America has a pickup truck fever, and it’s not going away anytime soon. Pickup trucks account for about a fifth of auto sales in America, and of those trucks, more than four-fifths are equipped with four doors. Americans adore crew cab pickups, but I think the prime truck is more old-school than that. Here’s why regular cab diesel pickup trucks are still the best kind of truck.
I’ve had the privilege of driving all kinds of trucks throughout my life. I’ve driven everything from gargantuan GMC C6500 box trucks to old Ford F-700s. I’ve gotten to take a spin in an International DuraStar and used to own a vintage International 3800 school bus. Of course, I’ve also commanded a slew of pickup trucks, from every generation of the humble Ford Ranger to a mighty Ford F-450 dually.
One type of truck has long stood out as my absolute favorite. Regardless of whether I’m working or having fun, I have a great time with regular cab pickup trucks. It sounds silly because, let’s be honest, the majority of regular cab buyers today are fleets. Some folks are even questioning how successful the Slate truck is going to be because it’s a regular cab design. But I think it’s time to revisit the regular cab and consider what makes these trucks so great outside of fleet use.
Back To Basics
Early this summer, I tested the flagship of the Ford Super Duty lineup, a $111,310 F-350 Platinum Plus filled with leather, Alcantara, and the best seats I’ve experienced in any pickup truck. The Platinum Plus felt like a German luxury sedan with a bed on the back, dually rears, and a V8 turbodiesel engine strapped to the front. This was a truck for the person who wants to haul tens of thousands of pounds, but also wants a back massage while doing it.
Now, I just tested the exact opposite of the Platinum Plus. The F-250 Super Duty XL doesn’t have an ounce of leather in sight, and its stereo doesn’t Bang or Olufsen. You won’t find a dash of chrome, alloy wheels, or soft-touch anything in this truck. Even the steering wheel is a basic urethane affair. Don’t expect to find power seats or even a height-adjustable seat here. Oh, and carpet? Try rubber mats. If the Platinum Plus is like a Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the XL is like the last U-Haul truck you rented.
The XL is delightfully and unapologetically basic. The door panels are masses of hard plastic, the paint is plain white, and you don’t even get running boards. The grille? That’s matte black. The XL is so old-school that it has regular halogen lights, with only auxiliary lights like the clearance lights being LED. I even love how the instrument cluster has physical dials and there isn’t a fancy cruise control here, either, but one that just drives a speed and that’s it. Shoot, the truck even has a physical key. You’re not going to lose this key on I-70 in Maryland!
Yet, beneath all of the basics is actually some pretty decent kit. This truck still has Ford’s suite of towing aids and perimeter cameras, automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning, driving modes, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. Even cooler: what was under the hood.
This is Ford’s standard output 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel, which pumps out 475 horsepower and 1,050 lb-ft of torque compared to the 500 horsepower and 1,200 lb-ft of torque of the High Output model. That’s still more than enough power for smoky burnouts and to haul a tractor up Mount Everest. My truck also sported the XL Off-Road package, a $995 option that piles on chunky 33-inch off-road tires, a locking rear differential, water fording vents, and skid plates. My truck also had a slick winch.
My loaner was more or less a work truck with just a few extras for fun off-roading. This is the kind of truck that you might see doing work with your local utility company or plowing parking lots. This is the kind of truck that, by 100,000 miles, it would normally have all kinds of scrapes and bumps from a hard life of getting the job done. Yet, I loved it.
What’s Great About Regular Cabs
Some of the benefits of a regular cab rig were pretty immediate to me. Heavy-duty pickup trucks can sometimes be a challenge as daily drivers because they don’t really fit in standard parking spaces. These trucks, especially dually crew cab trucks, spill out into the driving lane and make entry and exit harder for the vehicles that you park next to. That really wasn’t an issue here. Sure, the F-250 is a heavy-duty pickup with a big body and an eight-foot bed, but the two-door regular cab means that it mostly fits into a parking space. It’s also just narrow enough that everyone can get in and out of their vehicles without much fuss.
The truck’s smaller size also meant that it largely maneuvered like a half-ton pickup. Yes, I towered over pretty much anyone not in a lifted half-ton or in another heavy-duty pickup, but when it came to navigating parking lots or tighter areas, I was able to scoot the truck by.
The cab itself was also pretty dreamy. Typically, most of the trucks I drive have handy center consoles with drink holders and caverns deep enough to swallow whole motorcycle helmets. But this XL has Ford’s 40/20/40 bench seat, which is really two bucket seats plus a center seat that’s also a center console.
Fold the seat forward and you get two cupholders and an adjustable desk to eat lunch on or to do work on. Flip it back and the cab now carries a third person. My wife preferred to have the center seat flipped back so she could sit directly next to me when I drove the truck. This is how we used to roll around in my old Ford Ranger and her old Dodge Dakota, both of which had true benches.
In a way, the XL regular cab was a time machine like that. This truck felt like a continuation of the trucks from earlier in our lives. This truck reminded us of how trucks used to be, when regular cabs were the default and, if you lived in the country, a date with your love might have been driving the pickup out to the field so you two could hop in the bed and stare at the stars.
Don’t get me wrong here, I understand why crew cabs are dominating the truck market. Today’s trucks can carry the whole family or crew plus their big dog, all of their tools, and a colossal fifth wheel camper for the ride. The F-150 of today is the American equivalent of the family wagon from the 1970s, and heavy-duty trucks are designed to be the one vehicle you might ever need.
Yet, it was refreshing to go the opposite direction, ditching an entire row of seats and having a truck that couldn’t carry a whole family. The F-250 was business in the rear with a trailer hitch and a huge bed, and fun at the front with the still raucous Power Stroke. Perhaps my view of the world is skewed because I don’t have children. I’m responsible for two cute birds, a fleet of cars, and a loving wife, and that’s it. As of right now, the rear seats in my Japanese Kei cars, my SUVs, and my wagons gather more dust than butts. For me, a regular cab truck is all I want.
I also adore the look of regular cab trucks. I keep imagining the F-250 with a lower suspension, stylish wheels, and painted in something like Antimatter Blue. Toss in some mild window tint, and that right there is a great diesel street truck. This is part of why my dream truck remains the F-150 FP700. Yes, the 700 HP of that truck is addictive, but just look at it.
I even love the rare combination of a regular cab and a short bed, which gives off a real sporty look to go with the heavy hauling. Think of some of the most iconic trucks in history. Remember Marty McFly’s Toyota from the Back To The Future trilogy?
That slick brick of hotness was a single cab. So are your favorite classic Squarebody Chevy trucks, Old Body Style Fords, and the iconic Bigfoot monster truck. Regular cabs might not be the most popular, but it’s hard to deny how cool they look.
It’s not even just the simplicity of it all. I mean, the simplicity was great, but if given the choice and the income, I would totally buy a Platinum Plus dually with a regular cab. Give me all of the leather and other trimmings, but hold the extra seats. However, I know that I would be perhaps one of maybe dozens of buyers for a luxury regular cab truck.
Going with the regular cab can also save you some dough. My test truck here was $72,580 after destination, but it did have a whopping $24,490 in options. Still, that’s $40,000 cheaper than a Platinum Plus. The cheapest possible diesel truck from Ford is the F-250 XL regular cab with the standard output 6.7 Power Stroke diesel ($10,995) and no other option for $58,865 after a $2,195 destination fee.
Perfect For Backroad Stargazing
Don’t worry, if you were looking for a review on how this truck is to live with and how well a base model F-250 hauls across the country, that story is coming. For now, I just wanted to give some love to the regular cab.
I will repeat myself here: I get why crew cabs rule. They’re insanely versatile, great for families, and still get tons of work done. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a crew cab! My second favorite new truck is a crew cab.
But to my eye, the ultimate truck is still a regular cab, preferably with a diesel. A regular cab truck is a nod to the past while also looking awesome today. It’s a truck that’s all about work and play. Sure, you won’t feel like the queen of the road, but you won’t care when you flip back that bench seat, wrap an arm around your love, and roll down those country roads chasing the horizon.
The post I Drive A Lot Of Trucks, Here’s Why Regular Cab Diesel Pickup Trucks Are The Best appeared first on The Autopian.
