Best pick-ups 2024

As well as looking undisputedly cool, pick-up trucks are amazing all-rounders and the best models operate just as well as family vehicles as they do working ones.

There are also some attracttive tax breaks attached to buying a new pick-up — for example, much lower benefit-in-kind taxation if you run one as a company vehicle, thanks to personal usage tax on commercial vehicles being much lower than on cars.

Once popular models such as the Nissan Navara and Mitsubishi L200 are no longer on sale in the UK, reducing the breadth of choice in the the pick-up truck market.

Thankfully, that those you can choose from are all extremely competent, being well and truly up to the job for carrying and hauling.

Here are the best pick-ups on sale right now.

Best pick-ups Ford Ranger Toyota Hilux Volkswagen Amarok Isuzu D-Max KGM Musso

 

Ford Ranger

Offered in both single- and double-cab formats, the Ford Ranger is much more than just a credible rival to the Isuzu D-Max and Toyota Hilux. Co-developed with the Volkswagen Amarok, the Ranger is a little unrefined in some areas because its functional, ladder-frame underpinnings have been designed to carry heavy loads, tow trailers and venture across poor terrain with ease. Inside, it’s packed with tech and is more comfortable than ever before, with a great engine range and decent value pricing.

    

Toyota Hilux

There’s a reason why the Toyota Hilux is one of the best-selling vehicles in the world and that’s its all-round competence. It’s one of the toughest trucks on the market and is powered by a brilliant 2.8-litre diesel engine. The latest generation is also more refined than ever, with a far more upmarket cabin and a wider selection of tech and safety kit, yet has lost none of its load carrying or towing capabilities.

 

Volkswagen Amarok

The Volkswagen Amarok underwent something of a sea-change for its second generation, thanks in no small part to a tie-in with Ford. The latest Amarok was the first VW to emerge from the alliance and shares its underpinnings and mechanical components with the Ford Ranger — the pair are even built in the same factory. Given that the Ranger is one of the best pick-up trucks on the market, it’s no surprise that the Amarok is, too.

 

Isuzu D-Max

There’s something delightfully no-nonsense about the Isuzu D-Max, which is one of the most popular vehicles among the UK’s farming community. There are several reasons why, including its one-tonne payload and 3.5-tonne towing capacity. As tough as it is, it’s also pretty refined for such a workmanlike vehicle thanks to a heavily revised cabin and a new suite of tech.

KGM Musso

Competitively priced and backed by a seven-year warranty, the Musso is a well-packaged and keenly priced pick-up that is only available in double-cab form. Previously sold under the SsangYong brand until it was replaced by KGM at the start of 2024, the Musso comes with a punchy 181PS engine and a spacious load bay, making it a terrific workhorse with an excellent towing capacity. Rough around the edges compared with newer rivals, it’s still an impressive truck for the money.