Garage ability is key! My full-size Ram fits with 3” to spare. If I’m spending 60-70-80K. It’s parking in the garage. I’m actually headed back to a Midsize, main reasons are cost and it’s me only 90% of the time.
It also depends where you live. There's nothing worse than having to scrape ice, snow or even freezing rain off your vehicle before going to work in the morning. Believe me. I did it for years when I didn't have a garage.
I’m all for leg room. But when Home surveys are done - larger garage space is low on the list - until the home is built and owners find out the usability of that space doesn’t fit their vehicle. If you have a full size truck crew cab short bed. And you want some cabinets or a work bench in your garage and be able to walk around your truck. You need a 26’ garage. Your lucky if builder builds a spec home greater than 21-22’
Interesting and well done, Tim! I'd personally rather have a 6'+ bed than 'garageability". But uts interesting that the Ridgeline has the widest bed and 2-3" longer, while offering good rear seat room in the same envelope. I guess Honda didnt waste much space on a long nose.
Those are the benefits of the unibody design. A more spacious cabin and better flexibility with their "Magic" rear seat. This is where the Ridgeline shines.
I'm not a Dale but I'm 6'1 and about 225 and 2 kids. Part of the reason I buy half tons, well that and the mileage is the same as a 1/4 ton. These GMs seem like a nice deal however, they did a really nice job of them.
Looks about par for the course for a midsize pickup. I know some families want to use them as a multipurpose family hauler but yeah they may not be the best fit for taller families. That’s not to knock any of these, it’s simply nature of the size category.
I am the “tall” person in my family. At a little over 5’6” the 4 of us travel decently in a midsize, not great, but it works well enough. No one is in a car seat anymore so that helps.
the overall height spec is surprisingly high for the gm's compared to the previous gen. i haven't measured them irl, but i assume part of the reason is they now include the antenna? i'm not even sure a zr2 would clear my garage door... even a trailboss may have problems in some parking garages here according to the overall height spec
Yeah. I have a Colorado and only looking at another Colorado simply because I want to be able to park my truck in my garage instead of parking it outside like I would have to with a full size pickup.
Exactly why i went with a canyon. However next dimension to look at is width to mirrors. Those are almost getting to the point of needing to fold mirrors in to park it inside
This is great Tim, recently we test drove some new trucks. Find the seat base short for my long femur on most vehicles. For long drives it makes a big difference having proper support. Please show how it looks sitting in vehicles, front and rear more often. As for better fuel economy, we are looking to move into the 3.0L duramax, for that reason. No model mid size or half ton matches it for economy and performance combined.
I no longer carry pax, just me, so back seat space doesn't matter. I really wish they made it easy to convert it to cargo space though. I love the new Canyon but when you fold the seat up, that huge frame makes using the space difficult. Ford's Ranger looks marginally better.
I'm 6'6" and I driven both the new Colorado and Toyota Tacoma. I know on the chart the GM twins has more leg room than the Tacoma but in real world usage, I find the Tacoma to have more leg room than the Colorado/Canyon due to the dash layout. GM has the dash jets out farther than the Tacoma which minimizes the extra legroom measurements and feels much tighter than it would of been if they kept the dash tight. Then there's the issue of the moon roof, which sadly just takes away so much headroom. Which I think should be optional or not even been an option on the higher trim levels.
It’s car seats and width for me. 3 young kids eliminate midsize option. Lucky to have a 22 foot depth garage for a full size which will eventually be the new tundra once they get their stuff figured out (3 more years ? Lol)
Good video, but I will say that legroom numbers from manufacturers are bunk. I actually look at the consumer reports chart where they actually measure them in their own way and they are much more accurate.
Tim, interesting and informative video. We are buying at the end of 2024. We would prefer the size of a mid-size, but may opt for the function of a 1/2 ton in terms of towing a small camper and hauling camping gear. Just two of us at this point, so I want a back seat for holding gear and the occasional short trip to the pub/restaurant with another couple.
As a current truck shopper not wanting to drive a tank, this video has been the most helpful but of info. In a perfect world, I’d have every truck side-by-side to compare (thanks for the chart). Any chance you’ve covered full-size trucks that offer a regular cab(?) or any cross-overs that might satisfy this certain itch? Thank you!
I don't understand why manufacturers compromise usability of these trucks by hampering them with both a tiny bed, as well as a rear seat that is unusable for anything other than children or very short trips for adults back there.
I don’t see any hampering of usability, merely another option to fit in the overall pickup truck landscape. I’m a fairly average size and have been in the back seat of a midsize truck for a couple hundred miles without too much complaint. They don’t have to be the epitome of adult stretching out space and manufacturers know the standard bed and wheelbase are what most people want.
Fitting in the garage is the main reason I have a Tacoma. I like everything else about a full size truck better. I must have a non standard garage though. I have plenty of room front to back and can park a motorcycle sideways in front of my truck and still have 16 inches behind the truck. I have a lower door height and barely enough room to squeeze in and out of the doors.
Midsize truck and fuel economy: its the same or worse than a full sized. I went from a Tacoma to a Tundra. I get better MPG in the Tundra. Maybe when the 24 Tacoma comes out thatll change?
Excellent video! Any chance you can do a similar video about mid sized suvs? I'm driving myself nuts trying to find a nice midsize suv that has sufficient rear leg room. I'm 6 foot and have 2 car seats. It's been a real struggle for me to find a mid SUV that works for my family.
the front measurement is obviously done with the front seat in the full rear position. Where is the front seat when measuring the rear leg room? Mid track? Full forward (max)?
I didnt know that trucks didnt fit in so many garages and was that much of an issue. I definitely would not purchase vehicle simply on whether or not it fits in a garage
Keeping the overall length reasonable is a top priority, but the real reason the rear seat of mid-size trucks sucks is that they want to segment the market and force people who need interior space to buy a full-size truck (which is higher profit for the manufacturer). If someone offered a mid-size truck with optimized interior space (which is doable), that brand would almost surely kill demand for its full size truck. They are not stupid.
Can you borrow or place a car seat in the back? I cant find what latches, anchors and how to install in these trucks. Not may people show how to install car seats and what spacing is available. BF and I are both under 6 ft so it could be a great option outside of spending 15k more for a full size. People who are over 6 ft shouldn't be trying to fit all above average people or expect multiple car seats in the truck. Also having a longer torso vs legs plays a part in how each person fits.
I bought a 2022 ford maverick that has 36.9” of rear leg room. More than all of those trucks minus the gladiator. I’m 6’4” and I can still fit some people behind me along with a car seat. Maverick is a much better truck than all of these and also has a higher reliability score
The company that can offer the rear leg room of a full-size truck will crush the competition . It don’t look too hard to do by me. I want a midsize truck. It’s a deal breaker for me. They are too worried about aesthetics. Why buy a crew cab if you can’t fit four adults? The Hyundai Santa Cruse is a prime example of dropping the ball on it. They could build a Tuscan with a box. Boom ! This is exactly the conversation people need to convey to these manufacturers. Tell me why I’m wrong!
People that value people moving gravitate to S/CUVs. People that want a bit of a compromise to get a bed and decent performance capabilities get midsize trucks. I’ve been one of four adult males in a Tacoma before and it was fine. If you want or need more for people space, you make the concession and get a full-size truck. We are spoiled for choice but some can’t seem to stop wanting more.
@@johnoberle9750 inches have been added over the years/generations. The midsize segment has grown fairly considerably due to that (among other aspects).
This is 100% correct. It's what's holding me back from getting a midsize. The ridgeline is 210 inches long, a silverado crew cab short box is 232 inches. Why not just add like 5 inches in rear seat space to the Ridgeline or any other midsize for that matter.
Really the back seat is kind of useless on these mid size trucks. If they would add about 3 inches to the rear seat it would greatly improve its usability and it would still fit in a standard garage. The main reason they don't do it in my opinion is because they don't want to these trucks steeling sales away from Full size trucks. With such a small rear seat combined with a short bed I think most folks would be better off with an SUV. Midsize trucks should be extended cabs with a longer bed and keep it as a two person vehicle at a lower cost.
I would rather have a longer wheelbase with 6" more legroom and an 8 foot bed. 2 of our 4 garage bays will fit a CC 8' bed dually and they all have 9' tall doors.
Short answer unless you’re an older retired guy with grown kids or young guy with no plans of having kids in the near future. Get a full sized crew cab truck. Get something you can grow into. There’s really no reason to get a mid sized truck to start. You should downgrade to a mid sized later in life.
I don't think I've ever even considered putting a truck in the garage.. Garages are for motorcycle and lawn mowers. Trucks live outside, just like any stupid cat that my wife or daughter brings home
