The Hummer EV Pickup Edition 1 is the costliest pickup in the U.S., starting at a lofty $110,295 and ... [+]
As anyone who’s been in the market for a new truck lately can attest, the prices for a full-size pickup are just plain crazy, fueled by a costly combination of inflation, demand for additional amenities and performance capabilities and the genre’s still-swelling popularity.
According to Cars.com, they’re now up to an average of more than $60,000, which represents a 6% leap over the past year, and far more than the already staggering prices top models recorded in the pre-pandemic period. And that’s not counting the most capable heavy-duty models and the latest full-electric trucks that command the most extreme MSRPs of all.
Big pickup trucks mean big profits for automakers and nowhere is this more evident than the burgeoning selection of posh and powerful pickups in every available line that literally redefine the notion of vehicular luxury, with stratospheric sticker prices to match. These include the Ford F-150’s King Ranch, Limited, and Platinum trim levels, along with the GMC Sierra 1500’s Denali and Denali Ultimate trims, among others.
There’s also a recent wave of ultra-pricey off-road-specific models like the Ford F-150 Raptor R and the Ram 1500 TRX that combine enormous amounts of power with ultimate traction action to serve as street-legal dirt- and sand-dune racers. What’s more, a number of full-electric pickups are debuting with zero tailpipe emissions, but sky-high MSRPs.
"Pickups are a popular choice for many practical reasons, but the cultural and social influence of pickup trucks in America shouldn't be underestimated,” says Aaron Bragman, Cars.com's Detroit bureau chief. “There's a certain cachet that comes with being a pickup truck owner, but at a steep price "
How precipitous have the upper ranks of the full-size truck market become? We last documented the upscale charge in the market segment back in 2018, when four-door luxury pickups were beginning to gain steam as especially rugged family vehicles. Five years ago, this meant high-end retail prices largely in the $50,000-to-$60,000 range for half-ton models, and well into the $70,000 range for the most capable heavy-duty luxury trucks with added towing and hauling abilities.
That would seem cheap by today’s standards, with the most-expensive standard-duty full-size pickup for 2023, the battery-driven Hummer EV Pickup Edition 1, starting at a lofty $110,295 and reaching $126,110 with all-inclusive option choices.
We’re documenting the prices of all full-size standard-duty pickups sold in the U.S. below, comparing the costliest trim levels among 2018 full-size models we documented earlier with their 2023 equivalents to see just how high is up. We’re including base MSRPs for each model line’s top trim, along with the cost when fully loaded with all available factory options, packages and dealer accessories, according to kbb.com pricing data:
Nissan Titan Platinum Reserve 4WD Crew Cab
• 2018 MSRP: $57,145; With Options: $58,690
• 2023 MSRP: $61,215; With Options: $71,935
The Titan has always been an outlier in a domestic-brand dominated full-size pickup truck market, but it nonetheless keeps up with the competition. It was most recently refreshed for 2020 with a slimmer lineup and assorted upgrades and added features. Then as now, the Platinum Reserve is the Titan’s top trim, and like the rest of the line it packs a 5.6-liter V8 engine.
Toyota Tundra 4WD Platinum CrewMax
• 2018 MSRP: $51,425; With Options: $57,349
• 2023 MSRP: $65,900 With Options: $76,307
The Tundra was redesigned for 2022 with fresh styling, added features and new V6 powertrain choices. Five years ago the Platinum was the line’s top trim and its since been eclipsed by the even-more-expensive Capstone Hybrid CrewMax that starts out at $79,440 and maxes out at a whopping $89,521 with all available options and packages.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 High Country 4WD Crew Cab
• 2018 MSRP: $56,870; With Options: $66,430.
• 2023 MSRP: $65,900; With Options: $81,615
The Silverado last received a full redesign for 2019, with a refresh for 2022. A turbocharged four-cylinder engine is now standard, and it’s included in five of the model’s trims, with either of two available V8s available. The High Country is the line’s luxury-minded model, and it commands a top-shelf price. The since-introduced ZR2 4WD off-roader is even costlier, starting at $71,500. A full-electric version is coming for 2024 that will reportedly go for up to $105,000 with the top four-door RST First Edition trim, and that’s without options.
Ram 1500 Limited 4WD Crew Cab Tungsten Edition
• 2018 MSRP: $58,990; With Options: $62,995
• 2023 MSRP: $69,445; With Options: $84,865
The poshest Ram 1500 is the Tungsten Edition trim, which piles on the amenities and comes powered by a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine. It’s since been dethroned as the costliest version by the off-road race-ready TRX, which packs a raging 702-horsepower version of the supercharged Hellcat V8 that’s otherwise offered in the Dodge Challenger and Charger muscle cars. It goes for $84,355, and that’s without options.
GMC Sierra 1500 Denali 4WD Crew Cab
• 2018 MSRP: $57,550; With Options: $71,580
• 2023 MSRP: $71,395; With Options: $90,160
GMC helped further luxury truck genre with upscale Denali versions of its pickup trucks and SUVs with many fanciful and purposeful features. As with its equivalent at Chevy, the hakf-ton GMC Sierra 1500 was last updated for 2022, and offers a choice of turbo-four and V8 engines. The Denali trim has since been eclipsed by the even more lavishly equipped and aptly named Denali Ultimate Crew Cab that starts at a steep $83,995 and reaches $92,100 with a heavy hand on the options sheet.
Ford F-150 Limited 4WD SuperCrew
• 2018 MSRP: $65,240; With Options: $70,565
• 2023 MSRP: $86,100; With Options: $89,900
The 2023 F-150 line features no fewer than three luxury models, which in addition to the Limited include the western-themed King Ranch and a more-urbane Platinum trim. It’s since been eclipsed price-wise by a new top off-road warrior, the F-150 Raptor R 4WD SuperCrew that starts at a lofty $109,205 and can reach $114,435 with a boatload of add-ons. Meanwhile, the new full-electric F-150 Lightning reaches nearly as high, with its top Platinum Crew Cab trim starting at $93,990 and hitting $98,590 with all available options.
Needless to say, the heavy-duty versions of the Chevy, Ford, GMC and Ram pickups are a few thousand dollars costlier than the standard-duty models listed here, and at that are surpassed by two full-electric pickup lines that existed only on paper a half decade earlier:
2023 Rivian R1T Launch Edition
• MSRP: $86,800; With Options: $112,695
The Rivian R1T comes from a startup automaker who builds the in Normal, Ill. Its plenty posh and purposeful, with as much as 835 horsepower on tap and an operating range that tops out at an anxiety soothing 400 miles on a charge.
2023 GMC Hummer EV Pickup Edition 1
• MSRP: $110,295; With Options: $126,110
Resurrecting a brand name once associated with environmental unfriendliness, the Hummer EV is a full electric full-size Crew Cab luxury pickup truck with zero tailpipe emissions. It’s also imbued with uncanny on- or off-road capabilities, including a four-wheel-steer “crab walk” mode. A three-motor powertrain produces a whopping 1,000 horsepower, with an uncanny 1,200 pound-feet of torque and an estimated operating range of 329 miles with a full battery.
