The Toyota Tundra Is Not the Best Pickup Truck for a Family of Six
It can be difficult to find the best pickup truck for your family of six. Even full-size trucks are increasingly optioned with captain’s chairs instead of a front bucket seat. To make matters worse, many dealers want to get you to upgrade, and some will even tell you that a front bench seat is not an option. So here is how to get six seatbelts in every full-size truck–except for the latest Toyota Tundra, which only comes with two seats up front.
Ford F-150/Super Duty XL, XLT, or Lariat
You can get a front bench seat in the 2023 F-150 XL, XLT, or Lariat trims. Higher trim versions of this half-ton truck come with front bucket seats. The “SuperCab” configuration has small rear-hinged back doors and a rear bench seat. If you can live with the rear-hinged doors, this cab does offer 33.5 inches of rear-seat legroom. But if you have tall teenagers or large car seats to put in back, consider the SuperCrew, which is near the top of its class with 43.6 inches of rear seat legroom. Note that Ford’s Super Duty trucks offer the same trims and cab configurations.
Chevrolet Silverado WT, Custom, or LT
If you are a General Motors fan, know that you can still get a bench seat in several Silverado trims. You’ll want to look at the 2023 Silverado WT, Custom, or LT. Whether buying a Silverado 1500 or a heavy-duty Chevy truck, the trim names are the same. The Silverado’s smaller “Double Cab” does have a rear bench seat and front-hinged rear doors, but it only has 35.2 inches of rear legroom. The “Crew Cab” on the other hand, is designed for two rows of adults and offers 43.4 inches of rearseat legroom.
GMC Sierra Pro, SLE, or SLT
The GMC Sierra is a “professional grade” upsell of the Silverado. It costs a bit more and offers some features to make it a better work truck. But it is available with the same powertrains and cab configurations. Its number of seat belts and interior dimensions are identical to comparable Silverados, but the trim names are different. If you want a Sierra with a front bench seat, you’ll need the 2023 Sierra Pro, SLE, or SLT. The half-ton 1500 and Sierra heavy-duty have the same cabs. The GMC Sierra comes in the same “Double Cab” and “Crew Cab” as the Chevy Silverado, with 35.2 and 43.4 inches of rearseat legroom, respectively.
Nissant Titan S or SV
The other full-size pickup truck hailing from Japan is available with either a front bench or buckets. While the Platinum and PRO-4X trims come with front buckets, the 2023 Nissan Titan S and SV still have a front bench seat, and thus six seatbelts. The Nissan Titan’s “King Cab” is, confusingly, its smallest configuration. This cab has rear-hinged doors and the least rear-seat legroom in the segment: 24.8 inches. The Titan Crew Cab has 38.5 inches of rearseat legroom, the least of any crew cab. We have to say this is not one of the best pickup truck options for a family of six.
The Ram 1500 Tradesman, Big Horn, Laramie, or Classic
The Ram 1500 is probably the best pickup truck for a family of six. Many reviewers agree that the fifth-generation Ram 1500 has the best interior in the full-size truck segment. Its Tradesman, Bighorn, and Laramie trims still come with a front bench seat, and thus six seatbelts. The Ram 1500 “Quad Cab” has 35.6 inches of rear-seat legroom, the most of any non-crew-cab. The Ram 1500 “Crew Cab” has the most rear-seat legroom of any half-ton pickup truck: 45.2 inches. It has so much legroom, your passengers can actually recline the rear seat–if all three of them can agree on an angle.
A couple of notes on other Ram trucks. The Ram heavy-duty is popular because of its available Cummins diesel engine and trims, such as the off-road-ready Rebel. But families of six love it because of its available “Mega Cab” which adds storage space behind the rear seat. The Ram 1500 Classic is actually a newly-built fourth-generation truck available at a lower MSRP. The good news is that every Ram Classic has a front bench seat. The bad news is that it doesn’t have the advanced infotainment system or in-floor cooler you get in the latest fifth-generation Ram.
Next, see our hands-on review of the 2023 Ram 2500 Rebel or learn more about six-seater trucks in the video below:
