People buy trucks for a variety of reasons. They may like the comfort of riding higher up or the added benefit of being encased in that much metal. Or, maybe it’s the towing capacity they need. Trucks are also getting safer, and the interiors are offering more and more of a luxury feel. With all the offerings on the table in 2020, there’s now more appeal for consumers to buy a truck, and the sales numbers are proving it.

The top three vehicles sold in America are trucks: the Ford F150, Ram 1500, and Chevy Silverado 1500. The competition for the top spot is stiff, but Ford has retained it for the last several decades. That doesn’t mean that Ford is the top in every category, though.

The cost to own a truck

If you’re factoring in how much truck you can afford, the price you pay to drive off the lot with your new pickup isn’t the only cost to consider. There’s also the cost to own a truck.

Kelley Blue Book recently put out a list of the lowest cost to own pickup trucks on the market. They based it on the 5-year cost to own average, and the Chevy Silverado 1500 took the #1 spot. The cost to own? $47,697 over five years.

Considering it’s also one of the lowest-priced trucks to purchase initially, at least when it comes to the big 3, it sounds like quite the deal. And in case you were wondering, the Ram 1500 came in 3rd. Since the list only named the top 3, the Ford F-150 wasn’t on the list. 

What else the Chevy Silverado gets right

It’s not just the price that makes the Chevy Silverado appealing to buyers. It’s also edging for that number one spot with towing capacity. The Silverado 1500 has the highest towing capacity at 13,500 lbs. And while the Ram 1500 and F-150 both do well in towing performance and engine power, they don’t beat the Silverado.

And the Silverado 2500 HD also beat out rivals in resale value — it has the highest at 60%. The cargo bed is also larger than any of its competitors and packs a punch with features.

And without comparing to the other trucks on the market, the Silverado stands out on its own too. There’s a checklist for new-to-towing truck drivers that makes it effortless, and the smart features and app help make towing even easier.

It was redesigned in 2019 and is bigger and better than ever. There are plenty of cabs and bed lengths to choose from and you’ll get your pick of engines and trims too. Five engines and even more trim levels, to be exact.

These options make the Silverado handle well, and steering and braking feel natural. The cabin interior is quiet, living up to its reputation, and adds to the excellent ride quality. There are also plenty of standard safety features, proving Chevy takes safety seriously. The convenience of all the standard tech features means they also take being connected seriously.

Where the Chevy Silverado isn’t at the top

So if the Silverado is at the top of the list for at least two known things: towing capacity and 5-year cost to own, is there anything this truck isn’t good at? Anything it can’t do? Well, yes.

With the same engine type as the Ram 1500, the Silverado gets worse gas mileage. EPA estimated mileage is a combined 17 for the Silverado 1500, 21 for the Ram 1500, and 22 for the Ford F-150. It’s also been noted that the face of the truck is not that pretty, but that’s not stopping the Silverado.

The race to be #1

It seems the top three selling trucks in America are always in a race for number one in as many categories as possible. So far, they all get the top spot in something, so the competition remains fierce. But if you want a truck that has a lower cost to own while it’s in your garage, the Silverado is clearly the way to go.