When you buy a new truck, you can take it as a given that you’ll get the latest features. Automakers are scrambling to outdo each other every year with bigger screens, more driver assistance features, and creative new tech, some of which actually turn out to become the new industry standard. But when you’re looking at used trucks for sale, all bets are off.
Since pickup trucks are built to handle tough driving, like going long distances, towing heavy loads, or heading off-road, they’re generally well-constructed and built to last. That means a used lot can have an incredibly wide variety of model years to choose from, from nearly-new trucks with modern tech to decade-plus-old models that still expect you to use cassettes and CDs for your audio entertainment. Between these extremes, it can be hard to pin down what model years you’ll have to look for to find the features you want.
Today, I’m going to help you in your search by taking a look at five trucks that have useful, unique, modern features and letting you know in which model years these features were introduced. Since these are pickup trucks, I’ll be focusing particularly on things that come in handy for towing, hauling, and off-roading. If you want modern tech that makes these tasks more comfortable or convenient, you don’t have to buy a brand-new model—you just need to know what to look for at your local used dealer.
#1. 2021 Ram 1500: Trailer Reverse Steering Control
Let’s jump right in with a pain in the neck that many truck drivers are familiar with: backing up with a trailer attached. Driving forward with a heavy or bulky trailer is difficult enough, but when you have to go in reverse to park or maneuver in a tight space, things get even trickier. Turning the wheel in the opposite direction of where you need the trailer to go on top of dealing with the extra bulk of the trailer and the danger of jackknifing can be overwhelming. And unless you’re in an open lot with no other vehicles, people, or buildings around, the stakes can get pretty high, as messing up can cause serious damage.
That’s why Ram developed a system to make this process simpler: electronic trailer reverse steering control. Introduced for the 2021 model year, this feature lets you use a rotary knob instead of the steering wheel to control the truck while you’re backing up. This knob essentially reverses right and left, so the trailer will move to the right when you turn the knob to the right and vice versa. It’s also easy to turn, requiring only one hand. Overall, it offers a more intuitive experience for drivers in this challenging situation.
Because it was introduced as an optional system, you’ll want to look closely at the details for used models at your used Ram dealer, but since it’s been around for a few years now, it shouldn’t be too hard to track down.
#2. 2021 Ford F-150: Onboard Scales
Even the most powerful heavy-duty trucks have their limits, and if you tackle tough construction projects or have a big camping trailer, it can be all too easy to chafe against the maximum towing and hauling capacities of a light-duty pickup. And keeping track of how much gear you have loaded into your trailer and how much it all weighs can certainly feel like a chore. But staying under the maximum weight is important: carrying more weight than the truck can handle is dangerous and can cost you a pretty penny at the mechanic.
If you want to stay safe without breaking out a calculator every time you take a trip to the hardware store, you can look for a Ford F-150 equipped with onboard scales. The system behind this is pretty clever: it makes use of the springs in the suspension, measuring the tension in each corner to determine the weight. Instead of simply telling you how much cargo you have loaded up in the bed, the scales are programmed with the payload capacity of your particular F-150 trim and tell you how much over or under the capacity you are right now, so you know whether you have room to add more into the bed or if you should take a second trip to keep things within the limit.
For towing, there’s also a smart hitch that uses the same sensors to determine your trailer’s tongue weight. Since you’re probably outside the truck when you’re loading cargo into your bed or trailer, these features don’t rely fully on the interior screen to communicate: they can also indicate whether you’re over or under the capacity using LEDs in the tail lights.
#3. 2017 Chevy Silverado 1500: Teen Driver
If you have fond memories of learning to drive in the family pickup, then you might be looking forward to passing that experience on to your kids. But once the time actually comes, it’s easy for that excitement to be replaced by dread—especially once the learner’s permit window closes and it’s time to let your little ones hit the road on their own. How can you help them stay safe and develop good habits behind the wheel when you’re not always sitting in the passenger seat?
If you have a Chevy vehicle made in recent years, then there’s an answer to that question: Teen Driver. This system (also available on GMC, Buick, and Cadillac models) lets you set boundaries and track your teenager’s progress. First, you program a particular key fob for your young driver; that way, you can ensure that Teen Driver is active when your kids are borrowing the truck, but you don’t have to deal with the limitations when you’re the one behind the wheel.
When the truck is started with the teen’s key fob, the audio will stay muted until the driver and front passenger have buckled up, and several safety systems won’t be able to be turned off, helping your teen to form good habits. The low fuel light will also turn on a bit earlier than usual, giving them plenty of time to get to a gas station so they don’t get stranded on empty. And when they get back from a solo drive, you can see how they did by checking the in-vehicle report card, which lets you know how far the truck was driven, whether or not safety systems were triggered during the drive, the maximum speed reached, and more.
#4. 2024 Jeep Gladiator: Power-Adjustable Seats
If you’re scratching your head, I don’t blame you. Power-adjustable seats are hardly a new invention, and 2024 is the most recent model year on this list—but hear me out, because there’s a method to this madness. What you have to keep in mind is that the Gladiator is essentially the Jeep Wrangler with a cargo bed slapped on; it’s built to handle extreme off-roading, which means that, on top of being able to drive over bumpy terrain and crawl over boulders, it’s also capable of some serious water fording.
Drive through a creek in a typical vehicle and you’ll have probably killed the power-adjustable seats for good; this explains why it took so long for the Gladiator to get this seemingly simple feature. But for the 2024 model year, the engineers at Jeep cracked the code and added 12-way power-adjustable seats to the Gladiator’s options. You can splash through some water and even hose down the interior without fear of damage to these electrically-operated seats! And you can get your position just right so you can stay comfortable out on the road or the trail.
