Check Out the Six Best Used Midsize Trucks

When you close your eyes and picture your perfect pickup, what does it look like? For some people, it’s a massive beast of a full-size truck with dual rear wheels and the ability to haul 20,000 or 30,000 lbs behind it. But for many of us, when we start looking at used trucks for sale to find our next dream pickup, a midsize model is a better choice that will fit into our lives and deliver the kind of driving experience we’re looking for. If you’re interested in a used midsize truck, then we’ve got good news for you: you have a ton of incredible options available to you. So many, in fact, that trying to sort through them all can be a bit overwhelming so we thought we’d help out. Today, we’re going to take you through our favorite midsize trucks to look for as you shop for a used pickup and a few key model years to keep in mind for each.

The Chevy Colorado

As a Chevy dealership, of course, we’re going to kick things off with a Chevy model, but that doesn’t change the fact that this is one of the best midsize pickups out there. The Chevy Colorado was first introduced for the 2004 model year as a compact truck and was available for almost a decade in that segment. It was briefly discontinued after 2012 and then returned for the 2015 model year with a full redesign as a stunning and powerful midsize pickup. Since then, the Colorado has remained one of our favorite options, and any used model you find will provide you with excellent performance designed to meet a wide range of needs.

In particular, keep an eye out for 2018 and earlier models if you want a manual transmission or a 2021 and later model when it received a refresh and update. The current generation for the Colorado kicked off with the 2023 model year, so these are also great ones to look for if you want the latest features and tech. We should mention that the GMC Canyon is the sibling to the Colorado, so you can look for one of those if you’re not finding a Colorado that works for you.

The Ford Ranger

With a run that is quite similar to the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon, the Ford Ranger is a very good option when you’re looking at used midsize trucks. The Ranger name was first used as trim levels for F-Series trucks in the 1960s; later, it was used for a compact pickup released in the early 1980s. This compact version of the Ranger was available until 2011, when it was discontinued due to reduced interest in small trucks, much like the Colorado. The Ranger took a longer break than Chevy’s model; however, it returned as a midsize truck for the 2019 model year, where it has remained a popular option ever since. A second generation of the midsize Ranger kicks off with the 2024 model year, though these are going to be in short supply when looking at used trucks for a while, so you’re better off with something from 2020 to 2023.

The Nissan Frontier

While the previous two models we looked at both took breaks since they were first introduced, the Nissan Frontier is older than the Colorado and has been in production without interruption, so there are a lot of them available as used models. First released for the 1998 model year, the Nissan Frontier also started off as a compact truck and stayed that way for almost a decade. With its second generation and the 2005 model year, the Frontier was redesigned as a midsize truck, getting ahead of the trend that other companies wouldn’t jump on for another decade. This generation of the Nissan Frontier went on seemingly forever, which is the biggest complaint a lot of people had about it: it ran from 2005 through the 2021 model year.

That’s a long time without a full redesign, though there were plenty of updates to the Frontier throughout those years. It received a facelift for the 2009 model year along with updated engines, plus more improvements throughout the years and a recent facelift for the 2020 model year. A new-generation Frontier was finally released for the 2022 model year, updating this truck and bringing it into the modern era; you should keep that in mind when looking at used options.

The Toyota Tacoma

As impressive as the Nissan Frontier’s run has been, Toyota can actually one-up it with the midsize Tacoma, which has been available uninterrupted for almost 30 years now. First released as a 1995 model, much like the other trucks we’ve looked at, the Tacoma started off as a compact pickup and stayed that way for about a decade. Redesigned for the 2004 model year, the second-generation Toyota Tacoma grew into a midsize pickup, and it has remained in that class ever since. This was a long generation, though not as long as the Frontier, lasting a full decade until the third-generation Tacoma was released for 2015. The third-generation Tacoma got a facelift and update for the 2020 model year, so look for used models from then or later for the best features. A new generation just launched with the 2023 model year, but those will be hard to find as used for a while; late-year options prior to this are fantastic picks for a used midsize truck.

The Honda Ridgeline

Following a path more like the first couple of trucks we looked at, the Honda Ridgeline is an excellent midsize pickup that also has a donut hole in its history. First released for the 2006 model year, the Ridgeline has always been a midsize truck, and it found a lot of immediate fans based on its rugged design and reliable performance (something Honda is well known for). Its first generation ran through 2014, after which it went on hiatus for a full redesign, returning for the 2017 model year with bold new looks and improved engineering. Using a new platform, these second-generation Ridgeline models are great ones to look for on the used market, especially those from 2021 or later when it received a facelift and updated features inside and out. Since this followed the introduction of a new nine-speed automatic transmission for 2020, we like these updated Ridgeline models the best.

The Jeep Gladiator

Finally, no rundown of midsize trucks is complete without at least mentioning the Jeep Gladiator and the impressive off-road performance it offers. Stylistically, the Gladiator has a lot in common with the Jeep Wrangler; it looks a bit like a Wrangler that had the back of it chopped off and replaced with a short truck bed. First released for the 2020 model year, the Gladiator hasn’t been around as long as any of the other trucks we’ve looked at, but there are still plenty of them available when it comes to the used market. As you might expect, the Gladiator is a great choice for going off-road, though something like the Chevy Colorado ZR2 can be just as capable for hitting the trail, so be sure to consider a wide range of options. There’s only been one generation so far, which limits your options a bit, but a used Gladiator is still one to consider.

Which Midsize Truck Is Right for You?

That’s a great question and one that, ultimately, only you can answer since it really comes down to what you’re looking for and need from a truck. You can see that you have a lot of options available to you, which is part of what makes shopping for a used vehicle so much fun. Just be sure to take some time before you go looking for a test drive to figure out what you need in terms of size, performance, capability, and features. That way, it will be easier for you to check out different used midsize trucks, compare what they offer, and figure out which one has everything you’ve been looking for. Then, you can take one or two for a test drive to see how they feel and find the perfect pickup that will take you everywhere you need to go.