Pickup trucks are often assumed to be expensive, yet plenty of new models start at surprisingly modest prices. Starting prices were collected from three automotive outlets and sorted from lowest to highest. Here are twelve of the cheapest new pickups in America, beginning with the Ford Maverick.
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1. Ford Maverick: The Price Floor
Topping the cheapest list at $28,990 including destination, the 2026 Maverick XL is the Blue Oval’s most affordable pickup and the least expensive new truck on sale, according to this Cars.com price roundup. Ford’s compact therefore sets the bar for the entire ranking.
Another outlet lists the Maverick at $29,990, so the exact figure shifts with the source and the date of the survey. Even so, no other truck in this gallery starts lower, and the headline price comes from the Cars.com figure, which includes the destination charge.
2. Hyundai Santa Cruz: The Sport Adventure Pickup
Priced from $31,350 for the 2026 SE trim, the Santa Cruz is described in the Cars.com ranking as a sport adventure vehicle that is still a small pickup. That makes it the second-cheapest entry in the group, a little over $2,000 above the Maverick.
The label matters because Hyundai does not pitch it as a conventional truck, yet the open bed qualifies it for the list. A separate listing shows the 2027 model at $31,950, a reminder that model year can change the number.
3. Nissan Frontier: Just Under $34,000
The 2026 Frontier S starts at $33,895, which Cars.com notes places just under the $34,000 mark. That makes Nissan’s midsize pickup the third-cheapest truck in the lineup, roughly $2,500 above the Santa Cruz.
Staying beneath that threshold gives the Frontier a small edge over rivals priced a few hundred dollars higher. The figure covers the base S trim only, so every step up in equipment adds to the bill from there, which is typical for entry-level pickups.
4. Toyota Tacoma: A Toyota Under Budget
Toyota prices the 2026 Tacoma SR at $34,290 including destination, according to the Cars.com list. That puts the midsize favorite fourth on the list, about $400 above the Frontier and still well below the $35,000 line.
Autotrader shows a lower $33,840 for the same truck, so the Tacoma’s rank depends on which outlet and date supply the number. Either way, the SR remains firmly within the entry-level group of pickups on the market today.
5. Chevrolet Colorado: Work Truck Basics
The least expensive 2026 Colorado is the 2WD Work Truck trim at $34,495, as Autotrader’s cheapest trucks shows. Chevrolet’s midsize pickup therefore lands only about $200 above the Tacoma on price, a near tie between two rivals.
That figure applies to the stripped-down rear-drive version, so four-wheel drive or upper trims would cost more. The Work Truck name signals what the base model is built to be: a basic tool rather than a showpiece.
6. Ford Ranger: The Cheapest Ranger
At $35,245, the 2WD XL is the most affordable 2026 Ranger, based on the Autotrader price guide. It gives Ford a second entry in the ranking alongside the Maverick and the first price above the $35,000 mark.
The Ranger sits above the compact Maverick by roughly $6,000, a gap that reflects its midsize class. As with the Colorado, the number describes the rear-drive base truck, and buyers wanting more capability would pay beyond this starting price.
7. Chevrolet Silverado 1500: The Full-Size Bargain
The Silverado 1500 starts at $39,695, and Autotrader’s ranking calls it the most affordable full-size truck in 2026. It is the first full-size model to appear in the ranking and the first to approach the $40,000 mark.
Stepping up from the midsize class costs about $4,450 over the Ranger’s base price. For that money the Chevrolet claims the full-size price floor, with the next truck on the list starting only a few hundred dollars higher.
8. Ford F-150: Second in Full-Size
Ford’s 2026 F-150 costs $40,085, making it the second-cheapest full-size truck on sale in America this year, per Autotrader. Only the Silverado starts lower, and the F-150 is the first entry here to pass $40,000.
The $390 gap between the two shows how tightly the big domestic pickups are priced at the bottom of their ranges. Starting trims are the point of comparison here, not the loaded versions that dominate showrooms.
9. GMC Sierra 1500: GMC’s Entry Point
The 2026 Sierra 1500 shows a starting MSRP of $41,395 on TrueCar’s cheapest trucks. GMC’s full-size pickup sits about $1,300 above the F-150 and roughly $1,700 above the Silverado, the cheapest truck in its class.
The figure is a manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the base model, so it measures the entry point rather than what most buyers pay. It also comes from a different outlet than the Silverado and F-150 numbers, which can account for small differences.
10. Honda Ridgeline: The Midsize Outlier
Honda lists the 2026 Ridgeline at a TSRP of $42,390, according to TrueCar’s listing. The midsize pickup costs more to start than several full-size trucks despite its smaller class, and that premium is notable for a truck of this size.
That puts it above the Silverado, F-150 and Sierra on price. The ranking is by starting price alone, so the Ridgeline’s place in the order says nothing about how much equipment comes with it or how it compares in use.
11. Toyota Tundra: Toyota’s Big Truck
The 2026 Tundra starts at a TSRP of $43,455, based on TrueCar’s price list. Toyota’s full-size pickup is the second-most expensive truck in this gallery, more than $1,000 above the Ridgeline.
Only the Ram 1500 asks more at the base level. Pricing differs by outlet and model year, so the Tundra’s standing could shift if another dataset replaced the TrueCar numbers, but the order at the top of this list is clear.
12. Ram 1500: The Top of the List
The 2027 Ram 1500 carries a starting MSRP of $45,370 on TrueCar’s trucks page. That is the highest base price among the twelve trucks and it caps the ranking, about $1,900 above the Tundra.
The spread from the Maverick’s $28,990 to the Ram is more than $16,000. Prices here come from several outlets and model years, so they are best read as a snapshot of starting points rather than a single exact scale.
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