Some trucks get things done, while others leave you wanting more. Do you know which full-size truck you should buy? The half-ton truck market offers six different models. Some have several powertrains, others offer various bed and cab configurations, while some reach into luxury levels for posh driving experiences. It might surprise you to learn which trucks fall to the bottom of the pile when reviewed by experts.

Which trucks make up the full-size half-ton truck market?

The models occupying this area of the market are:

• Ford F-150
• Chevy Silverado 1500
• GMC Sierra 1500
• Ram 1500
• Nissan Titan
• Toyota Tundra

We are leaving out the Rivian R1T because the experts haven’t reviewed it yet. More models will be occupying this space in the future, with the Ford F-150 Lightning, which is already on sale, along with the Chevy Silverado EV and Ram EV Truck arriving over the next couple of years.

What do the experts say?

Rather than just take our word for it, we offer you a pair of respected expert reports providing the rankings desired. According to U. S. News and World Report, the trucks on this list rank from best to worst in this order:

• Ram 1500
• Ford F-150
• Toyota Tundra
• GMC Sierra 1500
• Chevy Silverado 1500
• Nissan Titan

Turning to Consumer Reports, the half-ton truck market ranks out from best to worst as:

• Ram 1500
• Ford F-150
• Nissan Titan
• Chevy Silverado 1500
• GMC Sierra 1500

Consumer Reports had not tested the Toyota Tundra at the time of the rankings. It’s in testing and could find its way above the Nissan Titan once the testing has finished.

Why is the Nissan Titan ranked at the bottom by US News?

Even though the Nissan Titan brings a solid standard V8 engine and plenty of standard features, this full-size truck has some drawbacks. Those items include:

• Low-rent interior materials
• Low tow rating for the class
• Fewer powertrain and body configurations than other models

Why does Consumer Reports rank the GM trucks so low?

Both the Silverado and Sierra earn low scores from CR. The most glaring issue for both trucks, which share almost everything, is the predicted reliability scores. This category shows these two trucks receiving only one out of five, which is a serious red flag.

Other concerns with these two half-ton pickups include the fuel mileage, step-in height, and stopping distance for the diesel models. The predicted reliability is the most glaring problem for GM trucks.

Why could the GM models face predicted reliability problems?

The GM pair received low scores for reliability in 2021 and have a history of engine problems. The previous generations of the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra were known for several problems which are:

• Hard shifting
• Jerking
• Downshifting troubles

While these are only a few of the issues, none of them is something you want to experience when pulling a heavy load.

Which truck should you buy?

If you’re looking for a new pickup and trust expert advice, you’ll want to stick to either the Ram 1500 or Ford F-150. These are the top-rated trucks in the market. If you consider the Nissan Titan, Chevy Silverado, or GMC Sierra, you’ll want to weigh the pros and cons to ensure you’re getting what you want from these trucks.

Next, check out a Ram vs Ford towing battle, or watch the worst full-size truck rankings in the video below:

This article was updated on 8/9/2022