If you are thinking about getting a pickup truck, doubtless you know there are many different ones from which to choose. A company like Ford or Chevy has several pickup trucks, and there are plenty of other contenders worth looking at as well, like GMC. You will need to consider several factors before you pull the trigger and put your hard-earned money down.
Something like the Silverado 1500 might appeal due to its excellent resale value and uniformly strong reviews. However, there are so many other worthy contenders that you may feel at a loss when the time comes to make that final decision.
In this article, we will look at five crucial factors that should come into play when you are getting ready to buy your next pickup truck. By asking yourself each of them, you should be able to hopefully make a selection that you and the rest of your family will be happy with.
How Much Money Do You Have to Spend?
Like virtually any other purchase, you will first want to look at how much money you have to spend. It’s true with a pickup truck, a refrigerator, or even a meal when you’re on your lunch break.
Presumably, you will have a certain sum of money that you have allocated toward this purchase. Maybe you know the exact dollar amount that you have to spend, and you know you can’t go over it.
With that number in mind, you can start either looking at pickup trucks in your area or go online and look at options there. This second choice might be preferable if you want a wider selection than you have found at car lots close to you.
Are You Insisting on Buying New, or Are You Okay with Used?
Next, you will need to think about whether you want to buy a brand-new pickup truck or whether you might be okay with a used one. It’s almost always preferable to buy brand-new if you have enough money for it. A brand-new truck will probably come with the latest safety features, and there’s much less chance that it will break down.
You may look at your finances and determine that you don’t have enough money for a brand-new pickup truck. If so, that’s fine. There are always plenty of pickup trucks on sale gently used, and maybe you will select one that only had one previous owner.
It’s also worth looking at certified pre-owned pickup trucks. These are normally ones with a single previous owner that the manufacturer has refurbished.
They will have checked the vehicle carefully before putting it up for sale. Generally speaking, buying certified pre-owned is a nice way to split the difference between brand-new and used.
What Do You Plan on Doing with It?
Next, you should ask yourself what you plan on doing with the pickup truck. Many individuals who buy them do so because they have blue-collar jobs. If this is the situation in which you find yourself, then think about the specific types of tasks for which you will use the truck.
Maybe you are going to be hauling horse trailers across the country, for instance. If so, then it makes sense for you to get a pickup truck with plenty of power. Perhaps you’re going to be using it to move equipment around a construction site. That’s another instance where you’re probably looking for something that’s considered heavy duty or super duty.
If you’re going to use the pickup truck more for outdoor pursuits while on your downtime, you might be okay getting something a little smaller with less power. A pickup truck rated for trails and in which you’d feel okay bouncing along a creekbed may be right up your alley.
Have You Had Any Personal Experience with the Most Popular Brands?
You might decide to look at some pickup trucks and decide on one based more on whether you have had prior experience with some of the more popular brands. Earlier, we mentioned how companies like Ford, Chevy, and GMC are always competing and jockeying for position in this ultra-crowded market. Have you ever driven a pickup truck made by one of them?
If you have, you have probably formed an opinion about it. Now, you can use that knowledge to either put that company on your short list or to disqualify it.
Whose Opinion Do You Trust the Most?
If you haven’t had much personal experience with pickup trucks in the past, it will instead be necessary to rely on the opinions of others to help you make this vital decision. The real question then becomes: whose opinion do you trust the most? You’re going to be spending a great deal of money on your new vehicle, and you don’t want to get this decision wrong.
You can always look at websites and message boards that talk about and rate different vehicles. Maybe you have one that you prefer, like Kelley Blue Book. Edmunds is another one that has some excellent feedback from consumers.
However, you may feel even more comfortable talking to some friends, neighbors, coworkers, or family members. If your elderly neighbor has never driven a pickup truck in their life, then getting their opinion probably won’t do you much good. If you have a best friend who loves pickup trucks and is always eager to talk about their pros and cons, that is definitely going to be your go-to person in this instance.
Most people have at least one individual in their life who’s knowledgeable about vehicles. If you don’t, though, then you will probably need to be content with the opinion of internet strangers.
If you can narrow down the list to two or three options, the final step will be to go and do some test drives. Maybe getting into the vehicle and going for a spin will help you to make this decision. A combination of all of these factors will likely give you the answer you seek.
