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Looking to Decide Between a Full-Size and Mid-Size Truck?

Which Truck is best?

overview

If you’re anything like us, then you may have at some point asked yourself what the difference was between a mid-size and a full-size truck! Pickup trucks have increased more and more in popularity as time has progressed. Not only can you choose between a mid-size and full-size truck, but consumers can also decide between a base model truck, a mid-level truck, or a luxury truck. The possibilities are endless. We know that it’s hard to decide what kind of truck to buy, so we put together this blog just for you. Follow along as we present the differences between the two sizes and show some of the most common models in our inventory, and you can decide for yourself which truck is best for you!

Performance & Capability

We will begin by analyzing the difference between full-size and mid-size regarding performance and capability. According to Autotrader, in general, a full-size truck will have a much bigger engine than a mid-size truck. In terms of performance, a mid-size truck is usually as powerful as a full-size truck when comparing acceleration times.  Due to the truck being smaller in size, vehicle manufacturers tend to give it a similar power to weight ratio as a full-size truck.

Towing & Payload

On the other hand, when comparing towing and payload capacity, a full-size truck will normally dominate here. The simple answer is that full-size trucks are larger and can hold a bigger engine. Numbers do vary based on make and model, but according to Motor1 most mid-size trucks can haul 7,000 pounds and most full-size can haul over 10,000 pounds. When comparing payloads, we tend to see a little bit of the same story. Autotrader mentions that mid-size trucks can carry 1,500 pounds in the bed, whereas a full-size truck can carry over 2,000 pounds. Autotrader also mentions that most people don’t need to haul or carry anything heavier than 1,500 pounds, so a mid-size truck is good enough for most situations. On the other hand, if you see yourself carrying a lot of construction equipment then a full-size truck may be the best fit considering the larger truck bed capable of fitting larger objects.

Cabin Size

The physical size of these two trucks will be a factor when considering the amount of room inside the trucks’ cabins. Mid-size trucks aren’t small trucks, but when considering legroom and headroom, a full-size truck will almost always be better. To contradict that, it is important to consider that a full-size truck doesn’t always fit inside of your garage because it’s either too tall, or too long. Cabin sizes very depending on whether you get a regular cab or even a crew cab for that matter. At the end of the day, the thing to consider is who will be riding in that truck on the regular, and whether you need it to be in your garage or not.  

Price & Fuel Economy

Based on capacity alone, you will not be shocked to learn that a full-size truck tends to cost more than a mid-size truck. According to Motor1, base mid-size trucks tend to have a starting price of $20,000, while the more expensive ones start at $30,000. Full-size trucks can start at twice the prices mentioned before. Car manufacturers also tend to outfit full-size trucks with added features. Not only are they more expensive, full-size trucks are also generally at a disadvantage in fuel economy. Of course, the choice in your engine will make a difference, but typically mid-size would be the most fuel efficient of the two.

summary

Based on the information provided, it is believed that a mid-size truck is often good enough for what most consumers need out of a truck. However, at Bill Luke Santan, we have both size trucks in order to make sure we provide you with the options to make a decision on what is the best truck for you.

Bill Luke Santan 33.2893926, -111.7617546.