What Is a Crew-Cab Truck?

A crew-cab truck is the most spacious and passenger-friendly cab configuration offered on any compact, midsize, full-size or heavy-duty pickup. Crew cabs have full rear doors and usually offer ample space for each seat in the back row — even the middle. There are pros and cons to picking a crew cab over other cab styles, like regular and extended cabs, but if you're frequently traveling with more than one passenger, crew cabs are undoubtedly the way to go.

To better understand what a crew cab is, we'll examine the other truck cab types first.

What is a regular cab?

Most trucks employ body-on-frame construction, which means that the body is placed on top of a tough frame that supports powertrain and suspension components. A body-on-frame truck is split between the passenger space, or cab, up front and the storage bed at the rear.

A regular cab truck offers the simplest cab configuration, with a single row and two or three seats. Because the frame is supporting less cab weight, a regular-cab truck generally (but not always) has superior tow ratings compared to an identically equipped extended cab or crew cab. And since there's not an entire second row for a manufacturer to build and trim with seats and materials, the price for a regular cab is lower than for the other cab types. You can also specify the maximum bed length a pickup offers with a regular cab.

But the three-seat maximum does limit the use case for regular-cab pickups. They were more popular when trucks were primarily used for work applications and bare-bones in terms of passenger accoutrements, but modern pickups often do double duty as family vehicles. There are no compact or midsize pickups that offer a regular cab, and if you step up to a full-size or heavy-duty truck, you'll only find regular cabs on the one or two most affordable trim levels — those marketed toward fleet or business buyers.

What is an extended cab?

Extended cabs have an extra row of seating behind the first row, expanding the total number of seats to five or six, depending on how the front row is configured. Extended cabs go by a number of different names depending on the manufacturer. Ford's SuperCab, Ram's Quad Cab, Chevrolet's and GMC's Double Cab, Nissan's King Cab and Toyota's Double Cab are all names for the respective automaker's extended-cab offering. The rear doors are noticeably smaller than the ones in front and are either conventionally front-hinged (Chevy Silverado 1500 and Ram 1500) or rear-hinged (Ford F-150 and Nissan Titan) — which require the front doors to be open first.

Extended cabs are clearly more versatile than regular cabs. The additional row means you can load your family or co-workers inside, and towing and payload capacities are similar to those in an identically equipped regular cab.

However, extended cabs aren't the holy grail for buyers who often travel with multiple passengers. The rear quarters can be cramped — this is especially true of midsize extended-cab trucks — and the short rear doors can make it tricky to gracefully enter the back seat. Because they aren't as popular as crew cabs, manufacturers don't offer extended cabs in as many trim levels (though extended cabs are typically available in more variants than regular cabs). For the ultimate in passenger comfort, you'll want to opt for a full crew cab.

What is a crew cab?

A crew cab affords rear legroom that can rival that of a large luxury car. Every truck from the compact Hyundai Santa Cruz to the mighty Ford F-450 Super Duty is available in a crew-cab configuration, allowing for the maximum amount of interior room. Crew cabs are defined not only by their improved interior space compared to an extended cab but also by their larger back doors for easier entry and exit.

Not all crew cabs are created equally. While compact trucks like the Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick come only as crew cabs, their overall small footprints make the rear seat a bit claustrophobic. That can go the same for midsize pickups, though the SUV-based Honda Ridegline and Jeep Gladiator are more spacious than dedicated trucks like the Chevy Colorado and Toyota Tacoma. Once you get into the full-size pickup realm, however, the cabin is roomy enough to fit 6-footers in every seat without issue. Heavy-duty truck crew cabs are largely the same as their full-size counterparts (you're paying for the stronger frame and increased capabilities rather than a roomier cab), with one exception. The Ram 2500 and 3500 come in a Mega Cab configuration; while the crew-cab versions of these trucks offer a choice between an 8-foot and a 6-foot-4-inch box, the Mega Cab only comes with the 6-foot-4-inch box and an extended crew cab. Extra space behind the second row allows passengers to recline their seats, or you can fold them completely flat to use as a storage shelf.

Should I buy a crew cab?

Crew cabs have more interior room than regular and extended cabs, enhancing their utility for families and businesses that need to move numerous workers from site to site. Because they're so popular, automakers offer crew cabs in more variations than other cab configurations. Indeed, as you move up through a truck's trim structure, you'll find that crew cabs are the only available cab style.

There are drawbacks, of course. For trucks that offer multiple cab configurations, a crew cab will be the most expensive option. If you need to maximize your truck's towing and payload capacity, a crew cab will have slightly lower limits. And depending on the size class, crew cabs might only be available with short- or medium-length beds.