Bench seats are excellent for people who are looking to fit just one more person into their pickup truck! Whether that be a family, or to get everyone to the worksite. However, bench seats are becoming less popular, with more lifestyle pickup trucks being released.
Only sixteen pickup trucks offer this feature, including the ever-so-popular Ford F-150 and lesser-purchased pickup trucks like the Nissan Titan.
Here is that comprehensive list!
Table of Contents
1. Ford F-150
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- Horsepower: 290 - 700
- Torque: 265 to 640
- GVWR: 6,010 to 7,350
- MSRP: $33,695 - $84,910
- 0 - 60: 7.9 - 4.0 seconds
- Towing Capacity: 14,000 pounds (up to)
This comprehensively redesigned truck brought a ton of considerable advancements to the industry, including an onboard generator, a new front-end design, and even front seats that lay back to take a quick nap.
However, did the F-150 carry over the ability to do away with the center console and replace it with a fold-down bench seat? Thankfully yes!
The F-150 has bench seats in the form of a 40/20/40 split available in the XL, XLT, and Lariat trims with all cab and bed sizes. If you want to upgrade to the Platinum or even the Lightning electric pickup truck, you are out of luck.
2. Ford Super Duty F-250
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- Towing Capacity: 22,800 pounds (up to)
- Gas Mileage: 13.7 mpg Combined
You can get a 40/20/40 split-bench seat in any of Ford’s F-250 in the XL, XLT, and Lariat Trims.
However, you won’t be able to fit a middle passenger in the front with the King Ranch, Platinum, or Limited trim trucks. If you are looking for a giant truck that is highly capable, this is a truck that is definitely worth a look!
3. Ford F-350 Super Duty
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- Towing Capacity: 38,000 pounds (up to)
Much like the Ford F-250 above, the F-350 also offers a split bench seat as an option! It also is only available in the XL, XLT, and Lariat trims, and it’s held back on the higher trim levels (likely for resale value).
4. Ram 1500
Specifications:
- External Dimensions: 232.9″ L by 88″ W by 80.9″ High
- Wheel Base: 153.5″
- Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): 7,800 pounds
- Curb Weight: 6,443 pounds
- Towing Capacity: 12,750 pounds (up to)
If you are looking for bench seats and an incredible truck, you should be looking at the Ram 1500!
The newest Ram 1500 is available with a center bench seat from the base model Tradesman until the Laramie Trim. This means you can get a flat front seat in the Tradesman, HFE, Big Horn, and the Limited.
That said, you can only get bucket seats in the Rebel, Limited Longhorn, Limited, and, of course, the TRX.
5. Ram 1500 Classic
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Wait, you didn’t know the last generation Ram 1500 is still for sale? Well, it is, and it offers one of the best values for a new pickup out there.
You can get a bench seat in the Ram 1500 Classic in the front of your classic truck in all their trim levels. This includes the Tradesman, Express, and the higher-end Warlock trim.
6. Ram 2500
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- Towing Capacity: 17,130 pounds (up to)
- Gas Mileage: 13.3 MPG Combined
If you want to increase your capability in towing, payload, and overall size, consider 2500 or 3500 pickup trucks.
Thankfully, even these pickups are available with a bench seat in the front! The bench seat is available in the Ram 2500 and 3500 Tradesman, Big Horn, Laramie, and even the off-road trim Power Wagon.
However, you are out of luck if you want higher-level trims of the Limited and Limited Longhorn.
7. Ram 3500 Heavy Duty
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- External Dimensions: 261" L by 79″ W by 80″ High
- Wheel Base: 169.5″
- Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): 11,400 pounds
- Curb Weight: 7,339 pounds
- Towing Capacity: 37,090 pounds (up to)
Just like the RAM 2500 above, the 3500 version also has a bench seat as an option! It also can be purchased alongside the Tradesman, Big Horn, Laramie, and the Power Wagon.
8. Nissan TITAN
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- Towing Capacity: 11,033 pounds (up to)
- Gas Mileage: 15.4 MPG Combined
The Nissan Titan may not be one of the most popular trucks on the road. However, it offers many competitive features and includes a bench seat as an available option.
If you want to get a bench seat in the Nissan Titan, you will want to opt for the S or SV trim! These two have this standard feature, and you can’t upgrade to a center console.
On the other hand, the upper-end PRO-4X and Platinum Reserve only come with a center console, and you need to equip them with a bench seat.
9. Chevy Silverado 1500
Specifications:
- Towing Capacity: 13,300 pounds (up to)
This recently revised Silverado is one of the best Silverado pickups we have seen in a long time. An added benefit is that it has bench seats available in the lower-end trims.
If you hope to fit a third passenger into your front seat with a bench seat in the Silverado 1500, you will opt for the WT, Custom, Custom Trail Boss, LT, or RST trim levels. Each of these has the bench seat as standard!
On the other hand, you will want to avoid the nicer LT Trail Boss, LTZ, or High Country trim levels as they replace the bench seat with a center console.
10. Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD
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- Towing Capacity: 22,430 pounds (up to)
- Gas Mileage: 13.3 MPG Combined
If you are looking to buy Chevrolet’s larger pickup trucks and are hoping for that front bench seat to be available, you are in luck! These larger trucks have bench seats available for most of the trims.
If you choose the WT, Custom, LT, or LTZ trims, you will find that the bench seats are available for each. However, if you upgrade to the High Country, that is the only trim level where you will find that the center console has replaced the center bench seat.
11. Chevy Silverado 3500 HD
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- Towing Capacity: 36,000 pounds (up to)
As mentioned before, the 3500 also has bench seats available, just like the 2500. You will want to get the WT, Custom, LT, or LTZ trims. Steer clear of the High Country, as it no longer has this as an option.
12. GMC Sierra 1500
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- Towing Capacity: 13,300 pounds (up to)
You probably aren’t surprised to find the GMC Sierra 1500 on this list, as its corporate twin, the Silverado, showed up earlier in this list! Yes, of course. The GMC Sierra 1500 has a bench seat, and it is available in a couple of trims but not in others.
That said, we have yet to determine what that will be, as this version of the GMC Sierra 1500 was just announced at the time of this writing! We will update this as we know more.
13. GMC Sierra 2500HD
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- Towing Capacity: 18,500 pounds (up to)
- Gas Mileage: 14.2 MPG Combined
Like the other trucks on this list, you can get bench seats in GMC’s giant pickup trucks!
The GMC Sierra HD 2500 comes with bench seats if you opt for these trucks’ PRO, SLE, or SLT variants. However, if you opt for the AT4 (off-road trim) and the Denali, you won’t find a third seat in the front.
14. GMC Sierra 3500 HD
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- Towing Capacity: 36,000 pounds (up to)
Just like the nearly identical 2500 series of the GMC Sierra, the 3500 also can be equipped with bench seats! You will want to go with the PRO, SLE, or SLT variants, and steer clear of the AT4 and Denali.
What trucks do not have bench seats available?
If you are on the hunt for a smaller pickup in the compact or mid-size range and are still on the hunt for a front bench seat, you are unfortunately out of luck. The pickups that do not have bench seats are primarily these smaller pickups.
This is due to the smaller cabin area that would make that middle seat considerably less comfortable. Having a passenger there would also impede the driver, making it more challenging to navigate the roads.
Here are the nine pickup trucks that do not have an available bench seat.
- Ford Ranger
- Ford Maverick
- Nissan Frontier
- Chevrolet Colorado
- GMC Canyon
- Jeep Gladiator
- Toyota Tacoma
- Hyundai Santa Cruz
- Honda Ridgeline
- GMC Hummer EV
- Toyota Tundra
- Tesla Cybertruck
Why would someone want a bench seat?
Some people prefer bench seats because they offer more seating capacity. A bench seat in the front can fit three people, compared to bucket seats, which usually only hold two people.
Another reason someone might want a bench seat is that it can be more comfortable for larger individuals. With a bench seat, there is more space between the occupant, the center console, and the driver seat. This allows for more legroom without being hunched over in a bucket seat.
Why don’t higher-trim trucks have bench seats available?
Some might think that bench seats are too “old school” for today’s trucks. This could be one reason why a truck’s more excellent or higher-end trim levels don’t offer bench seats as an option.
Another possibility is that some drivers find it challenging to operate a pickup truck while sitting in the middle seat. With the bench seat, the driver is forced to sit on the left-hand side bench instead of sitting more comfortably behind it.
This could be a safety feature that prevents drivers from operating their vehicles while distracted by passengers seated directly beside them.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did trucks stop using bench seats?
While bench seats are still available today, they were dropped from many pickup trucks in the late ’90s. This was due to several factors, including that the bench seat interferes with the center console and armrests that were added in the 1980s bench seats took up more space inside the vehicle (can’t put as much stuff).
Do any cars still have bench seats?
Sedans have lost the capability of having bench seats in the front of the vehicle. The last of its kind was the Crown Victoria and the Panther Platform vehicles.
What is a 40/60 split-bench seat?
Generally speaking, a 40/60 split-bench seat refers to a vehicle’s rear seats. This is where the seat is kept in the middle. Instead, 40% of the seat can fold down, and 60% of the rear seat will fold independently.
Conclusion
While bench seats aren’t as popular in trucks today, there are still a lot of vehicles that offer bench seat options. The higher-end models have center consoles, while more entry-level ones have bench seats available.
If you plan on buying one of these pickup trucks and want an option for three passengers in your bench seat, you will want to ensure the bench has a center console.
