How to Compare Trucks & Vans

A truck or van is more than just mobile storage space and a means of transport; it's also all that stands between you, your family and the other four-wheeled chunks of steel and plastic hurtling around the streets.

Since your life, or the lives of those you love, may depend on your vehicle's reliability and handling, it makes sense to purchase the best truck or van you can. Comparing the trucks and vans, however, to sort out which one is best, can leave you drowning in an overflow of information if you're not well organized.

Instructions

1

List any features that are absolutely critical to you on a separate piece of paper. Make a separate list, on the same page, of features you'd like to have but don't absolutely need.

Going back to professional reviews from websites like Edmunds.com and Kelley Blue Book, or in consultation with your local dealer, cross any vehicles off the list that don't have the critical features you want, then rank the remaining vehicles by how many of the critical features they have.

2

Make a list with a new column for each year, make and model of truck or van that you're interested in.

In the first column, list the respective highway and city fuel efficiency estimates; research this through FuelEconomy.gov and by checking the fuel efficiency section of professional car reviews on websites like Edmunds.com and Kelley Blue Book.

Eliminate any vehicles from consideration that you can't afford to drive because of the fuel costs.

3

Compare safety ratings and check for recalls on any trucks and vans still in the running. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is the most authoritative source for safety ratings and recall information. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety also provides independent safety ratings on a number of vehicles.

4

Measure any particularly large objects you expect to transport in the truck or van, then check each vehicle's dimensions to make sure the objects will fit. If you plan to drive many people in the truck or van, check to make sure there will be sufficient seating and safety belts for all involved. Eliminate any vehicles that don't meet these needs from your list.

5

Call your insurance company and inquire how much it will cost to insure the vehicles on your list. Collect other cost information--including the average fuel efficiency you collected in Step 2 and estimated vehicle costs from trusted websites like Kelley Blue Book and Edmunds.com, and note it next to each vehicle. Cross off any vehicles you simply cannot afford once you take truck payments, insurance payments and fuel costs into account.

6

Drive each truck or van remaining on your list. Put each vehicle through its paces; test acceleration, braking and steering. If the vehicle has four-wheel drive, shift in and out of four-wheel drive and make sure it works.

Open the doors, fold the seats in, swing the tailgate up and down; test every feature you can. Based on this final experience and the information you gathered before, rank the remaining vehicles on your list in order of preference, then opt for the highest-ranked vehicle you are able to afford.