Country Club Pick Ups: Top Luxury Trucks for 2023

February 1, 2023February 2, 2023 Lisa Conant 0 Comments Ford Super Duty, GMC Sierra, Luxury Truck, Market Trends, RAM 1500, Rivian R1T, Tonneau Covers, Toyota Tundra, Truck Accessories, Undercover

The terms “luxury” and “truck” used to be two words you’d be surprised to hear in the same sentence, let alone placed right beside each other. Today, however, they’re frequently used in conjunction.

Despite current economic stressors, the luxury vehicle market is booming—and also rapidly evolving. No longer exclusive to German sedans and pricy sports cars, it has expanded beyond the typical white-collar clientele to include something as traditionally utilitarian as the pickup truck.

Luxury trucks fit into the larger luxury vehicle market as a sub-segment, offering consumers the utility and capability of a traditional pickup with the added benefits of premium features and advanced technology. Think: high-end materials, touchscreen-heavy dashboards, and next-gen safety features. They also tend to have more powerful engines and more advanced suspension systems, which allows for a smoother and more comfortable ride.

Already durable, capable, and reliable, pickup trucks can now add ‘comfortably upscale’ to their resumes, allowing them to redefine what the American workhorse can look like (and do). These trucks are often used for both personal and commercial purposes, and they appeal to a wide range of consumers, including business owners, outdoor enthusiasts, and those who simply want a more luxurious driving experience.

Check out some of the newest additions to a very competitive and ever-changing market. See what makes them special, and learn about the most cutting-edge innovative options currently available.

Ram 1500 Limited Elite

Stand-Out Feature: Comfortable, High-Quality Interior

When it comes to the Ram 1500 Limited Elite, there’s no doubting this is a luxury trim – it practically screams it inside and out. The exterior wears a bold, sporty design with plenty of chrome accents and convenience features, including power-folding running boards, a deployable bed step ‘round back and a multifunction tailgate with special light that illuminates the hitch. The RamBox cargo management system is also included.

Inside, you’ll find real wood textures and bright metal, as well as leather wrapped around the seating, steering wheel, door trim and center console. All serve to remind you that this is a high-class Ram – as does the serious amount of onboard tech. In addition to the 12-inch touchscreen with new customizable features, Limited Elite drivers enjoy a new frameless 12-inch digital instrument cluster and can add on a digital rearview mirror and reconfigurable head-up display.

Ram proves, once again, that it understands the assignment where comfort is concerned. On this trim, the automaker serves up heated, ventilated and power-adjustable front and rear seats with memory settings for the driver’s seat, making it easy to find the perfect driving position. (If that doesn’t work, surely the adjustable metal pedals will.) Backseat riders also enjoy a few new perks, including best-in-class legroom and class-exclusive reclining seats – two features that really show how far this segment has come.

Additional features worthy of mention on the Ram 1500 Limited Elite are the Adaptive Headlamps which can turn up to 15 degrees to help illuminate unforeseen obstacles, and the four-corner air suspension for superior ride and handling. Oh, did we mention the jeweled rotary shifter? Though, with a starting price creeping up on $70,000, the bling makes sense.

The Ram 1500 Limited Elite also comes with a powerful engine – a 5.7-liter HEMI V8 that produces 395 horsepower and 410 lb.-ft of torque. Paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, it delivers the kind of smooth and responsive ride you’ve come to expect from Ram.

GMC Sierra Denali Ultimate

Stand-Out Feature: Next-Gen Technology

Just in case having one dominant player in the luxury truck market wasn’t enough, GMC decided last year to expand upon its popular Sierra Denali by introducing the even more obscenely upscale “Denali Ultimate” trim.

Outside, the truck wears the features expected of a posh pickup – a unique grille, chrome accents, LED lighting, power running boards and 22-inch machined aluminum wheels. Where the Denali Ultimate really stands out, however, is in its ground-breaking technological offerings.

The Denali Ultimate offers Super Cruise, the industry’s first true hands-free driver assistance system. Compatible on more than 200k miles of roads in the U.S. and Canada, it allows for hands-free operation of everyday driving functions as well as automatic lane changing and even hands-free towing. The top-tier Sierra also offers the most trailering assistance technologies in its class with 14 different camera views, including hitch view.

Entertainment tech is also top-of-line, with massive screen coverage across the dash. In fact, the Sierra Denali Ultimate offers over 40 inches (diagonal) of combined driver-focused digital displays — also the most in its class. That includes a 15″ diagonal multi-color head-up display projecting info onto the truck’s windshield.

Expect to find a lot of soft leather inside, tanned a deep coffee color and decorated with plaited contrast stitching. The topographical map patterns of Mt. Denali’s summit embossed and laser-etched across the interior are the kind of unnecessary nice touches we can appreciate on a truck that runs north of $80,000.

Other stand-out features on the Sierra Denali Ultimate include best-in-class 16-way power front seats with massage, a standard 12-speaker Bose Premium Series with Centerpoint surround sound, and the world’s first six-function MultiPro tailgate with KICKER audio system.

Luxurious rides in this truck are powered by a 420-hp 6.2-liter V8 engine mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission, though an efficiency-minded 277-hp 3.0L Duramax turbo-diesel is available for those interested in that best-in-class 4WD diesel towing capacity of 13,000 lbs.

Ford Super Duty Limited

Stand-Out Feature: Towing Capability

Those seeking big boy luxury – you know, the kind of cushy ride that can tow the space shuttle up a mountain without compromising an inch on interior comfort or ride quality – the Ford Super Duty Limited fits the bill. Newly redesigned for 2023, this beast of truck looks just as good hauling work materials as it does pulling your luxury fifth-wheel or Airstream. In fact, one of the main focuses for engineers reworking the platform was towing capability.

While some properly-equipped F-450s will provide a class-leading max gooseneck towing capacity of 40,000 pounds, the Ford Super Duty Limited keeps things in a slightly-less commercial range – somewhere closer to 15,000 pounds.

However, plenty of complementary tow-happy updates were made for 2023, including upgraded axles, driveline components and hitches; improved airflow through the grille and functional side vents; and even onboard scales built into the LED tail lamps. Ford also added parking sensors to the power up-and-down tailgate, along with an industry-first camera that will make backing up to that fifth-wheel a helluva lot less stressful. The included Tow Technology Package adds in the automaker’s handy Pro Trailer Back-Up Assist and Trailer Reserve Guidance.

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to lounge inside a humidor, it appears Ford’s designers share your curiosity. The Super Duty Limited offers a truly top-shelf interior featuring a variety of textures, including pleated leather, Dark Ash wood, smoked brushed aluminum and Miko suede.

Plenty of tech punctuates the cabin as well, notably a 12-inch digital instrument cluster with head-up display and a 12-inch LCD touchscreen with Ford’s SYNC 4 system. It also offers Enhanced Trailer Navigation, which helps to plot out the quickest and easiest routes when towing a trailer versus just driving the truck.

The trim’s standard (and only available) engine is a high-output 6.7L Power Stroke V8 Turbo Diesel pushing out a best-in-class 475-hp and 1,050 lb.-ft of torque.

Toyota Tundra Capstone

Stand-Out Feature: Every Novelty & Toy In One Package

If you’ve got a bunch of money that you really want to part with, then the Toyota Tundra Capstone, starting at a whopping $76,145, might help lighten your wallet. This is the crème-de-la-crème of the Tundra line, not to mention one of the most expensive full-size luxury trucks on the market.

Limited to a crew-cab configuration with a shorty 5.5-foot bed and standard 22-inch chrome wheels, the Tundra Capstone’s exterior features a large, color-matched grille and, like its competitors, lots of chrome accents and power-deployable running boards.

Inside is where the Capstone really aims to knock your socks off. Jam-packed with tech, including a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, new 14-inch touchscreen, 10-inch color head-up display, and Qi-compatible wireless smartphone charging with charge indicator light, it also comes dressed in black and white leather with Dark American walnut wood-grain trim and metal speaker grilles. Since refinement looks best in natural light, a panoramic moonroof is standard.

Capstone doesn’t compromise on capability – this is the automaker who delivered us the indomitable TRD after all. Powered by the new twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V-6 iForce MAX hybrid powertrain, the Tundra Capstone produces 437 horsepower and 583 lb.-ft. of torque, can tow up to 10,340 pounds and offers a max payload rating of 1485 pounds.

Rivian R1T Electric Truck

Stand-Out Feature: Pushing the Segment Forward

Electric? Yes, electric. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, EVs are hitting the mainstream – and their profitable point-of-entry is the pickup market. Offering a tailored combination of next-gen tech, zippy performance, and zero emissions, these vehicles bring a little something extra to the luxury market.

The segment itself is still new, but newcomer Rivian has already made a stand with its R1T.

Outside, the truck features a look that is noticeably more off-road-ready than the other contenders on this list. Still, the design is sleek and aerodynamic, with a low-slung hood and futuristic front grille that gives it a distinctive look. Inside, the cabin emits high-class minimalist vibes with lots of clean lines and rich materials, as well as fair amount of tech including dual touchscreens, hands-free driving, and quirky over-the-air updates.

Under the hood is, well, nothing since this is an electric vehicle. But that’s one of the mind-blowing features of this cutting-edge truck – clever storage. Lack of an engine provided engineers with some new opportunities, and they capitalized. There’s 11 cubic feet of storage in the front ‘frunk,’ as well as additional space under the seat compartments, in the bed, and even between the cab and bed in the form of an innovative ‘gear tunnel.’ Altogether, Rivian R1T boasts over 62 cubic feet of storage, something its competitors would be pressed to match.

Being an all-electric vehicle, the R1T obviously produces zero emissions, but how does that affect power and towing capacity? Not to worry, this standard all-wheel-drive rig pushes out 600-hp/600 lb.-ft of torque in its base Dual-Motor setup and an incredible 835-hp/908 lb.-ft in the Quad-Motor; is capable of towing up to 11,000 pounds; and has a 1,760-pound max payload capacity. That silent drivetrain adds points to the luxury score, ensuring peace and quiet on long commutes, while the adaptive air suspension helps smooth out any bumps along the way.