- 2022 Toyota Tacoma the only small truck to get “Marginal” in new IIHS crash test
- The 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate is a work truck in a tuxedo
- The first Rivian EVs arrive in B.C.
- Explorers sink and then recover Ford F-150 from Arctic Ocean floor
- Owners name the five most reliable pickup trucks
- Coleman Molnar
The pickup truck segment has been steadily expanding for decades now, with more models, more use cases, and more technology on offer for buyers.
Here are the biggest and most recent pickup-related stories, debuts, and reviews from the past month.
2022 Toyota Tacoma the only small truck to get “Marginal” in new IIHS crash test
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The U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave passing grades to all of the small pickup trucks that took its side crash test recently. All except the Toyota Tacoma.
The Honda Ridgeline crew cab, Chevrolet Colorado crew cab, and GMC Canyon crew cab all achieved “Good” ratings; and the Ford Ranger crew cab and Nissan Frontier crew cab were rated “Acceptable.” But the Tacoma struggled with the impact, getting a “Marginal” rating for damage to the structure and safety cage that pushed the B-pillar dangerously close to the centre of the driver seat.
“That alone pushed the overall rating down to Marginal. We weight structural performance very heavily because it is tied so closely with survivability,” said IIHS Senior Research Engineer Becky Mueller, whose work formed the foundation for the new evaluation. Toyota will no doubt be analyzing these results, as side impacts account for almost a quarter of passenger-vehicle occupant fatalities.
The 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate is a work truck in a tuxedo
2022 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate Photo by Derek McNaughton
Going to work feels pretty good in the 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate. Coming home, too. Reviewer Derek McNaughton felt like the boss while strapped into the truck’s massaging seats in the “leather-rich, digitally controlled lounge,” though he did note its missing panoramic sunroof and ignition button, plus a few less-than-seamless transitions in the vehicle’s onboard entertainment system.
On the highway, the Super Cruise hands-free feature proved “super cool” when its sensors noticed a vehicle merging from the right, automatically changed lanes to the left to give it space, and then merged back to the right. Another winning attribute detailed in the full review is the bed, which is one of the most creative and useful in the game. Find out why right here.
The first Rivian EVs arrive in B.C.
British Columbia is the first location outside of the U.S. to have begun receiving the Rivian R1T electric pickup truck. Around 1,500 future-owners gathered at the Rocky Mountaineer Station in Vancouver earlier this month, and some of them probably already have theirs in possession, as deliveries officially began on Monday, November 21.
“We’re thrilled to begin deliveries in British Columbia, not just because it’s a great place to use our products, but because many of our Canada-based employees working in software and customer engagement call Vancouver home,” said Tony Caravano, Rivian’s senior director of customer engagement. “We’re looking forward to forming new relationships and celebrating as our customers in B.C. embark on their own R1 adventures.”
Rivian will send its pickup truck through the rest of Canada by the end of next year.
Explorers sink and then recover Ford F-150 from Arctic Ocean floor
Transglobal Car Expedition’s modified Ford F-150, an Arctic Trucks North America AT44 Photo by Transglobal Car Expedition
Any explorer worth their salt knows that whatever you take into the wilderness, you take out when you leave. The Transglobal Car Expedition obviously takes the mantra seriously, as it recently returned to the Arctic to retrieve its off-road snow-going AT44 Ford F-150 from the bottom of the sea after it sank months before during a run back from the North Pole. Nobody was injured in the event.
The recovery involved trained cold-water divers, airbags to help float the truck, and an Airbus Super Puma heavy-lift helicopter to help drag it to land, but was ultimately successful. See photos of the sea-logged pickup in the article linked above. The Transglobal Car Expedition is still on track to attempt its pole-to-pole circumnavigation of the globe in 2024.
Owners name the five most reliable pickup trucks
Ford Maverick XL Photo by Brendan McAleer
Consumer Reports has once again ranked pickup trucks on the lower end of its reliability rating. The comprehensive analysis takes into consideration everything from minor flaws like noisy brakes to major issues with the important parts like the engine or driveline, all reported by the owners themselves.
This year, the 2022 Ford Maverick and 2022 Toyota Tacoma both scored a four out of five for reliability, the top scores for pickups. Owners mentioned a few issues with the Maverick’s climate system and in-car electronics, while the Tacoma earned pretty well-rounded reviews. The 2022 Ford Ranger, 2022 Honda Ridgeline, and 2022 Ram 1500 all scored a three out of five, with owners reporting mostly good things alongside the odd glitch with a power accessory and hiccup to paint/body integrity in the Honda and Ram, respectively.
Coleman Molnar
Coleman Molnar learned to drive in his family’s rusty farm pickup as a teenager and continues the forearm-strengthening tradition today from behind the wheel of his 1983 Volkswagen Westfalia. Spot him in the slow lane, or on Instagram @Lietco
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Keyword: Pickup News Roundup: Tacoma flunks crash test, Rivian delivers to B.C.