The 5 Smallest Pickup Trucks On The American Market In 2024

Trucks are a massive part of the American automotive market, and many of the most successful trucks are massive. Full size and heavy duty pickup trucks have continued to grow in size and capability in recent years, with some of the biggest ones (like the Ford F-450 Super Duty) measuring over 22 feet in length. The extra size and capability of these trucks are great for owners that need big pulling power. However, not every potential truck owner needs to tow a fifth-wheel trailer or haul around 2,000 pounds of concrete in the bed.

That's where smaller trucks come in. Compact trucks and their midsize brethren are generally less expensive than full size and heavy duty trucks, and fuel economy is much better too. If you live in the city, a smaller truck is easier to park, maneuver, and generally live with, but it'll still have you covered for weekend trips to the hardware store, or bringing your mountain bikes to the nearest trail. With that in mind, we've put together a list of the smallest pickup trucks you can buy in America today, defined by their length. 

These are trucks for buyers with limited pickup-truck needs, and with limited space. We were going to limit the list to compact and midsize trucks, but it turns out that a short-bed single-cab full-size truck was one of the smallest you can buy today. Can you guess where it ended up on the list? Let's find out.

The Nissan Frontier is offered with two different cab configurations. Unfortunately for small-truck-buyers, a single-cab Frontier truck isn't available these days, but the newest Frontier can be had in King Cab or Crew Cab. King Cab is essentially an extended cab, while the Crew Cab is a full four-door version with a larger back seat. At their shortest, the Crew Cab and the King Cab are the same length — 210.2 inches nose to tail. The King Cab is only available with the long bed, while the crew cab is available with either the standard (short) or long bed.

For utility, the bed of the King Cab Frontier is 73.3 inches long and the Crew Cab's standard-bed length is 59.5 inches long. Both configurations measure 44.5 inches wide at the wheel wells. This is typically a good measurement to have because it dictates whether or not a sheet of plywood will fit in the bed. Standard plywood sheets are 4x8 feet, or 48 by 96 inches. The Frontier will have no problem fitting a sheet of plywood between the bed rails, but it'll hang over the bed a bit if you don't drop the tailgate down. 

The current 2024 Frontier can tow a maximum of 6,640 pounds — a reasonable number for a midsize truck, but next year's model will do even better. Nissan has already announced that the updated 2025 Frontier, while it's not on sale yet, will offer more towing capacity, with a max of 7,150 lbs.

The Nissan Frontier and Honda Ridgeline are tied when it comes to length. Both measure in at 210.2 inches from bumper to bumper. The Ridgeline is only available in a crew cab configuration, with four doors and some pretty impressive cargo capacity. The Ridgeline's bed is 64 inches long, beating the Frontier's short bed configuration by 4.5 inches. At the wheel wells, the Ridgeline measures 50 inches wide — more than enough to accommodate a 4x8 sheet of plywood. While many pickup truck purists will complain that the Ridgeline isn't built with body-on-frame construction like a traditional pickup, it turns out that the Honda's underpinnings give it some added usefulness. 

The Ridgeline has the added benefit of an in-bed trunk that gives it extra storage space beneath the bed floor — not a trick you'd expect to see in most trucks. The in-bed trunk has a removable drain so it can act as a cooler for tailgating or a wash bin for muddy gear. While it doesn't match the Frontier's maximum towing capacity, the Ridgeline is capable of towing 5,000 lbs — enough for most small utility trailers. The Ridgeline is also more spacious inside than the Frontier, offering more front and rear legroom when compared to the Frontier's crew-cab configuration, as well as more headroom in both the front and the back.

The Ford F-150 is the only full-size truck on this list. Technically, it's wider, taller, and heavier than most of the trucks on this list, even in its smallest configuration, but it's been included because of its small footprint when measured from front to back. In short-bed, single-cab configuration, the F-150 is 209.4 inches long from nose to tail — making it shorter than both the Ridgeline and the Frontier. The F-150 is, of course, available in a crew cab configuration as well, or a single-cab with an extended bed. But both of those configurations are significantly longer than any of the trucks on our list, so if you're squeezing into a tight parking spot at home, it's the short-bed/single-cab for you.

As a full-size truck, the F-150 does have some pretty serious capabilities, even in its smallest configuration. With the regular cab and four-wheel drive, it can tow as much as 9,400 pounds. The F-150's bed is also pretty accommodating, at 78.9 inches long and 51.1 inches wide. Upper trim levels of the F-150 aren't available in single-cab configurations, so you'll be stuck with the base XL trim with limited amenities if you want a small F-150, but it might be worth it if you value extra pulling power.

The Maverick is Ford's compact pickup truck, and it's within inches of being the smallest pickup truck you can buy today. The current 2024 model is 199.7 inches long — almost a foot shorter than the midsize Frontier and the Ridgeline. Like the Ridgeline, the Maverick is only available in a crew-cab configuration. The Maverick has been refreshed for 2025 with some new exterior features, a new all-wheel drive hybrid variant, and a new performance version called the Lobo. The new exterior touches mean that it grows ever so slightly to 199.8 inches, but it keeps the same spot on this list.

It may be small, but the Maverick has some pretty robust towing and hauling capabilities for its size. With the right equipment package, the Maverick can tow as much as 4,000 pounds. The Maverick's bed is relatively small too, measuring just 54.4 inches long. Above the wheel wells, it's 53.3 inches wide and at the wheel wells it's 42.6 inches. That's significantly smaller than the other trucks on the list (and it means that plywood will have to sit on top of the wheel wells), but it's still plenty of room for loading up a few bicycles or bringing home a load of lumber from the home improvement store.

At just 195.7 inches long, the Hyundai Santa Cruz is the smallest new pickup truck you can buy in America today. Like the Ridgeline and the Maverick, the Santa Cruz is available only in a four-door crew cab setup. And like the Maverick, the Santa Cruz's towing capabilities are pretty impressive considering its diminutive stature. The Santa Cruz can pull a maximum of 5,000 pounds when properly equipped, more than the slightly-larger Maverick and just as much as the Ridgeline (although your trailer will need to be equipped with trailer brakes if it's that heavy).

The Santa Cruz's bed is one of the smallest on this list — not an unexpected development from a vehicle with such limited dimensions, but worth mentioning nonetheless. From front to back, the Santa Cruz's bed measures 52.1 inches long. The bed is 53.9 inches wide at its widest point and between the wheel wells it measures 42.7 inches wide — very similar measurements to the Maverick. An updated Santa Cruz is on its way for 2025 with some changes to available equipment and infotainment tech, but the truck's capabilities stay the same.