DaftRyosuke's Ranking of all of the Pickup Trucks based on design as of March 2018

"DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish!" (daft-ryosuke) 03/01/2018 at 17:00 • Filed to: None

2

28

I’ve got some time until my next exam. Let’s throw some hands.

13. Nissan Frontier

So outdated, so old. It may not affect its usage, but it does stand out in the market. You probably didn’t even notice I used a picture of a 2009.

12. Toyota Tundra

Though it’s nearly as outdated as the Frontier, it manages to edge out the Frontier by having one really good facelift in its lifetime. But that was nearly ten years ago. Toyota just tried to update it with some new lights but it still looks achingly old-fashioned compared to its competitors.

11. Honda Ridgeline

I like the Ridgeline a lot, it’s more truck than most people who want a truck really need. But that doesn’t help the fact that on the outside, it’s really a Pilot with a bed.

10. Nissan Titan

It’s basically one big reactionary move to the largest truck trends of the past decade. Big grille? Check. Weird LED DRLs? Check. Loss of dignity? Check.

9. Ram

It’s a pretty good design for one that’s nearly ten years old, but Ram’s efforts to update it with a new grille on the Rebel and Laramie Limited models don’t help. Don’t buy one of those two and you’ll be good.

8. Ford F150 Non-Raptor

If you’re frantically trying to click away under the absurdity that I’ve split the Raptor with the regular F150, just hear me out. The Raptor shares most of its components with the pre-facelift F150, so I think it’s more deserving of having its own entry. Meanwhile, the facelifted F150 has a grille that looks like a stretched anus. Shame, it was such a pretty truck beforehand.

7. Ford Super Duty

I really hated this design when it first dropped, but I find myself liking it more and more. The grille still looks like an electric shaver, though.

6. Chevrolet Silverado

Wow, what a twist! I bet you were expecting this to rank higher. Honestly, though, I like the Silverado a lot, but the HD’s extra gaudiness just ruins its reputation. It’s a handsome pickup with that one twin brother that looks nearly the same but is a little off...just a little.

5. Toyota Tacoma

Yes, it’s nearly as old as the Tundra and Frontier, but Toyota’s strategic nip-tucks have done the Taco a lot of favors. My neighbors own a pair of TRDs and they make me admittedly a little excited every time I see them.

4. GMC Sierra

Denali shaver-grille aside, the Sierra proves that GMC can inherently improve any bad Chevrolet design, and can even make it work on the 2500 models without being too gaudy. It’s the definition of, “truck,” in my book.

3. GMC Canyon

I usually forget that this truck exists. But when I do, I’m always pleased. I really have to give GMC props for properly scaling down the Sierra’s mug onto a wonderful little truck.

2. Ford F150 Raptor

The Raptor has this dripping sex appeal that cannot be properly defined at its first glance. I can’t tell if its the beefy tires paired with the body cladding, or that gigantic, but admittedly semi-gaudy FORD grille. Taken apart, it should be ugly as all hell, but when together...it just works.

1. Chevrolet Colorado

Are you surprised? This truck is my darling of the market. Every time I see one, I get so excited I start to whinny. It’s not too gaudy, it’s not too plain, it treads the line between the two perfectly. Then the ZR2 came along and added some nice Raptor aesthetic to what all trucks should really look like these days. Simple always wins in this category.

This is my opinion. But of course most people don’t care about that. I’ll probably respond with memes if you try to argue.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

jkm7680 > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 03/01/2018 at 17:07

2

“Yes, it’s nearly as old as the Tundra and Frontier”

It’s not though. Different engine, powertrain, styling is completely different.

For Sweden > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 03/01/2018 at 17:10

2

Tacoma at #5 is a disgrace. Move the Tacoma down the list and put Ford Super Duty at #5

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 03/01/2018 at 17:12

0

I think you have the Frontier and the Nissan both overrated

BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 03/01/2018 at 17:12

2

This is more modern looking than the Frontier:

BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo > For Sweden 03/01/2018 at 17:13

1

Actually, I agree.

Ford knows how to make a damn good looking truck.

DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! > jkm7680 03/01/2018 at 17:15

0

It has a lot of the same components as the ones from ten years ago though. Toyota’s made a lot of changes for the better, that’s why it’s ranked so high.

HammerheadFistpunch > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 03/01/2018 at 17:17

4

I would put this list in a very different order. But I guess that’s the point of subjective style.

For example, I was very underwhelmed seeing the ZR2 in person. This last also seems to be pretty much just age segregated, which is fine if you like latest and greatest style. For me I think the Frontier is better looking that half the trucks on this list because it looks like a truck that just wants to get on with being a truck.

Amoore100 > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 03/01/2018 at 17:20

0

You missed some:

And that’s not even including all the non-Western manufacturers!

DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! > For Sweden 03/01/2018 at 17:20

0

Nah.

Obligatory disagreement meme.

Vicente Esteve > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 03/01/2018 at 17:21

0

I would place the Raptor EASILY in first place.

DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! > Amoore100 03/01/2018 at 17:22

1

sigh Forbidden fruit...

If the Amarok was available in the states this would be a very different list.

Amoore100 > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 03/01/2018 at 17:27

0

For their part I think Renault did a great job converting the Navara to the Alaskan—their version of the truck looks miles better than Nissan’s and even more premium than the X-Class in most respects.

Renault’s design team have been killing it lately—just one stunning car after another; shame they haven’t done the same to the interiors

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 03/01/2018 at 17:29

0

The GMC Sierra was recently beat with the ugly stick. The design in the picture is quite good, but how do you end up with that exact configuration.

Also, it looks like that one has some kind of Avalanche style bed thing.

The Raptor has always been nice, but that grille and tailgate always were a little too much. Somehow I just want a tiny bit more restraint and I’d really love it. Still want one for the capabilities, in spite of this.

Takuro Spirit > Amoore100 03/01/2018 at 17:33

1

If you scroll fast enough... they all look like the same truck

DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 03/01/2018 at 17:35

0

It’s an All Terrain X model.

Amoore100 > Takuro Spirit 03/01/2018 at 17:36

0

That’s true for all pickups, though

Future next gen S2000 owner > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 03/01/2018 at 17:48

0

You break out the Ford HD but don’t for the Chevy, GMC, or Ram. Fake Ranking News!

DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! > Future next gen S2000 owner 03/01/2018 at 17:50

0

The Ford is so colossally different than the F150 that it deserves it.

Disagreement meme:

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 03/01/2018 at 17:54

0

Looks nice. The 2019 version that turns up on a search for GMC Sierra, on the other hand...

DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 03/01/2018 at 17:55

0

I like it. But the 2019 slew of pick-ups is a whole other story that’s coming later in the year probably maybe I’ll probably forget.

Pickup_man > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 03/01/2018 at 17:55

0

Hard disagree on the F-150, I think the face lift improved the look of it dramatically. The grill is no longer massively over sized and actually works with the front end of the truck. The biggest problem with the old grille was that it just dropped straight down and ended in a hard corner. The Raptor has smoothed chamfered corners which make it look much better, but not as good as the face lifted trucks IMO.

I’d also place the Ram higher because it’s still easy to find one without the buck tooth grille and for a 10 year old design it still looks really good.

The rest of the list I generally agree with.

Mid Engine > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 03/01/2018 at 18:17

0

I bought a 2018 SR5 like this on Presidents Day

It has everything I need, and a doesn’t have bunch of options I don’t want on a truck.

John-Palazzo > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 03/01/2018 at 18:20

2

How does it feel like? Being completely wrong?

DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! > John-Palazzo 03/01/2018 at 18:29

1

Kinda like

boxrocket > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 03/01/2018 at 23:12

0

Counterpoint:

13: Titan

12: Silverado

11: Ridgeline (mostly the front)

10: Tundra

9: Sierra

8: Ram

7: Colorado

6: Canyon

5: Frontier (oldie but a goodie, though the Suzuki Equator looked even better)

4: Tacoma

3: F-150 non-Raptor

2: Super Duty

1: Raptor

If we use 2019+ models, the Silverado goes to the very bottom. Sierra and Ram swap places with the Colorado/Canyon twins. Ranger takes #3 spot to push the rest down. Ranger Raptor would take #3 in 2020 and push the rest down.

DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! > boxrocket 03/02/2018 at 00:05

1

I don’t understand why people find the Fords so attractive. They’re really not. But -shrug- Here’s a disagreement meme.

I hope I don’t forget to update the list later in the year with the 2019 models.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 03/02/2018 at 08:40

0

Looked at your list. None of them are really available on the Australian market and my view is that all this forbidden fruit looks as desirable as a custard apple.

boxrocket > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 03/02/2018 at 20:11

0

I think a big part of it is visual presence. The Fords have a cohesive design, look decently handsome yet highly capable, and have interesting elements that elevate the design - admittedly the 2016-2017s F-150s did this better than the 2018+ (especially the LED tubes in the lights that outlines the trailing edges of the headlamps and leading edges of the tail lamps), though the grille no longer looks like it’s meant to be entirely modular. They just look really good overall, especially compared to the competition:

The silverado looks like a squinting hodgepodge of committee-decided design elements, while the sierra looks like surprised livestock - a cow with glitter-coated eyelashes comes to mind when the front LED DRLs are on- and both have those stupid wheel well squircles. The 2014 Silverado was the best-looking truck gm has made since the 2nd-gen Avalanche, but even that suffers in comparison to the early- and mid-’90s versions.

The colorado and canyon look like “safe” trucks, that is, designed wholly not to offend. They both suffer their bigger siblings’ multitude of design elements, but pull it off better.

The Ram’s grille is dumb, and it looks cheap, dated, and the truck equivalent of overcompensating.

The Titan and Tundra look like the design staff is trying too hard but can’t quite come together on a single look, so it comes off as half-assed and mimicries of the “Big 3's” wares (mostly Ford, apparently, according to the commentariat).

The Tacoma also looks “safe”, but it still looks like a Tacoma, and it looks good all-around, even if I still can’t immediately tell if the rear is for a Tacoma or a Ridgeline. Speaking of...

The ridgeline looks good from the cab on backwards. The front absolutely ruins it. It reeks of being a “Pilot with a bed instead of a hatch” when viewed at any angle that shows the front.

The Frontier just... Is. It looked good when it came out, and still does. It’s still a good size for a truck, and it strikes a chord of being simultaneously honest, plucky, and hard-working, even if it strains at times due to the outdated powertrain.