An all-new version of the Ram 1500 full-size pickup helps create some excitement in an otherwise quiet truck segment for 2013.

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Nissan also plans to upgrade the engine in its Titan full-size pickup truck and seek to double that vehicle's U.S. sales, he said.

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Even full-size pickup trucks are showing significant gains in fuel economy these days with no sacrifice in utility, with the Ford F150 leading the way with its Ecoboost turbocharged V6 engine.

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The trend helped double the full-size pickup truck market in the U.S. in the past decade to 2.2 million vehicles a year--and means pickup trucks come with four big doors and family-friendly options.

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General Motors is doing its part to keep its factories humming and stay one step ahead of the competition in the hotly contested full-size pickup segment by offering hefty cash incentives on its broad line of Silverado and Sierra models.

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The 1994 Acura Integra and 1999 Chevrolet pickup (full-size models) came in sixth and seventh place, respectively.

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However, it was not the only vehicle on the list manufactured by Dodge, as the company also produced the eighth-most stolen vehicle, the 2004 Dodge pickup (full-size models).

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Of the seven full-size, heavy-duty diesel pickup trucks Vincentric studied, the Ford F-350 is the only one with five year ownership costs that are lower than that of its gas-powered equivalent.

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