Toyota unveiled the redesigned Tacoma last week and it caps off a thoroughly revamped mid-size segment. That’s remarkable as Ford and GM gave up on small trucks not that long ago, while Nissan seemingly forgot about the Frontier.
However, that’s a distant memory as the mid-size truck segment is now full of new blood. With that in mind, we’re asking our readers which pickup they like best.
There’s no better place to start than the beginning so let’s take a look at the Jeep Gladiator. It debuted at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show and is essentially a Wrangler in truck form. As a result, it has a removable roof and a 3.6-liter V6 with 285 hp (213 kW / 289 PS) and 260 lb-ft (352 Nm) of torque.
While there’s a lot to like about the Gladiator, its price tag has ballooned to $40,570 when you factor in the $1,795 destination charge. That’s more than the full-size Ram 1500 Tradesman, which begins at $39,305 and climbs to $43,105 with four-wheel drive. If the high price wasn’t enough to give you pause, Jeep introduced the facelifted Wrangler at the New York Auto Show and that means an upgraded Gladiator should be right around the corner.
More: 2024 Toyota Tacoma Is The Swiss Army Knife Of Pickups, Offers Hybrid Power And 6′ Bed
Next up is the Nissan Frontier, which was redesigned for 2022. It starts at a far more reasonable $30,705 and is available in King Cab and Crew Cab configurations. Customers can also get a 6’ bed, which is sadly a rarity in the mid-size segment.
Power is provided by a 3.8-liter V6 engine, which churns out 310 hp (231 kW / 314 PS) and 281 lb-ft (381 Nm) of torque. It’s paired to a nine-speed automatic transmission and an available four-wheel drive system.
The redesigned Chevrolet Colorado arrived for 2023 and we drove it earlier this year. The truck starts at $30,695 and offers a turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine with outputs ranging from 237 hp (177 kW / 240 PS) and 259 lb-ft (351 Nm) of torque to 310 hp (231 kW / 314 PS) and 430 lb-ft (582 Nm) of torque. The latter figure is more than V8 engines found in the Silverado and Ford F-150.
Besides offering impressive performance, the truck looks good inside and out. It also comes nicely equipped as even the entry-level work truck has an 8-inch digital instrument cluster and an 11.3-inch infotainment system.
The 2023 GMC Canyon is similar, but it’s better equipped and begins at $38,395. That’s significantly more than the Colorado, but it comes standard with the high-output version of the turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder. As a result, it has 310 hp (231 kW / 314 PS) and 430 lb-ft (582 Nm) of torque.
That isn’t the Canyon’s only distinctive feature as customers can get a luxurious Denali version featuring heated and ventilated leather front seats. They’re joined by a heated steering wheel, a dual-zone automatic climate control system, and a Bose premium audio system.
That brings us to the 2024 Ford Ranger, which debuted earlier this month. It will go on sale this summer with a base price of $34,160.
The model closely echoes its international counterpart and features a familiar 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine that develops 270 hp (201 kW / 274 PS) and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque. However, customers can also get a new 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 with 315 hp (235 kW / 319 PS) and 400 lb-ft (542 Nm) of torque.
The big news is the arrival of the Ranger Raptor, which sports a 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 pumping out 405 hp (302 kW / 411 PS) and 430 lb-ft (582 Nm) of torque. Those are best-in-class numbers and the truck has 95 hp (71 kW / 96 PS) more than the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2. Of course, it’ll set you back $56,960.
That brings us to the all-new Toyota Tacoma, which we checked out last week. It follows in the footsteps of the Frontier, but it goes further by offering a manual transmission.
That isn’t the only notable feature as the truck has an all-new turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 228 hp (170 kW / 231 PS) and 243 lb-ft (329 Nm) of torque. However, most models will have a 2.4-liter i-Force powertrain developing up to 278 hp (207 kW / 282 PS) and 317 lb-ft (429 Nm).
More interestingly, the Tacoma is the only mid-size truck to offer a hybrid powertrain. Known as the i-Force Max, it consists of a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, a 1.87 kWh nickel-metal hydride battery, and an electric motor that is integrated into an eight-speed automatic transmission. This gives the model a combined output of 326 hp (243 kW / 331 PS) and 465 lb-ft (630 Nm) of torque.
The hybrid powertrain comes standard in the Tacoma TRD Pro as well as the Tacoma Trailhunter. The latter is all-new for 2024 and is a cool truck aimed at the overlanding crowd.
With all that being said, which mid-size truck would get your money?