The Only Midsize Trucks Built to Last (Real Rankings vs. Hype)

Added: 2026-05-24

[00:00:02][music] >> The mid-size truck market is absolutely exploding right now. With full-size half-tons costing upwards of 70 [music] grand, the more logical suburban guys are flooding into more compact, yet still aggressive rigs. And coming in at number five on our list is the incredible Jeep Gladiator. The ultimate off-road machine can tackle any terrain, >> [music] >> offering the utility of a truck and the legendary soul of a Jeep. In fact, you can almost fit a walk-behind mower in the back of that thing.

[00:00:36]Got you.

[00:00:37]All right, I'm just screwing around.

[00:00:39]Let's get that hot mess off the screen.

[00:00:42]Look, I get it. The Gladiator is a good-looking rig, but it's really a complete structural and electrical show just waiting to happen.

[00:00:51]The roof panels leak, and handles like a wet sponge on the highway, and it's a money-grab novelty toy masquerading as a utility tool. But, I will give it one mechanical compliment.

[00:01:05]If you just can't [clears throat] stand yourself, and you absolutely have to date that stripper, make sure she's got the 3.6 L engine Pentastar V6, please.

[00:01:16]Out of all the garbage Stellantis builds, and there's plenty of it, that motor actually has somewhat of a chance at decent reliability.

[00:01:26]Now, are they smart enough to keep that V6 in production moving forward? I highly doubt it.

[00:01:33]The rest of that truck is going to fall apart around you like it's suffering from leprosy.

[00:01:39]But, at least you'll have that decent engine for whatever that's worth to you.

[00:01:44]Anyways, now let's get serious.

[00:01:46]If you want a real mid-size truck built in the last 10 years that won't completely bleed your bank account dry, let's count down the real list starting with number four.

[00:02:01]Coming in at number four >> [music] >> is the previous generation Ford Ranger.

[00:02:05]We are spending some real time on this one because Ford did something nobody expected. While Chevrolet's 2.7 L turbo sounds like a blender and will vibrate the fillings right out of your teeth, Ford actually pulled off a high mileage win with the 2.3 [music] L EcoBoost four-cylinder.

[00:02:25]Now, you may have caught on to the fact that I'm not a big fan of small displacement turbos. I think they are overstressed, disposable appliances designed to pass EPA tests rather than last 15 [music] years in your driveway.

[00:02:40]But you have to understand why this specific motor works. Ford didn't just invent this thing yesterday and rush it to the world's [music] biggest idiot market to treat American buyers like unpaid guinea pigs. At least not with this model.

[00:02:56]This exact powertrain layout spent years under massive tension and high pressure in the brutal heat of the Australian Outback and the heavy-duty global markets before it ever touched an American dealership lot. The engineering bugs were worked out on someone else's dime overseas.

[00:03:14]>> [music] >> The internals are stout. The Ford steel connecting rods are built to take a beating and the block itself is fairly solid.

[00:03:23]But here is my mechanical warning. This is a direct injection turbo system. If you listen to the corporate dealerships tell you to change your oil every 10,000 mi, you are cooking that turbo's bearings and guaranteeing heavy carbon buildup on your intake valves.

[00:03:42]You do 5,000 mi oil changes obsessively.

[00:03:45]Keep that fuel system [music] clean and this truck will easily cross the 150 to 200,000 mi mark. It's a safe turbo if you've got the work ethic to maintain it.

[00:03:58]Now, at number three, we have a truck that mainstream car journalists completely ignore.

[00:04:03]>> [music] >> The 2022 and newer Nissan Frontier. You guys know from the comment section on my truck videos that I respect a rig that doesn't overcomplicate itself. [music] I've had a lot of chatter in my comment section about Nissan trucks heritage and the Titan in particular.

[00:04:21]And it's because Nissan knows how to build a rugged powertrain.

[00:04:26]They aren't slapping cheap CVTs [music] into entry-level commuter cars.

[00:04:31]While the entire automotive industry went [music] into a blind panic and threw high-strung four-cylinders at everything, Nissan stayed steady Eddie.

[00:04:41]Under this aggressive hood lays a naturally aspirated 3.8 L V6 pushing 310 horsepower.

[00:04:49]This [music] is officially the last stand for simple, old-school, large displacement engineering in a modern mid-size package. It gives you that mean mountain-climbing style that suburbanites and city guys [music] love today, but without a bunch of plastic vacuum lines, intercoolers, and high-pressure turbo plumbing waiting to dry rot and crack under that hood.

[00:05:13]They mated this little bad boy to a nine-speed automatic. And while the early 2020 transition years had some transmission hesitations, by 2022 they had completely ironed out the software bugs. If you want a modern daily driver that still handles like a real truck, looks aggressive on the road, and has an honest-to-goodness [music] V6 heart, this is a massive undercover sleeper on the market. It's the best of both worlds. Modern utility without the turbo headache.

[00:05:47]Okay, coming in at number two, the mature benchmark, the 2016 to 2023 third generation Toyota Tacoma. Look, I've already done a fairly detailed full-length [music] video discussing every generation of the Tacoma and why it holds its value. So, go watch that if you want the deep [music] history.

[00:06:10]The short answer for this list, it's slow.

[00:06:12]>> [music] >> The six-speed automatic transmission hunts for gears on the highway like it's looking for a lost dog, and the seating position feels like you're literally sitting on the floorboard.

[00:06:23]But, that 3.5 L V6 uses Toyota's dual [music] port and direct injection system. It completely bypasses the catastrophic carbon buildup on the valves that kill these newer engines.

[00:06:37]So, do yourself a favor, skip the overpriced, unproven, [music] brand new turbo generations and find a clean, I'll run third gen if you just want to sit and forget your driveway rig.

[00:06:50]You'll thank me for it.

[00:06:53]Which brings us to numero uno, the Honda Ridgeline. Now, hold on before you skip out of here or start screaming at me in the comments section because I brought up the Ridgeline again.

[00:07:03]Look, I wouldn't date her either.

[00:07:06]But, listen to the facts.

[00:07:07]Mathematically and mechanically, the Ridgeline, running that 3.5 L J series V6 and that ZF nine-speed, is probably the most reliable, longest-lasting vehicle out of any of these by a country mile.

[00:07:22]It is bulletproof.

[00:07:24]There are guys out there that flat out want the reliability.

[00:07:29]And it's my fiduciary responsibility to tell it like it is.

[00:07:33]It drives like a comfortable SUV instead of a tractor, and it handles every bit of real-world homeowner utility perfectly.

[00:07:42]But, let's be totally clear.

[00:07:44]Most of you guys, including me, are never going to actually buy a Ridgeline.

[00:07:49]And you sure as hell are going to park a unibody in your driveway as your pride and joy.

[00:07:55]So if you're a real-world buyer looking to escape the full-size price trap, your real-world choices are right here on the board.

[00:08:06]Pick the Frontier with the last real V6.

[00:08:10]Or a mature third-generation Tacoma.

[00:08:13]Or a well-maintained previous-gen Ranger. Just make sure and keep that oil fresh every 5,000 mi.

[00:08:21]Stay away from the rest of the garbage on the market today.

[00:08:25]Hit that subscribe button.

[00:08:26]Leave a comment about which one you're taking.

[00:08:30]Or how full of crap you really think I am. And I'll see you at the next exit.