10 OF THE COOLEST TRUCKS WE'VE DRIVEN IN 2024

At SlashGear, we have a full ensemble of automotive devotees who eagerly anticipate any new vehicle review. It's no secret that we love to drive, particularly when given the keys to a new model, but what makes us even more enthusiastic about our job is sharing our driving impressions with you. This year, we had the chance to drive quite a few pickup trucks and came out impressed with most of them.

In this piece, we'll give you the coolest trucks we've driven in 2024. Some are cool because they continue to push physics' laws by accelerating as hard as a supercar, others because they offer utility for the same price as a compact crossover. We didn't forget about off-road enthusiasts, either -- overlanding is more popular than ever before, and rugged all-terrain trucks seem to be most fit for that purpose. So, from compact yet crafty pickups to tire-chirping overpowered monsters, here are our most impressive truck rides of 2024!

2024 Ford Maverick

Looking for a vehicle that will satisfy your utility needs and haul your family on a budget? You should then put the affordable, EcoBoost-powered 2024 Ford Maverick on your shortlist. Sure, Ford's compact crossover pickup won't wow you with a V8 burble, nor will it be imposing on the street. However, you will enjoy less frequent gas pump visits -- 29 mpg on our test -- and you'll be able to park it in tighter spaces. Make no mistake, although it shares the crossover platform with the Escape, the Maverick is a very popular utility among businesses.

Even if you don't need it to haul heavy cargo, the Maverick will prove to be very useful. For instance, you won't need bike racks, as the bed is big enough to accommodate adult bicycles. Alternatively, it can easily accommodate all your camping gear, thanks to its 1,500 pound payload capacity. The cabin is roomy enough for four adult passengers, too, though you won't be as comfortable as in a larger pickup truck. As for towing, the Maverick can handle up to 4,000 pounds with the Max Tow Package, which is slightly short of Hyundai Santa Cruz's 5,000 pounds.

As for the driving experience, don't expect it to wow you. Even so, thanks to its crossover roots, the Maverick is predictable in the corners, with minimal body roll. Meanwhile, the 250 hp, 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine hiding inside the hood is quite peppy and can be equipped with an optional AWD. Another option is the FWD-only, 191 hp hybrid, which is rated at an impressive 40 mpg for city driving.

2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro

With the brand-new fourth-gen Tacoma launched in 2023, Toyota made significant changes to its archaic mid-size truck. Gone is the 3.5 liter V6, and in its place, a new turbocharged 2.4 liter four-cylinder, producing up to 326 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque in hybrid form. It's a far more potent powertrain, and combined with the TRD Pro package, it makes the 2024 Toyota Tacoma a true off-road king. Despite the electric motor sandwiched between the engine and eight-speed automatic, it's a thirsty truck -- we only got 17 mpg after a week of mixed driving.

What the 2024 Tacoma TRD Pro lacks in efficiency, it compensates for in other areas. The TRD Pro model possesses quite a few tricks to be an outstanding off-roader, like a two inch suspension lift, 33-inch Goodyear Territory 265/70R18 R/T tires, 2.5-inch Fox Internal Bypass QS3 shocks with adjustable compression, Stabilizer Disconnect mechanism, and an electronically locking rear differential. In the real world, this translates to a very smooth ride, aided significantly by the IsoDynamic seats. The rugged-looking front chairs have their own adjustable shock absorbers, providing excellent ride refinement, even on some uneven off-road surfaces.

The rest of the cabin also looks very rugged, almost to a fault. Still, the quality is good, and you can enjoy your Apple CarPlay/Android Auto apps on a 14-inch center screen. Rear passengers won't be as comfortable, though, as the IsoDynamic seats eat quite a lot of knee room. At least they don't reduce the utility of the Tacoma TRD Pro, as it can tow up to 6,000 pounds.

2024 Chevrolet Silverado HD ZR2 Bison

Mid-size and full-size trucks are more capable than ever before, but for maximum utility, heavy-duty trucks still have their place. In the heavy-duty world, diesel power is still the king, evident in the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado HD ZR2 Bison — a tow star that packs 975 lb-ft of torque. The 6.6-liter V8 turbodiesel is definitely the star of the show here, providing the Silverado HD with some serious oomph for hauling and towing.

The Silverado HD shines in other areas, too. That's particularly true if you opt for the ZR2 package, which gets you 35-inch mud-terrain tires and Multimatic DSSV shock dampers. The aggressive tires can be noisy, though the diesel powertrain acts as noise cancelation. Meanwhile, the new shocks, aided by the independent front suspension, provide spectacular handling on paved and unpaved roads, with excellent body control, differentiating the Silverado HD ZR2 from its competitors. Unfortunately, the downside is a bumpy ride, particularly on choppy pavement, where the shocks strain to handle the truck's huge 8,495 pound weight.

Apart from the less refined ride, the Silverado HD ZR2 Bison is an easy truck to live with. The engine pulls strongly from the get-go and remains potent on the highway, while the truck is surprisingly straightforward to drive around town thanks to the suite of high-definition cameras. Moreover, the Bison package adds protective parts developed in collaboration with American Expedition Vehicles (AEV), which are useful when off-roading. Still, the ZR2 and Bison packages bring the price to a mind-numbing $95,680, making the $69,600 entry-level Silverado 2500 a much better deal.

2024 Toyota Tundra Platinum

We've long ridiculed Toyota's hybrid powertrains for being too slow and only designed for fuel efficiency. However, the company's latest hybrids for trucks are quite the opposite, with the 2024 Toyota Tundra Platinum being quick and practical but thirsty. The 3.4 liter twin-turbo V6, accompanied by a 48 hp electric motor and a 10-speed automatic transmission, is the sort of powertrain you'd want in a luxurious full-size truck. It's punchy, thanks to its massive 583 lb-ft of torque and with 437 horses on tap it makes you forget the previous generation had a V8.

The hybrid powertrain helps in other areas, providing the 2024 Tundra Platinum with a practical 1,565 pound hauling capacity in its 5.5-foot bed and an 11,020-pound towing capacity. Furthermore, the Crew Max cabin we tested is highly functional, with comfortable seating for five adults and all their gadgets. Corresponding to the big cabin is a huge 14-inch touchscreen that works seamlessly with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though sadly, it requires a $15/month subscription for OEM navigation.

As for the Platinum trim, it brings all the niceties you'd expect from a modern pickup truck, including a power tilt/slide panoramic sunroof, 360-degree cameras with full panoramic view, leather-trimmed seats, 10-way adjustable driver seat with memory function, and more. The Platinum won't bring you the off-road bits from the TRD Pro or Capstone's super-luxurious cabin. Still, with a starting price of $61,775, it might be the best pick for most buyers.

2024 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X AEV Edition

GMC's trucks are marketed as a more upmarket alternative to Chevy's trucks in GM's lineup. However, the 2024 Sierra 1500 AT4X AEV Edition trades some of the plushness for ruggedness. This is obvious when you look at its commanding front end, which features a stamped steel front bumper from AEV. It can even be equipped with an optional winch — that's how serious GMC was in creating the off-road-ready GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X AEV Edition.

But you won't be paying over $88k just for the robust looks. Yup, this is an expensive truck, but at least it comes with built-in insurance, courtesy of AEV's tough skid plates and boron steel protectors for the differentials, transfer case, and fuel tank. The AT4X package also gives you a 2-inch suspension lift with Multimatic SDDV dampers and a two-speed Autotrac transfer case, giving you some real off-road abilities. Don't worry, though -- you'll still enjoy the luxury surroundings you'd come to expect from GMC as the seats are also plush, the controls are nicely laid out, the 13.4-inch infotainment is useful, and the materials are high quality.

Under the massive bonnet of our test vehicle lies a 305 hp, 3.0-liter Duramax turbodiesel engine. You might think that sounds underpowered, but with 495 lb-ft of torque it has an effortless low-end pull aided by the well-judged 10-speed auto. Unfortunately, the Sierra 1500 AT4X AEV Edition loses some on-road refinement due to the 33-inch mud tires, but as a whole, its range of talents is unique among off-road-ready pickup trucks.

2024 Rivian R1T Dual-Motor

Although they offer some mind-bending specs on paper, electric trucks are still not mainstream. Take the Rivian R1T Quad Max as an example. It's an impressive feat of engineering, with a quad-motor 1,025 hp powertrain (an 835 hp version is also available) that brings it to 60 mph in less than 2.5 seconds. Would you ever need that kind of performance in a truck, though? We reckon you wouldn't and would instead recommend the dual-motor version.

The 2024 Rivian R1T Dual-Motor is still plenty fast, yet offers a better range, making it a much better value. With a starting price of $73,000, it's still expensive but more attainable than the superfluous quad-motor version. You will still beat most sports cars at the traffic light, with the regular 533 hp dual-motor version reaching 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and the more powerful 665 hp Dual Max model doing it in 3.5 seconds.

Rivian's first foray into the truck market isn't only impressive in a straight line. It feels surefooted and capable in the corners, even in foul weather, and the height-adjustable air suspension gives it true off-road capability, especially if you opt for the All-Terrain Upgrade with 20-inch off-road tires. The R1T is comfortable over bumps, too.

Practicality is another one of R1T's strong points. It has a 4.5-foot bed, close to that of other mid-size pickup trucks, and an up to 11,000 pounds towing capacity. Unlike regular trucks, the R1T also has storage space behind the cabin and under the hood, as well as a comfortable cabin with plenty of nooks for storage.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport

The Honda Ridgeline dared to be different way before the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz were in the development stage. It's a unibody pickup truck, meaning it's closer to a crossover than a real truck. As a result, the 2024 Ridgeline TrailSport we drove had car-like dynamics and a refined ride. The General Grabber A/T Sport all-terrain tires, which come standard in the TrailSport trim, make the Ridgeline slightly noisier and less compliant, but even then, it's comfortable.

Still, Honda made sure the Ridgeline is tough by using high-strength and ultra-high-strength steel for the chassis, allowing it to tow up to 5,000 pounds and haul 1,521 pounds of payload. It's less than what the competition offers, but perhaps enough for most people. The same is true for the off-road bits of the TrailSport trim, which don't do much to make the Ridgeline competitive in the segment. The absence of low-range gearing or locking differentials means you could get stuck on more demanding terrains, and for some reason, the 2024 Ridgeline TrailSport kept the same 7.64 inch ground clearance as all other trims. A Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro, this is not.

The Ridgeline TrailSport wants to do things differently in other areas, too. Under the hood, it packs a 280 hp, naturally-aspirated 3.5 liter V6, defying the turbocharged four-cylinder game of its rivals. It's fairly mundane inside, too, with a tiny nine-inch screen in the middle. Still, with a 5.3-foot long bed and a 7.3 cu-ft lockable under-bed storage, it remains one of the most flexible mid-size pickup trucks.

2024 Ford F-150 Raptor & Tremor

The Ford F-Series has been the best-selling truck nameplate in the U.S. for almost five decades now, and that will probably not change in the foreseeable future. Not because the F-150 is the default choice but because Ford isn't ready to throw in the towel and continues to improve its full-size truck offering.

For the 2024 model year, the Blue Oval made a significant mid-life refresh, like replacing the 3.3-liter V6 base engine with a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6. Although smaller, the twin-turbo unit produces 325 hp -- 35 hp more than the predecessor. The 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 and 5.0-liter V8 also remain available, both with 400 hp, while the 3.5-liter twin-turbo hybrid produces 430 hp. The 2024 F-150's 13,500-pound towing and 2,455-pound payload capacities are also class-leading.

In our short time with the refreshed 2024 Ford F-150, we got to try the Tremor and Raptor R variants. Emme Hall, our off-road specialist, liked the 10-speed auto on the road and Tremor's high approach/departure angles that made driving on rough terrains a breeze. She praised the suspension for being smooth, too, particularly on the slow off-road sections.

Still, real off-road aficionados would probably be more interested in the Raptor R, which packs a 5.2-liter supercharged V8 producing an impressive 720 hp and 640 lb-ft of torque. This super-truck also has beefy 37-inch tires and 3.1-inch Fox Live Valve shocks, giving it unmatched stability on fast off-road sections, Baja style. Add to that a well-appointed interior, and it comes as no surprise that the F-150 remains the go-to choice for truck buyers.

2025 Ram 1500

The Hemi V8 engine has long been a staple in Ram's full-size truck offering and one of the reasons for its popularity. However, after Stellantis' acquisition things were inevitably going to change, and for the 2025 model year, the Ram 1500 will only come equipped with the parent company's new Hurricane inline-six engines. Consider it heresy at your own peril, though, because the six-cylinder units are more powerful and frugal at the same time.

The 3.0-liter twin-turbo units are available in 420 hp or 540 hp tunes and get up to 18 mpg city and 25 mpg on the highway. In our first drive of the 2025 Ram 1500, we came out impressed by the new Hurricane engines, particularly the High Output version. For those on a budget, the base 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 remains, though in 48 volt mild-hybrid form with 305 hp.

Did you know that inline-6 engines are also smoother than V8s? Yup, refinement has gone up as well. This is crucial, as the Ram 1500 was always the most refined of the bunch. The 2025 Ram 1500 also doubles down on ride comfort with an improved air suspension. You can go remote places, too, with the Rebel trim's all-terrain hardware and software making everything easier.

The cabin of the 2025 Ram 1500 got amped up, too, with an optional 14.5-inch touchscreen dominating the dashboard. Moreover, the truck now supports OTA upgrades and can be equipped with the Active Driving Assist system, which can steer, accelerate, and brake for you on specific mapped highways.

2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST First Edition

Chevrolet has been a bit late to the electric truck game, with its direct competitor, the F-150 Lightning, beating it to the market by two years. Still, the Silverado EV has a trick up its sleeve -- a 450-mile official EPA range, courtesy of a huge 205 kWh batter pack. The Silverado EV RST Edition model we drove produced a similar real-world range, with the math saying the battery would be depleted after 445 miles.

No less impressive is the 10,000 pound towing capacity, but the massive 9,119 pound curb weight definitely got us scratching our heads. It's not only because of the number -- Chevy needed to make the air suspension tauter, resulting in a less-than-stellar ride. In contrast, the stiffer suspension means less body roll, making the Silverado EV surprisingly good to drive. The WOW mode (Wide Open Watts) is the star of the show, though, as it fully milks the available AWD 754 hp and 785 lb-ft of torque. Use it, and the Silverado EV produces supercar-like acceleration, reaching 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds.

The 2024 Silverado EV isn't only about performance, though. For instance, the rear-wheel steering makes the truck much more maneuverable in tight spaces. Moreover, you can have class-leading 10'10" of longitudinal bed length using the mid-gate and Multi-Flex tailgates, along with a huge frunk. GM's infotainment system employs a mammoth 17.7 inch touchscreen, too, though with no Apple CarPlay. So, the 2024 Silverado EV has the range, power, and style, but at $94,500 for the RST First Edition model, it's a hard sell.

Read the original article on SlashGear.

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