There are several passionate reasons to have a pickup truck, here are some points to consider before closing the deal
It has never been easier to own a pickup. The options in the Brazilian market are wide and meet the most different sizes, with the advantage that they now bring the same level of technology as a passenger car. However, having a pickup truck requires attention from the consumer, since daily life is still very different from that of a sedan or an SUV.
If you’ve never owned a pickup truck and are considering buying one, read this guide carefully. Depending on your usage profile, it may be much better to take an SUV home or, at the very least, exchange the idea of a medium pickup truck on a chassis for a monocoque model such as Fiat Toro or Ford Maverick.
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Pickup trucks — especially double cab pickup trucks — are long vehicles by nature, as they need to accommodate occupants and still offer generous cargo space. This logic applies even to compact hatchbacks. See the comparison below:
| Car | Length | Wheelbase |
|---|---|---|
| Fiat Argo | 4.03 m | 2.52 m |
| Fiat Strada | 4.48 m | 2.73 m |
| Toyota Corolla | 4.63 m | 2.70 m |
| Fiat Toro | 4.95 m | 2.98 m |
| Chevrolet S10 | 5.40 m | 3.09 m |
Notice how the Fiat Strada is already 45 cm longer than a Fiat Argo, and its wheelbase surpasses that of a Toyota Corolla. Meanwhile, the intermediate Toro is close to 5 meters long, and the Chevrolet S10 manages to be larger than the classic Ford Landau.
And it’s not just the size that challenges the driver on a daily basis: the long wheelbase takes its toll when maneuvering. The turning circle of the Toro, for example, is 12.3 meters, while the Corolla needs only 11.6 meters to make a full turn.
The averages are also considerably wider: the Chevrolet S10 is 1.87 m wide, and more recent models, such as the Fiat Titano, touch 2 meters. If you live in a building, check the measurements of the space and the space available in the garage corridors before closing the deal.
Fortunately, today’s pickup trucks have parking sensors and reversing cameras — the top versions even have 360° cameras. This helps a lot when driving, but remember: technology makes it easier to maneuver, but it doesn’t reduce the size of the car.
The bed of a pickup truck was designed for transporting cargo and, therefore, does not have an airtight seal. There is purposely a free gap between the lid and the frame to facilitate water drainage and cleaning.
Because of this, the traditional marine canopy does not offer a perfect seal: dust and water will always find a way in, with the junction near the cabin being the most critical point. This limitation also applies to rigid fiber covers, such as the one on the Fiat Toro Ultra.
Chevrolet sought to mitigate this problem in the current generation of Montana, focusing on those who use the model as a passenger car. The original factory soft top seals above the category average when new, but it is still not foolproof.
To travel with the family without surprises, the solution is to resort to waterproof bucket bags. The accessory market even offers additional channels for water drainage, but they do not solve the problem of dust on dirt roads.
Even with imposing external dimensions, double cab trucks are not references in space for those traveling in the back seat. The Chevrolet Montana, for example, is noticeably tighter for passengers than the Tracker SUV. The same scenario is repeated when comparing the Fiat Toro with the Jeep Renegade, models that share the same platform.
In addition to the reduced legroom, the backrest of the rear seat is usually more vertical and the floor is higher due to the vehicle’s architecture. On long journeys, this more upright posture becomes tiring, especially for taller passengers.
Although today’s midsize pickup trucks offer better accommodations than in the past, they are still far from the comfort of a sedan. Full comfort in the second row is only a reality in large pickup trucks imported from the United States, such as the Ford F-150 and the Chevrolet Silverado.
The suspension of an SUV is designed to withstand a heavy load. It needs to be rigid so as not to lower excessively when the vehicle is loaded and to ensure good weight distribution. The great challenge of medium pickup trucks is the use of the leaf spring at the rear which, in addition to extreme firmness, makes the rear “bounce” a lot when the bed is empty.
This behavior has greatly improved with the evolution of engineering. The current Fiat Strada, for example, delivers an excellent balance between firmness and comfort. Among the medium-sized cars, the Ford Ranger and Chevrolet S10 are the dynamic references in the category, but they still make their small jumps on uneven floors when running unloaded.
This structural rigidity is noticeable even in models with coil springs. A great test is to drive a Fiat Toro with a flex engine and, soon after, the diesel version. As diesel configurations need to handle 1 ton of load capacity (against the 650 kg of the flex), the suspension is considerably firmer — a recipe that is repeated in the Ram Rampage.
In this aspect, the Chevrolet Montana is the closest to a passenger vehicle. Its rear suspension adopts coil springs and its load capacity is 600 kg, delivering a ride very similar to that of the Tracker.
The vehicle dynamics of a pickup truck are different from a conventional car in several aspects. Starting with the compact front-wheel drive, weight distribution is the first differential.
With the lightweight rear, there is a greater tendency to understeer (the famous “front exit”) and the long wheelbase reduces agility in quick trajectory changes. When loaded, they gain dynamic balance, but the extra weight increases the braking distance and demands more from the tires in curves.
Medium pickup trucks on chassis, on the other hand, are true “double-decker vehicles”. Both the driving position and the center of gravity are raised, reducing lateral stability. The grip limits are considerably lower and the steering calibration is slower and more multiplied.
As the vast majority of medium-sized vehicles use rear-wheel drive when driving on asphalt, the control in emergency situations changes completely: an eventual loss of rear grip requires a correction by countersteer. If you have never driven a medium pickup, it is not recommended to disable traction and stability control on public roads – except in specific situations.
The great thing about compact and intermediate pickup trucks derived from cars is that the maintenance cost follows that of their passenger counterparts. Although tires and some specific suspension components are more expensive, the overall service values do not scare those who are already used to an SUV.
The budget starts to rise when the model is equipped with a turbodiesel engine, as in versions of the Fiat Toro and Ram Rampage. Modern engines with gas aftertreatment systems are complex and extremely sensitive to poor quality diesel. Filling up only at extremely reliable stations is a mandatory rule to avoid very expensive breakdowns.
In the medium-sized segment, spare parts are generally expensive because they are oversized components for heavy work. Tires are another critical point: replacing a single tire on a medium pickup can cost the equivalent of a full set of a compact hatch.
To complete the cost scenario, insurance is usually high. Medium pickup trucks are constantly among the vehicles most targeted by criminals in Brazil — especially the Toyota Hilux — which pushes the price of policies up.
If your desire for a pickup is purely aesthetic, weigh all the negative points pointed out, especially if you have your eye on a medium model. If the preference for the utilitarian look speaks louder, give priority to monocoque intermediaries, such as the Fiat Toro, Ram Rampage or Ford Maverick, which offer a driving experience much closer to that of a car and predictable maintenance.
On the other hand, if your main goal is to have a robust vehicle to travel with the family and face occasional dirt roads, the market offers excellent SUVs with generous trunks, such as the Renault Boreal, Volkswagen Taos and Jeep Commander. If the focus is on budget or compact size, seven-seater or family options like the Fiat Fastback, Citroën Aircross, Chevrolet Spin or Renault Duster solve the problem perfectly.
Driving a modern pickup is a unique and very pleasurable experience, especially models equipped with turbodiesel engines that exceed 200 hp. However, it is essential to put fixed costs at the tip of the pencil to ensure that the purchase is driven by reason, and not just by emotion.
