It was a bumpy ride for U.S. pickup and medium-duty truck makers in 2007. Daimler divested itself of ailing Chrysler. Ford picked an outsider to replace its founding-family CEO. General Motors faced a labor challenge that threatened to send it into bankruptcy. Even seemingly error-proof Toyota slipped from the top tier in customer satisfaction.
Is this a good time to buy a truck?
You bet. Despite the problems on the corporate level, American truck manufacturing is shifting into high gear, and the vehicles—whether the marques are import or domestic—are setting world-class standards in power, performance, and innovation.
What's driving this improvement: Trucks have evolved into profitable products for the manufacturers, and they sell well year in and year out because they're so darn useful and necessary. Competition has elevated the playing field now that Toyota and Nissan are producing full-size trucks and encroaching on what had been the exclusive enclave of Dodge, Ford, and GM. Computerization—in design, in manufacturing, and in the vehicles themselves—has delivered huge advances in build quality, product reliability and operating capability.
There's much to talk about for 2008, with a lot of new and improved trucks for buyers to choose from. Dodge, Ford, and GM all rolled out new or renewed heavy-duty pickups. Toyota stepped up with a heavy-duty version of the Tundra, while Dodge made major upgrades in its work-van fleet, adding a gas engine option for its Sprinter and bringing back a garage-size van for tradesmen.
Ford
The Ford Super Duty line now includes three pickup models beyond the F-150, which alone occupies a category Big Blue refers to as "personal duty" trucks. Joining the F-250 and F-350 Super Duty pickups this year is the F-450, a first-ever factory-equipped class-4 vehicle available with a pickup bed or as a stripped-down chassis cab. Super Duty pickups are available in Regular Cab, Super Cab, and Crew Cab body styles. Engine choices include an all-new 6.4-liter, twin-turbo diesel that puts out 350 hp and 650 pound-feet of torque, a 6.8-liter V10 gas engine with 362 hp and 457 pound-feet of torque, and a 5.4-liter V8 that delivers 300 hp and 365 pound-feet of torque. Towing maximum for the big F-Series is 19,200 pounds, with a 5,800-pound max payload.
The F-150 has changed little since its wheels-up overhaul in 2005. Engine choices include a 4.2-liter V6 (202 hp with 260 pound-feet of torque), 4.6-liter V8 (225 hp, 286 pound-feet of torque), and 5.4-liter V8 (300 hp and 365 pound-feet of torque). The F-150's towing maximum is now 11,000 pounds, and its bed capacity is 3,050 pounds.
For 2008, Ford offers both F-150 and Super Duty leather-appointed King Ranch models. A luxury Lincoln Mark LT, based on the F-150, also is available with one engine option, the 5.4 liter, and with towing and payload capacities limited to 8,900 pounds and 1,680 pounds.
The midsize Ranger returns with an optional 7-foot cargo bed and three engine choices: a 2.3-liter inline 4-cylinder (143 hp, 154 pound-feet of torque), a 3.0-liter V6 (148 hp, 180 pound-feet of torque), and a 4.0-liter V6 (207 hp, 238 pound-feet of torque).
Another pickup option from Ford is the Sport Trac SUV hybrid, an Explorer body mated to a 40-inch-long cargo box. This midsize hauler got a redesign last year, giving it a wider track and 16.8-inch-longer wheelbase. Engine choices include a 4.0-liter V6 engine with 210 hp and 254 pound-feet of torque, or a 4.6-liter V8 with 292 hp and 300 pound-feet of torque. Maximum tow weight is 6,800 pounds, and maximum payload is 1,390 pounds.
Dodge
For 2008, Dodge builds on the solid foundation of its Ram 1500 pickups and engines to muscle into commercial-truck territory (Class 2–5). Now with a full lineup of Ram 2500 and new 3500 pickups, along with new 4500 and 5500 chassis cab models, Dodge already has scored some impressive gains in market share.
All the Dodge trucks share an array of gas and diesel engines, including a 3.7-liter V6 (215 hp, 235 pound-feet of torque), a 4.7-liter V8 (235 hp, 300 pound-feet of torque), and a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 (345 hp, 375 pound-feet of torque). The 6.7-liter Cummins turbo diesel (350 hp, 650 pound-feet of torque) introduced in 2007 is not available in the 1500 series.
Towing and payload capacities among the 1500s top out at 8,900 and 2,535 pounds, respectively. The Cummins-equipped Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups max out at 16,400 pounds for towing, with a 5,020-pound payload.
Dodge has pared down its Ram 1500 lineup for 2008, which now includes Regular, Quad, and Mega Cab and sport and off-road models. Dodge has discontinued the revived Power Wagon and hot SRT-10 pickup with Viper V10 engine.
The midsize Dodge Dakota remains much the same for '08. The high-output, small V8 has been dropped, leaving engine options to a standard 3.7-liter V6 or an optional 4.7-liter V8, with an Extended Cab with rear-access doors or four-door Crew Cab. The high-output, small V8 has been dropped, leaving engine options to a standard 3.7-liter V6 or an optional 4.7-liter V8.
General Motors
Listen to the news, and you'd think General Motors is in retreat. Then take a look at its truck lineup, and it becomes instantly obvious that GM is charging full speed ahead in its work-vehicle production. There isn't another manufacturer on the planet with a deeper bench.
GM's Chevrolet and GMC divisions produce an amazing variety of highly capable, work-qualified vehicles. These include the compact new HHR Panel, Avalanche, and Cadillac Escalade EXT crossover pickups; midsize Colorado and Canyon pickups; full-size and Heavy Duty Silverado and Sierra pickups; Chevy Express and GMC Savana work vans; W- and T-series cab-over utility trucks; and commercial-duty C4500 and C5500 Kodiak and Topkick trucks.
Included among GM's extensive variety of highly capable, work-qualified vehicles are the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500 series full-size pickups, which got numerous power and equipment upgrades last year in a move to the new GMT-900 platform.
In addition to the 4.3-liter V6 (195 hp with 260 pound-feet of torque) and 4.8-liter V8 (295 hp with 305 pound-feet of torque), seven engine options are available in this category, including four versions of GM's durable 5.3-liter workhorse (all rated at 315 hp and 338 pound-feet of torque). The top engine choice in the GM 1500s this year is a 6.0-liter mill that puts out 367 hp and 375 pound-feet of torque.
The Heavy Duty Silverado and Sierras offer the 6.0-liter gas engine as standard equipment, or a 6.6-liter turbo diesel with 365 hp and 660 pound-feet of torque. Payload capacity is 2,407 pounds, and towing weight has increased to 18,500 pounds. In the 1500 pickups, Regular, Extended, and Crew Cabs are offered with maximum towing capacity peaking at 10,500 pounds and payload at 2,160 pounds. Two bed lengths, 6.6-foot and 8-foot, are available in both pickups.
The midsize GM pickups, the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon, got engine upgrades for 2007, so little has changed since then. The base 2.9-liter, four-cylinder engine delivers 185 hp and 190 pound-feet of torque, while the 3.7-liter, inline five-cylinder now offers 242 hp with 242 pound-feet of torque. Regular, Crew, and Extended cabs are available with beds 6.1 or 5.1 feet long. Maximum payload is 1,733 pounds with a 4,000-pound max tow weight.
Toyota
When Toyota rolled out its massive CrewMax pickup in 2007, the manufacturer predicted its full-size truck sales would reach 200,000 in 2008—an audacious goal, considering it would require moving some 25 percent more vehicles off the lot. As of this writing, however, that target was in sight and closing fast.
The CrewMax, a heavy-duty version of the Tundra introduced in 1999, has a lot to do with reaching that goal, as did last year's introduction of a second big V8 engine. Toyota has shown that not only can it run with the big dogs, it can eat their lunch as well. Its share of the full-size truck market is now 17 percent and still growing.
After last year's big launch, in which all Tundras got a supersize upgrade, not much has changed in Toyota trucks for 2008. A four-door CrewMax and Double Cab and a two-door Regular Cab are available. Both the CrewMax and Double Cab models have full-size, front-hinged rear doors. The cavernous CrewMax interior offers sliding, reclining rear seats.
Three engines are available: a 4.0-liter V6 (236 hp with 266 pound-feet of torque), 4.7-liter V8 (271 hp with 313 pound-feet of torque), and the new, all-aluminum 5.7-liter V8 (381 hp with 401 pound-feet of torque). A new, 97.6-inch-long bed option was added in '07 to go with the standard 78.7-inch bed length. The CrewMax is available only with a 66.7-inch short bed.
Maximum towing weight for the Tundras is 10,800 pounds and a 2,060-pound payload rating. A tow/haul selector on the six-speed gearbox optimizes shifts for hills and heavy loads.
Anyone who works in a truck should check out the new Tundra interiors, which have a center console large enough for a laptop computer and hanging files, and a wide sliding armrest that doubles as a portable desk. Cabs have two 12-volt DC outlets (three in the CrewMax models), and two separate glove boxes, including a large-capacity lower compartment.
The Tacoma also is little changed for 2008. Its base engine, a 2.7-liter, 16-valve four-cylinder, provides 159 hp and 180 pound-feet of torque. Also available is the same aluminum, 4.0-liter, 24-valve V6 as in the Tundra. Maximum tow rating is an impressive 11,100 pounds with a special tow-prep package. Payload limit is 1,685 pounds. A supercharger is now available for TRD off-road and sports models equipped with the 4.0-liter engine.
Nissan
The Nissan Titan gets even bigger for 2008 with longer wheel-base models and a full 8-foot bed option on the King Cab. Altogether, four bed sizes are available, including the short-bed 5.5-foot and 6.5-foot boxes. A new Pro-4X off-road version expands the lineup to four full-size pickup iterations, all in Crew or King Cab only, not counting the midsize Frontier, a sportier version that shares some of the Titan's hard-working features. Standard power for the Titan is the 5.6-liter V8 (315 hp with 385 pound-feet of torque). A flex fuel (E-85) option, added in 2007, continues at no extra charge. Max payload for the Titan is 2,063 pounds with a tow rating up to 9,500 pounds.
The Titan has lots of builder friendly options, such as a lockable exterior-sidewall storage compartment, double-hinged 168-degree-opening rear doors, a factory bed tie-down system, spray-on bed liner, a 37-gallon fuel tank (long-wheel-base models), and 12-volt exterior bed-mounted power outlet. The Titan also gets a refreshed front-end look for '08, along with interior refinements like new seats for more big-guy comfort and a redesigned instrument panel and console.
There's not much new to report for Nissan's midsize, the Frontier, for 2008, other than the base engine is now the V6 introduced last year—a 4.0-liter V6 (the same engine used in Nissan's 350Z) that puts out 261 hp and 281 pound-feet of torque. A 2.5-liter, inline four-cylinder (available only in 4x2 models) provides 152 hp and 171 pound-feet of torque. The V6 boosts payloads to 1,552 pounds and tow capacity to 6,500 pounds.
Honda
The Honda Ridgeline midsize SUV/pickup has a 4-by-5-foot pickup bed, can haul a 1,100-pound payload, and offers 5,000-pound towing capacity, but it drives so much like an SUV that you forget you're in a truck.
In the three years since its introduction, the Ridgeline has proved it can work and play. And it has some unique features, including an on-demand four-wheel-drive system that automatically kicks in when needed, a tailgate that swings out or drops down, and a lockable, waterproof, 8.5-cubic-foot storage compartment below the bed floor.
The only power option is a transverse-mounted, 3.5-liter V6 that provides 247 hp and 252 pound-feet of torque.
Rounding Out the Pack
Several manufacturers fill out their vehicle lines by offering pickups built in cooperation with the major truck makers, and often in the same factories. Among them are Mitsubishi (with Dodge and Chrysler), Mazda (with Ford), and Isuzu (with General Motors).
The differences between closely related vehicles typically extend no deeper than body styling. Here's what's available in 2008:
Like its kissin' cousin the Dodge Dakota, the Mitsubishi Raider can rightfully claim to be the only pickup—midsize import-brand pickup, that is—with a V8 under its hood. Along with the same 4.7-liter V8, it packs a 3.7-liter V6. Extended cabs have front-hinged rear doors, while Double Cab models have four full-size doors and six-passenger seating.
Mazda B-series pickups, built on the Ford Ranger platform, are compact, sporty trucks in two-door Regular Cab or four-door Cab Plus models. The B-4000 offers Ford's 4.0-liter V6, the B-3000 has the 3.0-liter V6, and the B-2300 has a 2.3-liter inline four-banger.
Longtime engineering partners Isuzu and General Motors work together to create Duramax diesel engines and small pickup trucks. The Isuzu pickups share the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon structural platform and engines. Two Isuzu pickup models, the i-290 and i-370, are available for 2008. Upgrades in '07 boosted engine displacements to 2.9 liters and 3.7 liters. The four-cylinder i-290 comes only as an Extended Cab 4x2 model, while the five-cylinder i-370 is exclusive to the Crew Cab 4x4. -- BUILDING PRODUCTS
This article originally appeared in Tools of the Trade magazine.
Since its introduction in 2003, the Dodge Sprinter has had something of an identity crisis. A Mercedes-Benz import, it debuted at Daimler-Chrysler subsidiary Freightliner dealerships and ultimately worked its way into the Dodge truck lineup; however, the vehicle itself didn't change at all over the past five years. Sprinter was popular with fleet buyers, but many tradesmen were put off by its delivery-truck size and shape and that its only power option was a small (3.0-liter) diesel engine. And work-van users lamented the retirement of the more conventional Dodge Ram van.
Chrysler apparently got the message. For 2008, the Sprinter gets a 3.5-liter V6 gas engine option (along with its carryover V6 diesel), and Dodge has revived its conventional work-van line as a cargo- and upfit-ready Grand Caravan redesigned for commercial use.
While the Grand Caravan work van doesn't (yet) offer the number of models or options available with Ford and GM vans, it benefits from the passenger model's complete redesign for 2008, and it has features valuable to tradesmen such as a commercial-duty suspension, dual power-sliding side doors, and a unique rear-access door hatch. The only engine option is a flex-fuel gas V6. It provides 175 hp and 205 pound-feet of torque.
In other van news, GM now features optional side-curtain airbags on both Chevy Express and GMC Savana work vans, as well as such safety-enhancing standard features as rear-proportioning, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes with Stabilitrak automatic traction control. Both vans have a new interior design.
Both GM vans share the same lineup of engines as the GM pickups, which includes a 4.3-liter V6 base engine plus three V8 gas and one 6.6-liter V8 diesel.
For Ford vans, suspension improvements, larger brakes, and sheet metal account for most of the E-Series changes in 2008. GVWR for the E-350 bumps up to 12,500 pounds, while the GVWR for the
E-450 van now tops out at 14,500 pounds.
 | GMC. The Chevy Silverado 1500 series is available with seven engine options: a 4.3-liter V6, a 4.8-liter V8, four versions of the manufacturer's 5.3-liter V8, and a 6.0-liter V8 that provides 367 hp and 375 pound-feet of torque. Regular, Extended, and Crew Cabs are available with a max towing capacity of 10,500 pounds and a payload capacity of 2,160 pounds. Bed lengths come in 6.6 or 8 feet. 800-222-1020. www.chevrolet.com. |
| Mazda. Built on the Ford Ranger platform, compact and sporty B-series pickups are available with a 4.0-liter V6, 3.0-liter V6, or 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine. They are available in two-door Regular Cab and four-door Cab Plus models. 800-222-5500. www.mazdausa.com. |  |
 | Ford. New to the Super Duty line is the F-450, the first factory-equipped class 4 available with a pickup bed or as a chassis cab. Super Duty engine options include a new 6.4-liter, twin-turbo diesel, a 6.8-liter V10 gas engine, and a 5.4-liter V8. F-Series trucks have a max towing capacity of 19,200 pounds and a max payload of 5,800 pounds. Regular, Super, and Crew Cab models are available. 800-392-3673. www.fordvehicles.com. |
| Toyota. The Tundra comes in three full-size models: the four-door CrewMax (shown) and Double Cab, and the two-door Regular Cab, and with three engine options. The CrewMax and the Double Cab have full-size, front-hinged rear doors. The trucks have a max towing capacity of 10,800 pounds and a payload rating of 2,060 pounds. Tundra cabs feature a center console large enough for a laptop computer and hanging files, a wide sliding armrest that doubles as a portable desk, two 12-volt DC outlets (three in the CrewMax), and two separate glove boxes. 800-331-4331. www.toyota.com. |  |
 | Dodge. Dodge trucks, including the Ram 3500 shown here, are available with a range of gas and diesel engines, including a 3.7-liter V6, a 4.7-liter V8, and the 5.7-liter Hemi V8; a 6.7-liter Cummins turbo diesel is available on all but the 1500 series. The Ram 2500 and 3500 with Cummins engine offers a max tow capacity of 16,400 pounds and a max payload capacity of 5,020 pounds. 800-423-6343. www.dodge.com. |
| Mitsubishi. Based on the Dodge Dakota, the Raider is available with a 3.7-liter V6 or a 4.7-liter V8. It is the only import-brand midsize pickup available with a V8 engine. Extended Cab models have front-hinged rear doors; Double Cabs have four full-size doors and six-passenger seating. 888-648-7820. www.mitsubishicars.com. . |  |
 | Honda. Marketed as a midsize SUV/pickup, the Ridgeline features a 4-foot-by-5-foot pickup bed, an 1,100-pound payload capacity, and a 5,000-pound towing capacity. It comes with a 3.5-liter V6 engine that puts out 247 hp and 252 pound-feet of torque. Features includes an on-demand four-wheel-drive system that automatically kicks in when needed, a tailgate that swings out or drops down, and a lockable, waterproof, 81/2-cubic-foot storage compartment below the bed floor. 800-999-1009. www.honda.com. |
| Isuzu. The i-290 and i-370 share a structural platform and engine with the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon. The four-cylinder i-290 (shown) provides 185 hp and 190 pound-feet of torque; the five-cylinder i-370 outputs 242 hp and 242 pound-feet of torque. The i-290 comes as an Extended Cab, and the i-370 is available with an Extended Cab or a Crew Cab. 800-255-6727. www.isuzu.com. |  |
 | Nissan. The 2008 Titan offers a longer wheelbase and an 8-foot bed option on the King Cab. It comes standard with a 5.6-liter V8 engine that puts out 315 hp and 385 pound-feet of torque, and it offers a maximum payload capacity of 2,063 pounds and a tow rating of 9,500 pounds. Three other bed sizes are available. Builder-friendly options include a lockable exterior-sidewall storage compartment, double-hinged 168-degree-opening rear doors, a factory bed tie-down system, and a spray-on bed liner. 800-647-7261. www.nissanusa.com. |