There looks to be no signs of slowing down in pickup truck sales here in the U.S.A., up there with SUVs, they are the most popular vehicle types at the moment. There is literally a pickup truck for every occasion now; we’ve got city-friendly models, there are mid-sized models that balance relative versatility and capability, performance trucks are tearing up the trails, and full-size trucks are for those of us looking for hardcore work rates, comfort, and sheer size.
They are some of the most popular on the market; the problem with full-size trucks, though, is that they can be very expensive to buy. The average new price for a pickup truck in the U.S.A. is around $60,000. That is out of budget for a lot of us. However, the high average price doesn’t mean they are all expensive, and it doesn’t mean you don’t get a lot for your money from the cheapest new full-size pickup trucks on sale today.
To give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturers and other authoritative sources, including J.D. Power, FuelEconomy.gov, and Kelley Blue Book. All MSRPs exclude destination fees and extra charges from each respective brand.
2025 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
2025 Starting Price: $37,000
- Base Trim Engine
-
2.7L TurboMax I4 ICE
- Base Trim Transmission
-
8-speed automatic
- Base Trim Drivetrain
-
Rear-Wheel Drive
- Base Trim Horsepower
-
310 HP @5600 RPM
- Base Trim Torque
-
430 lb.-ft. @ 3000 RPM
- Base Trim Fuel Economy (city/highway/combined)
-
18/21/19 MPG
- Base Trim Battery Type
-
Heavy-duty lead acid battery
- Make
-
Chevrolet
- Model
-
Silverado 1500
Rated by owners on JD Power as 83 out of 100 overall, with a rating of 77 out of 100 for driving experience, and 86 out of 100 for reliability, the 2025 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 lineup continues the model line’s impressive dedication to easy usability, a rock-solid build, and obtainable starting prices.
There are four engine options for this year’s Silverado: a 2.7-liter turbocharged TurboMax inline-four, a 5.3-liter EcoTec3 V8, a 6.2-liter EcoTec3 V8, and a 3.0-liter Duramax turbo-diesel inline-six. But, if you are looking for the cheapest full-size pickup truck in 2025, it is the least powerful base trim Silverado 1500 you’ll want to go for.
Cheapest Option This Year: Silverado WT (Regular Cab/Standard Bed/RWD)
With a starting price of $37,000, the Silverado 1500 WT trim that boasts a regular cab (three seats), a standard bed (79.4 inches (L) x 71.4 inches (W at floor level)), and a rear-wheel drive setup offers a lot in the way of affordable full-size truck moves.
The 2.7-liter turbocharged inline-four that it comes equipped with pushes out 310 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque, and paired with the RWD setup, means you can tow a still-respectable 9,300 pounds behind you.
The box can hold 71.7 cubic feet of things in it; you get a 7-inch touchscreen in the cabin; legroom is impressive at 44.5 inches, and the Silverado has low average annual maintenance costs of $714. For an entry-level trim, the Silverado WT is well-equipped, and you can still tow a very heavy load. You can choose to add four-wheel drive for an extra $4,600, which doesn’t improve towing capacities, but makes things a lot more stable off-road and across fields.
If you are looking for an entry-level truck that can tow well from the get-go and know you won’t need it in the rough stuff, the RWD WT looks to be of good service. According to Chevrolet’s online builder, you can’t opt for any other engine option with the base trim, which means you do miss out on the higher power and towing capacities of the other engines.
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2025 GMC Sierra 1500
2025 Starting Price: $38,300
- Base Trim Engine
-
2.7L TurboMax I4 ICE
- Base Trim Transmission
-
8-speed automatic
- Base Trim Drivetrain
-
Rear-Wheel Drive
- Base Trim Horsepower
-
310 HP @5600 RPM
- Base Trim Torque
-
430 lb.-ft. @ 3000 RPM
- Base Trim Fuel Economy (city/highway/combined)
-
18/21/19 MPG
- Base Trim Battery Type
-
Heavy-duty lead acid battery
- Make
-
GMC
- Model
-
Sierra 1500
Boasting a starting price of just under $39,000, this year’s GMC Sierra’s base trim is capable of towing up to 9,500 pounds, courtesy of the same mill featured in the 2025 Silverado base trim. You spend a little more than you would with a Silverado, but you do get the option for a more premium fit in the cabin.
The engine choices for the 2025 GMC Sierra 1500 lineup stay the same as they are for the Silverado lineup, but you can benefit from the optional 5.3-liter V8 in the Sierra instead of just the 2.7-liter inline-four (if you go for a longer bed). Of course, though, this raises the price.
Cheapest Option This Year: Sierra Pro (Regular Cab/Standard Bed/RWD)
The cheapest 2025 GMC Sierra 1500 trim you can buy this year is the Pro trim, with a starting price of $38,300. This gets you the same size cab and bed configuration as the Silverado, including the same 44.5 inches of legroom. The interior is rugged and work-focused, like it is in the Silverado, while 17-inch wheels painted silver sit on all four corners to finish the slightly more premium, squared-off exterior design.
A Tow/Haul mode is included at build, which raises transmission shifting points to give you more oomph when you’re dragging something heavy behind you; Cruise Grade Braking takes care of slowing you down steep slopes; the 12 standard bed tie-downs make it relatively well-equipped from the start, and the fully-boxed frame provides you with a rugged and strong underside for work.
Like we have seen with the base-trim Silverado, the low prices are indicative of rugged minimalism. The 2025 Sierra lineup is available with some exceptionally plush models, like the Denali and the AT4, and while the Sierra Pro offers a lot in the way of entry-level work ability and decent rough-stuff coping mechanisms (especially if you spend a bit extra for the four-wheel drive system), low prices for a full-size truck will mean you get the bare minimum in the cabin.
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2025 Ford F-150
2025 Starting Price: $38,810
- Base Trim Engine
-
2.7L EcoBoost V6 ICE
- Base Trim Transmission
-
10-speed automatic
- Base Trim Drivetrain
-
Rear-Wheel Drive
- Base Trim Horsepower
-
325 HP @5500 RPM
- Base Trim Torque
-
400 lb.-ft. @ 3500 RPM
- Base Trim Fuel Economy (city/highway/combined)
-
20/26/22 MPG
- Base Trim Battery Type
-
Lead acid battery
- Make
-
Ford
- Model
-
F-150
We weren’t shocked when the Ford F-Series was the best-selling truck in America again last year, and this year’s sales figures are looking equally impressive, with a staggering 620,580 sold up to the end of September 2025. They are built tough, they can work hard, they are a real institution on the truck scene, and you can pick up the entry-level iterations for less than $40,000.
This year’s Ford F-150 lineup is available in seven trims: the XL, the XLT, the Lariat, the King Ranch, the Platinum, the Tremor, and the almighty off-road beast that is the Raptor.
To benefit from one of the cheapest full-size trucks on the 2025 market, you’ll have to opt for the RWD F-150 XL trim that boasts a regular cab (three-person seating capacity), a 6-foot-5-inch bed, which can carry up to 62.3 cubic feet of stuff, and the entry-level engine: a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6.
|
Spec |
2025 Ford F-150 XL |
|---|---|
|
Engine |
2.7-Liter Turbocharged V6 |
|
Transmission |
Ten-Speed Automatic |
|
Horsepower |
325 Horsepower |
|
Torque |
400 LB-FT |
|
Driveline |
Rear-Wheel Drive or Four-Wheel Drive |
|
0–60 MPH |
6 Seconds – 7 Seconds |
|
Top Speed |
124 MPH |
|
Towing Capacity |
8,400 LBS |
|
Payload Capacity |
1,685 LBS |
The base-trim XL comes equipped with a Class IV trailer hitch, a massive 12-inch Capacitive Touchscreen running SYNC 4, a 12-inch driver cluster, a 5G LTE modem, and a one-year subscription to the Ford Security Pack, which includes an app that lets you lock down the truck if it gets stolen. Alongside the decent work rates, though less than the Sierra and the Silverado, it is no lie when we say that you get a huge amount of tech and modern additions in the cabin that, for an entry-level truck, is very impressive.
Legroom and headroom in the cab are respectable at 43.9 inches and 40.8 inches, respectively, while safety is pretty well covered thanks to the Ford Co-Pilot360 suite, which includes safety features such as automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic alert, and lane-keep assistance.
Where the F-150 base trim may be lacking for some of you is in its off-road ability at build. Yes, it boasts a high-strength, fully-boxed military-grade aluminum frame, an open rear differential, the engine is torquey, and you can bump up the driveline to four wheels, but that’s about it.
To benefit from anything even slightly more specialized for the mud, you have to go for a higher trim, which lets you add packages like the STX FX4 Off-Road Package, which equips them with an electronic-locking rear diff, skid plates, and off-road-tuned suspension. That, or go for a very expensive and beastly Ford F-150 Raptor.
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2025 Ram 1500
2025 Starting Price: $40,275
- Base Trim Engine
-
3.6L V6 Gas
- Base Trim Transmission
-
8-Speed Automatic
- Base Trim Drivetrain
-
Rear-Wheel Drive
- Base Trim Horsepower
-
305 hp
- Base Trim Torque
-
269 lb-ft @ 4800 rpm
Praise for this year’s Ram 1500 lineup is very apparent. According to reviews left on Kelley Blue Book, the Ram 1500 is rated 4.4 out of 5 overall, 4.4 out of 5 for value, quality, and reliability; 4.5 out of 5 for performance, 4.6 out of 5 for comfort, and 4.7 out of 5 for styling.
85 percent of owners say they would recommend buying one; clearly, the slightly higher price compared to some of the other cheapest full-size pickup trucks this year could be worth it. There are 10 grades of Ram 1500 available this year, with prices starting at just over $40,000 and stretching up to over $87,000. They include:
- 2025 Ram 1500 Tradesman
- 2025 Ram 1500 Tradesman HFE
- 2025 Ram 1500 Big Horn
- 2025 Ram 1500 Warlock
- 2025 Ram 1500 Laramie
- 2025 Ram 1500 Rebel
- 2025 Ram 1500 RHO
- 2025 Ram 1500 Limited
- 2025 Ram 1500 Limited Longhorn
- 2025 Ram 1500 Tungsten
Like the other models on the list, the cheapest option is the base trim. The 2025 Ram 1500 Tradesman equipped with a Quad Cab (seating for up to six), a RWD driveline, and a 6-foot-4-inch bed, which can carry around 61.5 cubic feet of stuff, is your cheapest option this year.
Under the hood is a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 that can push out 305 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque. While that output is lower than the three models above, towing is still respectable at 8,110 pounds. If you want the best towing capacity of 11,550 pounds, you’ll have to opt for the more powerful bi-turbocharged Hurricane inline-six (420 horsepower/469 pound-feet of torque) for an extra $2,700.
As standard, the 2025 Ram 1500 is equipped with an 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen; a 3.55 rear axle shores up traction; you get a choice of two paint schemes (Bright White or Flame Red) before having to pay anything extra, and 18-inch steel painted wheels sit on each corner.
The whole build looks muscular and tough, and you can get a lot of work and ferrying done in it, and just to top it off, the Ram 1500 is very highly rated as a dependable companion.
According to RepairPal, it will cost you just $691 a year to maintain a Ram 1500, which is a lot cheaper than the $936 it costs you on average for other full-size trucks, while its reliability score of 3.5 out of 5 ranks it first out of all full-size trucks that RepairPal monitors.
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Weaknesses |
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2025 Toyota Tundra
2025 Starting Price: $40,900
- Base Trim Engine
-
3.4L [NA] ICE
- Base Trim Transmission
-
10-speed automatic
- Base Trim Drivetrain
-
Four-Wheel Drive
- Base Trim Horsepower
-
358 HP @5200 RPM
- Base Trim Torque
-
406 lb.-ft. @ 2000 RPM
- Base Trim Fuel Economy (city/highway/combined)
-
17/23/19 MPG
- Base Trim Battery Type
-
Lead acid battery
- Make
-
Toyota
- Model
-
Tundra
The 2025 Toyota Tundra lineup has been rated 83 out of 100 for reliability and 82 out of 100 overall. You get a choice between ten configurations, with starting prices topping out at $80,725. A V6 is equipped as standard, an available hybrid V6 is available across the top trims, and all-around on and off-road dependability is as Toyota-grade as you’d expect. There isn’t much not to like.
Gas-only 2025 Tundra trims include the SR, the SR5, the Limited, the Platinum, and the 1794 Edition. Hybrid Tundra trims include the Limited i-FORCE MAX, the Platinum i-FORCE MAX, the 1794 Edition i-FORCE MAX, the TRD Pro, and the Capstone.
|
Spec |
2025 Tundra |
2025 Tundra Hybrid |
|---|---|---|
|
Engine |
3.4-Liter Bi-Turbocharged i-FORCE V6 |
3.4-Liter Bi-Turbocharged i-FORCE MAX V6 Hybrid |
|
Transmission |
Ten-Speed Automatic |
Ten-Speed Automatic |
|
Horsepower |
358 Horsepower (SR Trim)/389 Horsepower |
437 Horsepower |
|
Torque |
406 LB-FT (SR Trim)/479 LB-FT |
583 LB-FT |
|
Driveline |
Rear-Wheel Drive or Four-Wheel Drive |
Rear-Wheel Drive or Four-Wheel Drive |
|
0–60 MPH |
6.1 Seconds |
5.7 Seconds |
|
Top Speed |
Unverified |
Unverified |
|
Towing Capacity |
8,300 LBS – 12,000 LBS |
11,380 LBS |
|
Payload Capacity |
1,940 LBS |
1,665 LBS |
With a starting price of just over $40,000, the Toyota Tundra SR, equipped with a double cab, which has seating for up to five people, the RWD configuration, and a 6-foot-5-inch bed, which is good for carrying 65.6 cubic feet of gear, is the cheapest full-size Toyota pickup truck configuration you can buy in 2025.
While other i-FORCE gas-engine Tundra models have a slightly higher horsepower and torque output, and higher towing capacities, the detuned mill under its hood is still good for base-level full-size truck towing at 8,300 pounds.
Safety features are well catered for in the shape of the Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 suite, which includes Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, and Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control as standard.
Legroom is generous in the front at 41.2 inches, but maybe slightly cramped for taller passengers in the rear at 33.3 inches; if you want more room for rear-seat passengers, you’ll have to opt for a higher trim that is available with the CrewMax cab (41.6 inches). Unfortunately, that isn’t an option for the Tundra SR. Standard fare in the cabin, such as an 8-inch touchscreen, 4.2-inch driver display, fabric upholstery, and a six-speaker rig, all get the job done simply.
The base-trim Tundra SR gets a lot of the job done at a reasonably low starting price, but there is no doubt that you miss out on the off-roading features of the Tundra TRD Pro, the available power of every other gas-engine and hybrid Tundra model above it, the option for anything a bit plusher in the cabin, and the higher work rates. But, if you are looking for a simple truck that is rock-solid and can still do a lot of what other trucks do, the Tundra SR is well worth looking at.
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