The 2018 Best Half-Ton Truck Challenge Is Here!

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

By Brian Normile

November 12, 2018

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.

Used

2018 Ford F-150 Lariat

113,832 mi.

$26,988

Great Deal | $2,749 under

Used

2018 Ford F-150 XLT

94,386 mi.

$26,500 $500 price drop

Good Deal

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.

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.

Road Test Editor Brian Normile joined the automotive industry and Cars.com in 2013 and 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, and to turn his 2021 Hyundai Veloster N into a tribute to the great Renault mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive hatchbacks. He would daily-drive an Alfa Romeo 4C if he could. Email Brian Normile