Of the six full-size trucks available in the US; the Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra, Ford F-150, Ram 1500, Toyota Tundra, and Nissan Titan, which has the smoothest ride? Not everyone needs a one-ton carrying capacity with their pickups. In fact, most hardly carry anything, at least not 99 percent of the time. 

Here’s the smoothest riding pickup

From reviews as well as the seat of our own pants, there is one that hands-down has the best ride. The Ram 1500 wins this contest easily. And it is not even the most recent revised truck out there.

That distinction goes to the 2022 Toyota Tundra. It’s all-new. And though it comes in second place for the smoothest ride, it is no match for the Ram. Even with the Tundra’s revised suspension, it falls short.

Does a smooth riding pickup kill payload?

But does a smooth ride sacrifice load capacity? Would you be better off with a truck that is slightly stiffer, to gain a few hundred pounds of carrying capacity? That’s what we’ll focus on now for these 2022 pickups.

Starting with the Ram 1500, it has a payload capacity of 2,300 lbs. That should handle most of what you purchase a half-ton pickup for. After all, it’s in the name, right? It comes in number two behind the Ford F-150. 

The leader in pickup sales, the Ford F-150, comes in as the champ in this category, with a payload of 3,325. That might account for the slightly stiffer ride of the F-150. You have to weigh your priorities. As for that new Toyota Tundra, it again falls short with a 1,560 lbs payload, which is also worse in this category.

How does the Silverado stack up?

For the Chevy Silverado 1500, Chevy gives a range of between 1,870 and 2,280 lbs. That variance is based on which engine option you choose. The rage goes from the 3.0-liter Duramax diesel engine, up to the 2.7-liter turbocharged engine with Active Fuel Management. The GMC Sierra, which is virtually identical, shares the same specs.

With Nissan’s Titan pickup on the bubble, will 2022 be its last year? it is also the oldest platform of the group and the lowest number of trucks sold in the US. It also has average payload capacity numbers. The single cab tops the payload parade at 1,950 lbs, with the Crew Cab and King Cab coming in at 1,610 lbs and 1,630 lbs respectively. 

What about loaded pickups?

The Titan also has a base price MSRP of $39,705, making it the most expensive base truck. Of course, with most of the other trucks, the price can ramp up quite quickly once you start adding options. In the case of the Titan Platinum, that price can go to almost $60,000.

But that comes in lower than the other five trucks with all of the bells and whistles. A crew-cab Tundra 1794 will set you back $62,715. The Ford F-150 will blow your socks off at $90,000, while the Ram 1500 TRX Crew Cab 4×4 comes in softer at $71,070. But it too can get higher with options. The twin 2022 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra Denali Ultimate cost a bit over $72,000 and $80,395 respectively. 

So there is a lot to weigh, no pun intended, when sizing up full-size pickup trucks. Compare the specs and costs. We’re sure there is one out there just right for you.