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The 2018 Best Half-Ton Truck Challenge Is Here!

img434529591 1542036750408 jpg 2018 Best Half-Ton Truck Challenge competitors | Cars.com photo by Christian Lantry

Our compatriots at PickupTrucks.com got together recently in Nashville, Tenn., to test five of the newest half-ton trucks on the market and find out which one is best. The competitors were the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 High Country; 2018 Ford F-150 Lariat; 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 SLT; 2019 Nissan Titan Pro-4X; and 2019 Ram 1500 Limited. Three trucks — the Chevrolet, GMC and Ram — were all completely redesigned for the 2019 model year, and the Nissan received a mild refresh. The Ford, meanwhile, is the sales leader in the class.

Related: Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss or Ram Rebel? Pick Your Pickup Poison

Shop the 2018 Ford F-150 near you

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2018 Ford F-150
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2018 Ford F-150 Platinum
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Each one of the trucks has a fuller preview on PickupTrucks.com, where you can find out details regarding redesigns and how each truck was equipped for testing. Importantly, there was no price cap; rather, each manufacturer was invited to send what it believed was its “best” truck. That could mean a top trim level, like the Chevrolet and Ram, a mid-level trim like the Ford and GMC, or even an off-road-focused trim like the Nissan.

Testing involved taking all five trucks to Music City Raceway just outside Nashville for loaded and unloaded acceleration and braking tests; hauling 6,000-pound trailers up and down the Tennessee and Kentucky hills, and regular street-driving loops to learn what the trucks were like as daily drivers.

Related: We Let the 2018 Toyota Tundra Fight the 2018 Toyota Tacoma

Judges for the test included PickupTrucks.com Editor Mark Williams, Cars.com Reviewer Aaron Bragman and automotive journalism veteran Andy Mikonis. You can find the results on PickupTrucks.com here right now.

Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.

Brian Normile
Road Test Editor Brian Normile joined the automotive industry and Cars.com in 2013, and he became part of the Editorial staff in 2014. Brian spent his childhood devouring every car magazine he got his hands on — not literally, eventually — and now reviews and tests vehicles to help consumers make informed choices. Someday, Brian hopes to learn what to do with his hands when he’s reviewing a car on camera. He would daily-drive an Alfa Romeo 4C if he could.
Email Brian Normile

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