Let’s face it, with high-powered, half-ton trucks constantly dominating our news feeds, it's easy to understand why talk in the truck world is most often focused on these larger models. But for buyers who don’t need the extra space and capability, or those who simply want a rig that’s easier to park, there is a wide range of compact pickups readily available to meet their needs.
Buyers now have more choices than ever. In addition to midsize trucks like the Ford Ranger, Nissan Frontier, or Honda Ridgeline, some genuinely compact models are now on the market as well. The Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz are both relatively diminutive unibody pickups and scale below the current midsize trucks. The Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize trucks were recently refreshed for the 2023 model year.
The Best Small Pickup Trucks of 2024
Ford Maverick
While the Blue Oval also has the Ranger in its lineup, the 2024 Ford Maverick is a true small pickup truck. But the unibody Maverick also transcends the truck market, serving as a genuine alternative to traditional sedans and crossover SUVs.
The Maverick’s unibody platform, which is shared with the Ford Escape and Bronco Sport, means this small truck is only available in a crew-cab body style with a single four and a half foot bed size. While not very large, it affords a respectable 1,500-pound payload capacity and, thanks to Ford’s multi-position tailgate, it’s still possible to secure 4x8 sheets of plywood in the bed.
The Maverick gets a standard 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine as its base powertrain, which uses a turbocharger to generate 250 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque, paired with a standard eight-speed transmission and front-wheel drive (FWD). EcoBoost models can also be equipped with all-wheel drive (AWD), and when properly equipped, can tow up to 4,000 pounds.
Optional is the 2.5-liter hybrid powertrain, delivering a combined 191 horsepower. It’s paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and FWD, which is the only drivetrain available for the hybrid. This combination is good for an EPA-estimated 42 mpg city. You won’t see that kind of fuel-efficiency from any other pickup.
The limited towing capacity is due to the Maverick’s unibody construction, but that also makes this truck much more pleasant to drive than conventional pickups. There’s no real penalty in choosing a Maverick as your daily driver instead of a conventional car. The Maverick is also priced more like a car than a pickup. The base FWD Maverick XL starts at $23,400. Ford also offers fancier XLT and Lariat trim levels, the latter starting at just under $35,000.
Ford Ranger
The Ford Ranger is significantly redesigned for 2024, bringing advanced safety and infotainment technology, a better ride, and for power-hungry off-road fans, a new Raptor trim.
The 2024 Ranger is now exclusively available in a crew-cab body style, or what Ford refers to as SuperCrew. Base manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) starts at $32,565. That sum will get you behind the wheel of a Ranger XL SuperCrew rear-wheel drive (RWD) with a five-foot bed and what is perhaps one of the truck’s more unique features: a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine. With help from a turbocharger, this little powerplant pumps out 270 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque, all of which is managed by a 10-speed automatic transmission. If you need more power on tap, a newly available 2.7-liter Ecoboost V6 will deliver 315 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. Still not enough? Step up to the Ford Ranger Raptor and you will be rewarded with a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 putting out a whopping 405 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque.
In typical Ford fashion, the base XL trim level is followed by a better-equipped XLT, the Lariat, and the range-topping Raptor. Buyers can opt for four-wheel drive (4WD), though they’re limited to a five-foot bed. Those of you on the hunt for a Ranger SuperCrew with a long bed are out of luck.
That may be disappointing information for some, but we expect all Ranger shoppers will appreciate the truck’s payload capacity, which starts at 1,711 pounds when equipped with 4WD and inches up to 1,805 pounds with RWD. Towing capacity ranges from 5,510 to 7,500 pounds.
Honda Ridgeline
“It is not your typical pickup truck, but it is the best daily driver in its segment. That’s critical for the 99% of driving you’ll do without a trailer attached or boulders to negotiate.”
That quote, taken from one of our Test Drive Reviews, sums up the Honda Ridgeline perfectly. Since its creation, the Ridgeline has served as an alternative to the traditional small or midsize pickup. Riding on a unibody platform shared with Honda’s Odyssey minivan and Pilot crossover, the Ridgeline shines in ride quality, refinement, and versatility. For 2024, Honda is spicing things up with the Ridgeline TrailSport, delivering more competitive off-road capabilities for the first time.
The Ridgeline comes equipped with torque-vectoring (AWD) and the 280-hp 3.5-liter V6 engine that you’ll find in other Honda vehicles, and a nine-speed automatic transmission. While those figures are right in line with the competition, the Ridgeline’s 5,000-pound towing capacity is a little light and its maximum 1,583-pound payload rating is not best-in-class. But, again, for buyers who want to haul a load of mulch from the home improvement store or tow their boat to the lake on weekends, Honda’s pickup is plenty capable.
All versions of the Ridgeline feature class exclusives like a drainable storage compartment integrated into the cargo floor and a tailgate that can be lowered or swung open from the side. Depending on where you’re parked and what’s being unloaded, this flexibility can be quite helpful.
Jeep Gladiator
If the Honda Ridgeline is the most refined truck on our list, one could argue that the 2024 Jeep Gladiator covers the opposite end of the spectrum. It's like a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited with a bed instead of an enclosed rear cargo area.
Jeep offers the Gladiator in a wide variety of familiar trim levels and special-edition variants, ranging from the most basic Sport to the all-new Rubicon X. All examples include a crew-cab design with seating for up to five passengers, a five-foot bed, a soft or hard top, and is equipped with a standard 285 hp 3.6-liter V6 putting out 260 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard, though most shoppers opt for a configuration that includes an eight-speed automatic. We expect a plug-in hybrid variant based on the Wrangler Unlimited 4xe to be added at some point.
As one would expect, Jeep equips all 2024 Gladiators with 4WD, though different trim levels and option packages determine if the truck will be fitted with a part- or full-time transfer case. A whole host of suspension upgrades are offered throughout the lineup, from premium Fox-brand shocks to an electronic sway-bar disconnect and locking differentials. With a nod to its off-road intentions, the Gladiator offers up to 11.6 inches of ground clearance. Payload capacity peaks at a respectable 1,725 pounds, while towing capacity tops out at 7,700 pounds.
Nissan Frontier
New for 2024, Nissan adds the Hardbody Edition to the Frontier lineup, which includes retro-inspired graphics along with unique functional hardware, and a new premium SL trim combines several popular features.
Like most of its competitors, the Frontier is available in extended- and crew-cab body styles, or what Nissan refers to as King Cab and Crew Cab. Base pricing is just a few dollars more than the Chevrolet Colorado, hovering just under $30,000. That figure will put you behind the wheel of a Frontier King Cab S with a five-foot bed and RWD. One powertrain comes standard on all trims, and fuel economy aside, buyers will be pleased with the 3.8-liter V6 putting out 310 hp to the rear wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission. A shift-on-the-fly 4WD system is available.
Frontier buyers should be pleased with the truck’s capabilities with the payload capacity maxing out at 1,620 pounds, while towing capacity ranges from 6,170 to 6,640 pounds.
Toyota Tacoma
Of course, no list of the best small pickups would be complete without the Toyota Tacoma. This truck has been completely redesigned for 2024, and an all-new Trailhunter trim debuts, offering a factory-built overlanding rig for the first time.
Shoppers considering a 2024 Tacoma have their choice of 2-door XtraCab and 4-door Double Cab body styles riding on a RWD or 4WD chassis. Either body style can be had with a five- or six-foot bed.
Beneath the hood, Toyota forgoes offering a V6 altogether, and instead introduces two new four-cylinder engines. The first is a standard 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes 224 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque. Upper trim levels bump output to 278 hp and 317 lb-ft when paired with the eight-speed automatic transmission. Even more power hungry? A turbocharged 2.4-liter hybrid engine which Toyota calls the i-Force MAX is available, offering a brag-worthy 326 hp and 465 lb-ft of twist. Maximum payload and towing capacities are on par with others on this list, coming in at 1,706 and 6,500 pounds, respectively.
While 2024 pricing has not yet been announced at the time of writing, the most affordable trim should be the SR and we expect overall numbers to be inline with those of the Nissan Frontier.
