The best pick-up trucks - driven, rated and ranked

Best for: value for money

The Hilux is a long-standing member of the Toyota stable and has garnered a reputation for being versatile, dependable and reliable – and it's the only pick-up that has really challenged the Ranger for European sales.

Regardless of trim, the Hilux is comfortable and well-appointed inside. It rides and handles with some level of sophistication, too, but it can’t match the Ranger for touring comfort and body control. There’s plenty of wind and road noise as well. 

You can have the Hilux with a 148bhp 2.4-litre or 201bhp 2.8-litre four-cylinder diesel engine.

The 2.8-litre lump is by far the better of the two and has plenty of real-world performance and good level of refinement, considering the bulk it has to haul around. 

There’s also the Ranger Raptor-rivalling Hilux GR Sport, which gets trick suspension and more aggressively styling, but with the same 2.8-litre engine as the standard car, it can’t quite entertain off-road like the Ford can. 

Cargo carriers will be pleased to know that the Hilux has a better carrying capacity than most of its rivals and, as with the Ranger, you can choose between single- and double-cab bodystyles. There’s also an extended cab, or Extra Cab, as Toyota calls it.

The Hilux can tow up to 3500kg and carry a payload of up to 1000kg. It's loadbed is slightly shorter than the Ranger's at 1555mm.

You will pay around £31,000 for an entry-level double-cab model, but the slightly dearer and well-equpped Invicible X is the version you want. 

Best for: off-road ability

Priced from around £66,000, the Grenadier Quartermaster sits at the dearer end of the pick-up truck segment, being based on the Grenadier 4x4.

The Quartermaster is 305mm longer than the Station Wagon, giving it a load bay that measures 1564mm long and 1619mm wide – large enough for a Euro pallet.

That being said, the Quartermaster’s towing and payload capacities are more aligned with those of a five-seat 4x4 than a pick-up.

Towing is rated to 3500kg, but it can only carry up to 835kg in the load bay, which means it doesn’t qualify as a commercial vehicle in the UK.

You have a choice of two BMW-sourced 3.0-litre engines, petrol or diesel. Both are mated to an eight-speed automotive gearbox that drives all four wheels permanently. The engines are smooth, responsive and full of character. 

Off road, the Quartermaster is extremely capable, with excellent ground clearance and wading capabilities.

Its ladder-frame chassis makes it feel a little more old-school on the road, but it's composed enough for the class. 

Best for: refinement

The original Volkswagen Amarok kick-started the craze for lifestyle pick-ups, combining the tough utilitarian qualities of a truck with the interior and exterior finish of an upmarket car.

Popular as it was, the Amarok failed to drum up the funds for Volkswagen’s accountants to sign off on development of a second-generation model, which is why the current version borrows the majority of its parts with the Ford Ranger. 

At present, there's a choice of three diesels: there are two four-cylinder engines, with 168bhp and 202bhp, and a 227bhp 3.0-litre V6 that’s mated to Ford’s 10-speed automatic gearbox and permanent four-wheel drive.

The Amarok is a well-sorted pick-up. It steers neatly and precisely and Volkswagen has brought its influence with strong levels of refinement and comfort – although the leaf-sprung arrangement carried over from the Ranger means it can struggle to deal with rougher roads, betraying its commercial roots. 

Iffy ride aside, you can carry a maximum payload of up to 1130kg. 

Inside, the Amarok shares its architecture with the Ranger, but it has been draped in materials from Wolfsburg to give it an upmarket and premium feel. 

It’s well equipped, too, with the central touchscreen complemented by plenty of physical buttons, and overall it feels more like an SUV than a truck. 

Best for: durability

The Isuzu D-Max has been a quiet mainstay of the pick-up truck segment for many years and remains a solid choice for those after a cheaper, more utilitarian offering. 

The D-Max comes in a variety of configurations, from the bare-bones workhorse Utility through more lifestyle-oriented versions with decent standard kit to the Arctic Trucks model, which gets raised suspension, knobbly tyres and a mean-looking bodykit for a Ranger Raptor-like aesthetic.  

Again, single-cab, extended-cab (which can be had in posher trims, unlike with rivals) and double-cab versions are all available. 

With its solid interior, acceptable on-road manners and five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, the D-Max is a far more appealing package than its predecessor.

Because it rides on a ladder-frame chassis, the D-Max is tailored towards off-road driving, hence it's less well-mannered in its on-road ride and handling than some of its rivals. 

Power is drawn from a 1.9-litre four-cylinder engine, which sounds gruff and doesn't have much punch – just 162bhp.

So the D-Max is pretty staid, even for a truck, with the 0-62mph spring taking 13sec, whether you have the six-speed automatic or six-speed manual gearbox.

That being said, it’s still one of the cheapest pick-ups you can buy, undercutting the Hilux on price.

Best for: affordability

If you’re after a slightly left-field pick up, the KGM Musso (formerly the Ssangyong Musso) is a sensible and affordable alternative. 

Overall, the Musso delivers respectable performance and handling, with its pick-up truck credentials bolstered by a decent towing capacity and solid utility. 

Power is drawn from a 199bhp 2.2-litre diesel engine (standard fit across all variants) that offers more grunt than most of its rivals.

Opt for the entry-level manual and braked towing capacity is 3200kg, rising to 3500kg for the six-speed automatic. Depeding on the trim, the Musso can carry a payload of between 1095kg and 1205kg.

It corners with decent grip and body control, and while the ride comfort is a little mixed, the engine is torquey yet quiet when cruising. 

Its looks are a little peculiar in standard form, with a short load bay, but it does offer four seats big enough for adults. If you need a full-length bed, you will have to opt for the range-topping Saracen. 

Best for: electric motoring

There's only one fully electric pick-up truck available in the UK: the Maxus T90EV.

Built by Chinese car giant (and MG owner) SAIC, it’s a mid-sized truck that has had its load-carrying capabilities upped to qualify it for UK commercial vehicle tax.

It’s available through a UK dealer network of 60 outlets and costs from just under £50,000, excluding VAT. 

The T90EV is powered by a 201bhp electric motor that delivers more than enough power, acceleration and drivability.

However, its ride and handling are rougher than the pick-up class norm, the ride particularly so. 

Inside, the T90EV is well configured and the ergonomic layout is pretty comfortable, with easy-to-used secondary controls and clear instrumentation. 

Real-world range is roughly 200 miles or a little less when driven exclusively on the motorway.

Best for: space

Ford was the first big pick-up truck maker to turn to electric power, offering its flagship and hugely popular F-150 in Lightning EV form. 

The F-150 Lightning been on sale in North America for some time but is currently unavailable to order in the UK – although some cars have made their way across the pond via dealers that specialise in importing US vehicles. 

Powered by a vast 131kWh (usable) battery, it has an official range of up to 320 miles, although 300 miles is more realistic in the real world. That battery limits the carrying capacity to 800kg, too. 

The most powerful version has 569bhp and tips the scales 3100kg, but it can still sprint to 60mph from rest in 4.5sec, which is faster than an E46-generation BMW M3. 

Great usability remains at the top of the F-150’s list of ‘must haves’: there’s a 1.7m load bay for swallowing up your gear and the battery can be used to power tools and small appliances.

It rides well, too, thanks to its fully independent suspension, and it has a vast and comfortable cabin. 

Best for: performance

Where do we begin with a truck as controversial and mind-boggling as the angular – and supposedly bulletproof – Tesla Cybertruck?

Underneath the sci-fi bodywork is a whopping 122.4kWh structural battery, which can be boosted by an additional 50kWh battery in the load bed should you wish.

Two versions are available: a dual-motor, four-wheel-drive model with 592bhp and 525lb ft of torque and the tri-motor Cyberbeast, with combined outputs of 833bhp and 864lb ft, allowing for a 2.6sec dart to 60mph from standstill – and that’s with a 3113kg kerb weight. 

Range is up to 340 miles for the standard model and 320 miles for the Cyberbeast, with both able to accept 250kW charging speeds. 

As for its pick-up truck capabilities, the Cybertruck has a payload of 1134kg and can tow up to five tonnes. There’s a 1.8m load bed and, with the powered cover closed, there's 1591 litres of storage available. 

Its sheer size makes it pretty intimidating to drive and the steer-by-wire systems take some getting used to, but the performance is mighty and it rides well at speed.

If only the cabin were a little less austere and the central touchscreen didn’t have all the work to do. 

The Cybertruck is currently illegal to drive in the Britain as it does not yet meet the UK's safety standards, nor does it have a 'certificate of conformity' for use on public roads.