Best midsize pickup trucks of 2026, ranked by owner data
We ranked 7 midsize pickup trucks on sale in the US and Canada against each other on three measured things: problems reported by owners, the new asking price, and EPA combined fuel economy.
Data from October 2026. Sources: owner reports, Auto.dev US listings, EPA ratings. How we rank · Best used midsize pickup trucks
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC)
#1 of 7
Ford Ranger
Score 91 out of 100
- Owner reliability (45 of 45 points): 1 recurring problem in owner reports, none very frequent: the fewest on this list
- Price (25 of 30 points): median new asking price $36,548 (50 US listings, Auto.dev): lower than about 83% of this list
- Fuel economy (21 of 25 points): 21 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 83% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- New price
- $33k–$38k (median $36,548)
- Fuel economy
- 21 mpg
- Owner reports
- 1 recurring problem in owner reports, none very frequent
- Main owner complaint
- Dated interior and infotainment relative to refreshed competitors
Best for
Most reliable by owners
1 recurring problem in owner reports, none very frequent. Ranked #1.
Lowest new price
Median new asking price $33,656. Ranked #6.
Best fuel economy
21 mpg combined (EPA). Ranked #1.
The full ranking
- #1
Ford Ranger
Score 91- New price
- $33k–$38k (median $36,548)
- Fuel economy
- 21 mpg
- Owner reports
- 1 recurring problem in owner reports, none very frequent
- Main owner complaint
- Dated interior and infotainment relative to refreshed competitors
Why #1
- Owner reliability (45 of 45 points): 1 recurring problem in owner reports, none very frequent: the fewest on this list
- Price (25 of 30 points): median new asking price $36,548 (50 US listings, Auto.dev): lower than about 83% of this list
- Fuel economy (21 of 25 points): 21 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 83% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- #2
Jeep Gladiator
Score 52- New price
- $37k–$44k (median $39,551)
- Fuel economy
- 19 mpg
- Owner reports
- 2 very frequent problems and 3 recurring in owner reports
- Main owner complaint
- Electrical system failures
Why #2
- Owner reliability (26 of 45 points): 2 very frequent problems and 3 recurring in owner reports: fewer than about 58% of this list
- Price (15 of 30 points): median new asking price $39,551 (50 US listings, Auto.dev): lower than about 50% of this list
- Fuel economy (11 of 25 points): 19 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 42% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- #3
GMC Canyon
Score 49- New price
- $37k–$42k (median $39,790)
- Fuel economy
- 18 mpg
- Owner reports
- 3 recurring problems in owner reports, none very frequent
- Main owner complaint
- Infotainment and gauge cluster screens failing to display or going blank
Why #3
- Owner reliability (37 of 45 points): 3 recurring problems in owner reports, none very frequent: fewer than about 83% of this list
- Price (10 of 30 points): median new asking price $39,790 (50 US listings, Auto.dev): lower than about 33% of this list
- Fuel economy (2 of 25 points): 18 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 8% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- #4
Honda Ridgeline
Score 47- New price
- $41k–$44k (median $42,480)
- Fuel economy
- 21 mpg
- Owner reports
- 1 very frequent problem and 5 recurring in owner reports
- Main owner complaint
- Transmission problems (2017-2019 6-speed)
Why #4
- Owner reliability (26 of 45 points): 1 very frequent problem and 5 recurring in owner reports: fewer than about 58% of this list
- Price (0 of 30 points): median new asking price $42,480 (50 US listings, Auto.dev): lower than about 0% of this list
- Fuel economy (21 of 25 points): 21 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 83% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- #5
Nissan Frontier
Score 46- New price
- $36k–$41k (median $38,753)
- Fuel economy
- 19 mpg
- Owner reports
- 1 very frequent problem and 6 recurring in owner reports
- Main owner complaint
- SMOD (Strawberry Milkshake of Death) - Coolant contamination in transmission
Why #5
- Owner reliability (15 of 45 points): 1 very frequent problem and 6 recurring in owner reports: fewer than about 33% of this list
- Price (20 of 30 points): median new asking price $38,753 (50 US listings, Auto.dev): lower than about 67% of this list
- Fuel economy (11 of 25 points): 19 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 42% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- #6
Chevrolet Colorado
Score 40- New price
- $32k–$37k (median $33,656)
- Fuel economy
- 18 mpg
- Owner reports
- 3 very frequent problems and 5 recurring in owner reports
- Main owner complaint
- Bluetooth and Android Auto pairing failures, including phones unable to connect or re-pair
Why #6
- Owner reliability (8 of 45 points): 3 very frequent problems and 5 recurring in owner reports: fewer than about 17% of this list
- Price (30 of 30 points): median new asking price $33,656 (50 US listings, Auto.dev): the lowest of this list
- Fuel economy (2 of 25 points): 18 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 8% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- #7
Toyota Tacoma
Score 26- New price
- $38k–$45k (median $42,370)
- Fuel economy
- 21 mpg
- Owner reports
- 3 very frequent problems and 6 recurring in owner reports
- Main owner complaint
- Rough-shifting/failing 8-speed automatic transmission
Why #7
- Owner reliability (0 of 45 points): 3 very frequent problems and 6 recurring in owner reports: fewer than about 0% of this list
- Price (5 of 30 points): median new asking price $42,370 (48 US listings, Auto.dev): lower than about 17% of this list
- Fuel economy (21 of 25 points): 21 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 83% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
How we rank
- Owner reliability, 45 points. Problems that owners report again and again, from our owner reports. A very frequent problem counts twice. Fewer problems than the other cars on this page earns more points.
- New price, 30 points. The median asking price in US listings (Auto.dev). Cheaper than the others earns more.
- Fuel economy, 25 points. EPA combined rating. Electric cars are compared only with other electric cars, in MPGe.
- No guesses. A car needs enough owner reports and three years on sale to be ranked. A number we don't have earns 0 points and says "No data yet". We never compare NHTSA complaint counts between models, because they grow with the number of cars sold.
Questions
- What is the best midsize pickup truck of 2026?
- The Ford Ranger ranks #1 of 7 with a score of 91 out of 100. 1 recurring problem in owner reports, none very frequent, and its new price is $36,548 at the median.
- Which midsize pickup truck has the fewest owner-reported problems?
- The Ford Ranger: 1 recurring problem in owner reports, none very frequent.
- What is the cheapest midsize pickup truck on this list?
- The Chevrolet Colorado, with a median new asking price $33,656, based on US listings.
- How does CarWizz rank midsize pickup trucks?
- Each car is compared only with the other cars on this page. Owner reliability is worth 45 points, new price 30 points and EPA combined fuel economy 25 points. A car without enough owner reports is not ranked, and a missing number earns no points.
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