3 Best Single Cab Trucks: Which Two-Door Is the Best?

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Anthony Sophinos

Anthony Sophinos

Anthony Sophinos has been infatuated with cars for as long as he can remember, and that passion has fueled his journey from nerdy gearhead to professional writer and content creator who covers all things automotive. His byline has appeared at CarsDirect, New Car Test Drive, iSeeCars, and other online publications. To read more of his work, visit anthonysophinos.com. When he’s not penning articles, you can find Anthony outside biking, hiking, or exploring New England in his Miata (in the summer, of course).

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Single cab trucks remain alive for traditionalists, utilitarian buyers, and the budget-conscious. Though few in number, these trucks are reminders that old-school pickup trucks aren’t dead yet - they’re just hiding in farm fields and job sites.

If your needs or tastes dictate a single cab truck, there are a few remaining options, all of them more refined and capable than their simple styling and affordable price tags might suggest.

Here, we’ve gone ahead and ranked our favorite single cab trucks. You can also find our top picks for the best double cab and crew cab trucks.

Check out all our picks for the best trucks by cab size >>

Read about how we rank our trucks >>

1. Ford F-150

Ford prints money from the F-150, but not due to the uncommon single cab variants. Still, Ford hasn’t given up on the body style. Making it available in both XL and XLT form allows the two-door F-150 a chance to be more than a fleet-spec work truck.

A 6.5-foot bed is standard. Naturally, it lacks the cubic footage of the optional 8.0-foot bed. Max payload comes with the larger bed - up to 3,325 pounds.

The wealth of engine options, standard safety kit, and more diversity of choices make the F-150 the most versatile of the two-door full-size trucks on the market. We only wish it weren’t so expensive.

Current Ford F-150 Deals & Incentives

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2. Chevrolet Silverado

The single cab Silverado trails behind the Ford, but not for a lack of trying. The Chevy does a lot of things right, including a standard eight-foot bed and affordable engine upgrades.

About those engine choices: with two-door trucks a blip on the sales radar, we give Chevy kudos for offering four, six, or eight cylinders on the single cab Silverado.

Unfortunately, Chevy only offers this flavor of Silverado in one trim, and that’s the WT - the aptly-named Work Truck spec.

Barren cabin aside, the single cab Silverado checks a lot of boxes. It isn’t fancy, but it will get the job done.

Current Chevrolet Silverado Deals & Incentives

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3. RAM 1500 Classic

Remember the last-generation Ram 1500, the one before all the luxury and big touchscreens wowed critics and truck buyers alike? Well, Ram still builds the low-budget variants under the ‘Classic’ branding. These trucks have been soldiering on without updates for quite some time now, making them the most old-school of the single cab full-size trucks on the market.

The last-gen Ram trucks were all-new for 2009, which means the Classic is a twelve-year old design - don’t say Ram didn’t choose an apt name for these time machines. Ram only builds them in three trims, two of which can be had with the single cab design. There is no eight-foot bed option, however - only a 6-foot-four-inch bed is offered.

If the Ram 1500 Classic does anything well, it’s the base powertrain. The 3.6-liter V-6 is nothing new - various models from Ram, Jeep, Chrysler, and Dodge have used this all-purpose engine - but it features good power, smooth operation, and predictable durability. For more grunt, there’s the 5.7-liter V-8 that has no issue going up to bat against the Ford and Chevy V-8s.

Good engines don’t always make a good truck, though. While the single cab 1500 Classic doesn’t do anything wrong, it lacks the modern design and latest advancements that permeate throughout the two-door variants of both the F-150 and Silverado. For that reason, it takes third in our three-truck comparison.

Current RAM 1500 Classic Deals & Incentives

You may qualify for additional deals and incentives, check out this month's RAM deals

Which Single Cab Trucks Are Better

Single-cab trucks offer a unique blend of benefits that make them an attractive option for many drivers. Their compact size and smaller footprint make them easier to maneuver and park, especially in tight urban spaces.

They are typically more affordable, not only in terms of the initial purchase price but also for ongoing costs such as fuel, insurance, and maintenance. Single-cab trucks are often characterized by their superior payload capacity.

The absence of the extra passenger space allows for a larger bed size, meaning they can carry more cargo. In terms of performance, single-cab trucks are generally lighter, which can translate to better acceleration and overall driving dynamics.

Lastly, they embody a traditional aesthetic that appeals to truck purists. The classic two-door design carries a timeless appeal that many truck enthusiasts appreciate. Therefore, while single-cab trucks might lack in passenger space, they make up for it with their practicality, affordability, payload capacity, and classic charm. 

Why Weren’t Heavy-Duty Trucks Included on This List?

Those big haulers and towers are best compared among themselves, so we left them off this list. If you want to learn more about the heavy-duty variants of the Detroit workhorses, check out our articles on the most reliable heavy-duty pickups.

Our Thoughts On Single Cab Trucks

We’ve tested out a handful of single-cab trucks, like the F-150, to give you first-hand experience with them. While trucks may have been primarily work vehicles in the past, people nowadays use them for both personal and work use.  

If you’re interested in a truck and have a family, then a single-cab truck may not be the best option, since there’s no back seat. However, if you don’t plan on having kids anytime soon or use the truck mainly for hauling and work, then a single-cab truck could be a budget-friendly option.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any single cab midsize pickups on the market?

No, there aren’t. The Ford Ranger was last offered in two-door guise back in 2011; the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon ditched the design back in 2013. The Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier are also strictly sold in the larger cab configurations, and the Honda Ridgeline never offered a single cab.

Does the Toyota Tundra offer a single cab?

Not anymore. In 2017 Toyota quietly dropped the two-door Tundra from its roster, leaving only extended- and crew-cab designs in the portfolio.

Does the Nissan Titan offer a single cab?

No. Nissan, like Toyota, is a niche player in the full-size truck market, and single cab trucks are now a niche offering themselves. As sales of regular cabs dissipated, Nissan killed off the body style at the end of 2019.

What are the benefits of a single cab truck?

Typically, single cab trucks offer the best payload figures, as they feature the lightest bodies due to their small passenger compartments. Their lightness also gives them an edge in unladen fuel economy. And perhaps the best benefit is affordability: while crew cabs usually can’t be had for less than $40,000 or so, a single cab can be brought home for around $30,000.