I've Been In or Driven All the New 2024 Midsize Trucks and I Compare Them 

Here’s a link to what’s new for 2024 midsize trucks: pickuptrucktalk.com/2023/11/whats-new-for-the-2024-midsize-trucks/

I was looking to buy the Colorado. Test drove it 3 times, but in the end, I purchased Frontier Pro4x. I enjoyed it more and Nissan went 4k below msrp and was willing to give more for my trade in. I have had the Frontier for a few months now and I really like it. No turbo and It doesn't need it. It is peppy and has plenty of power.

Towing my camper was a huge factor in my decision to buy a Colorado.

I like how you focused on the base and mid level trim tiers of the trucks. Which is what 90% of truck buyers will buy.

I'm waiting to see if Honda brings out a new Ridgeline hybrid pickup and when this happens I'll be in their showroom to purchase one. All the other mid-size trucks have less rear legroom than the current Ridgeline and I want more rear rear seat legroom for my passengers.

A step on the rock rail works great on the ZR2. It is removable and an option.

I like the Tacoma TRD Off Road and the GMC Canyon AT4.

I'd probably go Nissan Frontier in this category. No matter what anyone tries to say, turbo 4s feel very unrefined in their power delivery compared to V6/V8. Sometimes you get too much power and other times it feels dead. Most of the 8-10 speeds don't feel very smooth with these turbos either. In my mind it makes the whole experience cheaper and beneath the price point of these vehicles. V6 turbos feel much better/linear so I have nothing against turbos in general. Depending on your terrain/weather conditions and load you "might" get better mpgs with turbos. Will they really be as reliable long term....obviously "no" on the average.

The work truck is not targeted to offer. The LTS not targeted to offer. They both don't have a lift so they're offered. Trucks are the trail loss and Z72 and Z71 is appearance package? It's not targeted for offering. It's more luxurious.

I prefer the mellower styling of the new Ranger vs. the new Tacoma, but I trust Toyota's reliability more. Leaning towards the Tacoma for this reason, but I think I'll wait a few years for all the manufacturing "gremlins" to be worked out before I make my choice between the 2...

Hey Tim, great comparison. I am really interested on the rust and corrosion treatment between the 2024's of the Frontier, Tacoma and the Ranger. I saw one forum comment that the Tacoma uses s a "Wet film" on the inside of their frames. Not seeing much talk or reviews, even on the assembly line of how they combat the rust problem. Any input? A video review would be great since these three mentioned cost a small fortune that you expect to last for years.

Many of us prefer to rely on testing of vehicles by the Consumers Union. RELIABILITY is key.

I drove them all. I bought the Ranger. Extremely satisfied. I really wanted the Tacoma but it felt 10 years older than the ranger.

Hey great video, this was really helpful. I just wanted to mention the Chevy Colorado Z71 is the more premium on road focused trim, that doesn’t come with any lift from the factory

Great video ,your knowledge is incredible 👍how did your deer lease end up ? Mostly Muledeer in your region . 👍

I want to downsize to a mid-size truck, but I still want a decent towing capacity. So the Colorado/Canyon and Ranger are the only choice because they have 7700 and 7500 pounds respectively. I was wanting to go with the Colorado LT because it doesn't have a lift, but the cloth seat material is as rough as sandpaper, and the passenger seat has no height adjustment and sits way too low. The Ranger has much nicer cloth material for the seats and they are not as stiff. Plus the passenger seat has height adjustment - both manual and power depending on options. Chevy REALLY needs to address this as they lost a sale because of that alone.

The 2.4L 326hp and 465 torque iforce max Tacoma has more torque than the Dodge Ram 2500 6.4 V8 Hemi at 429 torque

I want to know from the commenters, how many of you cross shop these pickups at the dealer? How many of you go to different dealers to test drive these pickups or do you winnow the choice to one before hitting the store? I checked them out at the auto show and among the crew cabs I liked the Gladiator the best. It has a bed I can reach into easily and touch the floor of it. Plus I like the tow rating.

I’ll watch until the Cybertruck reveal. you understand, right!

Just picked up a new Ranger myself

I think the new Colorado still has the base engine in the WT and LT. The other ones come with the HO

Mid size towing is the most important stat after mpg

Great review. I do not have anything close to your experience and familiarity with these vehicles or market dynamics. I will say one thing though. Your analysis on torque and being quick off the line is technically right, but incomplete. First, torque is more about pulling power or ability to move weight (the car, payload, tow, etc). A truck with less torque that pulls less weight is more efficient and quicker than a heavier truck with more torque if the torque is not proportionally better. Secondly, the benefit of low down torque at low RPM is not really about being quick off the line, it is more reliability (less wear and tear) and less maintenance costs over a given period. Give me a truck with low down torque anytime. Finally, I'll say that consumer trucks are not racing vehicles. De-emphasize which vehicles are "quicker off the line".

I have been blessed and cursed by the first year redesign on the 2005 Nissan 4.0L platform. Nightmare. Took Nissan 4 years to resolve so many short cut issues. Blessed to have a friend FORCE them to cover $5k S.M.O.D. outside warranty. Cursed from that point forward with every cheap, corner cutting issue my buddies 2006 Tacoma has never experienced.

Towing is an need in the midsize market. Bought my Ridgeline in 2012 because it was the right size for my needs, liked the in bed storage, and could tow multiple motorcycles or my side by side along with other stuff I needed. Looking to replace it and just wished they had increased tow to 7,500 lbs. so I could use it to get a small camper I want to my hunting lease.

or get the gladiator with the v6, also has the solid front axle

Definitely have to disagree with you re: towing. We have a 20' RV and don't want a huge truck but we have to tow it. I think that mindset has changed in recent years. 7700 lbs of towing which both the Colorado and Canyon can pull is a good weight for a large segment of RVers. We're upgrading from a Ridgeline to a Canyon for that reason. Full size trucks are just too big for us.

I think a lot of full size 1/2 ton pickup owners would buy a mid size if they could get a 6.5’ bed and a payload 1500-1700 and towing at 9,000-10,000 lbs. I have a lot of work experience with full size and “compact” pickups all the way back to the 1970’s. I found the compact trucks Toyotas and rangers, single cab of the 1980’s and 90’s were really handy as a “secondary” vehicle. However thy simply were not capable or roomy enough to replace a full sized pickup. Now, today’s full size pickups have more power and better brakes than a 3/4 ton pickup of 1995. But their beds are not large enough and the payload is too small.

Put colorado to the same amount as the gladiator except for the z72

Even tho I think GM dropped the ball on the roll-out, updates, and execution of the Colorado/Canyon, I would still rather have one over the new Tacoma. Ranger would be a close 2nd. I just can't get myself to like anything new from Toyota. Their trucks are dog ugly and are more geared towards the average soyboy instead of more masculine styles offered by Ford and GM.

An episode suggestion: talk to various engineers and discuss how RPM, boost, and rod and crankshaft bearing wear are interrelated. For example is there and measurable differences in bearing wear at 1700 RPM and max load and 3000 RPM and max load. How do the new low viscosity oils deal with this? Are variable output oil pumps calibrated to deliver higher volumes/pressure under max load? Toyota, GM, Ford engineers as well as Lake Speed Jr. to get a tribologist’s point of view

I keep hearing you gripe about the GMC and Chevy with the shifter being right of the 4wd selector. the tacoma has almost the exact same configuration yet you have no gripes. Seems like you're probably biased towards toyota like most youtube auto journalists. I've driven tacomas my whole life but just got my AT4X and it is better than my previous tacoma in every way, and from what I've seen from the 2024 Tacoma, that hasn't changed.

Tim what you should talk about is the GM 2.7 producing 350 ftlb at 1500 rpm, im curious to aee the torque curves of the 2.7 ecoboost and the 2.4 hybrid (less impresive imo, needs an electric motor to help it compete with the other two) The ecoboost has proven to be a pretty good hauler in the F150 and so has the TurboMax in the GM twins

The Colorado and Canyon needs a new Diesel

The way people drive lately, 400+ ft/lb of torque at 1500rpm, these idiots will kill themselves. Also, the absence of 6' beds with 4 doors is a huge mistake for fleet sales.

So the question is how is Toyota reaching high torque at so low rpm? Why did Chevy and ford set it up higher?

Well I'm all for 4 bangers in mid sized trucks just not for a full size truck you plan to tow with.

Keep the turbo 4 bangers. Turbos use gas when in boost and on hills and towing so you’ll be in boost All the time which will suck gas and make Me rather have a V6/V8. All turbos being forced induction creat more pressure, heat, wear and tear on internal components and engines wont last as long as a NA engine.All those midsizers have cramped rear seats. Im barely 5’7 and find them cramped and uncomfortable with the rear seat backs are dam upright. I doubt the toyota has more rear space than the new canyon.

Competitive 1/4 ton market now.

Honda Ridgeline is outperforming all.

My dads V8 GMC Sierra gets better gas mileage than the Turbo 4 canyon lol

Is the tacoma bigh test gas only?

🤔 longevity and complexity V6 turbo vs V4 turbo hybrid???

Ranger Raptor for me

Non Hybrid TRD Off-Road Premium is 52k

Problem with the Tacoma is a useless rear seat. It’s ok if you only putting kids in the back seat

SOOO Glad I got my diesel Gladiator while they made them, Jeep now seems to be lagging in the power department until the new straight 6 Hurricane becomes available. PS: I tow my camper + utility trailer often. #TowRatingMatters

Big screens protruding above the dash on all news trucks, distracting and ugly. also, no 4 cylinder vehicles should cost this much. I love my 3.6 v6 gmc canyon, last year for the v6.

Who cares about more more torque and horse power . Your still pushing a for banger to its max ,we want reliability. And you need a speech class js 😂

The new Ford Ranger will smoke them all!

Nissan came to late so I think Nissan needs to like keep up with refreshing there vehicles where they aren't late to the game they are always like far behind with this it's pretty sad to see the Titan going away but Nissan screwed the Titan to begin with

The Frontier makes so much sense now.

😂yeah sorry that turbo is really nice. I was all in for the Colorado trailboss. But nissan frontier engine will last me a long while. I dont trade in vehicles often so... im okay with a good strong reliable engine.

It’s super close between all the mid-size trucks & I love it! The Tacoma TRD Pro & Off Road are my favorite but at $52k+ it’s too expensive. I will be buying the Colorado Trail Boss at $42k, with the skid plate package.

I think towing is important now in mid-size due to the cost of full-size trucks. I downsized to a Nissan Frontier due to costs and I tow my 22' boat with it. Towing matters now more than ever.

How do they compare to the V6 Frontier? If I were to buy today it would probably be the Frontier.

Love my 23 Frontier Pro 4x

Disagree on the view on towing. I own a mid-size truck and a full size truck. I tow appropriate loads for the rating of each truck. Many times I use my mid-size for towing unless I need to tow and ocean liner up the beach!

Good video as always Tim. How do the quality (not features) of the interior/ trim pieces compare between the Tacoma, Canyon, Ranger, Gladiator and Frontier? I would also like to mention a couple things I noticed. - The new Colorado is actually rated at 7700lbs ...slightly more than the Gladiator...not that most ppl would tow that much anyway lol. - something that is not talked about much but could be really important is the 4Auto setting that come standard on all 4x4 GM/Chevy trims.....its not even an option for most other manufacturers unless you go for the higher / more expensive trims. Having owned vehicles with and without 4Auto , and living in an area with snow, i have found this feature valuable on those slippery mornings when the roads are sometimes bare but some snow patches here and there. - The other thing is the Colorados are not all off road focused, you can get a WT,LT neither of which are lifted. Even the Z71 is not lifted, its more of an on road package now (with the G80 locker). The only two trims that are lifted / off road focused are the TrailBoss and the ZR2. You are correct about the Canyon lineup all being lifted.

I’m not a midsize truck person, however, the variety of midsize trucks and options today give the consumer a plethora of choices.

During the second Great Depression, the best truck is the one that you can actually find on a lot.

FYI. The Ridgeline’s infotainment and the gauge cluster has already been updated for 2024

As nice as these are I'm leaning towards a last/current Gen truck. I can get what I want for about $10k less used.

Ridgeline for the win. Unless you actually rock-crawl, the Ridgeline is the best in every other category... Engine good for 200,000 miles. Best handling. Best gas mileage. Most shoulder room (in any seat). Most efficient rear seating/storage area. 4x8 sheet of anything lays flat in bed. In-bed trunk. Swing-out tailgate (allows you to use bumper as step to easily get into bed. Also means you don't have to load 'over' the tailgate). Tows up to 5k lbs, if you need more than that get a full size pickup. Does not have cheap-ass 'macho' styling.

True Turbos have been around for a long time and in sport cars and diesel trucks. Now they are placing them in gas trucks and there is a huge difference. Diesel trucks run cool compared and at a much lower RPM. Much lower in the area at most is 2500 RPM and gas 4 cylinders will get to maybe 7000 RPM. That is going to cause a lot more heat and friction. So sports cars rev even higher. True, but not when towing and putting more of a strain on the engine. So when towing there will be more heat. If you don't tow or hardly tow, no problem. If you tow, more turbos will fail and most likely engine issue will be more common too. Chevrolet has said that the new engine they have gets worse gas mileage than the outgoing V6, So...... I would purchase a new Jeep Gladiator before any and the Nissan or Toyota next. It really doesn't matter much, GM, Ford and Stellantis will be out of business soon due to the crazy push by the Government for EV, which is a huge failure. Look at Toyota venturing with China on Ammonia fuel.

Turbo does require more frequent oil changes as there are oil dilution issues. Engine longevity is a concern due to direct injection. I am 50 years old. I just want a truck to start everyday and do what I need it to do for 250k miles. Don't need 3 foot screens and a digital dash. Give me the basic info. Less is more to me. And there will be less things to repair and replace over time.

Turbos will probably last longer than the truck itself the way things are built today

The LT doesn't have a lift and the work truck doesn't have a lift

Tim, THANK YOU for following up and doing this video. I have been in pickup research mode since the Spring, 2020 as a pandemic hobby trolling the dealership lots on Sunday afternoons when they are closed with a Starbucks and a pup cup for Gibbs, the Mississippi Maltese! As empty nesters 7 to 9 years ago, Laura and I purchased a small fiberglass camper in November, 2015. We purchased a 2005 Casita 17 Freedom Deluxe. It is about 2,900 lbs loaded. I had never towed, so in December, 2015, we purchased a 2009 Kia Borrego Limited V8 (335 hp/327 lb ft of torque) rated to tow 7,500 lbs in December, 2015. It was Kia’s answer to the Toyota 4 Runner, but much less expensive than used 4 Runners in 2015. We love camping! Since 2016, we have camped 374 nights, towed 32,000 miles, and visited 15 states! I got lucky in 2021 and was able to retire early at 58.5 years old, but the early retirement meant no new toys until early social security at the end of 2024. I know more about trucks than anyone I know that does not own a truck!!! I did have a beater 1967 Chevy C10 that I inherited and used for 15 years or so to haul mulch and a few other things. I also learned to drive in the late 1970s on a 1968 Jeep Gladiator that my dad used to haul diesel fuel and chain saws for his logging business. Currently, all six mid-size trucks are on my short list. The biggest surprise for me is the Colorado/Canyon going from irrelevant to being on my radar. I will also cross shop all 1/2 ton trucks in a base trim and mildly optioned. Of course, I am budget conscious, but there may be some overlap between mid-trim midsize trucks and base 1/2 ton trucks, so the 1/2 ton may be a better option in terms of value. However, we prefer the size and drivability of mid-size trucks. Actually, towing and payload are very important to; however, we are only towing 2,900 lbs, but we tow over 4,000 miles per years. When we purchased the Borrego in December, 2015, it had 83,000 miles on it. It currently has 160,000. Of those 77,000 miles, 32,000 were towing. So, I expect over 40% of our driving to be towing, possibly more as we do longer trips in the future. For me, payload is more important than towing since any mid-size truck rated to tow 5,000 lbs or more will tow our Casita. I am shocked at how low the payload is on some mid-size trucks, particularly with off-road oriented trucks. Speaking of off-road, I don’t need an off-road truck, but still want to have 4WD/AWD for camping, forest service roads, and winter driving. Regarding the trucks, it is interesting that we have 6 trucks with 3 of them being turbocharged 4 cylinders and 3 of them being normally aspirated 6 cylinders. My summative thoughts. . . Turbocharged 4 Cylinder Trucks: 2024 Toyota Tacoma - Wow! Love the look (exterior and interior). Love the range of trims. I would lean SR5, TRD Sport, or TRD OffRoad; however, a bit concerned that the TRD Sport and OffRoad could get pricey depending on how it is optioned. I also like that it can be optioned with a 6’ bed. Since we are considering a 1/2 ton truck, a Tacoma with a 6’ bed might be a sweet spot??? Price, particularly dealer markups, are probably its biggest drawback for me. I am also wondering if Toyota did enough to address mediocre payload in the previous generation Tacoma? I want about 1500 lbs of payload. 2024 GMC/Chevy Canyon/Colorado - LOVE the styling inside and out. Would probably lean Canyon over Colorado. Biggest question for me, are they reliable? Is that revised 8 speed transmission significantly more reliable than the previous generation that is suffering with class action litigation. 2024 Ford Ranger - Long history of turbocharged engines with their EcoBoost line up. I like the interior. I am lukewarm on the exterior. I don’t think Ford did enough with the new 2024 Ranger. Normally Aspirated 6 Cylinder Trucks: 2024 Honda Ridgeline - LOL, yes it is a pickup truck!!! ;) I actually like many of the features associated with the Ridgeline, including ride quality, rear seat room and the ability to have a flat floor with the seats folded up to haul camping gear, multifunction tailgate, in bed trunk, and, ironically, some of the best real word payload in the mid-size market. I also like Honda’s AWD system. I like the TrailSport trim for 2024. I am not a chrome guy and, historically, too much chrome on the RTL and RTL-E trims; and, the Black Edition is getting too expensive. 2024 Nissan Frontier - I like the look. Nice all around truck. Biggest issue is payload. I am not impressed with its real world payload. Also, crash ratings are mediocre. Interesting that it can be optioned with a 6’ bed. 2024 Jeep Gladiator - Most Gladiator trims will be too expensive for my budget. Plus, I prefer the Sport in order to get the max tow package. Not that familiar with their refresh. However, the Gladiator is a bit of sentimental favorite since I learned to drive a ‘68 Gladiator in the late 1970s. However, price and value trump sentimentality! ;) I do wonder a bit if I will miss the torque of my Borrego’s V8 (325 lb ft) if we go with a 6 cylinder mid-size truck. A friend that has towed a small “egg” camper with a V8 Dodge Dakota, a V6 Dodge Durango, and currently, with a 2.3L Ecoboost Ford Ranger does not think I will miss the V8 torque since our Borrego had a ZF 6 speed transmission and all modern mid-size pickups have 8 to 10 speed transmissions. Finally, I value reliability and safety, so those are variables that I pay attention to as well. In any case, over the years, your channel is one of my three favorite channels for getting real world truck information. I appreciate the work that Jill and you do. Again, thanks for this discussion of the mid-size truck market.

This segment has gotten limp. Where's the value? Previous compact trucks offered a distinct slot for value conscious buyers. No more, not when compacts are selling for north of FORTY grand.

I'm happy with my decision. 2024 colorado trail boss. I need to tow a camper and the 7,700 towing with trailer brake controller is awesome for a midsize truck.

I was a little surprised to find Honda fridgeline sales price was about $45k - that's much less than I though it would be - and you get he 4wd for that price. I'm fed up with Detroit's junk engines, and Honda looks tempting at that price.

great video, the issue with turbo is also do with its ratio with the transmission, Tacoma V6 have less gear ratio and more powerful gear then the new 8 transmission with 2.4 turbo, also wear and tear on turbo is much higher and request constant oil change and know how to deal with a turbo, what will be the price for a new turbo if its dead ? no one knows.

That’s because you had the off road versions of the Colorado. The WT and LT aren’t as off-road capable as those trucks. Especially if you get them in 2WD you don’t get a locking diff. You have an open rear diff. But value wise you are getting (aside from the maverick) the cheapest new crew cab pickup you can buy, starting at 30k.

🤩 I'd buy the New Taco Supreme in 2026! wait for them to fix the kinks. Ford, GM, Nissan can make the most rugged capable truck...BUT, IF IT CAN'T GET YOU FROM POINT A TO B AND BACK TO POINT A....ITS WORTHLESS!

So, am I taking away that I shouldn't get the 2024 Frontier pro 4X? I'm searching for a rugged-on road daily driver but a rugged trail riding off roader. I'm just not sure which one. Love to get something lifted with bigger tires.

So many trucks, so many you tube reviews. How the heck do you narrow down my next truck. It’s crazy, they all look nice.

Tim, I voted for the comparison and you did well. As far as towing, let’s be honest trucks are more a status symbol at this point. I’ve been all over and I hardly see people towing or carrying loads. It’s an occasional thing that the lower level trucks can handle but we go for the bells and whistles and regardless of what we all claim MPGs absolutely matter.

With the exception of pricing, never been a better time to by a pickup or SUV. So many choices and platforms depending on the use.

People wish to know what the mid-size truck payload/towing figures are because they wish to have a less expensive alternative to a half ton. Many buyers wish to pull a travel trailer that could be met by some mid-size. That is why I was looking at them, plus the ease of city driving conditions. What made me decide to go with a F-150 instead was due to the small fuel tanks in the midsize and not any appreciable mpg improvement. With the 3.5 F-150 I also may more leeway on payload and towing, an increased safety margin.

if im buying a 2024 midsized, id get the nissan frontier, the only truck now with the 3.7 v6.

Which one has the most rear seat leg room not including Honda and jeep?

How fast they feel off the line also has to do with curb weight and final drive ratio including tire size and weight. If the hybrid has an extra 500lbs of batteries it negates the torque.

The midsize truck war has begun

The tacoma is going to sell like hot cakes.

My only complaint on 4cyl is that horrible sound they make. I love v8 exhaust, it just so nice. My second complaint is the rear leg room, that if your 6 feet like me and hace children you will have issues and not he as comfortable. Third, well, price. Fourth MPG is not so much better for the size Fith, screen sizes are getting too big

You spent a lot of time on torque and when tq come on, but you got to consider gearing. 1st gear ratios on 2024 midsize trucks: Taco 4.4 GM 4.5 Ford 4.7 Nissan 5.4 So just because tq comes on sooner in the rpm, doesn’t necessarily mean faster of the line. So while Tacoma may have peak tq at 1700 rpm, it also has the lowest 1st gear ratio. On the other hand, Nissan has the lowest tq but the highest 1st gear ratio.

Towing matters to me in a truck.

Lived with a taco, carpooled in a gladiator, test drove a ranger. Honda Ridgline for the win. Large displays is for sport championship games & iPads. I regret nothing, the end.

That older V-6 you talked about was a piece of sh. it. Gutless!!! I only hope the 4 cyl. Lives better than the chevy Turbo 4. How many total rpm’s are they designed to survive? Sell it Tim. Oh you also got downgraded for this one.

Some of these mid sized truck prices are getting awfully close to full size prices. Why not just go with an F150 short bed with a 2.7?

I bought a new 2022 Tacoma SR5 ext cab truck and the doors did open on it, they called it access cab, why on earth would they quit making that?

Buy a 2023 4Runner. Still get the great 4.0 V6 And then buy a small trailer if you need to tow some stuff around.

Drag race 'em!

Im glad he said everyone doesnt want a full size truck regardless of mpg or price. If i wanted drive a fkn school bus i would buy one.

I'm not asking for a infotainment screen , just want a solid truck that doesn't run on software that crashes

Im pulling a 4k pound trailer everyday. Dropping down to a 4 cylinder is a hard convince over the long run

Glad I’m not in the market for a new one. Keeping my 3rd gen 🌮 as long as possible.

Off the line doesn’t matter to a lot of people. They don’t buy these trucks to race.

When comparing them/discussing them, I’d do so as long as the trim levels are the same; i.e. ZR2 vs TRD Pro vs Raptor, base model vs base model, etc.