What Are the Best Used Pickup Trucks Under $30,000?

Despite their humble, working-class image, pickup trucks are now some of the most expensive mass-market vehicles on the road. The ability to option them to the nines can drive them into contention for our Luxury Vehicle of the Year award, but that isn’t great for your wallet. So, what do you do if you just need a decent pickup for not a lot of cash? They’re out there, especially if you’re willing to let some other buyer take the initial depreciation hit. Here are our picks for the best used pickups under $30,000.

Related: What Are the Best Used Cars for $20,000?

For this list, we examined Cars.com’s used-vehicle data as of May 2025 and searched for examples of trucks whose median listed prices came in under $30,000. We excluded trucks older than the 2013 model year and whose median mileage was over 100,000 miles, as we wanted to find examples with plenty of life left.

We also looked for trucks that have solid safety scores from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Trucks may have a higher rollover risk than their lower-riding road mates, but there are some safer standouts at this price point. We also want to find reliable examples that are easy to live with, so we looked for trucks with high reliability marks from J.D. Power’s U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study as well as decent ratings from Cars.com shoppers. Lastly, there’s our own gut check: Did we, the Cars.com staff, also like this truck?

Our choices below include all body styles and powertrains available for a given model, and all fuel-economy data are sourced from the EPA. Click the links below each section to find out everything you need to know about each pickup we’ve highlighted, including model-year differences, trim levels and features.

Best Used Pickups Under $30,000

Here are our top picks that meet all the criteria and fall under $30,000:

• 2022-23 Hyundai Santa Cruz
• 2022-23 Ford Maverick
• 2017-20 Honda Ridgeline
• 2017-18 Toyota Tacoma
• 2020-21 Ford Ranger
• 2020-22 Chevrolet Colorado
• 2017-18 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
• 2018-19 Ford F-150

What Are the Best Used Compact Trucks?

2022-23 Hyundai Santa Cruz

• Type: Four-door unibody crew cab
• Median price: $25,000-$27,000
• EPA combined fuel economy: 22-23 mpg
• Safety awards: Top Safety Pick (2022 with specific headlights)

If you just need a small bed to keep your interior tidy, consider the funky Hyundai Santa Cruz. Though Hyundai may not want to call it a pickup — its preferred term is “Sport Adventure Vehicle” — pretty much anyone with eyes sees it as a spiritual successor to car-truck hybrids like the Subaru Baja or Brat. We love its nimble carlike handling and easy-to-live-with compact size, plus it comes with stellar safety ratings. The Santa Cruz is available with front- or all-wheel drive and two powertrain choices: a 191-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine mated to a traditional eight-speed automatic transmission, or a 281-hp turbocharged version of that engine mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic. The idea of a sportscar-like dual-clutch transmission in a pickup is pretty mind-blowing, but that makes it a great option for those not wanting to sacrifice fun to haul mulch. Despite being the smallest vehicle on this list by a long shot, it can still tow up to 5,000 pounds with AWD. Not all of the Santa Cruz’s features won us over, such as its smaller backseat and touch-sensitive controls, but it’s a small price to pay if this unique vehicle speaks to you.

Research Hyundai Santa Cruz model years, details and reviews.

2022-23 Ford Maverick

• Type: Four-door unibody crew cab
• Median price: $26,500-$28,000
• EPA combined fuel economy: 21-37 mpg

Like the Santa Cruz, the Ford Maverick debuted for 2022 as yet another option for folks who crave a smaller, nimbler truck. Early models are now quite reasonable, and that feels like a steal given it won our Best Pickup Truck honors for both 2022 and 2023 as well as our overall Best of the Year award in 2022. We liked it so much that we even picked one up as a long-term test vehicle. With up to 4,000 pounds of towing capacity, the Maverick tows a bit less than the Santa Cruz, but it somewhat makes up for that with a larger bed that has 12-volt power and slots to carry lumber. Its 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid powertrain is another highlight, with up to 37 mpg combined — yes, in a pickup. While that was plenty peppy for us, a 250-hp, turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder is available for Maverick buyers who want AWD, that maximum tow rating or a bit more power for these model years.

Research Ford Maverick model years, details and reviews.

What Are the Best Used Mid-Size Trucks?

2017-20 Honda Ridgeline

• Type: Four-door unibody crew cab
• Median price: $21,000-$28,000
• EPA combined fuel economy: 21-22 mpg
• Safety awards: Top Safety Pick+ (2017 with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights), Top Safety Pick (2018-20 with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights)

The Honda Ridgeline is the most decorated vehicle on this list when it comes to safety awards, nabbing at least a Top Safety Pick from IIHS for every year we’ve picked for this list as well as five-star overall crash ratings from NHTSA. While this isn’t an off-road superstar, it scores well in reliability surveys. It’s also much less punishing on the road than its body-on-frame counterparts, offering more nimble handling and a comfier, quieter ride. Like the other unibody pickups on this list so far, the Ridgeline comes with a choice of FWD or AWD, with the latter packing a respectable 5,000 pounds of towing capacity. A 280-hp V-6 engine comes standard, and while you won’t have the usual off-road goodies like a true low range, the Ridgeline’s torque-vectoring system comes in handy when you do venture onto the soft stuff. Look for higher-spec variants in earlier years if you want additional safety tech, as the full Honda Sensing suite of safety and driver assists (which includes things like adaptive cruise control, lane departure steering assist, lane-centering steering and automatic emergency braking) didn’t become standard until 2020.

Research Honda Ridgeline model years, details and reviews.

2017-18 Toyota Tacoma

• Type: Body-on-frame crew cab or extended cab
• Median price: $27,500-$29,000
• EPA combined fuel economy: 18-21 mpg

If you want to venture farther off the pavement, it’s hard to beat the Toyota Tacoma, which comes with solid reliability and safety scores and up to 6,800 pounds of towing capacity that makes it as practical as it is rugged. A more capable, off-road-oriented TRD Pro trim was introduced for 2017 and added extra crawl-ready goods, like an extra inch of ground clearance, Fox internal bypass shocks, an aluminum skid plate, all-terrain tires and LED foglights. Available with rear- or four-wheel drive, a 159-hp four-cylinder or 278-hp V-6 engine, a manual or automatic transmission, and in trims ranging from bare-bones to extra plush, there’s a flavor of Taco for everyone. The 2018 model year also made more safety and driver-assist features standard, including lane departure alert, adaptive cruise control and forward collision avoidance with pedestrian detection.

Research Toyota Tacoma model years, details and reviews.

2020-21 Ford Ranger

• Type: Body-on-frame crew cab or extended cab
• Median price: $27,000-$29,500
• EPA combined fuel economy: 18-23 mpg

The Ford Ranger was once the standard for a good, small truck, and while it grew in size with its 2019 comeback to the U.S. market, it also remained a competent choice among its competitors. The Ranger came with a turbo 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine and 10-speed automatic transmission that put 270 hp and 310 pounds-feet of torque to the ground, but our reviewers actually found it to be smoother and more responsive than those offered in competing trucks at the time (including the Tacoma mentioned above). It’s also a practical choice for hauling a trailer, with up to 7,500 pounds of towing capacity, and the 2020 model gained an available forward collision warning system. While the interior felt dated for its time, it’s still a capable truck that’s more fun to drive than you’d expect.

Research Ford Ranger model years, details and reviews.

2020-22 Chevrolet Colorado

• Type: Body-on-frame crew cab or extended cab pickup
• Median price: $23,500-$28,000
• EPA combined fuel economy: 17-23 mpg

If you’d rather have a mid-size truck with a torquey diesel engine, the Chevrolet Colorado has your back, offering a turbo-diesel 2.8-liter four-cylinder that cranks out 181 hp and a whopping 369 pounds-feet of torque. Out of the mid-size pickups on this list, the Colorado is our pick for hauling, as it has up to 7,700 pounds of towing capacity with the diesel engine and a hitch guidance system that makes lining up to a trailer a tad easier. Those who don’t need peak trailering performance can also choose from two gasoline-fueled engines: a 200-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder and a 308-hp, 3.6-liter V-6. We’re also big fans of this generation of Colorado in general, as it scored Best Pickup honors from us when it debuted for 2015 as well as in 2018, when we were impressed by its off-road-ready ZR2 trim. Later Colorados have much higher reliability scores and lower mileage, though, so that’s why they got our pick here.

Research Chevrolet Colorado model years, details and reviews.

What Are the Best Used Full-Size Trucks?

2017-18 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

• Type: Body-on-frame crew cab, extended cab or regular cab
• Median price: $24,000-$26,000
• EPA combined fuel economy: 17-20 mpg (excluding when running on E85)

The final model years of the previous-generation Chevrolet Silverado 1500 hit a sweet spot for us, with solid reliability scores, five-star NHTSA overall safety scores and overall comfort. These trucks also offered a ton of great features, including a choice of 7- or 8- inch touchscreens, 4G LTE in-car Wi-Fi (standard on all but the work truck), Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and numerous ways to keep items charged up that included a household AC outlet and wireless phone charging pad. More importantly, it’s capable of doing truck stuff, with a maximum payload capacity of 2,250 pounds and maximum towing capacity of 12,500 pounds. We were especially impressed by the smooth operation of its available eight-speed automatic transmission even when towing, and these two years offer a wide variety of engines, including a 4.3-liter gas V-6, 5.3-liter gas V-8 and 6.2-liter gas V-8. Those looking for max torque, however, should consider the turbo-diesel 6.6-liter V-8, which cranks out 445 hp and 910 pounds-feet of torque.

Research Chevrolet Silverado 1500 model years, details and reviews.

2018-19 Ford F-150

• Type: Body-on-frame crew cab, extended cab or regular cab
• Median price: $26,000-$29,000
• EPA combined fuel economy: 18-25 mpg (excluding when running on E85)
• Safety awards: Top Safety Pick (2018 with optional front crash prevention)

The Ford F-150 is popular for a reason: It’s just a good truck. The 2018 and 2019 models also come in a mind-boggling array of configurations, with trims ranging from the utilitarian XL to the luxury Limited and a choice of five different V-6 engines (including a turbo-diesel 3.0-liter) and a 5.0-liter V-8. We’ve also been big fans of the high-performance Raptor from the start, which is specially tuned for blasting through the desert. The 10-speed automatic transmission is especially smooth, as is the ride. One of our reviewers even compared the interior quality on the more luxury-oriented trims to that of an entry-level BMW. The F-150 also has a five-star overall safety score from NHTSA on the crew cab and safety options that weren’t always offered on half tons of this era, such as forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking (which became standard for 2019), blind spot monitoring, lane departure steering assist and adaptive cruise control. As for towing and payload, the F-150 offers up to 13,200 pounds and 3,270 pounds, respectively. If there’s a truckin’ need, there’s an F-150 for it.

Research Ford F-150 model years, details and reviews.

More From Cars.com:

• What Are the Best Used Cars for $15,000?
• What Are the Best Used Cars for $10,000?
• Are Certified Pre-Owned Cars Worth It?
• What Is a Pre-Purchase Car Inspection?
• How to Buy a Car, According to Cars.com Experts

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