There are many great midsize trucks, and they’re all unique in their own ways. Most people can only buy one or two cars, so it’s helpful to look at a comparison among models. For those who are looking to buy a midsize truck, here’s a look at the four that have the highest towing capacity in this model year.

The 2021 Toyota Tacoma

The midsize truck segment isn’t the biggest segment, but it is growing. Regardless, TrueCar looked at seven midsize trucks available in the U.S. and ranked them by towing capacity. The three trucks that didn’t get to the top four were the Honda Ridgeline, the Jeep Gladiator, and the Nissan Frontier.

The truck that landed in fourth place was the Tacoma. This workhorse of a Toyota is well-known and very popular for many reasons. One of them is its capabilities. As TrueCar said, it can tow up to 6,800 pounds, which is enough to land it in fourth place.

The Tacoma doesn’t do well performance-wise, but at least it’s a reliable truck. Furthermore, since it costs about $27,500, it’s about average as far as price.

The 2021 Ford Ranger

Ford’s recently revived Ranger is as capable as ever. It’s one of the most affordable brand-new pickup trucks right now with a price of about $26,300. Like the F-150, the Ranger isn’t a slouch as far as capabilities go. The Ranger can tow up to 7,500 pounds. That’s significantly more than what the Tacoma can do.

Unlike the Tacoma, the Ranger’s engine is pretty good. The Ranger has a 2.3-liter turbo charged I4, and it provides about 270 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. This is roughly the same amount of horsepower that the Tacoma’s V6 gets, but significantly more torque. TrueCar said that the Ranger’s engine was “smooth and powerful.” 

In comparison, TrueCar wrote that Tacoma’s V6 “lacks performance and efficiency.” As far as efficiency goes, it’s not a big deal since they’re both trucks, but the Ranger’s I4 does provide a better fuel economy. TrueCar said that the Ranger gets 20 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on highways. The Tacoma gets 18 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on highways.

The 2021 GMC Canyon and Chevy Colorado

The GMC Canyon and the Chevy Colorado were in first and second place. Since GM makes both trucks, they are both largely the same. GM allowed GMC and Chevy to change things up a bit, in addition to the obvious branding differences. According to TrueCar, the Colorado cost over $1,000 less than the Canyon. The Canyon has “a more premium look and high-end features.“

The Colorado starts at about $26,400, while the Canyon starts at around $28,000. This means that the Colorado is slightly more expensive than the Ranger, while the Canyon has a more average price tag. Since they’re both made by GM, they both have the same engine options. According to TrueCar, the Canyon and the Colorado can tow up to 7,700 pounds when properly equipped.

The performance ultimately depends on the engine. Their max towing capacity comes courtesy of GM’s turbodiesel engine. GM also offers a V6 option, and while it’ll tow a bit less, it’ll offer a lot more horsepower than the turbo diesel.