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Everyone knows bench seats are the best. You can fit so many people in a bench seat pickup truck! But what is the best bench seat pickup truck of 2022? That’s what we’re going to find out today. In this article, I am going to talk about 7 different bench seat pickup trucks that will be on sale in 2022.
1. 2022 Ford F-150
The new generation of the F-150 started in 2022! This fully redesigned truck brought a ton of huge 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 though.
2. 2022 Ford F-250 & F-350
While we haven’t seen a complete redesign of the Super Duty range of pickups from Ford quite yet, this does mean that their interior configurations carry over from last year!
You can get a 40/20/40 split-bench seat in any of Ford’s largest pickups (Super Duty F-250 & F-350) 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. 2022 Ram 1500
If you are looking for bench seats, but also an incredibly nice 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, all the way until the Laramie Trim. This means you can get a flat front seat in the Tradesman, Tradesman HFE, Big Horn, and the Limited.
That said, you are only able to get bucket seats in the Rebel, Limited Longhorn, Limited and of course the TRX.
4. 2022 Ram 1500 Classic
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 of their trim levels. This includes the Tradesman, Express, and the higher-end Warlock trim.
5. 2022 Ram 2500 & 3500
If you are looking to up your capability in towing, payload, and overall size, you might be considering the Ram 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 2022 Ram 2500 and 3500 Tradesman, Big Horn, Laramie, and even the off-road trim Power Wagon.
However, if you want those nicer trims of the Limited and Limited Longhorn you are out of luck.
6. 2021 Nissan Titan
The Nissan Titan may not be one of the most popular trucks on the road, however, it does offer a lot of competitive features, and that includes a bench seat.
If you are wanting to get a bench seat in the Nissan Titan, you will want to opt for the S or SV trim! These two come with this feature as standard, 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 are unable to equip them with a bench seat.
7. 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
This recently revised Silverado is one of the best Silverado pickups we have seen in a long time, and it does have bench seats available in the lower-end trims.
If you are hoping to fit a third passenger into your front seat with a bench seat in the Silverado 1500 you will want to 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.
8. 2022 Chevrolet Silverado HD 2500 & 3500
If you are looking to buy Chevrolet’s larger pickup trucks (Silverado HD 2500 or 3500) 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.
9. 2022 GMC Sierra 1500
You probably aren’t surprised to find the GMC Sierra 1500 (newly refreshed) on this list, as its corporate twin the Silverado showed up earlier in this list! Yes, of course, the GMC Sierra 1500 does have a bench seat, and it is available in a couple of trims, while not available in others.
That said, we don’t exactly know what that will be yet, 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.
10. 2022 GMC Sierra HD 2500 & 3500
Much like the other trucks on this list, you can get bench seats in GMC’s largest pickup trucks!
The 2022 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 both come with bench seats if you opt for the PRO, SLE, or SLT variants of these trucks. However if you opt for the AT4 (off-road trim), and the Denali you won’t be finding a third seat in the front.
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What trucks do not have bench seats available?
If you are on the hunt for a smaller size 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 a bench seat 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 difficult to navigate the roads.
Here are the 9 pickup trucks that do not have an available bench seat.
- 2022 Ford Ranger
- 2022 Ford Maverick
- 2022 Nissan Frontier
- 2022 Chevrolet Colorado
- 2022 GMC Canyon
- 2022 Jeep Gladiator
- 2022 Toyota Tacoma
- 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz
- 2022 Honda Ridgeline
- 2022 GMC Hummer
- 2022 Toyota Tundra
Why would someone want a bench seat?
Some people might prefer bench seats because they offer more seating capacity. A bench seat in the front can fit three people, as 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 and 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 people might think that bench seats are too “old school” for today’s trucks. This could be one reason why the nicer, or higher-end trim levels of a truck don’t offer bench seats as an option.
Another possibility is that some drivers find it difficult 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 who are seated directly next to 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 starting 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 1980’s- bench seats took up more space inside the vehicle (can’t put as much stuff).
Do any cars still have bench seats?
Sedans have completely 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 is referring to the rear seats of a vehicle. This is where the seat is not split down the middle, instead 40% of the seat can fold down, and then 60% of the rear seat will fold down 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 tend to be the ones with center consoles while more entry-level 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 make sure that the bench has a center console.
