The Best Vehicles for Tailgating, According to Science
We ran the numbers on over 400 different trims to find the gameday cookout kings
Honda
The great American tradition of tailgating can be almost as big a deal as the game itself. Nearly
And of course friends, foam fingers, team flags, a football, your favorite corn hole set. You get the idea.
Simply put, it doesn’t matter if you have the best parking spot, a top-flight chef on speed dial and locally sourced, grass-fed beef ready to go, you’re not going to be King of the Tailgate in a pint-sized economy car.
And that’s where this list comes in. We wanted to find out which vehicles actually have the features and specifications needed to turn a parking lot picnic into a pregame paradise.
ANATOMY OF A GREAT TAILGATE VEHICLE: WHY THIS LIST IS DIFFERENT
This isn’t just a list of the biggest, baddest trucks on the block, because that would only solve part of the problem. You still have to navigate the pregame traffic jam and squeeze into a parking spot. You need to be able to get to your food, plug your TV in (you are bringing a flatscreen, right?), and secure all your belongings. After the game, you still have to get home...and you’ll be tired, maybe even sore from the not-exactly-ergonomic stadium seating. You’ll probably want to clean out your ride before your Monday morning commute. To be truly great for tailgating, a vehicle needs to help you accomplish all of the above, and maybe more.
So we’ve taken a different approach, using data—cold, hard facts—to parse through the great many choices on the market. All told, we researched over 40 features and specifications, across 400 trim levels of vehicles, then scored them all, weighting them to account for tailgate-worthiness. We looked at trucks, SUVs, crossovers and even—egads!—minivans because, well, we love a good spreadsheet and value data over subjectivity.
We asked the tough questions that truly matter to tailgaters, like:
- Can you hose everything down to wash out that postgame atmosphere smell? Add up to 9 points.
- Does the vehicle have cloth seats that will get stained as soon as someone spills the potato salad? Deduct 6 points.
- Can you plug your TV directly into the vehicle or do you need to bring your own power inverter? Add up to 6 points. (And either way, don't forget a jumper pack in case you kill the battery in the process.)
As you might expect, trucks entered as the heavy favorites—there’s a reason it’s called tailgating instead of hatchbacking—but after all of our calculations an underdog pulled off the upset.
Obviously, since features (or rather, the trim levels that include them) tend to cost money, there’s a relationship between price and score. To get around that, we’ve broken down the winners and runners up at various price points. It doesn’t matter if your budget is $25,000 or $50,000—if you want to tailgate, you still want the best bang for your buck.
To see the full list of features and specs we took into account, click here. Otherwise, it’s on to the rankings:
OVERALL WINNER, THE BEST VEHICLE FOR TAILGATING:
Ford
2018 Ford Expedition (shown)
Trim: Platinum 4x4
Score: 111
MSRP: $73,071
Perhaps surprisingly, an SUV—the Ford Expedition—claimed overall honors, beating out every truck on the market. At its highest trim levels, there simply aren’t many tailgate-relevant features missing from the Expedition. Hands full of food and beverages? The liftgate is hands-free. Need to secure your canopy against monsoon winds? There are tow hooks for that. It can tow up to 5,900 pounds (plenty for bringing along all but the most extreme grilling equipment), has one of the smallest turning radiuses in its class, and offers well over 60 cubic feet of cargo volume even while seating four adults in comfort. What pushes it over the top, though, is the inclusion of features that many other vehicles on this list don’t offer. Nervous about parking in a narrow spot while the other vehicle’s owner is staring you down? It has automatic parking. Spend the past four hours freezing in awful stadium seating—only for your team’s coach to punt on 4th and 1 instead of going for the win? Heated and massaging seats at least make the trip home a little less miserable.
Trucks certainly have undeniable advantages when it comes to the utility of open beds, but when you look at every aspect of the tailgating experience, the Expedition squeaks past for the win.
OVERALL WINNER, THE BEST TRUCK FOR TAILGATING:
FCA
Ram 1500 (shown)
Trim: Limited Crew Cab 5’7” Box
Score: 105
MSRP: $52,995
At the top of the truck heap, the competition was extremely close. Ford’s F-150 was just three points off of the winning Ram (the equivalent of one important feature), with Chevrolet’s Silverado 1500 High Country a single point behind the Ford. We’ll break down the scores of all three in a second, but the lesson is clear: With so little separating the top trims of the so-called Big Three trucks, you’re not going to have one that is vastly superior to the others in terms of tailgating prowess. In the end, though, there is no denying the RamBox cargo management system is unique in the truck world. You can essentially use it as an ice chest built into the side of the bed, which helps Ram 1500 score the go-ahead points when it comes to tailgating.
THE BEST TRUCKS FOR TAILGATING
Ford
Price Point: $55,000+
Winner: Ford F-150 (shown)
Trim: Platinum 4WD SuperCrew 6.5’ Box
Score: 102
MSRP: $58,645
Why it scored well: F-150’s Platinum trim shares many of the bells and whistles that can make any tailgating scene go smoothly. Even on your way to the stadium, when you’re preoccupied with shouting at your rival fans, the available lane keeping assist features really come in handy. On the 4WD version (not the 2WD), you get a wind gust protection device for your canopy, a.k.a. tow hooks on the bumper. 9.3 inches of clearance means no curb will realistically stop you, and an available tailgate step means it’s still easy to climb into the bed. If you’d rather trade a little size for some extra features, the Limited trim (shown above, with a 5.5’ box and 4WD), actually scored the same, though it does bring the price up to just over $70,000.
Runner Up: Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Trim: Crew Cab Short Box 4-Wheel Drive High Country
Score: 101
MSRP: $56,300
Why it scored well: A sliding rear window, power outlets, standard WiFi hotspot, and heated and cooled seats are just some of the features that combine with the innate utility of Chevrolet’s next-generation truck. With over 12,000 lbs of towing capacity you can bring a mobile palace to the stadium if you want to turn your tailgate party into a gameside glamping experience. The 4WD version sits a little higher than the 2WD, which gives it just enough ground clearance to navigate virtually any curb, and its turning radius is reasonable for the full-sized truck category.
Chevrolet
Price Point: $45,000 to $54,999
Winner: Ram 1500
Trim: Limited Crew Cab 5’7” Box
Score: 105
MSRP: $52,995
Why it scored well: For some, the optional
Runner Up: Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (shown above)
Trim: Double Cab 3 Box 4-Wheel Drive LTZ
Score: 101
MSRP: $46,300
Why it scored well: With similar functionality to the High Country trim listed in the higher-priced category, there’s not much the Silverado’s LTZ trim can’t do. Available add-ons like a power liftgate make things a little easier when your hands are preoccupied with hot-off-the-grill awesomeness.
Honda
Price Point: $35,000-$44,999
Winner: Ram 1500
Trim: Laramie 4x2 Crew Cab 5’7”
Score: 99
MSRP: $42,495
Why it scored well: The Laramie trim offers some of the most tailgate relevant features, like tow hooks, a spray-in bedliner, and even automatic parking. Of course, like the rest of the Ram lineup, the RamBox is an option seemingly tailor made for tailgating.
Runner Ups: TIE
Honda Ridgeline (shown above)
Trim: RTL-E AWD
Score: 96
MSRP: $41,920
Why it scored well: While Ridgeline doesn’t have quite as much cargo capacity as the other full-size trucks on this list, its RTL-E trim includes a tailgate that can be opened in multiple ways (normal, and via a side-mounted hinge), an extra storage compartment under the bed (so you can hide any valuables or store your chilled beverages), and an audio system built into the bed.
Ford F-150
Trim: Lariat 2WD SuperCab 6’5” Box
Score: 96
MSRP: $42,200
Why it scored well: Heated and cooled seats for after the game are a plus, as is the ground clearance and Ford’s MyKey driver restriction feature, which gives you the ability to prevent your friends from misbehaving (too badly) if they need to take it anywhere to pick up more game day supplies.
Tundra
Price Point: $25,000-$34,999
Winner: Chevrolet Colorado
Trim: Crew Cab Short Box 2-Wheel Drive Z71
Score: 76
MSRP: $32,500
Why it scored well: For a smaller truck (technically it’s midsize), Colorado doesn’t sacrifice much in terms of how much gear you can fit. For the Z71 trim, tow hooks are standard for your canopy-anchoring needs, and a spray-in bedliner is optional, so you won’t have to worry about damaging anything with your charcoal grill.
Runner Up: Toyota Tundra (shown above)
Trim: 2WD SR5 Double Cab 5.6’ Bed 5.7L
Score: 72
MSRP: $34,490
Why it scored well: With over 10 inches of ground clearance, there’s nowhere on the stadium grounds it can’t go—parking permit notwithstanding, of course. With a towing capacity of over 10,000 lbs, it’s fit to haul a mobile meat palace...or almost anything else you’d want to bring to a sporting event.
GMC
Price Point: Under $25,000
Winner: Chevrolet Colorado
Trim: Extended Cab Long Box 2-Wheel Drive WT
Score: 47
MSRP: $24,000
Why it scored well: Some of the creature comforts that make tailgating enjoyable are harder to come by at entry-level prices, which means there’s a heavier emphasis on things like cargo area and turning radius...and both Colorado and its corporate cousin GMC Canyon do well here. Colorado owes its (slight) edge to the availability of tow hooks at this trim level, something you’d have to upgrade the Canyon to get.
Runner Up: GMC Canyon (shown above)
Trim: Extended Cab Long Box 2-Wheel Drive
Score: 45
MSRP: $24,900
Why it scored well: Canyon largely mirrors Colorado’s capabilities, which means it can tow over 7,000 lbs.—an outstanding number for this price point. It also can hop virtually any curb you’ll come across en route to your mobile kitchen station, which is why (along with Colorado) it rates above every other vehicle (truck or not) below $25,000.
THE BEST NON-TRUCKS FOR TAILGATING
GMC
Price Point: Over $55,000
Winner: Ford Expedition
Trim: Platinum 4x4
Score: 111
MSRP: $73,071
Why it scored well: See above as to why Ford’s flagship SUV not only won its price range, but the overall honors. It’s worth noting that even Expedition’s Limited 4x4 trim scored enough points to be number one.
Runner Up: GMC Yukon XL (shown above)
Trim: 2WD 4dr SLT
Score: 98
MSRP: $60,200
Why it scored well: Yukon XL is capable of towing more supplies (8,300 lbs. worth) than many of the trucks listed above. If that’s not enough, it has enough cargo capacity (76.7 cu. ft. to the back of the second row) to ensure that you’ll be able to fit anything shy of unusually large objects like full-sized refrigerators.
Honda
Price Point: $45,000-$54,999
Winner: Honda Odyssey (shown)
Trim: Elite Auto
Score: 102
MSRP: $46,970
Why it scored well: It’s voluminous on the inside, with its 86.6 cu. ft. of space. That’s larger than anything on this list that isn’t a truck. Rear A/C helps prevent the food in back from cooking before you even get to the stadium, and the included rear-seat entertainment system is useful when your friends (or your kids) want to watch something other than the whiparound coverage of other games that you’ve got on your TV. Crucially, though, it comes with an onboard vacuum for instant cleanup when the unavoidable potato chip spill happens. Yes, it’s a minivan. But you can consider this proof that weekend soccer practice isn’t all minivans are good for... you can dominate the pregame soccer tailgate.
Runner Up: Ford Explorer
Trim: Platinum 4WD
Score: 100
MSRP: $54,165
Why it scored well: While the Explorer’s cargo area is roughly half that of the Odyssey, it offers a significant advantage in that the Platinum trim comes with Automatic Parking, and generally keeps pace in the features department (though a few of them, like Lane Keeping Assist, are extra-cost options that really only impact your drive to or from the stadium).
FCA
Price Point: $35,000-$44,999
Winner: Honda Odyssey
Trim: Limited Auto
Score: 98
MSRP: $44,660
Why it scored well: As the trim levels get pared down, so do the seemingly small but actually-kinda-important-for-tailgating features, like power outlets and rear seat entertainment. Both of those are included on the Odyssey’s Limited trim, which relies on the same cargo space as the aforementioned Elite trim to get to the top of the price segment.
Runner Up: TIE
Ford Explorer
Trim: Limited 4WD
Score: 95
MSRP: $44,915
Why it scored well: As said before, it’s the Explorer’s fundamental mix of utility and features that sees its score compare favorably. Its largest limitation—namely, a smaller cargo area than the minivans in this price group is easily countered by an available luggage rack. This score was close enough that it’s within a reasonable margin: if minivans just aren’t your thing, you’d probably be happier with this.
Chrysler Pacifica (shown above)
Trim: Limited FWD
Score: 95
MSRP: $44,445
Why it scored well: Pacifica only loses out to Odyssey for features like the vacuum, while it makes up ground with the available KeySense tech that allows you to program a maximum speed for anyone borrowing it. Available automatic parking is an advantage over both the Odyssey and Explorer at this price point, and the 87.5 cu. ft. of space behind the second row is about as high as it gets.
Nissan
Price Point: $25,000-$34,999
Winner: Nissan Rogue (shown)
Trim: AWD SL
Score: 75
MSRP: $32,740
Why it scored well: Rogue is the only vehicle we looked at in this price range to include a hands-free liftgate in the trim package, and only a couple others even offer it without pricey upgrades. Further, the all-wheel drive variant adds an inch of ground clearance, which is enough to make a difference when it comes to curbs. It also brings above-average cargo space (39.3 cu. ft.) compared to the other crossovers at this price point.
Runner Up: Subaru Outback
Trim: 2.5i Limited
Score: 70
MSRP: $32,845
Why it scored well: A standard luggage rack can be a hidden gem when you realize you’ve packed everything… except paper plates, charcoal, and other slightly vital items. It’s standard on Outback’s limited trim, and so are leather seats, which makes cleanup about 1.3 million times easier after an errant bottle of barbecue sauce empties itself all over the back seat.
Honda
Price Point: Under $25,000
Winner: Honda HR-V (shown)
Trim: EX 2WD CVT
Score: 43
MSRP: $23,270
Why it scored well: The HR-V’s EX trim includes one of the more under-appreciated game-day necessities: illuminated visor mirrors. A late start time is no excuse for not ensuring that your face paint is spot-on. It also includes HondaSensing’s lane departure warning to help with the tedious post-game traffic, and heated seats, to make sure the coach isn’t the only person sitting on the hot seat in December.
Runner Up: Nissan Rogue
Trim: FWD S
Score: 40
MSRP: $24,800
Why it scored well: You’ve got satellite radio, so you can listen to virtually any game, and a pass-through rear seat to more easily pass the condiments to someone looking around in the back, which itself is voluminous for the price point.
WHAT WE LOOKED AT:
Features:
Built-in Power Outlet
Sliding Rear Window
Pass-Through Rear Seat
Power/Hands-Free Liftgate or Tailgate
Driver Restriction Features
Leather or Vinyl Seating Surfaces
Less Common Features (Honda Ridgeline’s bed-mounted audio system, the Odyssey’s onboard vacuum cleaner, the GMC Sierra’s six-position MultiPro Tailgate, etc.)
Washability
The Ability to Fit Objects of Unusual Size
Rear A/C Vents
Satellite Radio
Keyless Entry
Luggage Rack
Bluetooth Compatibility
Entertainment System
Privacy Glass/Cargo Shade/Tonneau Cover
WiFi
Ground Clearance
Factory-Installed Spray-In Bedliner
Tow Hooks
Seat Memory
Heated and Cooled Seats
Seat Massager
Security System
Illuminated Vanity Mirrors
Rear Parking Aids and Automatic Parking Features.
Tow Hitch
Blind Spot Monitor/Lane Departure Warning/Lane Keep Assist
Specifications:
Maximum Towing Capacity
Cargo Area
Turning Diameter
Important Information About Vehicle MSRPs Used Above: Some vehicles span different price points for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is comparing an entry-level trim with a top-of-the-line luxury trim. When that happens, we’re treating the different trims as separate models, because the features they include can have a huge impact on tailgate-worthiness. However, there are also times when an option that doesn’t impact tailgating pushes the cost beyond a given price point—for example, if a 4x4 version of a truck costs $2,000 more, then the the MSRP is bumped into a category above the 4x2 variant of an otherwise identical trim level. So long as the change doesn’t impact the score, we’ve used the lower price category for the sake of these rankings.
Written by humans.
Edited by humans.
Aaron MillerAs a veteran automotive journalist, I have been fortunate enough to drive some of the most desirable cars on the planet and get to know some of the most important people in the industry. Before joining Capital One, I served as the Cars Editor for a major national website, and covered industry news and analysis for well-known automotive-specific sites. I also wrote feature articles and reviews for niche enthusiast websites. I’ve been obsessed with cars since—literally—before I can remember, with my collection of die-cast and slot cars taking center stage during my formative years. Simply put, for me, working isn’t really “work.”
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