Of all the dozens of multivehicle Challenges we’ve published on Cars.com, we’ve never had one on pickup trucks — until now. We’ve always published truck contests on our sister site, PickupTrucks.com, but as time goes by, more and more Americans become intrigued by pickups and purchase them for personal use. And according to our research, the resurging class of mid-size pickup trucks not only is where traditional sedan and SUV owners are considering getting their feet wet, but it’s also where brand loyalties are less ingrained than they are with full-size trucks.
2019 Mid-Size Truck Challenge
Results | Winner | How We Tested | Bed Test | Mileage Drive
So, we decided to bring the contest here, where two newcomers — the Ford Ranger and Jeep Gladiator — faced off against the GMC Canyon and Honda Ridgeline, which were the top finishers from PickupTrucks.com’s most recent class contest in 2016. (The Chevrolet Colorado and Nissan Frontier have not been redesigned since that test, and Toyota declined to participate, saying the updated 2020 Tacoma wasn’t available at the time of our test.) All four trucks had four- or all-wheel drive, crew cabs and, in the case of the GMC, the shorter of two available cargo boxes. Sticker prices ranged from $42,965 to $55,840 (prices include destination). Here are the specific trim levels tested in the order they placed once all the scoring was done:
1. 2019 Honda Ridgeline RTL-E AWD
2. 2019 Ford Ranger Lariat 4×4
3. 2020 Jeep Gladiator Overland 4×4
4. 2019 GMC Canyon 4WD Denali
We determined the winner by scoring 19 separate categories, some subjective and others based on measurements and instrumented testing on a drag strip. Notably, we evaluate and score acceleration times separately from the judges’ powertrain scores because superior times don’t always equal smoothness or driver satisfaction; ditto for stopping distances versus brake pedal feel. (In fact, specifications and experience prove to be related but by no means married many times in this Challenge.) Because pickups are meant for work, the judges tested them both empty and with 1,000 pounds of payload. We also evaluated cargo boxes and provisions, ride, handling, fuel economy, front and backseat comfort and amenities, interior quality, safety and driver assistance features, user interface, multimedia and connectivity, child-safety seat fitment and value.
What we don’t base scores on is anything having to do with exterior styling or image, and image seems to be as important in the eyes of traditional pickup shoppers as it is for luxury buyers, especially in a contest among three American-branded body-on-frame pickups and one Japanese unibody model. We get it. This quote from judge Brian Wong, our Los Angeles bureau chief, illustrates the point: “The Jeep Gladiator was the truck I ended up driving the most while we weren’t testing, to dinners and other places. It isn’t the best truck, but somehow it was the most fun for me to scoot around in. Driving the Ridgeline made me feel like a dad in khakis; the Gladiator made me feel invincible.”
That’s the last we’ll say of it. If we thought there were a fair way to score based on how “trucky” we think a truck is and how important we think that might be to any given shopper, believe us, we’d do it — but how good something looks or how cool it seems to you, your family and your specific circle of friends is entirely your decision. Our scored results are about the conclusions you can’t draw from looking at a brand name or a few photos.
Each vehicle is evaluated as equipped and priced, and though these are relatively well equipped representations, our results cannot represent their respective model lineups as a whole.
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