Turning on the headlights
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Pickup trucks remain a niche choice for most UK drivers but today you’re just as likely to find models aimed at enthusiast buyers, as you are hard-working vehicles designed for a life on farms and building sites. They’re more sophisticated than they used to be and drive better than ever, which has also made them popular as dual-purpose vehicles that can handle both business and family life.
The increasing sophistication of modern trucks, and the prevalence of even more rugged and high-performance versions aimed at more than just load-lugging, means these trucks aren’t as affordable as they used to be. That’s where buying a used pickup comes in, with plenty of choice stretching back decades, with significant savings to be made over brand new pickups.
A pickup truck is a vehicle with a closed cab for the driver and passengers and an open load bay at the back. It’s typically used for commercial purposes, with the open load bay design (enclosed by walls at the sides and a drop-down tailgate at the back) allowing for the transportation of items or materials that may be unsuitable for an enclosed van.
The definition isn’t hard and fast - companies offer covers for the load bay that enclose it much like a van, and there have been pickups in the past without enclosed cabs too, but it covers all the vehicles you’re likely to see most commonly on the used market, including models like the Ford Ranger, Volkswagen Amarok, Mitsubishi L200, and Toyota Hilux.
Just as with used cars and vans, the biggest advantage to buying a used pickup truck is cost. Almost all vehicles depreciate from new, meaning they lose value the instant you stick a numberplate on them. Buying a pickup truck that’s just a year old may save you thousands compared to the cost of a brand new one, even if the vehicle is in effectively as-new condition, and if you’re running a business and need to keep costs down, this can make all the difference to your bottom line.
Choosing the ideal used pickup truck will vary to a degree based on the needs of you or your business, though the choice of pickups is smaller than it used to be, so picking a pickup today is more a case of brand preference and small detail differences.
Almost all modern pickups for sale in the UK have either extended or double-cab bodies, tend to be offered with all wheel drive in all but the most basic trim lines, feature four-cylinder diesel engines, and tend to have similar payloads (usually a tonne) and towing weights (3.5 tonnes). Gone are the days when you could buy a small car-based pickup, while basic single-cab, rear-drive models are also rare.
It’s not unusual though to find heavily customised models, some even from the factory - while these trucks can serve as working vehicles, they’re aimed just as much at buyers who want them for style rather than ability.
The best place to start is with an online search. The RAC’s used car search tool lets you select pickups as a vehicle category, and from there you can further narrow down your search by price and by location, so you can find something appropriate nearby. Brands such as those mentioned earlier should have a selection at main dealers, as well as lesser-known manufacturers such as Maxus, Isuzu, and KGM (formerly SsangYong), so hunting around the local forecourts is also a good way of finding a used pickup.
Pickup trucks have appeal beyond their commercial roots, so depending on the model you’re looking at, a pickup may have led a very different life, and offer significantly different levels of equipment. Performance-orientated models like the Ford Ranger Raptor for instance probably haven’t spent much time hauling heavy loads or been driven around on building sites, so might be in cosmetically much better condition than a truck that’s worked hard and spent some time off road. A good service history is still important on any used truck though.
Due to the nature of the jobs they’re used for, trucks can pick up dents and scrapes just like vans, and regular off-road use can damage and scrape parts under the car too. You’ll want to look carefully for early signs of rust that could cause an issue at future MOTs.
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