2007 Chevrolet Silverado.
Maybe you have a big yard or cottage project planned, or maybe this is the year you buy that boat. Whatever your plans, it's likely you'll need a truck. Maybe not a heavy-duty rig, but something tough that can tow and haul.
But you don't want to pay new-truck prices, so your budget only goes to $15,000. But pickups hold their value well on the market, and we won't find many Nissan Titans or Toyota Tundras at this price.
There are, however, a plethora of domestics up to around 2008 or so, and all but our questionable choice have a range of regular, crew and king cabs, six- or eight-foot beds, a choice of engines and two- or four-wheel drive, along with a lineup ranging from basic work truck to a luxed-out ranch limo.
Sensible
General Motors redesigned its Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups for 2007. These were marked improvements over the previous generation, with a smoother ride and crisper handling. Inside, room isn't as generous as the Ram or Ford, and is lacklustre in design, with little storage space. With 195 horsepower, its base 4.3-litre V-6 is underpowered, but available 4.8-litre, 5.3-litre and 6.0-litre V-8s should do the trick. Recalls target a possible under-hood fire, leaking fuel rails and power steering hoses.
If in-your-face styling is important, The Ram 1500 could be the most macho truck of the group with its big-rig look. It's also the only one here that has an optional five-speed automatic (on some models). And while this truck may have an interior filled with cheap, shiny plastic, it's the most utilitarian, with large storage boxes, shelves and nooks throughout the cabin. But its softer suspension means the Ram is unsettled over rough roads, and the steering more vague than normal for a pickup. Engine choices include a 3.7-litre V-6, a 4.7-litre V-8 and a 300-horsepower 5.7-litre V-8. Its only recall involved the air bags.
Indispensable
The Ford F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle in North America for decades; it can be found up to 2008, a year before a redesign. It generally has a refined ride and handling for such a large pickup, and its interior is among the best for trucks of this vintage and, because it has been so popular, there are plenty on the used market. For fuel economy, look for the 4.2-litre, 202-horsepower V-6, but engine options go to a 4.6-litre V-8 and up to a 5.4-litre V-8 with 300 horsepower for towing up to 4,173 kilograms and carrying up to 1,211 kilograms with a payload package. There are recalls involving rusting fuel tank straps, air bags, a brake booster hose and a brake lamp switch.
Questionable
You'd think something so big would be the best choice for a tough, dependable truck, but the Hummer H2 is far from it. This faux-army truck, from 2005 to 2009, is based on the Chevrolet Tahoe and carries a 6.2-litre V-8 good for almost 400 horsepower, yet at 3,039 kilograms, it weighs about 600 kilograms more than a comparable Chevy pickup of that era. Obviously, performance and fuel economy suffer considerably. Sure, you can still have the six-foot bed – only when you drop the mid-gate and rear seats and have your cargo intrude on an open cabin. You want military style? Get the Hummer. You want practicality? Get something else. It also has a litany of recalls that deal with an electrical fire, faulty windshield wipers, power steering hoses that bursts, rear seat belts and the hydraulic brake booster.
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