In some parts of the world like the US, trucks are incredibly popular. Trucks are more than generous when it comes to passenger space, but they also offer plenty of cargo space as well. This is most likely why a Ford F150 is the most popular car in the US for years.
If you don’t need a heavy-duty truck, a lighter-duty Ford F150 is a great choice. The F150 can be bought within many different engine and trim options, and all of them are competitive and fairly priced. A Dodge RAM 1500, Chevy Silverado 1500, or a GMC Sierra 1500 are also great options.
If you do need a heavier, more capable truck compared to the F150, a Ford F250 or Dodge Ram 2500, Chevy Silverado 2500 and the GMC Sierra 2500 are the ones to go for. Single cab trucks are slowly becoming a part of history, and European manufacturers are also not keen on offering trucks.
A full-on heavy-duty truck like the Ford F450, GMC Sierra 3500, Dodge RAM 3500, and the Chevy Silverado 3500 are made for towing and hauling purposes and they do offer more powerful engines. If you want a Performance truck, a Dodge RAM 1500 TRX, or a Ford Raptor are the ones to buy.
Best lighter-duty trucks for tall people
A Ford F150 is the go-to truck for the majority of the truck customer base. And it’s easy to see why because F150s are part of the market for a long time, and they never ceased to please a truck-enthusiast. F150s offer 40.8 inches of headroom and 43.9 inches of legroom, these figures are more than enough for almost everyone.
The GMC Sierra series has been a stiff competition to the F150 for a while now, just like the Silverado and the RAM. But the Sierra 1500 does indeed offer more space than the F150 at 43.03 inches of driver’s headroom and 44.53 inches of driver’s legroom.
The Dodge RAM 1500 offers the least amount of space at 40.9 inches of driver’s headroom and 40.9 inches of driver’s legroom. But the RAM is most likely going to be spacious enough for most people anyway, but if you need that extra space, go for a Chevy Silverado or the Sierra.
A Chevrolet Silverado 1500 offers the same amount of interior space as the Sierra does because these two are pretty much the same in every aspect. But the Sierra is more luxurious and comfortable, and it also costs a bit more, but it probably is the current best entry-level pickup for tall drivers.
Best heavy-duty trucks for tall people
If you want a more heavy-duty truck for greater towing and hauling purposes, a Ford F250/F450, GMC Sierra 2500/3500, Chevy Silverado 2500/3500, or the RAM 2500/3500 are probably your best options. These trucks offer virtually identical interior space compared to lighter-duty trucks, but they do excel in towing and hauling.
Not only towing and hauling, but these higher-end trucks are also more desirable as well. A Ford F150 can tow up to 14000 pounds, and the F250 can tow up to 22800 pounds. The Ford F450 hauls more, and it also offers a larger bed.
It’s pretty much the same for the rest of the competition because all of these do offer the same amount of legroom and headroom. So it’s more a question of you needing that extra bit of towing/hauling capabilities.
Larger trucks are also used for commercial purposes more commonly because they do offer a higher plateau. It’s worth mentioning that most European manufacturers are not all that interested in developing trucks because getting into an already saturated market of domestic manufacturers is way too difficult, all of this was proven by the lackluster Mercedes X-Class failure.
Best performance trucks for tall people
Here you only have two valid options, either you go for a well-proven, incredibly popular Ford F150 Raptor or you go for the new kid on the block the Dodge 1500 TRX. The Ford Raptor has been on sale for a few generations now, and every generation of the Raptor was a smash hit.
But a few years ago Ford decided to stop offering a V8 Ford F150 Raptor, and most people were frustrated, but it seems like the EcoBoost V6 also found in the new Ford GT did not cause any decrease in popularity.
That was probably because the Raptor didn’t have a competition per se, but recently Dodge revealed the TRX, a Hellcat-powered 700hp truck.
Even though the Raptor is amazing, it’s hard to argue against a Hellcat 700hp V8 inside a RAM 1500. After all, it also does offer more driver headroom and legroom, which makes it a win-win.
FAQ Section
Is a truck a better option than an SUV if I am tall?
Not really, a regular SUV is better than most trucks because the SUV segment offers way more options, and the truck market can not match the SUV market for luxury, comfort, nor performance.
Something like a Chevy Tahoe does offer comparable space to the Sierra and the Silverado, but these trucks can’t match the Tahoe for luxury and comfort. You can also get a bunch of performance SUVs like the Jeep Trackhawk, Lamborghini Urus, Porsche Cayenne, BMW X5M, Mercedes GLE 63 AMG.
What is the best car type to buy if I am tall?
The best type of car to buy is a sedan because it indeed does offer the most space for the best price. Something like a Hyundai Sonata offers 40.4 inches of headroom and 45.5 inches of legroom, and only a few more expensive SUVs can match that.
SUVs are also a great option if you prefer the SUV platform. Chevy Tahoe/GMC Yukon/Chevrolet Suburban offers 42.8 inches of driver’s headroom and 45.3 inches of driver’s legroom.
What are the benefits and drawbacks of the pickup truck platform?
Pickup trucks can tow a lot, they offer a lot of torque, lots of cargo space, fairly high ground clearance, and decent safety and price. They are also very popular and the 2nd hand truck market is always fairly saturated and high in demand.
The drawbacks are that the fuel efficiency is not all that good, nor is the maintenance expense. Trucks usually offer stiffer rides compared to most SUVs, and they can also be hard to maneuver. Furthermore, they are not as comfortable nor luxurious as some SUVs that are competitively priced.