Check Out Our Favorite Pre-Owned Small Trucks!

It seemed, for decades, that the competition between pickup trucks was restricted to full-size models. In more recent years, however, smaller trucks have become increasingly popular—and, nowadays, you have a surprising number of options available. These give you greater freedom to find what you need that’s as agile as it is powerful.

As your new and used car dealership, we here at Pearson Ford pride ourselves on our fantastic selection of pre-owned vehicles, including great pickups of all shapes and sizes—so let’s take a look at some of our favorite midsize and compact pickups and see what they have to offer…

The Ford Ranger

When the Ford Ranger first hit the scene in the 1980s, it was a compact truck, and it remained one until it was discontinued following the 2012 model year. This means you can find a lot of them out there, and the third-generation models from the 2000s are particularly great options.

Ford brought the Ranger back for the 2019 model year, but now it’s a midsize truck—still an amazing choice, but larger than those older ones. If you’re looking for something with Ford’s capability and dependability but smaller than the F-150, then a pre-owned Ranger is the perfect pick.

The GMC Canyon

Although it doesn’t go back as far as the Ford Ranger, the GMC Canyon is a great choice if you’re looking for a used midsize truck. The Canyon first hit the market for the 2004 model year and immediately made a name for itself by offering bold performance and sleek style.

Those early Canyon models were smaller and closer to a compact truck; while initially successful, declining sales led to a hiatus for the Canyon after 2012. A few years later, the Canyon returned for 2015 with a redesign, becoming a midsize pickup. If you’re interested in a tough off-roader, look for a used Canyon with the All Terrain or AT4 trim to enjoy features that were designed for the trail.

The Nissan Frontier

The Nissan Frontier is one of the elder statesmen of the midsize truck market; it’s been around—without interruption—since it first hit the scene for the 1998 model year. Although undeniably stylish and impressively capable, one of the biggest weaknesses of the Frontier is that its second generation ran for twelve years—from 2009 through 2021—yet received only minor updates.

That’s an incredibly long stretch without a redesign, and it made some of the later model years feel a bit dated. It’s good news for you, however, because you can find great used Frontiers from this period in excellent condition. We suggest a 2020 model if you can find one that fits your budget because Nissan introduced an improved engine for that year, which rolled into the third generation a few years later.

The Honda Ridgeline

One of the most popular import midsize trucks on the market, the Honda Ridgeline has been a favorite for many drivers who want something budget-friendly and reliable. First introduced for the 2006 model year, the first generation of the Ridgeline ran through 2014; much like the Frontier, this is a long generation, though updates for 2009 and 2012 both included significant facelifts.

Honda took a few years to redesign the Ridgeline and then brought it back for a second generation, starting with the 2017 model year. This redesign includes a stronger structure and superior components throughout, making it an excellent choice for a used midsize truck.

The Toyota Tacoma

One of the oldest midsize trucks still available today—and offered without interruption—is the Toyota Tacoma, which has been around since the mid-1990s. Much like many older models, the Tacoma got its start as a compact truck until the launch of its second generation for the 2005 model year when it became a larger, midsize pickup.

The Tacoma has also had long generations, with its second generation going from 2005 to 2015, though there were updates and facelifts for the 2009 and 2012 models. These are great ones to look for if you want to stick to a tight budget and still get Toyota’s legendary reliability, while models from 2016 and later are part of the third generation and feature impressive engines and sharper tech.

The Jeep Gladiator

If you’re looking to go off-road in your midsize truck, then the Jeep Gladiator is one of the best midsize offerings out there. While it might look, at first glance, like a Wrangler with a truck bed slapped onto the back of it, Jeep went all-in on the truck design of the Gladiator and made it into something special.

This is one of the freshest offerings out there and only hit the road starting with the 2020 model year, which means it’s still in its first generation and has only been through a few updates so far. You won’t find one of these with the low price of something like a Tacoma from a decade ago, but its off-road chops are hard to argue with, and it’s an outstanding option for hitting the trail in a midsize truck.

The Ford Maverick

One common theme we saw with a lot of the preceding trucks is that they started as compact models and grew into midsize pickups, leaving a lack of compact trucks on the market. This is changing, however, as we now have the Ford Maverick to fill this void with impressive performance and bold style packed into its compact design.

The Maverick first hit the road in the 2022 model year, so you won’t find a ton of them available pre-owned just yet. As leases come to an end, however, more of these impressive trucks will become available; we suggest looking for one with the available turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive for a truly remarkable driving experience.

The Hyundai Santa Cruz

Alongside the Maverick, the Hyundai Santa Cruz is leading the new charge for compact trucks; it, too, debuted for the 2022 model year, marking a renaissance for these smaller pickups. The design of the Santa Cruz is unique, and it ultimately feels and functions a lot like a small SUV with a truck bed attached to the back, creating impressive prospects for configuring passengers and cargo.

This is a terrific choice if you’re looking for something distinct from the other trucks out there, and it offers bold performance to go along with its functional design and sporty engineering.

What Are You Looking for in a Used Truck?

As you can see, if you’re not interested in a full-size model but still want a fantastic truck, you have a wide range of options available to you. Not only can you find nearly a dozen different midsize and compact trucks pre-owned, but you’ll also find a wide range of model years and trim levels between them, not to mention different engines and more.

Such an overwhelming number of options can make it tricky to find exactly what you want; it helps to know what you need and to have someone helpful by your side to assist you. Here at Pearson Ford, we’re passionate about pickup trucks, and we’ll go above and beyond to ensure you find the right pre-owned pickup and drive away happy.