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Best trucks for the money in 2024, according to iSeeCars

Full-size trucks are some of the most popular vehicles on the road in the U.S., but they’ve become exceedingly expensive in some cases. That makes it even more important to choose the right full-size truck to maximize value and longevity. iSeeCars recently released its list of the best trucks for the money for 2024, ranking AmericaÂ’s full-size trucks on the cost to own over 10,000 miles. Though the Ford F-150 is the best-selling new full-size truck, it failed to break into the three best trucks for the money, landing at number four on the list. The top six pickups include: Chevrolet Silverado 1500: $2,863 per 10,000 miles Toyota Tundra: $2,868 Ram 1500: $3,352 Ford F-150: $3,469 GMC Sierra 1500: $3,598 Nissan Titan: $4,008 The list is short because there is only a handful of full-size trucks on sale. Though many are expected to last quite a while – some have lifespan estimates of more than 180,000 miles, and the Toyota TundraÂ’s average life is 226,032 miles – all of them are expensive. iSeeCars found that the average new truck purchase price is $61,353, with trucks like the GMC Sierra 1500 topping $66,000. iSeeCars ranked the trucks on their purchase price and 10,000-mile ownership costs, not on driving excitement, styling, tech, or safety. It also did not asses each truckÂ’s capabilities, such as towing and payload, but said that buyers looking to save money should only purchase one if they have “genuine truck needs.” The study looked at several vehicle types to find the best models for the money in each category. The Mitsubishi Mirage was the best car overall, returning a $1,099 10,000-mile ownership cost and a low $18,991 purchase price. The Toyota Tacoma was the best midsize truck, and Toyota landed a strong seven vehicles in the top 25 best cars for the money overall. Chevrolet Ford GMC Nissan RAM Toyota

Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra 4.3-liter EcoTec3 V6 nets 18 mpg city, 24 highway

There is no doubting that fuel economy has become an important factor in the highly competitive fullsize truck market, with the Ford F-150 EcoBoost V6 and Pentastar V6-powered Ram 1500 setting quite a precedent in recent years. Now it's General Motors' turn. The General has just announced that the new base V6 used in the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500 models will return an EPA-estimated 18 mpg city and 24 mpg highway in two-wheel drive trim, regardless of cab configuration.
While these figures don't go so far as to earn GM any "best-in-class" fuel economy claims (thanks to the 25-mpg Ram 1500 HFE), this new 4.3L EcoTec3 V6 does edge the F-150 and Toyota Tundra while boasting best-in-class numbers for torque, payload and towing capacity among six-cylinder rivals. This all-new engine produces 285 horsepower and 305 pound-feet of torque, and it gives the 2014 Silverado and Sierra the highest towing rating among standard V6 models with a 7,200-pound towing capacity - besting the Ram by 700 pounds, the base F-150 by 1,100 pounds and coming within 200 pounds of the V8-powered Nissan Titan. Scroll down for the official press releases from Chevrolet and GMC.

GM trucks get hybrid versions, but you'll probably never see one

A few years ago, General Motors sold hybrid versions of its Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups. They weren't very good, using GM's old two-mode hybrid system that resulted in only negligible fuel economy gains. But GM's trying again, launching eAssist models of the 2016 Silverado and Sierra that are said to offer 2-mpg improvements in city, highway, and combined fuel economy ratings. Problem is, you probably won't be able to get one. Only 700 eAssist trucks will be made for the 2016 model year – 500 Silverados and 200 Sierras. When you consider that GM moved 824,683 examples of its light-duty pickups in 2015, this small run represents 0.08-percent of all Silverado/Sierra production, and GM says it "will monitor the market closely ... and adjust as appropriate moving forward." But that's not the only limitation. The eAssist trucks will only be sold through California dealers. For the Silverado, eAssist can only be optioned on the 1500 Crew Cab 1LT 2WD model, and for the Sierra, the fuel-saving technology is solely available on the 1500 SLT Crew Cab 2WD model with the SLT Premium Plus package. Granted, in terms of the Sierra, that means you get niceties like LED headlights and taillights, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bose premium audio, heated seats and steering wheel, lane keep assist, and more. In the trucks, eAssist combines a small electric motor and 0.45-kWh battery pack with the pickups' 5.3-liter V8. GM estimates total output of 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque – no more horsepower than the non-eAssist trucks, but three more pound-feet of torque. GM says the eAssist trucks can tow up to 9,400 pounds, and the battery only adds 100 pounds to the trucks' weight. The electric motor provides 13 hp and 44 lb-ft of torque for a boost of acceleration off the line, or during passing. It also allows the engine to run in four-cylinder mode for longer periods of time. eAssist uses regenerative braking to help power onboard electrical systems, and adds start/stop to the powertrain. Finally, the so-equipped trucks have a six-percent improvement in aerodynamics, thanks to a soft tonneau cover and active grille shutters in the front fascia. Great news is, the eAssist option is relatively inexpensive, only costing $500. But good luck getting your hands on one.