The Best Used Pick-Up Trucks Available in The UK

Ford really hit the nail on the head when it released the second-generation Ranger. It debuted with a brand new platform which made it far easier to live with on the road but lost none of the go-anywhere credentials which had helped establish the Ranger name in the first place.

It nurtured a reputation for reliability – something worth its weight in gold within the pick-up segment – while a good range of engines meant there was something for everyone. There’s little wonder why it rose to become the UK’s most popular pick-up while it was on sale and this fierce demand means there’s a plentiful supply on the used market too where they offer excellent value for money considering the level of versatility you’re getting as standard.

The Volkswagen Amarok absolutely rocked the pick-up segment when it arrived in the early 2010s. Here was a pick-up truck which was just as usable as its rivals space-wise, but offered a more car-like driving experience which made the Amarok more like a large SUV to live with.

The standout feature of the Amarok was the V6 diesel engine which it was available with. Why? Well, it gave the Amarok some serious performance – enough to scare off a hot hatch, in fact – but made it far more relaxing to drive over long distances than other pick-ups in the segment. Plus, Volkswagen’s usual rock-solid build quality came to the fore in the Amarok with great materials used throughout.

Mercedes saw the success that Volkswagen was having with its Amarok and thought it would get in on the action. That commenced in 2018 with the X-Class, a pick-up truck with a premium finish befitting that three-pointed star, albeit on a platform shared with the more humble Nissan Navara.

However, the X-Class did go above and beyond its Nissan stablemate with a far greater range of high-quality materials and a generally more upmarket look and feel inside and out. It had some good driving qualities, too, with Mercedes tuning this truck’s suspension differently to the Navara and producing a far more comfortable, refined pick-up in the process. The top-rung 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 on higher-spec models also made the X-Class a match for the most powerful Amarok available, too.

There are few pick-up trucks with quite the same level of prestige as the Toyota Hilux. Known around the world for its incredible toughness, the Hilux is often seen as the go-to pick-up in the segment. While it may have started out life as a rather rugged and agricultural, this eighth-generation truck did introduce more luxuries without forsaking the assured quality that the Hilux has always been attributed with.

Its superb track-record for reliability means that the Hilux is ideal for drivers who don’t want a truck that’ll cause them mechanical hassle, while its large load bay has smaller intrusions from the wheelarches than in rival offerings, making it easier to load wider and longer items into the rear bay. Though the interior might not be as lavish as other trucks here, it’s ergonomically designed and all of the materials will prove hard-wearing and – importantly for a pick-up – easy to clean.

The Navara is yet another popular option in the pick-up segment. This latest generation model, despite being quite brash in its design was far more refined to drive than you might expect, with relatively good on-road manners backed up by plenty of ability off-road. All versions get a 2.3-litre turbocharged diesel engine – available in various states of tune – and you can opt for either manual or automatic gearbox options too.

The steering of the Navara is quite heavy – particularly when compared with a regular SUV – but that does make it feel quite solid when you’re driving. Around town, its large shape and size makes parking more of a task, but then this is commonplace across the segment. Regardless of specification you’re getting air conditioning, Bluetooth connectivity and cruise control as standard, too.

The D-Max is a pick-up truck which puts robustness above all else, which is why it’s the go-to option for many drivers who really rely on their vehicles to get the job done. It’s why you’ll see Isuzus being sold in countryside areas as they’re the top pick for farmers and agricultural workers.

This generation of D-Max – just prior to the latest ‘brand-new’ one – might not be the quietest nor refined, but thanks to well-judged steering it’s not as difficult to pilot as you might think. It’s available with both 1.9- and 2.5-litre engine options and while some might naturally think the larger of the two is a better fit, the smaller-capacity engine still does well and can deliver the 3,500kg towing limit that is the benchmark for this segment.

Fiat might not be a name that you’d usually associate with a pick-up truck, but the Fullback changed all that. Built in collaboration with Mitsubishi – the Fullback shared a platform with the L200 – this pick-up took a more value-orientated approach than others in the market. Plenty of standard equipment helped towards this endeavour, too, while a surprising amount of interior space aided its overall appeal.

There’s just one engine available – a 2.4-litre turbocharged diesel – but it’s available in two states of tune, so you do have options. The Fullback is a little lighter than others in the segment, too, which makes it feel a bit more agile in the bends, and though the suspension can be a touch bouncy at lower speeds, it’s actually not bad when you’re driving on the motorway. Longer journeys shouldn’t prove too tasking in the Fullback, therefore.

The L200, like others here, is a truck which really focuses on being as rock-solid dependable as possible. However, being lighter than its rivals means that the L200 brings some extra agility to the table without being any less usable and practical. This fifth-generation L200 was particularly good, too, and was available in a number of specifications which each brought plenty of equipment. The outlandish Barbarian trim continued to turn the L200 into an eye-catching truck, too, as it has on previous generations of this Mitsubishi.

The 2.4-litre turbocharged diesel does a fine job of powering the L200 along in a brisk enough fashion, too, while an update in 2018 meant it could finally meet that much-required towing capacity of 3,500kgs – earlier versions could only manage 3,100kgs in contrast. It means you’ll have to opt for a later version if you really want the best-possible towing capacity.