Pickup shopping comes down to two questions: what the truck costs at the dealer and what it costs to keep running. The trucks below cover compact, midsize and full-size models, mixing new starting prices with annual repair estimates from published sources. Here are twelve pickups, each tied to its own source page.
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1. Ford Maverick: Entry Point
The Maverick is Ford’s compact pickup, and Cars.com pricing data lists the Maverick XL at $28,990 including $1,845 destination. That makes it the cheapest pickup on the list, and the figure already folds in the delivery charge that many advertised starting prices leave out.
Ford positions the Maverick as a small, practical truck for buyers who want an open bed without the size, fuel appetite and sticker price of a full-size model. Its compact footprint suits city driving and tight parking, while the bed still handles hardware runs, bikes and weekend loads.
2. Hyundai Santa Cruz: Crossover With A Bed
Among the lowest-priced trucks tracked by Cars.com, the Santa Cruz SE starts at $31,350. Hyundai builds the Santa Cruz as a compact pickup with a short bed rather than a traditional work truck.
The design borrows heavily from the brand’s crossover lineup, which gives it a car-like ride and easy handling that appeal to buyers coming from SUVs. The SE is the entry trim, so the figure marks the lowest rung of the lineup before options or upgraded trims raise the total.
3. Chevrolet Colorado: Midsize Starting Line
Chevrolet sells the Colorado as its midsize pickup, and the Colorado WT starts at $34,495 according to the Cars.com list. The WT designation marks the work-oriented base trim.
Midsize trucks like the Colorado sit between compact models and full-size haulers, offering more towing and payload ability than a small truck while remaining easier to park and cheaper to fuel than a half-ton. A base trim price shows where the model begins, though higher trims and packages climb well above that opening figure.
4. GMC Canyon: Premium Midsize Option
GMC’s midsize pickup is the Canyon, and the Canyon Elevation starts at $40,995 per Cars.com reporting. That is the highest starting price among the four new trucks in this gallery.
The Canyon shares its basic engineering with the Chevrolet Colorado, but GMC positions it as the more upscale version, with extra trim and equipment on top. The Elevation trim sits above the most basic version, which helps explain why the starting price lands well above its Chevrolet sibling.
5. Nissan Frontier: Repair Bill Leader
Repair costs shift the picture, and RepairPal midsize rankings place the Frontier first among midsize trucks at $470 a year in repairs. The class average is $548, so the Nissan comes in below it.
Nissan has sold the Frontier for decades as a straightforward midsize pickup aimed at work and recreation. The annual repair figure covers typical maintenance and unscheduled fixes, which matters to owners who keep a truck for many years and want predictable costs after the warranty period ends.
6. Toyota Tacoma: Resale Favorite
Few midsize pickups carry the reputation of the Tacoma, and RepairPal data puts its average repair cost at $478 a year. That sits close to the leader on the same midsize list.
Toyota has built the Tacoma for generations, and it is a common sight on job sites, trails and suburban driveways alike. A low yearly repair figure supports the model’s long-standing image as a durable truck, though the number reflects averages across many owners and cannot predict any single truck’s bills.
7. Honda Ridgeline: Unibody Oddball
Honda takes a different approach with the Ridgeline, and RepairPal midsize figures list it at $502 a year in average repair cost. That is a little under the $548 midsize class average.
Unlike most pickups, the Ridgeline uses unibody construction, meaning the body and frame form a single structure, similar to a car or crossover. The layout favors a smooth ride and comfortable handling over extreme off-road or heavy-duty work, which suits buyers who need a bed for everyday errands and light hauling.
8. Dodge Dakota: Retired But Ranked
The Dakota is a reminder that older trucks still turn up in ownership data, since RepairPal midsize listings show it averaging $622 a year in repairs. That is above the $548 class average.
Dodge sold the Dakota as a midsize pickup for many years before retiring the nameplate, and plenty of used examples remain on the road. Age tends to push repair costs upward for any vehicle, so a figure above the class average fits what a typical shopper might expect from an older truck.
9. Nissan Titan: Cheap To Fix
Moving up to full-size trucks, RepairPal full-size data lists the Titan at $555 a year in repairs. That compares with a full-size average of $936, a gap of $381 in the owner’s favor.
Nissan built the Titan as a full-size challenger to the big domestic pickups, though it never matched their sales volume. A smaller sales footprint can mean fewer truck-specific parts and shops, yet the repair data points to modest yearly bills for owners who already have one in the driveway.
10. Toyota Tundra: Full-Size Value
Toyota’s half-ton pickup shows a similar pattern, as RepairPal truck rankings put the Tundra at $606 a year in repairs. That is well below the $936 average for full-size trucks.
The Tundra competes directly with the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado and Ram 1500, and Toyota markets it around durability and long-term ownership. Annual repair cost is only one slice of expense, since fuel, insurance and depreciation also shape what a truck costs over time, but a lower repair line helps the overall case.
11. GMC Sierra 1500: Under The Average
General Motors’ upscale half-ton also lands below the line, because RepairPal data puts the Sierra 1500 at $727 a year in repairs. The full-size truck average is $936.
The Sierra 1500 shares its basic underpinnings with the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, with GMC adding premium styling and equipment. As a high-volume model, it benefits from a wide supply of parts and a large network of dealers and independent shops, which can keep service access simple for owners in most regions.
12. Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD: Heavy-Duty Benchmark
The Silverado 2500 HD closes the list at $936 a year in repairs, which matches the full-size truck average on RepairPal full-size rankings exactly. It sits right on the line rather than above or below it.
Heavy-duty pickups are built for serious towing and payload, with stronger frames, bigger engines and tougher components than half-ton models. Those hardworking parts can cost more to service, so an average-level repair bill is a reasonable result for a truck designed to haul trailers, equipment and loaded beds day after day.
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