The North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year Awards has announced its semi-finalist for Truck of the year and these are the big 5 picks for 2020.

Chevy Silverado HD

Making the claim to be the strongest, most capable Silverado ever before in Chevy’s history, the 2020 is a true workhorse of a truck. For all your towing needs, the 2500 has 18,500 lb max avail trailering with 910 lb-ft of torque. With the same torque, the 3500 offers 35,500 lb trailering.

Standard features include extended cab with 6 passenger capacity, Durabed, four-wheel drive,  6.6L V8, 6-speed heavy-duty automatic transmission and more. According to Edmunds, clever hauling features make towing and hauling less of a chore with convenient features such as a trick 15-view camera system.

Ford Ranger

Entering its second year of a new generation, the 2020 version of this mid-size pickup is expected to remain unchanged from the 2019. According to Cars Direct, this 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gives 270 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. Up to a 7,500 lb towing capacity, this 10-speed automatic transmission is expected to stay in the $25,000-$39,000 range.

For those adventurers venturing off-road, a FX2 off-road package makes this dream a reality. With 2 tire options, tuned suspension and electronic rear locking differential, improved traction deliver greater off-road performance. 

GMC Sierra HD

With premium packaging, the 2020 Sierra is being touted by MotorTrend as having “more muscle, more style”. One fact that cannot be ignored is that no matter what configuration of the one-ton dually, towing capacity is at 30,000 pounds, far outweighing the competitors. A test drive of highway driving, towing and off-roading yielded these results.

For highway towing, the Duramax/Allison is “a monster” at pulling heavy loads. For off-roading, the AT4 package delivered, offering all-wheel drive, four-wheel drive high range and low range modes and each with off-road mode settings. With all these features it’s no wonder that the Sierra is one of the “most driven pickup trucks in the U.S.”.

Jeep Gladiator

Claiming to be the “only trail rated pickup truck ever”. The 2020 Gladiator really looks like it means business. You could easily imagine this truck in the Australian Outback or on safari miles away from the nearest paved roads. Some of its off-road cred comes from its maneuverability, articulation, ground clearance, traction and water fording ability up to a depth of 30 inches.

Standard features include heavy-duty forged front and rear tow hooks for helping others get out of sticky situations up to 7,650 lbs. With all this going for it, is it any wonder that people are willing to pay “insanely high prices for it” with a loaded Gladiator costing as much as $56,400.

Ram Heavy Duty

Qualified as “more luxurious, bigger and more capable than ever”, The Car Connection declares that this truck is setting a new standard for the heavy-duty truck class. There is certainly a Ram Heavy Duty out there for every consumer with six trims to choose from, three body styles and two bed lengths. Other options include chassis configurations, two drive-trains, three engines, and single or dual rear axles. Hemi V8 comes standard with 410 horsepower.

The Cummings turbo-diesel inline-six delivers either 850 lb-ft of torque or a whopping 1,000 lb-ft. Only the high-output engine and certain qualifiers such as drive-train, cab and bed apply to the 35,100 lb maximum towing capacity. Outfitted with plenty of safety tech, the Ram comes standard with 6 airbags, a rearview camera, anti-lock brakes, stability, and traction control as well as additional add-on safety features.