The full-size pickup truck has seen something of a glow-up in recent years. As drivers get a taste of the luxury and features available in the booming SUV and crossover markets, their expectations have risen across the board. This has led to a new generation of luxury pickups that are rapidly changing perceptions around just what a truck can be. With premium trims bringing a previously unseen level of sophistication to the historically working-class sector, we decided to take a look at some of our favorites over the last few years. Here are our top 5 luxury trucks you might find while searching for “used trucks for sale near me.”
Many of these brands carry traditional luxury offerings, as well as performance-focused models that can ring in for close to six figures when new. If that price tag is a bit high, the used market gives every driver the opportunity to experience luxury and performance features regardless of budget. The rugged construction of many of these vehicles means they’ll retain their value for years to come, making a used luxury truck a great investment for cash-conscious shoppers.
#1 – Ford F-150 Limited Crew Cab
As the nation’s top-selling truck for over 40 years – and best-selling vehicle overall for 39 years – there’s no denying the mass appeal of Ford’s flagship pickup. The truck’s popularity has led Ford to introduce a range of models that span the price spectrum, from the base XL to the swanky Limited and the high-performance Raptor. While the full-size truck’s workhorse roots emphasized towing capacity and ruggedness over comfort and styling, that’s quickly becoming a thing of the past.
At the higher end of the lineup, expect well-appointed interiors that bring a touch of European styling that wouldn’t be out of place in some storied German luxury brands, all while still hauling thousands of pounds with ease. Retractable running boards, as well as steps and a handle in the truck’s tailgate, give the F-150 a feature that’s long been missing from the full-size truck; accessibility. Available on King Ranch, Platinum, and Limited trim levels, these features open up the F-150 to a sector of drivers who, for $65,000, aren’t interested in having to scale the side of their truck every time they need to unload the bed.
Some of the newest F-150s include lay-flat front seats, a feature not found on many vehicles in general, but especially full-size trucks. Ford’s Max Recline Seats bring a little taste of the jet-set to your daily commute, with seats that wouldn’t be out of place in the First Class cabin of a 747. Just fold up the rear seats, lean back, and get comfortable with a nearly 180-degree adjustment making it ideal for a quick nap during a long haul, lunchtime break, or emergency truck camping scenario. Combine this with the F-150’s Interior Work Surface and fold-away shifter, and the truck becomes a mobile office, perfect for getting out of the sun and catching up on paperwork at a sweltering job site.
#2 – Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn
A taste of the West on wheels, the Laramie Longhorn edition of Ram’s immensely popular Ram 1500 model brings a decidedly country flavor to the luxury sector while still delivering on performance with a powerful V8 engine and plenty of towing capacity.
The Laramie Longhorn’s 12-inch central touch screen is much larger than most of the competition and almost looks like an iPad mounted to the dash. There’s a reason this design is so prevalent across the smartphone market: it allows for easy scrolling and displaying lots of info at once. By using an interface that is, by now, second nature to today’s tech-savvy consumers, the design brings a helpful familiarity to a screen that you’re expected to be able to operate in traffic.
The award-winning connected vehicle platform, Uconnect, allows drivers to use a number of entertainment, communication, and navigation apps directly from the touch screen. While such systems have become somewhat ubiquitous on the higher-end of the market, Uconnect performs better than most, with users and critics citing its ease-of-use as a major selling point.
A number of other fun creature features set this Ram 1500 apart from the pack, like a carbon fiber and leather steering wheel and a panoramic moonroof that brings a beloved feature of many sedans and SUVs into the pickup market. The Laramie Longhorn trim also features wireless phone charging because nothing says luxury like not constantly having to search for your phone’s charging cable.
#3 – Chevy Silverado High Country
For those who measure luxury in RPMs, the Chevy Silverado High Country is worth closer inspection. With a monstrous 6.2-liter V8 under the hood, the Silverado High Country is a rugged work truck with dreams of the drag strip. With 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque, this high-performance pickup is able to push from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.4 seconds. Chevy has even lifted some ideas right from pit row, with Corvette-inspired carbon composite second-stage leaf springs on the rear axle that allow the Silverado to save 24 pounds while sacrificing nothing in the way of handling. Of course, one also expects ample cargo room in a truck, but the Silverado outshines much of the competition with an impressively spacious interior that’s almost 15 percent larger than its closest rivals. Other luxurious features include optional 4G LTE Wi-Fi, a Bose audio system, and a heated and cooled driver’s seat.
Those looking to put some serious mileage on the camper this summer will appreciate the High Country’s Trailering Camera Package with Hitch View mode. The system makes it easier than ever to make for the lake as it’s quitting time, giving drivers a real-time look at exactly where they’re going. Users can store different trailer’s specifications directly in the onboard system, ensuring you won’t have to reinvent the wheel every time you go to take the boat out.
The system can also be used to monitor trailer tire pressure, includes optional side-view cameras, and can be connected to your myChevrolet app to push out notifications as part of the Trailer Theft Alert offering. The Silverado has one more towing-centric function anyone sufficiently experienced with trailers will appreciate: drivers can use the touchscreen or myChevrolet app to initiate a test sequence to check the trailer’s lights are correctly attached, meaning no more awkward favors asked of strangers at the local boat launch.
#4 – Nissan Titan Platinum Reserve
While still firmly in the luxury category, the Nissan Titan Platinum Reserve is a sight more affordable than many of its contemporaries. The Titan foregoes some of the splashier bells and whistles to deliver a well-rounded luxury pickup that holds its own in this competitive market sector.
Platinum Reserve might sound like a pricey small-batch liquor, but with the care and attention given to the interior styling, the overall effect is smoother than a bottle of your finest V.S.O.P. The dash and many of the controls rely on actual buttons, not digital interfaces, which will be a welcomed relief for drivers who are tired of fussing with finicky touchscreens where a simple knob or switch would do.
The Titan’s cabin features quality leather upholstery with heated and ventilated front seats that utilize Nissan’s innovative Zero Gravity technology. Designed to support 14 different pressure points, these seats ensure you’re always in a neutral, stress-free position. Add a 12-speaker premium Fender sound system, and you have a well-appointed interior worthy of the luxury tag. With a 390-horsepower V8 offered standard, the Titan retains its job site cred while offering a smooth ride and premium cabin. Combine this with the brand’s generous five-year, 100,000-mile warranty, and the Nissan Titan Platinum Reserve pulls away as the best value in the category.
#5 – GMC Sierra 1500 Denali
Encompassing nearly one-third of GMC’s total sales, the Denali is a proven winner in the pickup category. Luxury is hardly an afterthought for the Denali line, which has everything truck drivers are looking for, along with some luxury features that might serve as a pleasant surprise. Power is here in spades, with a class-leading 6.2-liter V8 delivering 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque to a 10-speed automatic transmission.
2019 marks the introduction of the fourth-generation Sierra Denali, which includes a bevy of new features aimed at improving accessibility and comfort. At the center of this effort is GMC’s exclusive Adaptive Ride Control (ARC) suspension, an innovative new approach to shock absorption that leverages a suite of exciting new technology to deliver a smoother ride than ever.
The ARC system relies on two active dampers that can be adjusted every two milliseconds, thanks to a centrally located air compressor. Working together with the Sierra Denali’s Magnetic Ride Control, the truck is able to constantly monitor levels and road conditions and perform the tiny adjustments necessary to ensure a comfortable ride.
Some other interesting new features you won’t find across much of the truck segment include a six-way multifunction tailgate with MultiPro Power Steps, an optional carbon-fiber bed, and GMC’s Dynamic Fuel Management, which selectively deactivates individual cylinders as a means of improving fuel performance. The exterior also includes all the styling flourishes one expects at the price point, such as 20-inch alloy wheels, chrome accents, and high-intensity LED lights.
What Is Your Favorite Luxury Truck?
While we’ve highlighted a few of our favorite luxury trucks, there are plenty more intriguing options that didn’t make the cut, so visit your local used truck dealer today and see what surprises await you in this rapidly growing market segment. For drivers looking to upgrade to a truck with a touch of class, there’s never been a better time to browse the used luxury market. The truck segment, which for so long valued performance above all else, has finally come around to the realization that it doesn’t have to be an either/or scenario.
Consumers who have seen a trickle of luxury features slowly make their way into the mainstream – remember when a sunroof was a big deal? – are hungry for more, and no corner of the market is immune from their voracious appetite for the upscale. As brands work to outdo each other with the newest features, trims, and styling cues, we all stand to benefit from this exciting new generation of luxury trucks that deliver on our expectations while also providing a few upscale surprises along the way.
