Buying Guides

The 3 Best Pickup Truck Interiors

Just because you're haulin' doesn't mean you have to be hurtin'

Wade Thiel, Senior Staff Writer

Truck interiors have come a long way in recent years. Gone are the days when most pickups featured stripped down cabins with AM/FM radios and few features. Nowadays, trucks have some of the most spacious, comfortable, and feature packed interiors on the road. Ride quality may not be up to luxury vehicle standards, but the seats, infotainment system, storage spaces, and overall interior versatility are top notch. Here are three pickups that do cabin spaces right.

2017 Ford F-250 Super Duty

 
  • PROS: Tons of interior space, large locking rear under seat storage, two gloveboxes, innovative cup holder in the center console, and a fast and smooth infotainment system and driver information display.
  • CONS: Center console storage isn’t as big as competition, a significant amount of buttons throughout the cabin can seem overwhelming at first.

Ford redesigned its F-250 Super Duty to great fanfare, and one of the best things about it is the interior. It’s bigger and more spacious than ever before, has innovative storage options like the two-into-four cup holder and the large rear under seat locking storage box. Aside from that, the interior features multi-contour seats, Ford’s SYNC3 infotainment system, power outlets for devices and work equipment, a large and robust driver information screen in the instrument cluster, and high-class materials in the truck’s top trim levels. The sheer number of buttons and controls on the dash and steering wheel can seem too much to handle, but you’ll quickly realize everything is smartly laid out and easy to use.

2017 GMC Sierra 1500

 
  • PROS: More technology than most the competition, two gloveboxes, generous center console storage, attractive and upscale cabin with a lot of soft touch materials.
  • CONS: What hard plastics there are feel cheap, some ergonomics feel a little off.

The GMC Sierra 1500 brings a lot of technology to a pickup truck. There’s wireless charging, 4G LTE Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto among other features. All the tech is easy to access and use. Aside from that you get a spacious interior with a lot of storage. The center console features two cup holders, a large space under the armrest, and a big bin in front of the cup holders. The rear seats are wide enough for three people and the seat folds up allowing you to put things on the floor. There are some cheap-feeling plastics on the dash, doors and center console, and the fake wood won’t fool anyone, but for the most part, GMC used high-quality materials.

2017 Nissan Titan

 
  • PROS: Laptop storage under the armrest, multi-use rear seats, super comfy Zero Gravity front seats, premium quality materials, large controls can be used with work gloves on.
  • CONS: Infotainment system isn’t as fast and smooth as the competition, technology in general lags behind Ford and GM.

The Nissan Titan’s interior is one of the best of any car or truck. It features large, comfortable seats, ergonomically placed controls and tons of storage spaces. The controls are all a little oversized for easy use with gloves on and everything is in reach of the driver. The rear seats are large enough for three large adults. Fold them down and you have a workspace for a laptop or building plans. Fold them up and you have space for tall items and the option to stow items in a locking under seat storage box and a lid that folds out and makes a perfectly flat loading floor for items. Pair that with a decent infotainment system and tons of cup holders and there’s little to complain about.

What Makes a Good Truck Interior?

  • Large, usable center console storage space.
  • Upsized controls for easy operation with gloves.
  • Big, roomy seating accommodations made for five or six adults.
  • Versatile rear seats that can fold up to increase storage.