Buy/Drive/Burn: The Cheapest Full-size Trucks in America for 2021
Buy/Drive/Burn returns today with another “cheapest of” installment, the latest in a series that’s seen us cover sedans, midsize trucks, and most recently some convertibles.
And today we’re discussing the cheapest full-size trucks on offer in 2021.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500
The Silverado ekes out about a $1,000 savings over the cheapest GMC Sierra twin, so it’s our GM entry today. The cheapest configuration is the rarely-selected Regular Cab. Trims range from a WT 4×2 with 4.6-liter V6 (285 hp) and six-speed auto for $28,900 through the High Country with 5.3-liter V8 at $57,600. The WT Regular Cab is only available in long bed format (8’6″), and eight exterior colors are free. Interiors are Jet Black in color, though cloth or vinyl materials are available per customer preference. GM adds a freight charge of $1,695 on to the Silverado for a final ask of $28,900.
Ram 1500 Classic
Believe it or not, Ram still offers their Classic last generation truck in 2021. It’s available in basic Tradesman and more upscale Express and Warlock trims, where Tradesman starts at $28,700 and Warlock at $36,945. Both trims use the same 305-horsepower 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 as the Chrysler Voyager from the B/D/B entry the other week. All trims also use the same eight-speed automatic. Here, basic dollars net a 6’4″ cargo box rather than the eight-foot of the Chevy. Two colors, red or white, are available for free. Interior options include a gray and black cloth or gray vinyl, free of charge. Ram adds $1,695 destination charge, for a grand total of $30,395.
Ford F-150
Last but not least, it’s today’s most expensive option the Ford F-150. In its basic Regular Cab and short box (6’6″) configuration, Ford asks $28,940. There are 25 configurations available, which range from XL to Platinum where the entry fee is over $59,000. Our basic dollars select XL trim and mean power comes from a 3.3-liter V6 good for 290 horsepower. Those horses are routed through the rear wheels via a 10-speed automatic. Eight different exterior colors are available at no additional charge, as well as vinyl or cloth interiors of dark gray. After the $1,695 destination charge, the F-150 will cost buyers $30,635.
Three basic trucks vie for the lowest number of your dollars possible. Which one’s worth a Buy?
[Images: GM, Ram, Ford]
Interested in lots of cars and their various historical contexts. Started writing articles for TTAC in late 2016, when my first posts were QOTDs. From there I started a few new series like Rare Rides, Buy/Drive/Burn, Abandoned History, and most recently Rare Rides Icons. Operating from a home base in Cincinnati, Ohio, a relative auto journalist dead zone. Many of my articles are prompted by something I'll see on social media that sparks my interest and causes me to research. Finding articles and information from the early days of the internet and beyond that covers the little details lost to time: trim packages, color and wheel choices, interior fabrics. Beyond those, I'm fascinated by automotive industry experiments, both failures and successes. Lately I've taken an interest in AI, and generating "what if" type images for car models long dead. Reincarnating a modern Toyota Paseo, Lincoln Mark IX, or Isuzu Trooper through a text prompt is fun. Fun to post them on Twitter too, and watch people overreact. To that end, the social media I use most is Twitter, @CoreyLewis86. I also contribute pieces for Forbes Wheels and Forbes Home.
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I bought a 1990 Chevy C2500 at auction for $1600 with 86k miles on it. No rust. Looks like hell and after a new fuel tank, lines, and TBI rebuild, runs fine. After this post, I see I saved the cost of the truck and only paid the shipping cost of a new one. And I had the fun of wrenching on it.
Smart to buy that 1990 Chevy probably one of the best Chevy trucks ever made.