4 Best Pickup Trucks for Your Holiday Hauls

It’s almost that time of the year again, which means increased frequency in shopping and traveling, not to mention transporting a five-foot tall Christmas tree and other bulky, space-consuming decorations, if you’re so inclined. Is your current vehicle up to the task?

If not, maybe it’s time to let the trusty old jalopy go out to pasture and pick up a pickup (pardon the pun) from the dealership. The end-of-year is a great time for car shopping promos and discounts, which means you get to save a lot of money while having the vehicle that’s ready to meet your needs for the holidays and beyond.

This holiday season, here are your four top pickup choices.

Ford Ranger

Rugged since day one, the Ford Ranger came roaring in full force as THE midsize pickup to contend with. Its energetic choices—a 2.2-liter TDCI (158 hp, 385 Nm) and 2.0-liter Bi-Turbo (210, 500 Nm) make it a good choice for hauling, towing, and ferrying, not to mention it has plenty of nifty tech as well. It's even known to spread some Christmas cheer from time to time.

Chevrolet Colorado

The Chevrolet Colorado's perfect blend of power and space manages to walk the line between utility and convenience in an exceptional way. The main engine, a 2.8-liter Duramax turbo-diesel engine (200 hp, 500 Nm) is easily one of the most powerful options on this list, next to Ford’s 2.2L Bi. So if you want a truck that meets your toughest holiday demands, the Colorado is one of your better choices. If the Duramax's power proves too much, you can always opt for the 2.5-liter variant that outputs more conservative numbers (163 hp and 380 Nm) but built just as tough.

Toyota Hilux

If you want a pickup with a lot of history and plenty of accolades to go with it, go for the Toyota Hilux. The nameplate has been around for over 50 years, and is known as the only pickup to conquer both the north and south poles. All those years and accomplishments behind should be enough to convince you that the Toyota Hilux is one dependable machine. The eighth generation Hilux that you can buy at Toyota dealerships nationwide comes with a choice between a 2.8-liter (174 hp, 450 Nm) and 2.4-liter (147 hp, 343 Nm) power mills of the diesel variety. Buyers can choose from a whopping 12 trims in all, with a selection that includes 4x2s, 4x4s and manual and automatic transmissions. Here are their prices.

Isuzu D-Max

If you want affordable and reliable, then you can’t go wrong with the Isuzu D-Max. The nameplate is practically synonymous with Philippine culture, along with its criminally discontinued MPV sibling, the Crosswind. It’s got a cab and chassis variant which allows you to transform you D-Max every which way you can. Of course, there are also upscale variants, so the needs of every Filipino in every walk of life are covered. Engine choices range from a 3.0-liter (175 hp, 380 Nm), to a 2.5-liter (163 hp, 380 Nm) to the workhorse 1.9-liter RZ4E (148 hp, 350 Nm).