Pickup Truck: an Overview of Types and Features
Author: tariledsome | Posted: 26.03.2012Pickup trucks are the modern day equivalents of domestic workhorses. They are used mainly to carry and tow heavy loads a task other types of cars can’t accomplish. They are the vehicle of choice for people in trade with hauling and towing needs. Plumbers, farmers, construction workers, roofers, most of them own or buy pickup trucks. However, they are also used for recreation since even campers or devoted road trippers prefer them when driving over difficult and rough terrain. The pickup comes in a variety of sizes and style.
Compact Pickup
The most widely used type of pickup is the compact pickup. These pickups usually have 4-cylinder base engines, but some have 6 cylinder engines for extra muscle. This makes them the most fuel efficient among their vehicle category. Like most trucks, compact pickups are built with a separate chassis frame. They can be used for light-duty cargo transportation, making them popular among suburban homeowners who have kids or home improvement materials to transport.
Full-size Pickup
Full size pickups have larger seats, with higher riding positions than other compacts. Most have powerful V6 to V8 engines, giving them a smooth, quiet ride. These also give the full-size pickups the power they are known for. If you have heavy duty hauling and towing needs, you’ll never go wrong with a full- size pickup with a V8 engine. Newer V8 engines offer cylinder deactivation, which adjusts the amount of cylinders working according to load, which gives you better gas mileage.
Towing Capacity
Compact pickups can tow around 3,000 up to 4,000 pounds, enough to tow trailers and light boats. Full-size pickups can carry up to 8,000 pounds or even heavier. However, you shouldn’t forget that towing capacity differs for each pickup model. For maximum towing capacity of a GMC truck, consult your local Indianapolis GMC dealer.
Cab Style
Indianapolis GMC Pickups can have any of the three cab styles: standard, extended and crew cab. A standard cab has a single row of seats with one door at each side, and is the least expensive. The extended cab style is bigger, but sacrifices storage space to accommodate extra passengers. The crew cab seats up to six people and has two full set of doors, but has the smallest cargo bed space.
Cargo Bed
Cargo beds can either be standard, long, or short. The compact pickup has a short bed length of up to 6.5 feet, while a full-size pickup bed length can be up to 8 feet long. Ask your Indianapolis GMC dealer if you want the fold-out bed extender option if you think you’ll need extra cargo space.
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