It’s hard to think about the the new truck market and not instantly imagine massive, half-ton models. Full-size trucks like the Chevy Silverado, Ram 1500, and Ford F-150 are great, but not really necessary for a wide swath of buyers who simply need something durable that's hauls cargo and is relatively easy to park.
Thankfully, after small trucks fading away for a little while, consumers now have more choices than ever. In addition to midsize trucks like the Ford Ranger, Nissan Frontier, and Honda Ridgeline, some genuinely compact models are now on the market as well. The Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz are relatively diminutive unibody pickups and scale below the current midsize trucks. The Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize are also ready to take on whatever the future holds. It’s great having more options than just full-size pickups.
Read on to check out our rankings of the market's best small pickups.
The Best Small Pickup Trucks of 2025
- Ford Maverick
- Ford Ranger
- Honda Ridgeline
- Hyundai Santa Cruz
- Jeep Gladiator
- Nissan Frontier
- Toyota Tacoma
Ford Maverick
While the Blue Oval also has the Ranger in its lineup, the 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 four-and-a-half-foot bed. While not very large, it affords a respectable 1,500-pound maximum payload capacity and, thanks to Ford’s multi-position tailgate, it’s still possible to secure 4x8 sheets of plywood in the bed.
The base Maverick, priced just below $27,000, comes with front-wheel drive (FWD), a continuously variable transmission (CVT), and 2.5-liter hybrid powertrain that delivers 191 hp. This combination is good for an EPA-estimated 42 mpg city. You won’t see that kind of fuel-efficiency from any other pickup. New for 2025, Ford allows buyers to pair the hybrid powertrain with all-wheel drive (AWD) and a 4,000-pound towing capacity.
That capability was already available with the Maverick's 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine, which uses a turbocharger to generate 238 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque. It's paired with an eight-speed transmission that delivers power to the front or all four wheels.
In truck terms, the Maverick's 4,000-pound maximum tow rating isn't all that impressive, but it's excellent for a compact unibody vehicle. That platform makes this pickup much more pleasant to drive than larger, body-on-frame alternatives. There’s no real penalty in choosing a Maverick as your daily driver instead of a conventional car.
Ford Ranger
The Ford Ranger was significantly redesigned for the 2024 model year, bringing advanced safety and infotainment technology, a better ride, and a new Raptor variant for power-hungry off-road fans.
The 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 around $33,000, a sum that will get you behind the wheel of a rear-wheel drive (RWD) XL with a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine that 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 grunt, an optional 2.7-liter Ecoboost V6 boasts 315 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque, or you can opt for the Ranger Raptor with its 405-hp twin-turbo V6.
In typical Ford fashion, the base XL trim level is followed by a better-equipped XLT, the Lariat, and the newest 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 tops out at 1,840 pounds. Towing capacity ranges from 5,510 to 7,500 pounds when properly equipped.
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. We’re especially fond of the Ridgeline TrailSport, which delivers competitive off-road capabilities that make it quite fun-to-drive. It’s also the workhorse of Honda’s lineup.
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.
Hyundai Santa Cruz
Refreshed for the 2025 model year, the Santa Cruz is one good-looking four-door unibody compact pickup truck that directly competes with the Ford Maverick. It may not be from a major American manufacturer, but it’s still a nice piece of kit, offering up off-road ready exterior dimensions and a towing capacity of 3,500 to 5,000 pounds when properly equipped.
Its heart is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, available naturally aspirated or turbocharged. The former produces 191 hp and 181 lb-ft of torque, whereas the latter pumps out 281 and 311, respectively. No matter which of the five trims you choose, fuel economy is good for the Santa Cruz’s size, and both FWD and AWD drivetrains are available. The latter is standard on the turbocharged variants. Payload maxes out at 1,744 pounds.
Jeep Gladiator
If the Honda Ridgeline is the most refined truck on our list, one could argue that the Jeep Gladiator covers the opposite end of the spectrum. It's essentially a Jeep Wrangler with a bed instead of an enclosed rear cargo area.
Jeep offers the Gladiator in a wide variety of configurations, ranging from the most basic $38,000 Sport to the $61,000 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 a 3.6-liter V6 putting out 285 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. An eight-speed automatic gearbox is standard. The manual transmission is no longer available.
As one would expect, Jeep equips all 2025 model year 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
Updated for 2025, the Nissan Frontier gets mild styling tweaks, as well as improved infotainment features and enhanced towing capacity.
Like most of its competitors, the Frontier is commonly available in King Cab and Crew Cab configurations, with prices starting below $30,000. That figure will put you behind the wheel of an King Cab S trim with a six-foot bed and RWD. A shift-on-the-fly 4WD system is available. Crew Cab variants, offered with a six-foot or five-foot bed, start at just under $31,000. 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 wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission.
Frontier buyers should be pleased with the truck’s capabilities with the payload capacity maxing out at 1,620 pounds, while towing capacity reaches 7,150 pounds when properly equipped.
Toyota Tacoma
Of course, no list of the best small and midsize pickups would be complete without one of America’s favorite bedded Japanese vehicles: the Toyota Tacoma. This truck was completely redesigned for the 2024 model year, when Toyota launched the Trailhunter trim as a factory-built overlanding rig.
Shoppers considering a fresh Tacoma have their choice of 2-door XtraCab and 4-door Double Cab body styles riding on a RWD or 4WD chassis. Tacoma XtraCab's come with a six-foot bed; Double Cabs offer that or a five-foot bed.
Toyota is one of a growing number of truck makers opting something smaller under the hood. The V6 was ditched with the redesign, replaced a standard 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes 228 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque. Upper trim levels bump output to 278 hp and 317 lb-ft. Both are connected to an 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 1,705 and 6,500 pounds, respectively.
Pricing starts at $31,500 for the base SR XtraCab RWD and nears $64,000 for the hybrid-powered TRD Pro Double Cab 4WD.
