2009 Pickup Truck Best Bets

To qualify as a Cars.com Best Bet, pickup trucks must meet two quantified criteria: an Acceptable or better rating in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety frontal-offset and side-impact crash tests, and average or better reliability ratings. While above-average mileage will be noted among the Best Bets for pickups, this class has no mileage requirement.

2009 Best Bets: Pickup Trucks
Pickups are listed in alphabetical order by their class: compact and full-size.
Compact Pickup Trucks
	Honda Ridgeline	$28,200 - $34,180
	The Ridgeline hasn't caught on with traditional pickup truck buyers, but many positive attributes set it apart from the rest: Rated well above average, it's the most reliable pickup truck on the market; it has the top crash-test ratings in IIHS' Large Pickups category; and though it's neither as large nor as capable as other large models, its mileage is better than some small pickups. It's also the only pickup with secure trunk-like storage under its bed.
	Toyota Tacoma	$15,170 - $27,075
	The only small pickup with standard side-impact airbags, the Tacoma is also the only one with Good crash-test ratings across the board. The capable Tacoma is also among the most fuel-efficient pickups, and it has exhibited above-average reliability.
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Full-Size Pickups
	Ford F-150	$21,565 - $36,100
	The top-selling F-150 is going strong after some 2009 upgrades, which included handy optional steps for accessing the cargo bed. Also new was an across-the-line mileage improvement that made it the most efficient fully capable full-size pickup. Its reliability has been average with four-wheel drive and above average with rear-wheel drive. Crash tests are Good across the board.
	Toyota Tundra	$22,490 - $41,605
	After a brief period of spotty reliability, the Tundra V-8 is back in the Cars.com Best Bets. The V-6 model has been exceptionally reliable. Though it trails the other Best Bet pickups in mileage, it's only by a slim margin, and its crash tests are ranked just below the others but still in the Good range, making it one of IIHS' Top Safety Picks.
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To Be Determined?

Because they have not yet been crash-tested, the following models are not Best Bets. Because missing crash-test results are all that's holding them back, these trucks still have a chance to earn the distinction.

• Chevrolet Avalanche
• GMC Sierra
• Nissan Frontier