“What truck should I buy?” It’s a question consumers ask themselves every day, but what would features editor Christian Seabaugh drive? Keep reading for the answer, and see other editors’ picks here.
I may not look like the type, but I love pickup trucks. There’s just something about their purposeful design and the sense of freedom trucks provide that really gets me going. I may not go off-road, tow something, or need to haul hay bales every day (or ever, aside from that one time), but knowing that I can is incredibly liberating. Because of that, if I were spending my hard-earned money on a new pickup, I’d be purchasing a 2019 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 AEV Bison, equipped with a V-6, crew cab, and 5-foot bed.
The Colorado ZR2 Bison is the perfect truck for my little family. My wife and I currently rent a place in Los Angeles, live with two dogs, like to be self-sufficient, and love road trips, both to places where roads actually go and to places where they don’t. Any vehicle we buy would be a lifetime purchase, so we’d be comfortable stretching up to a hypothetical $50,000 in the near term in order to get a truck that best meets our long-term needs.
Aside from a $50,000 price cap, my pickup would have to check a few boxes: It’d have to be off-road capable, able to tow a small trailer or camper (up to 5,000 pounds), and have a minimum 1,000-pound payload capacity. It would also have to have a dog-friendly back seat, Apple CarPlay, and be relatively efficient.
Before settling on the Colorado Bison, I considered a few different trucks, like the Jeep Gladiator, Ram 1500 Rebel, and Ram 2500 Tradesman Power Wagon.