Top 10 Used Pickup Trucks from 2007

by Autobytel Staff

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December 12, 2007

For decades, the only people who purchased pickup trucks were the people who needed them in their line of work. Trucks were utilitarian affairs: rough riding, uncomfortable, and lacking even the basic comforts of passenger cars. The pickup truck was a working vehicle through-and-through, one of the machines that keep the world running on time.

That is, until recently. Starting in the advent of the extended cab truck, consumers began to discover that the once conventional pickup could do double duty as a utilitarian workhorse and as a family vehicle. More buyers began to turn away from the typical family sedan, and started turning toward pickups. It was not long before the automakers took notice and began to put car-like interiors and features into their haulers. This resulted in today’s pickup truck market, which offers a massive array of options, trims, features, cab layouts, engines, and chassis styles.

For decades, the dominance of the domestics was absolute. Recent entries by foreign automakers have challenged that dominance, and now for the first time ever, the domestic hold on the lucrative ½-ton pickup truck market is threatened by the likes of the Toyota Tundra and Honda Ridgeline. The only safe harbor for domestics as of right now is the ¾ and higher tonnage trucks, over which Ford, GMC, Chevrolet, and Dodge still have a very firm grip.

Thanks in part to the relatively new popularity of the pickup truck as a passenger vehicle, the ½-ton pickup truck – Ford F-150, GMC Sierra 1500, Dodge Ram 1500, Toyota Tundra, etc – make up the bulk of light truck sales. In a world that used to be dominated by domestics, foreign automakers have gotten serious about their ½-ton truck offerings. But when it comes to ¾ ton and heavier trucks, the domestics still reign supreme.

Coming in as our best ¾-ton truck for the 2007 model year is the 2007 GMC Sierra 2500HD with available 360-hp 6.6-liter V8 diesel power and a towing capacity of up to 16,100 pounds when properly equipped.

The best 1-ton for 2007 is the venerable 2007 Ford Super Duty F-350 with available 6.0 liter Power Stroke® V8 diesel and a towing capacity of up to 19,200 pounds when properly equipped.

A total of 10 trucks were selected as the best pickup trucks for the 2007 model year. The top-10 is a make and model list, independent of ton-rating. The list was further broken down into the best ½-ton, ¾-ton, and 1-ton pickup trucks. Each truck was rated on 15 individual indicators including safety, reliability, mileage, style, price, cost-of-ownership, fit and finish, drive system, telamatics, performance, warranty, comfort, child friendliness, fuel selection, and towing capacity. For the purposes of generating our top-10 pickup trucks list, the towing capacity was figured using the maximum available towing rating for a tag-hitch style trailer. Fifth wheel trailer setups can offer even more towing capacity when the truck is properly equipped.