it's got the same solid axle,
front suspension that a Wrangler has and recirculating,
ball steering, all that.
But in the back it's got the same suspension, or nearly
the same, as the Ram 1500.
And that's a truck that we really
like because it rides so much nicer than trucks
that have leaf springs.
And the same is true here.
CARLOS LAGO: The Gladiator's a Jeep,
so you expect some off-road capability.
DAN EDMUNDS: Unquestionably .
And you won't be disappointed.
I mean, the approach angle is insane.
It's got a pretty good departure angle
despite the bed hanging off the back.
But it does have one problem.
CARLOS LAGO: It's really long.
DAN EDMUNDS: It's really long.
CARLOS LAGO: It's a really long truck.
DAN EDMUNDS: It's the wheelbase that's
really the issue because the wheelbase is almost
a foot longer than the other trucks.
And that really gets you maybe hung up on some rocks.
But you can solve that because in the Jeep world
aftermarket parts and lift kits are just,
like, almost a requirement.
People will spend a ton on their Jeep
and then they'll spend a ton more on accessories.
CARLOS LAGO: That's the downside.
You already pay a lot for a Gladiator Rubicon.
And then you think that you have to pay more--
DAN EDMUNDS: It's not a cheap choice.
CARLOS LAGO: To lift it and put on bigger tires and stuff.
DAN EDMUNDS: And you don't have to do
that unless you want to go off road, or look like you go off
road.
CARLOS LAGO: So it has some small downsides.
But if you're looking for, like, unparalleled character,
strong towing, and really strong off-road capability,
the Gladiator is the solution.
DAN EDMUNDS: Oh, absolutely.
It's a great truck.
CARLOS LAGO: Yeah, if the Honda's over here,
and the Jeep's over here, the Toyota Tacoma--
DAN EDMUNDS: Right down the middle.
CARLOS LAGO: Bridges the gap, right?
And it's really strong.
It's really good, especially for 2020.
DAN EDMUNDS: Tacoma's always really
been the most well-rounded choice.
CARLOS LAGO: Yeah.
DAN EDMUNDS: You know, it's great as a truck.
It's got attitude.
It's really good off road, surprisingly good.
And it's reliable and people love it.
CARLOS LAGO: What brought it down last year, up to 2019,
was basically where the driver would sit
and the lack of adjustability in the seat and the steering
wheel.
And also the in-car entertainment, infotainment,
whatever you want to call it, was poor by industry standards.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah, exactly.
You know, the Tacoma has always been
designed with off road in mind.
And so the frame's kind of high so it has better clearance.
But that means getting into the cab is a little bit more
of a step up.
And that also led to kind of a legs-out driving position
that some people didn't like.
CARLOS LAGO: Yeah.
DAN EDMUNDS: This year though, they've
added a power driver's seat.
This truck's now comfortable to sit in,
a lot more than it has been in the past.
CARLOS LAGO: And with regard to entertainment,
you now have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah.
CARLOS LAGO: Praise the lord.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yes, absolutely.
And this just is very transformative
because it's a nicer screen, easier to use,
the map graphics are better.
And, like you say, the smartphones, boom,
they're in there.
The Ridgeline has tailgate in the trunk.
But the bed in the Tacoma, it's got everything it needs
and nothing it doesn't.
It's a composite bed so you don't need a bed liner.
It's got hooks in the corners but also sliding rails
with cleats that you can move.
You can get a power outlet back there,
there's a couple of little cubbies.
It's the best bed out there.
It's not very tall either, so it's easy to reach in.
It's kind of, like, pretty nicely packaged.
CARLOS LAGO: And you get a nice range of models to choose from,
too, from standard Tocomas all of up
to the TRD Pros of the world.
And everything in between.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah, and the one in between that I like
the most is the TRD Off Road.
It's kind of got everything you need
and the price isn't that high.
CARLOS LAGO: It's pretty reasonable.
DAN EDMUNDS: And if you want to, like, build an off roader,
that's the one to start with.
CARLOS LAGO: Yeah.
DAN EDMUNDS: And then you can put your bigger tires
or whatever on that one.
CARLOS LAGO: The few downsides it has, one, powertrain.
DAN EDMUNDS: The V6 doesn't have as much torque as I'd like.
But again, in 2020 they've helped themselves
by recalibrating the transmission
so it shifts differently.
And that really has kind of smoothed
over some of the problems.
But the same powertrain that's kind of
lackluster on the pavement has really good off road.
The throttle control is stellar.
CARLOS LAGO: Yeah, this is a great truck for anybody.
Easy recommendation.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah, you've got an off-road lifestyle,
if you want to work, you can do both of those things.
CARLOS LAGO: Yeah, the Colorado, likewise,
is a solid all-around truck.
Which we should point out is a tenth
it's behind the Tacoma in our rankings scale.
DAN EDMUNDS: Right, and it was ahead of the Tacoma
until the Tacoma made these changes for 2020.
CARLOS LAGO: What are its shortcomings versus the Tacoma?
DAN EDMUNDS: It's bed has kind of got really
comically tall sides.
CARLOS LAGO: Yeah, yes.
DAN EDMUNDS: So, I mean, it's great.
But loading and unloading isn't really that easy.
CARLOS LAGO: Right.
DAN EDMUNDS: It's just kind of a styling thing.
And it doesn't really help with the functionality.
CARLOS LAGO: It looks cool but it
is kind of more difficult to use on a day-to-day basis.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah, and then the other thing
is it's kind of just a shrunken full size truck.
And by that I mean it's not really
taking advantage of its smaller dimensions
except beyond parking.
The Tacoma, as I mentioned, has kind of got off road
as a design principle.
You can see that it's not such with the Colorado.
If you look at the rear axle the shocks are kind of--
CARLOS LAGO: They're pretty centered, right?
DAN EDMUNDS: They're in the middle where
they're kind of vulnerable.
CARLOS LAGO: The Tacoma, they're way more outboard.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah, exactly.
CARLOS LAGO: We like the availability
of the ZR2, which is the very cool-looking off-road version
of the Colorado.
We have one in our long-term fleet.
It's a really nice truck to drive around town.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah, but when you get off road,
the powertrain isn't quite as easy to control at low speeds
and low range.
And those trick shocks don't feel as well-tuned
on a washboard dirt road.
CARLOS LAGO: Yeah.
DAN EDMUNDS: It seems like it's really good as a street truck
and it looks like an off-road truck, and it works off road.
Let's face it, it's got a front and rear locker.
CARLOS LAGO: But we generally like the truck on the road.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah.
CARLOS LAGO: And when we did our three truck comparison
with the Ranger, Tacoma, and Colorado
we preferred the Colorado on road and the Tacoma off road.
That's was kind of the distinction there.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah, and really that's where
you're going to spend most of your time
if you're an average person.
CARLOS LAGO: Yeah.
DAN EDMUNDS: So that's why the ratings are so close together.
CARLOS LAGO: So close.
The other downside of the Colorado
is just the interior look and feel.
It's a small thing to complain about but the plastics just
don't have that feeling of quality.
DAN EDMUNDS: But for me the backseat is also an issue.
It's got space, about, like, Tacoma,
maybe a little smidge more.
But when you fold the seats it's not totally flat
and it's higher off the ground.
So it's not as good for like putting something in there.
CARLOS LAGO: We should also highlight too,
along with a turbo diesel which you can't
get in any other truck in this segment,
you can also get a integrated trailer brake controller.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yes.
CARLOS LAGO: Which is not available in any other truck
in the segment so far.
DAN EDMUNDS: Right.
CARLOS LAGO: Because we know one's coming to the Gladiator
but it's not available yet.
DAN EDMUNDS: And the diesel's great.
It really has the torque that you want in a truck.
And the fuel economy's outstanding.
And we've been able to actually meet the EPA rating on that.
CARLOS LAGO: You know, the Colorado
doesn't excel in any single category.
But it is a solid all-around truck
and we wouldn't think less of you
if you bought one over a Tacoma.
DAN EDMUNDS: No, not at all.
CARLOS LAGO: Not at all.
DAN EDMUNDS: Not at all.
CARLOS LAGO: Number five is the GMC Canyon
which has the same score as the Colorado,
unsurprisingly, because it's the same truck.
So why get a Canyon?
DAN EDMUNDS: It's a little bit nicer looking.
And it feels a little more upscale.
And also you can get a Denali.
You can't get a ZR2, but you can get a Denali
which is the high-end model.
CARLOS LAGO: Everything we've said about the Colorado
applies to the Canyon excluding the ZR2.
DAN EDMUNDS: Exactly.
CARLOS LAGO: And so, let's move on to number six.
DAN EDMUNDS: OK.
CARLOS LAGO: As a former Ford Ranger owner,
it landing in number six hurts.
It's fair to say that we had some disappointments
with this truck.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah, but not everything.
A 2.3 liter turbo--
CARLOS LAGO: Yes, let's start with the good.
DAN EDMUNDS: 10 speed automatic, they're stellar.
And the fuel economy rating is good.
CARLOS LAGO: That engine rocks.
DAN EDMUNDS: Power, it's got a good tow rating,
payload, all those kinds of truck specs
are right where they need to be.
CARLOS LAGO: We like the drive train a lot.
We like the touchscreen interface.
DAN EDMUNDS: It's time for a refresh, but it does work well.
CARLOS LAGO: It's quick, yeah.
DAN EDMUNDS: I'd like to see a couple of shortcut buttons,
everything has to happen on a touchscreen.
CARLOS LAGO: That is the downside.
DAN EDMUNDS: And that feels a couple of years old.
CARLOS LAGO: Let's talk downsides.
DAN EDMUNDS: When we did our comparison test,
nobody really wanted to ride in it
very long because they started to get queasy.
And we had the FX4, which should have had better dampers.
It just doesn't feel settled down.
CARLOS LAGO: Yeah, that is a real big turnoff
for people who are sensitive to motion sickness like myself.
DAN EDMUNDS: The bed has the same issues
that the Colorado has.
It's big.
CARLOS LAGO: Real tall.
DAN EDMUNDS: It's got really tall sides.
And the tailgate's high when you open it.
It doesn't have any of the features
that the Ridgeline, or the Tacoma, or even the Gladiator
has a couple that are missing here.
Everything's an accessory.
This truck doesn't have a split rear seat, everybody else does.
This is not a 60-40 or a 50-50, it's 100-0.
it's just one piece and it only folds about that far down.
So you can't even make a loading platform out of it.
CARLOS LAGO: And that may be due to the fact
that though the Ranger is new to the US
it's been for sale worldwide for a long time.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah, it's been in Thailand and Australia
for, I don't know, six or seven years.
It's an update with a new motor for us.
CARLOS LAGO: Yeah, and a good one at that.
And lastly, off road we had some trouble with it
during our three truck test that we did earlier this year.
DAN EDMUNDS: It doesn't have the suspension articulation
of Tacoma, certainly, but also even the Chevrolet.
CARLOS LAGO: So overall, there are some decent attributes
in the Ranger.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah, absolutely.
CARLOS LAGO: But I think it's safe to say we just expected
more from it in comparison to some of the other trucks
that you can get for the same money.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah, it's new to us but it doesn't feel new.
CARLOS LAGO: Yeah.
Nissan Frontier ranked last in our rankings.
But the score is tied with the Ranger, I'll point out.
Because the Frontier still has some attributes.
This is an old truck.
In your words, you said it survived three
presidential administrations.
DAN EDMUNDS: That's right.
CARLOS LAGO: If this were a human
it'd be legally able to drive.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah, pretty much.
CARLOS LAGO: This generation was on sale
when the last generation of the Ford Ranger left the market.
DAN EDMUNDS: And then went into exile.
CARLOS LAGO: Yes.
DAN EDMUNDS: And then came back.
CARLOS LAGO: And it's the same Frontier.
DAN EDMUNDS: I know.
Well, there's an advantage there,
although we're digging to find it.
CARLOS LAGO: Yeah.
DAN EDMUNDS: And that is they've paid for the tooling,
like, I don't know how many times over.
So the price is low.
CARLOS LAGO: The price is very low.
DAN EDMUNDS: It's a pretty good value.
CARLOS LAGO: Yeah, that's the Frontier's biggest advantage,
is they're fairly inexpensive.
And let's face it, it does what you would expect
from a truck from that time.
DAN EDMUNDS: But it also has an old engine and transmission
setup, four liter V6.
CARLOS LAGO: And a five-speed automatic.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah, right, exactly.
CARLOS LAGO: That's, what, half the Ford has.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah, exactly.
So half the gears and almost twice the displacement.
CARLOS LAGO: Yeah.
DAN EDMUNDS: And it uses a lot of fuel.
It's the least fuel-efficient truck here.
But you're saving so much on the purchase price
that maybe that's not a big deal.
CARLOS LAGO: Maybe it'll work out.
And we don't factor this into our ranking process
significantly, but it does have some charm, right?
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah.
CARLOS LAGO: Just kind of being old school, old tech.
Ah, it's just an old truck kind of feel.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah driving around a manual is kind of fun.
CARLOS LAGO: Yeah.
That concludes our rankings of midsize trucks, all of them.
Check with Edmunds.com for the latest info and updates.
We're continually updating these rankings and ratings
in real time.
So all changes will be reflected there.
Try this again next year.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah, absolutely.
Maybe there'll be a new Frontier by then.
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