Best Used Pickup Trucks Under $25,000 (September 2026)
Based on 63,111 live US listings across the budget-fitting model years, the best used truck under $25,000 right now is the Ford Maverick — 2022 model years typically list for $24,125, rated 26 MPG combined, with 4.0/5 NCAP overall stars. The Honda Ridgeline and Chevrolet Colorado round out the podium. Every number below is a live national median from VehiSales inventory, not a book value — see how we rank.
The top 10 used pickup trucks under $25,000
| # | Model | Budget years | Typical price | From | EPA combined | NCAP | Recalls/yr | For sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ford Maverick | 2022 | $24,125 | $17,995 | 26 MPG | 4.0★ | 28.0 | 916 |
| 2 | Honda Ridgeline | 2013–2019 | $19,490 | $9,468 | 21 MPG | 5.0★ | 8.8 | 1,395 |
| 3 | Chevrolet Colorado | 2017–2022 | $21,996 | $13,738 | 21 MPG | 4.0★ | 0.6 | 4,974 |
| 4 | Ford Ranger | 2009–2020 | $13,399 | $5,900 | 18 MPG | 3.3★ | 8.2 | 2,338 |
| 5 | Nissan Frontier | 2017–2021 | $18,995 | $11,623 | 19 MPG | 4.0★ | 1.6 | 1,562 |
| 6 | Ford F-150 | 2014–2018 | $18,932 | $9,395 | 19 MPG | 4.8★ | 11.0 | 16,657 |
| 7 | Ram 1500 | 2015–2019 | $19,098 | $10,900 | 19 MPG | 4.2★ | 18.6 | 17,058 |
| 8 | GMC Canyon | 2015–2019 | $20,039 | $13,165 | 21 MPG | 4.0★ | 2.8 | 1,168 |
| 9 | Hyundai Santa Cruz | 2022 | $23,322 | $18,992 | 23 MPG | — | 4.0 | 446 |
| 10 | Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | 2014–2018 | $19,424 | $7,961 | — | 5.0★ | 8.2 | 941 |
1. Ford Maverick (2022) — typical $24,125
Model years 2022 of the Ford Maverick fit the $25,000 budget with a national median asking price of $24,125 (deals start around $17,995) and average odometer of 61,513 miles. EPA rates these years at 26 MPG combined. NCAP crash testing averages 4.0 of 5 stars across rated years. NHTSA lists an average of 28.0 recalls per model year and 608 owner complaints in total for these years — check any specific car's VIN before buying. 916 are for sale on VehiSales right now.
Live Ford Maverick listings & specs Ford Maverick prices by year Ford Maverick MPG by year
2. Honda Ridgeline (2013–2019) — typical $19,490
Model years 2013–2019 of the Honda Ridgeline fit the $25,000 budget with a national median asking price of $19,490 (deals start around $9,468) and average odometer of 102,630 miles. EPA rates these years at 21 MPG combined. NCAP crash testing averages 5.0 of 5 stars across rated years. NHTSA lists an average of 8.8 recalls per model year and 808 owner complaints in total for these years — check any specific car's VIN before buying. 1,395 are for sale on VehiSales right now.
Live Honda Ridgeline listings & specs Honda Ridgeline prices by year Honda Ridgeline MPG by year
3. Chevrolet Colorado (2017–2022) — typical $21,996
Model years 2017–2022 of the Chevrolet Colorado fit the $25,000 budget with a national median asking price of $21,996 (deals start around $13,738) and average odometer of 85,598 miles. EPA rates these years at 21 MPG combined. NCAP crash testing averages 4.0 of 5 stars across rated years. NHTSA lists an average of 0.6 recalls per model year and 680 owner complaints in total for these years — check any specific car's VIN before buying. 4,974 are for sale on VehiSales right now.
Live Chevrolet Colorado listings & specs Chevrolet Colorado prices by year Chevrolet Colorado MPG by year
4. Ford Ranger (2009–2020) — typical $13,399
Model years 2009–2020 of the Ford Ranger fit the $25,000 budget with a national median asking price of $13,399 (deals start around $5,900) and average odometer of 86,255 miles. EPA rates these years at 18 MPG combined. NCAP crash testing averages 3.3 of 5 stars across rated years. NHTSA lists an average of 8.2 recalls per model year and 1,114 owner complaints in total for these years — check any specific car's VIN before buying. 2,338 are for sale on VehiSales right now.
Live Ford Ranger listings & specs Ford Ranger prices by year Ford Ranger MPG by year
5. Nissan Frontier (2017–2021) — typical $18,995
Model years 2017–2021 of the Nissan Frontier fit the $25,000 budget with a national median asking price of $18,995 (deals start around $11,623) and average odometer of 90,724 miles. EPA rates these years at 19 MPG combined. NCAP crash testing averages 4.0 of 5 stars across rated years. NHTSA lists an average of 1.6 recalls per model year and 171 owner complaints in total for these years — check any specific car's VIN before buying. 1,562 are for sale on VehiSales right now.
Live Nissan Frontier listings & specs Nissan Frontier prices by year Nissan Frontier MPG by year
How we rank
For each nameplate we take the newest 5 model years whose national median asking price fits under $25,000, then blend four signals, all shown in the table: 30% price headroom (how far the typical asking price sits under the cap), 25% fuel economy (EPA combined, median across the budget years; electric-only models are rated in MPGe and never mixed into MPG math), 25% safety (NCAP overall stars, averaged over rated years) and 20% recency (how new those budget years are — so decade-old cheap metal can't top the list on price alone). A model only qualifies with at least 100 live national listings inside the budget, so everything on this page is actually buyable. Recall and complaint counts are shown for context, not scored — absolute counts scale with how many were sold.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best used truck under $25,000?
Based on live market data (September 2026), the Ford Maverick is the strongest used truck under $25,000: 2022 model years typically list for $24,125, rated 26 MPG combined, with 4.0/5 NCAP stars. Honda Ridgeline and Chevrolet Colorado follow close behind.
What pickup trucks can I actually get for under $25,000?
18 truck nameplates currently have model years whose national median asking price sits under $25,000 with real availability — 63,111 live listings across those model years (individual cars range above and below their year's median). The ranked table above shows the 10 strongest picks with the exact model years that fit the budget.
How are these pickup trucks ranked?
By a transparent value score: 30% price headroom under the $25,000 cap, 25% EPA combined fuel economy, 25% NCAP overall safety rating and 20% recency of the budget-fitting model years. Recall and complaint counts are shown for context but not scored, because absolute counts scale with sales volume. All prices are national medians from live VehiSales listings.
https://vehisales.com/research/best/used-trucks-under-25000.
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See also: Used car prices by model · Model comparisons · Most fuel-efficient cars · Model price trends.