Here Are the 10 Cheapest Pickup Trucks You Can Buy Right Now
Pickup trucks are the bestselling vehicles for a number of reasons, drawing a diverse crowd of customers. Some shoppers need to tow trailers or haul bulky work supplies, while others like the convenience of a cargo bed for the occasional home improvement project or weekend camping trip.
The increasing popularity of pickup trucks as daily drivers is likely a contributing factor to the rising costs of new vehicles, except not all pickups have to break the bank. We’ve compiled a list below of the 10 most affordable models as of April 2025, ranging from small to full-size, to help shoppers select the right vehicle for their driving needs and budget.
Related: Best Pickup Truck of 2025
What Are the Pros of Small and Mid-Size Pickup Trucks?
When it comes to pickup truck affordability, “small” is the name of the game. Leading the pack of cheapest pickup trucks are the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz. While not traditional, these compact unibody pickups balance affordability, fuel efficiency, and just enough towing and hauling prowess to satisfy most weekend warriors. Shoppers who require more space or capability can skip to the mid-size variants like the Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma to tackle bigger jobs without busting their truck-shopping budget.
What Are the Pros of Full-Size Pickup Trucks?
For those who need the towing or hauling capabilities of a full-size pickup, two options make the list of most affordable pickups: the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500.
A couple of base variants start near $40,000, which is a bit lower than the average new-vehicle list price. However, starting prices for trucks often don’t reflect how much a typical shopper really pays; to paint a more comprehensive picture, we also list each model’s median listing price among Cars.com dealers as of March 2025 (median prices reflect all available trim levels).
All starting prices listed below include the destination charge but not any cash incentives or taxes. As fuel prices remain volatile, a pickup’s efficiency should also be an important consideration: The EPA-estimated fuel economy rating is included within each vehicle’s description to assist with estimating ownership costs.
Cheapest New Pickup Trucks
1. 2025 Ford Maverick XL: $28,590
2. 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz SE: $30,200
3. 2025 Toyota Tacoma SR: $33,085
4. 2025 Nissan Frontier S: $33,560
5. 2025 Chevrolet Colorado WT: $33,595
6. 2025 Ford Ranger XL: $34,675
7. 2025 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 WT: $39,195
8. 2025 Ford F-150 XL: $39,445
9. 2025 Jeep Gladiator Sport: $40,095
10. 2025 GMC Canyon Elevation: $40,095
1. 2025 Ford Maverick XL
Starting price: $28,590 (including $1,595 destination)
Cars.com median listing price: $36,419
The Maverick is the Blue Oval’s most affordable pickup, slotting under the mid-size Ranger. For 2025, the Maverick received freshened styling, new tech features and the availability of all-wheel drive with the hybrid powertrain. The 191-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid powertrain is standard; it’s mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission and comes with either standard front-wheel drive or optional AWD.
Fuel economy is a plus point, with the hybrid Maverick getting a combined EPA rating of 38 mpg with FWD and 37 mpg with AWD. The optional 250-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder is mated to an eight-speed automatic and AWD only; it gets up to an EPA-rated 25 mpg combined.
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2. 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz SE
Starting price: $30,200 ($1,450 destination)
Cars.com median listing price: $34,730
Hyundai may have labeled the Santa Cruz a “sport adventure vehicle” instead of a pickup, but the model features a cargo bed, a maximum towing capacity of 3,500 pounds for the base SE trim and an affordable price tag to earn itself a second-place spot on this list. For 2025, the Santa Cruz received a refresh inside and out, new safety tech, and standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The Santa Cruz comes with a base 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that’s good for 191 hp and is mated to an eight-speed automatic; a more potent 281-hp turbocharged version of the same engine with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic is available on higher trims. The SE trim level’s non-turbo engine gets an EPA-rated 25 mpg combined with standard FWD or 24 mpg with optional AWD.
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3. 2025 Toyota Tacoma SR
Starting price: $33,085 ($1,495 destination)
Cars.com median listing price: $47,291
For 2025, the Tacoma rolls into a new model year largely unchanged save for some equipment changes. The SR trim comes with the Tacoma’s base engine, which is a 228-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder; it gets an EPA-rated 23 mpg combined with rear-wheel drive and 21 mpg with four-wheel drive. A hybrid i-Force Max turbo 2.4-liter four-cylinder is optional on higher trims and boosts output to 326 hp and 465 pounds-feet of torque; it gets up to 23 mpg combined with 4WD. Both powertrains can be paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The gas-only four-cylinder can also be had with a six-speed manual and 4WD; variants with this setup make 270 hp and 310 pounds-feet of torque and get 20 mpg combined.
The Tacoma’s standard engine coupled with the eight-speed automatic offers the model’s highest towing capacity of 6,500 pounds, per Toyota’s estimates, while the hybrid powertrain can pull up to 6,000 pounds.
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4. 2025 Nissan Frontier S
Starting price: $33,560 ($1,510 destination)
Cars.com median listing price: $40,661
Nissan’s mid-size pickup lands on the list of cheapest pickups with a starting price that hovers just above the $33,000 mark. The base S trim is available as a two-door King Cab with four seats or a four-door crew cab with five seats.
For 2025, the Frontier gets refreshed styling, greater towing capacity and wider availability of the 6-foot cargo bed. Also newly standard is blind spot warning, rear parking sensors and adaptive cruise control.
All trims are powered by a 3.8-liter V-6, which is good for 310 hp and 281 pounds-feet of torque; it pairs with a nine-speed automatic transmission and comes with standard RWD or available 4WD. In the base S trim with RWD, the Frontier gets an EPA-estimated 21 mpg combined; that configuration also enables the Frontier to tow a maximum of 7,150 pounds with a payload of 1,590 pounds.
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5. 2025 Chevrolet Colorado WT
Starting price: $33,595 ($1,695 destination)
Cars.com median listing price: $43,974
Shoppers searching for a more conventional pickup truck that still offers a prudent price tag can move up to a mid-size option like the Chevy Colorado WT. All trim levels of the Colorado are available only as four-door crew cabs with a short cargo box. For 2025, the Colorado gets minor updates.
Under the hood of the WT is a newly standard turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 310 hp and 430 pounds-feet of torque; it is EPA-rated 20 mpg combined with standard RWD and 19 mpg with optional 4WD. The Colorado has a towing capacity of 7,700 pounds when properly equipped.
Inside, the WT’s standard features include an 11.3-inch touchscreen, an 11-inch digital instrument panel, a Google operating system, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Standard safety tech includes forward collision detection with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, lane departure warning and lane departure steering assist.
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6. 2025 Ford Ranger XL
Starting price: $34,675 ($1,595 destination)
Cars.com median listing price: $45,824
If the Maverick is a tad too small and the F-150 is a smidge too big, the mid-size Ford Ranger may be your Goldilocks pickup. The Ranger continues into the 2025 model year mostly unchanged; it gets a new Black Appearance Package and new paint colors. The base 2025 Ranger XL comes as a four-door SuperCrew that seats five and offers a 5-foot bed.
A 270-hp, turbocharged 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine is standard and makes 310 pounds-feet of torque; it’s paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission and RWD, and 4WD is available. With RWD, the Ranger gets an EPA-rated 23 mpg combined; official EPA ratings for the 2025 model with 4WD are not yet available, but the 2024 model got an EPA-rated 22 mpg.
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7. 2025 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 WT
Starting price: $39,195 ($2,195 destination)
Cars.com median listing price: $55,712
The Chevrolet Silverado 1500’s base WT trim comes in thousands of dollars below the average new-vehicle price tag. That price covers the two-door regular cab with space for three and a standard bed configuration; a four-door double cab or crew cab, both of which seat six, are also available. For 2025, the WT gets standard cruise control; other Silverado trims get minor updates.
The base WT comes with a standard turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine good for 310 hp and 430 pounds-feet of torque and an eight-speed automatic transmission; a 355-hp, 5.3-liter V-8 is available and is paired with a 10-speed automatic. RWD is standard for all WT variants, and 4WD is optional. The maximum towing capacity for the Silverado 1500 WT comes in the 5.3-liter V-8-equipped versions, which can pull up to 9,900 pounds. Silverado 1500s with the 2.7-liter four-cylinder under the hood get up to an EPA-rated 19 mpg combined, which drops to 18 mpg for V-8-powered variants.
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8. 2025 Ford F-150 XL
Starting price: $39,445 ($1,995 destination)
Cars.com median listing price: $68,157
A long-standing top seller, the Ford F-150 is highly adaptable to all sorts of work environments. A 325-hp, twin-turbocharged 2.7-liter V-6 paired with a 10-speed automatic serves as the F-150’s base powertrain. It is rated to tow up to 8,400 pounds and has a maximum payload of 1,775 pounds. The 2.7-liter gets an EPA-rated 19/25/21 mpg with RWD; official EPA ratings for the 2025 model with the 2.7-liter and 4WD are not yet available, but the 2024 model got an EPA-rated 18/23/20 mpg.
The F-150 can also be had with a 400-hp, twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6; a naturally aspirated 400-hp, 5.0-liter V-8; a 430-hp, full-hybrid powertrain with a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6; the Raptor’s 450-hp version of the twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6; or the Raptor R’s 720-hp, supercharged 5.2-liter V-8. RWD is standard, and 4WD is optional.
The F-150 remains one of the most affordable rigs on the market when you opt for the base XL trim. The pickup’s starting price gets you the two-door regular cab that seats up to three; a two-door extended cab and four-door crew cab that each seat five are optional. A variety of bed sizes ranging from 5.5 feet to 8 feet are available.
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9. 2025 Jeep Gladiator Sport
Starting price: $40,095 ($1,995 destination)
Cars.com median listing price: $46,467
The Jeep Gladiator is a rough-and-tumble mid-size pickup truck that uses the rugged Wrangler SUV as its base. Under the hood is a 285-hp, 3.6-liter V-6 that comes exclusively with an eight-speed automatic transmission. (Jeep officially jettisoned the previously standard six-speed manual gearbox for the 2025 model year.) The 2025 Gladiator gets an EPA-rated 17/22/19 mpg city/highway/combined.
True to the brand’s off-road roots, the Gladiator comes standard with solid front and rear axles, 4WD, a two-speed transfer case and 32-inch all-terrain tires. A removable soft top gives the Gladiator an extra air of adventure. For pickup truck buyers who intend to go off-roading with any regularity, the Gladiator makes a very strong case for itself.
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10. 2025 GMC Canyon Elevation
Starting price: $40,095 ($1,695 destination)
Cars.com median listing price: $47,591
The GMC Canyon, a cousin of the Chevy Colorado, also saw a redesign for 2023 with a new engine, more off-road capability and a higher price tag. For 2025, the Canyon gets a new AT4 Nightfall Edition and minor available equipment updates.
Like the Colorado, all Canyon variants are only available with a four-door crew-cab configuration and a short bed. A turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine is standard across all trims and makes 310 hp and 430 pounds-feet of torque. The base Elevation variant comes with standard RWD or available 4WD. With RWD, the Canyon gets an EPA-rated 20 mpg combined; 4WD bumps down fuel economy slightly to 19 mpg. The Canyon’s towing and payload capacities top out at 7,700 and 1,640 pounds, respectively.
Inside, the Canyon Elevation shares many features with the base Colorado: An 11.3-inch touchscreen display with a Google-based operating system and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity are standard, along with an 11-inch digital gauge cluster. Standard safety tech includes forward collision alert with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane departure warning, lane departure steering assist and automatic high beams.
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More From Cars.com:
- Pickup Truck Buying Guide: How Much Truck Do You Need?
- 5 Tips for First-Time Pickup Buyers
- 5 Questions for Finding the Best Pickup for You
- Top Tips for Buying a Used Pickup
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