Should You Buy a Truck or an SUV?

While trucks and SUVs share many advantages, trucks offer more utility while SUVs host a suite of comforts for you and your passengers.
Written by Holden Easterbrook
Reviewed by Carrie Adkins
When purchasing a larger vehicle that can both work hard and play hard, trucks and SUVs are your best options. Though there is a good deal of crossover between the two in their capabilities, trucks routinely win in cases of utility while the comforts of an SUV are unparalleled.
Whether you should buy a truck or an SUV depends a lot on your lifestyle–are you looking for a vehicle to take the family car camping in over the summer, or do you need a ride for carpooling to work in style?
To make the decision easier, the
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broker app
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has compiled a list of key features such as handling, power, seating, and more to see which vehicle outperforms the other.

Handling

Winner: SUVs

Given the size of both trucks and SUVs, it’s safe to say that neither will be turning on a dime. The bigger a vehicle is, the bigger the turning radius needs to be—and neither of these two vehicles is economy-sized.
However, due to the longer and wider frames of most trucks, SUVs offer a little more maneuverability in tighter spaces–such as crowded parking lots or narrow city streets.
There is a caveat to this win for SUVs, though. If you’re looking to tow a heavy load, trucks routinely have an easier time shifting extra weight around on highways or up and down driveways.
Here are some of the handling and torque features of popular SUVs: 
Model
Price
Handling: Torque
$24,400
186 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm
$22,485
132 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm
$33,490
390 lb-ft @ 4250 rpm

Power

Winner: Trucks

While trucks are more often associated with hard work and heavy loads, both trucks and SUVs tend to come with the same standard powertrain nowadays.
Trucks have a slight edge because of the upgrade options available to them, like improved air induction or exhaust systems. These additions increase engine performance and improve the overall power a truck can generate
Here’s a look at the horsepower of some popular trucks: 
Model
Price
Power
$41,279
290 horsepower
$ 41,770
410 horsepower
$38,119
280 horsepower

Seating

Winner: SUVs

SUVs win handily in this category because their third-row seating offers comfortable rear-row options for adults and kids.
While full-sized trucks can offer more comfortable rear-row seating for adults, they still can only seat five to six people in total (and that’s if you’re including the middle seat of the front bench). A standard SUV can easily fit seven to eight passengers—without forcing one of your passengers to squeeze between you and the co-pilot in a space that’s both less comfortable and less safe.
To compound the seating issue, the back row seating for midsize trucks is more cramped and better suited for children than adults. Furthermore, additional seating in trucks often comes at the expense of their best feature–their bed length.
This is the seating capacity for some of the most common SUVs:
Model
Price
Seating
$22,000
5 seats
$34,000
5 seats
$76,195
7 seats

Fuel Economy

Winner: SUVs

While SUVs regularly outperform trucks in terms of gas mileage, you won’t be forgetting how to pump gas anytime soon in either vehicle. Neither trucks nor SUVs are well-known for their fuel economy, and their miles-per-gallon ratings in the city are often equal.
SUVs stand out above trucks because of their superior highway fuel economy (though even that is still well below a standard car).
Trucks perform so poorly in this category because they are geared more for low-end torque as a way to help haul heavier loads. Though some trucks do offer decent gas mileage, the average mileage will drop significantly as the size and capabilities of the truck increase.
Here’s a look at the fuel economy for common SUVs:
Model
Price
Fuel Economy
$23,200
25 mpg
$21,545
27 mpg
$21,150
28 mpg
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Towing

Winner: Trucks

It should come as a surprise to no one that trucks have the best towing capabilities of any personal vehicle. As the workhorse of the automotive world, even an un-upgraded truck can still tow several thousand pounds without sacrificing handling ability.
It should be noted, however, that SUVs are not incapable of towing sizable loads. However, most SUVs tow weight-limits cap out at around 2,000-3,000 pounds, while a truck can handle 5,000-6,000 pounds (depending on the model) and ‘fifth wheel’ trailers and RVs.
This is the towing capacity of some of the most popular trucks:
Model
Price
Tow Capacity
$50,185
20,000 pounds
$50,770
23,000 pounds
$48,655
24,200 pounds

Comfort

Winner: SUVs

Because of the inherent work nature of trucks, comfort tends to be a secondary component while SUVs often come with a suite of standard comfort features (i.e. heated & cooled seats, variable climate control, and entertainment options).
Additionally, trucks tend to have rougher rides when driving with a light load or an empty bed because of their heavy-duty suspensions.
Where trucks do outperform SUVs is (as always) towing. Trucks often have a build-on-frame construction—which helps dampen road noise—and their increased towing power makes for smoother rides when moving a heavy trailer or load.
Here’s a look at comfort features for popular SUV models: 
Model
Price
Comfort Features
$31,990
Synthetic leather upholstery
$25,350
40+ inches of legroom in second row
$51,700
144.7 cubic feet cargo space with second and third rows folded

Accessibility

Winner: Tie

This category is a toss-up and it comes down to a matter of personal preference.
Given their higher riding profiles, neither SUVs nor trucks are particularly easy to get in and out of. Both vehicles often come with step bars to help passengers climb into the cab, and exiting them can be a bit of a jump. If ease of access is a big concern for you, this might be an important aspect to consider.
As for accessing cargo, SUVs have a lower floor compared to a standard truck bed–which makes for easier loading and unloading. On the other hand, the ability to access cargo from three sides eliminates a lot of digging or unpacking and repacking when you need a particular item.
These are the accessibility features of popular trucks and SUVs:
Model
Price
Accessibility
$30,595
Can be modified to add accessible features
$32,370
Wheelchair friendly modifications can be added
$24,795
Can be modified to add accessible features

Utility

Winner: Trucks

Despite having ‘utility’ in the name, SUVs are not the handiest vehicle in this match-up. Just as before, trucks are far more utilitarian.
Between the larger cargo space of the bed, the increased towing power, and the ability to install and remove caps for additional cargo protection, SUVs have a hard time competing with multi-functional trucks.
Here’s the cargo storage space for some commonly-owned trucks: 
Model
Price
Utility: Cargo Space
$26,630
49.9 cubic feet in cargo space
$27,995
41.3 cubic feet in cargo space
$36,910
35.5 cubic feet in cargo space

Finding affordable car insurance

Whether you decide to purchase a comfortable SUV or a rugged truck, you’ll need to insure your vehicle before you hit the road. Thankfully,
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Once you make your decision, Jerry will help with all of the paperwork and even help to cancel your old policy! 
 “I thought my previous insurance rate was the best I could get since I have a luxury SUV. After
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FAQs

While trucks are built for ruggedness and work potential, SUVs are the safer of the two. Furthermore, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) Top Safety Pick lists more SUVs than trucks.
Generally speaking, trucks are cheaper than SUVs. However, the cost difference diminishes when you add on comfort/luxury features to match a standard SUV.
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