Which Pickup Truck Has the Most Legroom and Headroom?

If you or one of your passengers are exceptionally tall, you will appreciate this post. We surveyed full-size and midsize pickup truck to find the ones that offer the most headroom and legroom.

One of the main things prospective owners look for in a pickup truck is size and roominess. You want to feel comfortable driving around, with enough legroom and headroom for yourself and your passengers. We have "tall people" concerns too, so we researched the specs and compared trucks for legroom and headroom. And here are the results.

Heavy-Duty pickup truck GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cab SLT, 2017, Which Pickup Truck Has The Most Legroom And Headroom?The two pick up trucks with the most legroom and headroom for the driver are the Chevy Silverado and the GMC Sierra in the crew cab configuration. In the crew cab configuration, both offer you 43" of headroom and 44.5" of legroom for driver and first-row passenger. When it comes to the second row, the Ford F-150 in super crew cab configuration offers the most space with 40.8" headroom and 43.6" legroom for second-row passengers.

What about the other trucks though? How much of a difference do you really have? We've compared legroom and headroom for various cab configurations of the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado, Ram trucks, GMC Sierra, Nissan Titan, and Toyota Tundra. We didn't stop there though. We also surveyed the following midsize trucks: Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Frontier, Honda Ridgeline and even the new Ford Ranger.

Keep reading for the full survey results.

[toc]

Headroom And Legroom In Full-Size Trucks

Full-size pickup trucks are known for their sheer size. Externally, they are all huge and impressive. How about inside though? Apparently, they differ significantly when it comes to headroom and legroom.

Ford F150 SuperCrew

Let's start with the rear legroom champion. In SuperCrew configuration, no one can match the F150's rear quarters. Those seeking maximum headroom will have better luck with the GM or Nissan competitors, however.

 
• Headroom for the first row: 40.8 inches
• Legroom for the first row: 43.9 inches
• Headroom for the second row: 40.4 inches
• Legroom for the second row: 43.6 inches

Ford F150 SuperCab

While Ford's SuperCrew offers the most rear legroom, the SuperCab can't match the mid-level cabs from other brands. In fact, the only area where the SuperCab shines is in rear-seat headroom. There is plenty of front-row space, but not quite as much as the Silverado or Sierra.

• Headroom for the first row: 40.8 inches
• Legroom for the first row: 43.9 inches
• Headroom for the second row: 40.3 inches
• Legroom for the second row: 33.5 inches

Ford F150 Regular Cab

Ford's single cab trucks are not short on room, with over 40 inches of headroom and nearly 44 inches of legroom. Those seeking the absolute most space, however, should look to the Silverado and Sierra.

• Headroom for the first row: 40.8 inches
• Legroom for the first row: 43.9 inches

Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab

It seems that interior space was a priority in the 2020 Silverado. Along with its Sierra twin, the Silverado Crew Cab provides buyers with the most space in nearly all categories. For front-row legroom and headroom, it can't be beaten.

• Headroom for the first row: 43.03 inches
• Legroom for the first row: 44.53 inches
• Headroom for the second row: 40.12 inches
• Legroom for the second row: 43.40 inches

Chevrolet Silverado Double Cab

Chevy's mid-size cab provides ample front-row space, with the most head- and legroom in its class. Moving to the rear seat, buyers will find a similar story: more legroom than any of its competitors. And with nearly as much headroom as any other truck, it seems the Chevy/GMC trucks win out once again.

• Headroom for the first row: 43.03 inches
• Legroom for the first row: 44.53 inches
• Headroom for the second row: 39.88 inches
• Legroom for the second row: 35.24 inches

Chevrolet Silverado Regular Cab

Regular cab trucks can get a little cramped, so it makes sense to look for the truck with the most space to stretch out. And no other truck comes close to the Silverado (except the GMC Sierra, of course), with more than two inches of headroom and 1.5 inches of legroom beyond any of its competitors.

• Headroom for the first row: 43.11 inches
• Legroom for the first row: 44.53 inches

Ram 1500 Crew Cab

Ram's Crew Cab pickups simply cannot compare to the competition. Sure, these trucks have plenty of features on offer, but class-leading space is not one of them.

• Headroom for the first row: 41 inches
• Legroom for the first row: 41 inches
• Headroom for the second row: 39.9 inches
• Legroom for the second row: 40.3 inches

Ram 1500 Quad Cab

Looking at its Quad Cab, we see that Ram has actually moved ahead of Ford's SuperCab when it comes to rear-seat legroom. In fact, it is only half an inch behind the legroom kings over at GM.

• Headroom for the first row: 40.9 inches
• Legroom for the first row: 40.9 inches
• Headroom for the second row: 39.2 inches
• Legroom for the second row: 35.6 inches

Ram 1500 Regular Cab

With the single cab configuration, Ram finds itself at the bottom of the heap once again. There is still plenty of room for average-sized drivers, mind you, just nothing special in the space department.

• Headroom for the first row: 39.9 inches
• Legroom for the first row: 41 inches

GMC Sierra Crew Cab

If you read about the Silverado, you already know the Sierra. This is the truck for basketball players and cowboy hat wearers. Like its Chevy sibling, the Sierra pretty much beats out all competitors in the space department.

• Headroom for the first row: 43.03 inches
• Legroom for the first row: 44.53 inches
• Headroom for the second row: 40.12 inches
• Legroom for the second row: 43.40 inches

GMC Sierra Double Cab

The story stays the same with GMC's double-cab pickup. Front seat or rear, the Sierra is at or near the top in all categories. These are truly expansive vehicles.

• Headroom for the first row: 43 inches
• Legroom for the first row: 44.5 inches
• Headroom for the second row: 39.9 inches
• Legroom for the second row: 35.2 inches

Toyota Tundra CrewMax

While the Tundra CrewMax once beat most other trucks out there in terms of interior space, it now finds itself near the bottom of the class. That's not to say there isn't still tons of space, it's just not the limousine that some of the newer trucks are.

• Headroom for the first row: 39.7 inches
• Legroom for the first row: 42.5 inches
• Headroom for the second row: 38.9 inches
• Legroom for the second row: 42.3 inches

Toyota Tundra Double Cab

In double cab configuration, the Tundra again offers a decent amount of space, with even more rear legroom than in the F150 SuperCab. But it falls short of the Ford up front and the GM twins everywhere.

• Headroom for the first row: 39.7 inches
• Legroom for the first row: 42.5 inches
• Headroom for the second row: 38.7 inches
• Legroom for the second row: 34.7 inches

Nissan Titan Crew Cab

Redesigned for 2016, the Titan is surprisingly short on interior room. Like Ram, Nissan appears to be competing in areas other than interior space.

• Headroom for the first row: 41 inches
• Legroom for the first row: 41.8 inches
• Headroom for the second row: 40.4 inches
• Legroom for the second row: 38.5 inches

Nissan Titan King Cab

Like the Crew Cab, the King Cab Titan is again quite cramped compared to the rest of the class. It is especially confined when it comes to rear-seat legroom, with less than 25 inches on offer. No other full-size trucks offer such a paltry back seat.

• Headroom for the first row: 40.9 inches
• Legroom for the first row: 41.8 inches
• Headroom for the second row: 38.7 inches
• Legroom for the second row: 24.8 inches

Nissan Titan Regular Cab

Again in regular cab form, the Titan is smaller than everything except the Ram.

• Headroom for the first row: 41 inches
• Legroom for the first row: 41.8 inches
• Headroom for the second row: N/A
• Legroom for the second row: N/A

Headroom And Legroom In Mid-Size Trucks

Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon Crew Cab

Surprise, surprise: GM has once again run the table on interior space. Not only do they offer more rear legroom than any other mid-size except for the car-like Ridgeline, but their front legroom specs even beat out the Silverado and Sierra.

• Headroom for the first row: 41.4 inches
• Legroom for the first row: 45 inches
• Headroom for the second row: 38.3 inches
• Legroom for the second row: 35.8 inches

Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon Extended Cab

While the extended cab mid-size segment is small, GM remains atop the interior space standings once again. The rear seat might not be big, but it has more room than any competitor.

• Headroom for the first row: 41.4 inches
• Legroom for the first row: 45 inches
• Headroom for the second row: 36.7 inches
• Legroom for the second row: 28.6 inches

Ford Ranger Crew Cab

The new Ford Ranger, much like its bigger brother, the F150, has quite a bit of interior space.

• Headroom for the first row: 41 inches
• Legroom for the first row: 43.1 inches
• Headroom for the second row: 35.9 inches
• Legroom for the second row: 30.5 inches

Ford Ranger SuperCab

• Headroom for the first row: 41 inches
• Legroom for the first row: 43.1 inches
• Headroom for the second row: 35.9 inches
• Legroom for the second row: 30.4 inches

Ford Range SuperCrew

• Headroom for the first row: 41 inches
• Legroom for the first row: 43.1 inches
• Headroom for the second row: 38.3 inches
• Legroom for the second row: 34.5 inches

Honda Ridgeline Crew Cab

Thanks to its unibody construction, the Ridgeline is very competitive in regards to interior space. While the front row measurements are decent, the rear seat is the roomiest in the mid-size game.

• Headroom for the first row: 39.5 inches
• Legroom for the first row: 40.9 inches
• Headroom for the second row: 38.8 inches
• Legroom for the second row: 36.7 inches

Toyota Tacoma Double Cab

The Tacoma might be the undisputed king of the mid-size pickup market, but it's not because of its interior space. A decent showing up front leads to a rather cramped back seat area.

• Headroom for the first row: 39.7 inches
• Legroom for the first row: 42.9 inches
• Headroom for the second row: 38.3 inches
• Legroom for the second row: 32.6 inches

Toyota Tacoma Access Cab

In the Access Cab configuration, the Tacoma again fails to impress on interior space. The rear seat is virtually unusable by anyone except children.

• Headroom for the first row: 39.7 inches
• Legroom for the first row: 42.9 inches
• Headroom for the second row: 34.9 inches
• Legroom for the second row: 24.6 inches

Nissan Frontier Crew Cab

The aging Frontier is very similar to the new-ish Tacoma. You can sum up the differences between the models easily: the Frontier offers slightly less space up front, but slightly more in the rear.

• Headroom for the first row: 39.1 inches
• Legroom for the first row: 42.4 inches
• Headroom for the second row: 38.6 inches
• Legroom for the second row: 33.6 inches

Nissan Frontier King Cab

While the Frontier again offers more room in the rear than the Tacoma, it's "King Cab" cannot compete with the GM twins in terms of space (or much else, for that matter).

• Headroom for the first row: 39.7 inches
• Legroom for the first row: 42.2 inches
• Headroom for the second row: 36.6 inches
• Legroom for the second row: 25.4 inches

Why Legroom And Headroom Matter So Much

Both driver and passengers need to feel comfortable in the truck. Nobody likes to drive - or ride - with their legs cramped.

Headroom also has safety implications.

Headroom should be ample with at least a few inches of space between a person's head and the vehicle's ceiling. According to a study published in 2011, the height of the driver played a significant role in rollover accidents. Taller drivers died more than shorter ones, presumably due to head injuries. They simply hit their head when the car rolled over, whereas shorter drivers - who had more headroom - didn't.

If you're considering buying a pickup truck and interior room matters to you, we hope this post helped you figure out which option is best for you. For tall people, choosing a truck that offers enough headroom could literally be a lifesaver. If you're interested in getting an SUV, you might want to check out which SUV has the most legroom and headroom.

Learn more about pickup trucks here:

Pick Up Truck Curb Weight Comparison [Including Table]

Top 10 Seat Covers for Pickup Trucks

How to Choose a Pickup Truck Loading Ramp? [Inc. 10 Examples]

What Is the Most Expensive Pickup Truck?

Share this article

6 Comments

  1. Looking at new trucks. i’m 6’6″ tall and could not get into the driver side of a 2019 f-250 sd. Tried a 2019 cummings also. i couldn’t get in that one either. when my butt was on the seat the frame hit me in the ear. any suggestions.

    • Hi Robert, first, thanks for sharing that! I’m not sure what you mean by trying a 2019 cummings? That’s a type of engine, not a truck brand. Check out the GMC Sierra and the Chevy Silverado but make sure it’s the crew cab you’re checking. In terms of specs, they offer the most inches for your legs and head.
      And I hear ya, my son is the same height as you. He’s not driving yet but finding a family SUV that would accommodate him was a challenge! Good luck!

  2. I’ll bet if you tried a bit harder you might have corrected the usage of Cummins into a Ram, formerly known as Dodge. I have a 2500HD Silverado in which my 6’4″ lanky frame fits nicely. Having problems swinging my knees in and ducking my head to get behind the steering wheel of the Colorado/Canyon and Tacoma. Guess to many designers are 5’6″ and 150 pounds.

  3. Rented a 2019 Ford-150 Super Crew from Budget for a week long bike trip to Moab, UT with my son. I’m 6’5” (36” inseam) my son is 6’6” (37+ inseam). The truck was truly a dream drive. We both loved the leg room and head room. It was like “stayin’ at the Ritz”as far as comfort. No sunroof unfortunately as they typically lower headroom a couple of inches. I liked the massive range of driver seat height as I like to sit a little higher than most, problematic because the rearview mirror will block my field view, 1:00-2:00 range, unless I slouch and look underneath it. No problem in the F-150. Great visibility though I wish it had a front camera to fine tune parking.

    Though I didn’t ride in the back seat, it too seemed spacious as we folded up the seats and stuffed our gear and cooler inside. Hard to believe the Chevy and GMC are more roomy but I plan on them driving soon. The F150 has a great sound system. The transmission was like “glass” as you couldn’t tell it was shifting thru its 10 speeds. The truck purred at 80 mph. 26 mpg on the interstate!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *