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The size of trucks and sport utility vehicles has increased rapidly in the last few years. Increased size means more room for passengers, cargo, and even a higher towing capacity. However, SUVs don’t really grow in size past a large or extended-length version. Trucks are used for flatbed towing, logging, concrete mixers, and dump trucks. Most drivers aren’t going to be driving a concrete mixer around, but these trucks are heavier than an SUV in most cases.

Most pickup trucks are heavier than an SUV

J.D. Power has all of the answers, especially when it comes to finding out if a pickup truck is heavier than an SUV. Aside from the usual compact or full-size option, many types of trucks exist. These classifications have not changed from half-ton trucks to three-quarter-ton trucks and even one-ton trucks.

These are typical weights for a pickup truck and how each might be classified. Most trucks you might find at the local dealership will be a Class 2b or below, though some Class 3 options are available.

Truck typeTypical minimum weightTypical maximum weight
Class 1 – Light4,000 pounds4,7000 pounds
Class 2a – Light Truck5,000 pounds5,500 pounds
Class 2b – Light/Medium Truck6,300 pounds7,000 pounds
Class 3 – Medium Truck6,000 pounds7,000 pounds
Class 4 – Medium Truck6,000 pounds8,000 pounds
Class 5 – Medium Truck8,000 pounds+
Class 6 – Medium Truck8,000 pounds9,000 pounds
Classes 7 and 8 – Heavy Trucks33,000 pounds+

Examples of these trucks are listed below. Anything over a Class 7 truck is considered heavy-duty, more like a box or semi-truck.

Class 1Class 2aClass 2bClass 3Class 4Class 5
Jeep GladiatorFord F-250Ford F-250Ford F-350Chevrolet Silverado 4500HDChevrolet Silverado 5500HD
Toyota TacomaNissan TitanNissan Titan XDRam 3500Ford F-450 Chassis CabFord F-550 
Nissan FrontierToyota TundraRam 2500Isuzu NPRRam 4500Ram 5500

Beyond these options, trucks move into the commercial and heavy-duty range. Not something you would buy in lieu of a Chevy Tahoe or equivalent.

Trucks are heavier than SUVs but are also more capable of heavy-duty work

SUVs come in all sorts of sizes these days, from subcompact options on the smaller side all the way up to large and full-size vehicles that have room for nine passengers. J.D. Power says that some features of a sport utility vehicle include a shared platform with light-duty pickup trucks, body-on-frame construction, and off-road capability.

There are a few different types of SUVs, and this helps determine how much it might weigh. These are subcompact, compact, midsize, full-size, and extended-length.

SUV typeTypical minimum weightTypical maximum weight
Subcompact2,000+ pounds
Compact 3,000 pounds3,500 pounds
Midsize3,500 pounds6,000 pounds
Full-size5,300 pounds6,000 pounds
Extended-length5,400 pounds6,000 pounds

Manufacturers are not necessarily held to any weight restrictions when building SUVs. There are restrictions on vehicles for commercial use, but the general weights of different sport utility vehicle sizes are below. Midsize SUVs are one of the most popular types on the market, generally weighing around 5,000 pounds.

SubcompactCompactMidsizeFull-sizeExtended-length
Honda HR-VKia SportageHyundai Santa FeCadillac EscaladeChevrolet Suburban
Nissan KicksToyota RAV4Kia TellurideToyota Land CruiserLincoln Navigator
Jeep RenegadeHonda CR-VJeep WranglerChevrolet TahoeGMC Yukon XL

While these SUVs are popular and suitable for many drivers, these would not be able to do the job of a heavy-duty truck.

There are many truck varieties to do different kinds of jobs

These commercial pickup trucks are heavier than an SUV
Trucks at a rest stop | Peter Titmuss/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

When it comes down to it, a pickup truck is heavier than an SUV, but it also has many more varieties. SUVs end at full-size and extended-length options. Trucks are used for concrete mixers, fire trucks, logging trucks, semi-trucks, and everything in between. It makes sense that a vehicle used to move heavy machinery or large trees around would have to be bigger and more capable than an SUV that carries seven people around town.

You can read more about what makes a pickup truck a commercial vehicle, but it is likely heavier than most SUVs at that point.

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Amanda Cline

Amanda Cline is an avid fan of Formula 1 and joined MotorBiscuit in 2021. A Southwest Floridian, she easily and often finds automotive events to attend in the Tampa, Orlando, and Miami areas.
Amanda is a graduate of the University of Central Florida, where she earned a Bachelor’s in English Literature and a Master’s in Technical Communication. Combining her editorial and digital media expertise, Amanda served as a content creator for FanSided and now provides our readers with a variety of automotive subject matter like pickup trucks and SUVs, including valuable consumer advice.

Amanda closely follows many F1 drivers, including Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team. Her all-time favorite author is Shel Silverstein.