If you live in Pennsylvania, you live in a state full of mountains and forests that go from hot and humid in summer to icy and snowy in winter. To handle that weather, a truck is a perfect vehicle for driving in Pennsylvania, with its four-wheel drive capability for taking on the ice and snow, but also for off-roading, trailering, and hauling. We took a look at brands that are already popular for Pennsylvania drivers and have a few suggestions to consider checking out if you plan to look for used trucks for sale in PA.
#1 Ford F-150
Ford is the most popular brand in Pennsylvania by a longshot, and, after more than forty years of being the number one selling truck in America, the full-size Ford F-150 deserves its rightful place as the first choice. Buying a used Ford truck is a great way to get the traditional toughness of the brand without having to pay such a stiff price for a new truck. Going back to the 2019 models, you could start with the entry-level XL with basic work truck simplicity like vinyl floors and minimal tech. You could discover the off-road Raptor well-suited to the many trails and back-country spaces perfect for off-road fun, or you might discover one of the five other trim levels that could land at a used car lot.
If you want to save even more on the cost of a used truck, Ford builds their trucks to withstand a lot of brutal treatment. A truck that has been cared for well can last well over 200,000 miles, though it’s important to check a CARFAX report to make sure the truck has had oil changes and regular maintenance during its life. Going back to 2016 means you can find a truck at the beginning of a new generation, though it’s a year after the generation’s new design. You get the benefit of Ford’s new aluminum construction, but some of the bugs have been worked out after its first year of production. As always, Ford offers a bevy of options for cab sizes, bed lengths, and engines to configure a truck for almost anything you want to do. Ford also offers a number of tech features that are helpful for trailering if you plan to tow.
#2 Chevy Silverado 1500
Not surprisingly, Chevy is the brand next in line for PA drivers, a trend that is also reflected in the larger market nationwide. The full-size Silverado is a popular truck with solid construction and an excellent ride quality. Even though Ford trucks are known for their toughness, Chevy is no slouch. A Silverado is one of the longest-running trucks in America, especially with regular maintenance. If you are willing to take a chance on buying the first year of a new generation, 2019 can get you all the new design features of the latest iteration of the Silverado for a used truck price. Like Ford trucks, you have a plethora of options for cabs, beds, and engines, though Chevy tends to include more tech even for their work truck entry-level models with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
For buyers who would rather have a more tried and true model from the previous generation, 2016 was a refresh year for a generation that started back in 2014. You would get the updated look of that design, plus the newer tech and convenience of the refresh with features like Apple CarPlay and a rearview camera available in the ranks. In this Silverado generation, you also find trucks with the corner step integrated into the rear bumper and powered accessories across the trims.
#3 Toyota Tacoma
Fondly known as the “Taco,” the mid-size Tacoma is favored by truck buyers for its reliability and longevity, and it’s Pennsylvania’s third favorite brand of vehicle. The resale value of the Toyota brand is excellent, so you may have to pay more for a used Tacoma, but it may be worth it in terms of how long it will last. If you happen to be a person who loves tech and the convenience of connectivity in your vehicle, the Tacoma may not be the right fit. Toyota keeps the Tacoma basic up through 2019, with few tech features beyond an audio system and its well-known driver-assist safety suite during that model year.
This is a great truck for off-road performance if you look for the TRD Pro trim that comes with Fox shocks and skid plates or the TRD Off-Road with an electronic locking rear differential and a 4×4 transfer case. 2016 was a redesign year for the Tacoma, so you get all the updated features and design within the same generation, an ideal situation for buying a used truck.
#4 Honda Ridgeline
Though Honda comes in fourth place as a brand, the mid-size Ridgeline is one of the most reliable trucks included in this list. It may not always be suited to personal taste in terms of design, but if you can look past the appearance and see the longevity in the Honda design, you could have a great truck for a long time to come. With that said, the Ridgeline is not a truck you want to buy if you plan to go off-road or travel across rough terrain on a regular basis. This is a truck that drives and handles more like an SUV because it’s built on the same platform as the Honda Pilot. While it’s not a fragile flower, it isn’t meant for the heavier-duty towing and hauling of the bigger trucks like Ford and Chevy.
Generally, the Ridgeline is handy for light work like flea market or garage sale finds, making yard waste dump runs, or towing a small trailer. What you do get with a Ridgeline is a more comfortable ride quality, available safety features, and nifty hidden storage in the bed if you go for a 2019 model. Honda skipped a couple of years of production, so you can go back to 2017 for the newer models or start scouring the used car lots for models that precede 2014 for the older versions you can still find. Like the Tacoma, the Ridgeline has excellent resale value, so expect to pay a little more for a used Honda truck due to its long-lasting quality.
#5 Nissan Titan
For our final truck on the Pennsylvania list, the Nissan Titan is a full-sized truck with close to the best longevity in its segment. Though many think of Ford or Chevy for truck purchases, Nissan has stealthily crept up the ranks of capable trucks with a lot to offer buyers willing to go with a less familiar brand. Nissan has been offering the Titan in the US since 2004, and if you go for a 2019 model, you will find similar options for cab and bed offerings like the bigger brands, but you also get a solid set of tech features like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. Going for the off-road PRO 4X trim offers excellent capability from its durable suspension, skid plates, and electronic locking rear differential.
The Titan began its most recent generation for 2017 models, so you may want to skip that year and opt for 2018 or choose an earlier model year if you want to spend less. Even in 2017, Nissan included Bluetooth and a small touchscreen as standard, though only a V8 engine is available for all model years of the Titan. Even so, this engine is powerful and can handle close to 10,000 pounds of towing duty if you need the trailering capability.
Final Thoughts
That completes our list of trucks for PA drivers. Whether you want a big brand with familiar roots or you want to give one of the smaller brands a try, you have a solid set of options here for used truck shopping. Each truck has its strengths, depending on how you plan to use it, but each brand listed here should last a long time if you shop carefully and find a used truck with a clean history and previous owners who took good care of it.
