Crew Cab vs. Extended Cab

May 13, 2021

Truck manufacturers use various names to describe their cabin configurations, sizes, and styles. This disparity in uniform terminology leads to confusion when discussing competing trucks. You’ll hear terms like Super Cab, Super Crew, Crew Max, Quad Cab, Double Cab, and even Mega Cab used to describe truck cabs. Regardless of the name, only four types of cabs exist: regular cab, extended cab, crew cab, and extended crew cab.

To answer the question of which cab you should choose when you buy a new truck, you should know the differences between them. To help you get started, here’s an overview of the differences between a crew cab and extended cab trucks.

What is a Regular Cab

For decades, trucks were built with only a regular cab. They didn’t even call them regular cabs because there weren’t any other types of cabs to distinguish between. Today, regular cabs have a single front row of seating, either a bench that seats three or two bucket seats to fit two people. The bucket seat configuration usually comes with a center console/armrest with storage inside.

You won’t find a back seat in a regular cab. You might not even see much more than a few inches of space behind the front seat. Modern regular cab trucks use the space saved inside for a longer bed.

Extended Cab

An extended cab comes in various styles depending on the manufacturer. This category often causes confusion because truck manufacturers seldom use this exact term. GMC and Chevrolet call them Double Cabs, while Ford uses the term SuperCabs, and Dodge calls them Quad Cabs. Toyota makes it even more confusing by calling the Tacoma trucks with this style an Access Cab, while the Tundra lineup uses the term Double Cab. Nissan likes to use the term King Cab to describe its extended cabs.

Some extended cab trucks have two doors, some have three, and some have four. Usually, extended cabs have two rows of seats, but even this can vary. Some rear seats fold down like jump seats, but a bench seat occupies the space more often. In almost every case, you have less passenger space in the rear of an extended cab, particularly in terms of leg room.

Extended cabs with two doors offer the least amount of rear passenger space. Those with four doors typically come with shorter, rear-hinged back doors like suicide doors. Even the windows shrink in size, with some of them only propping open rather than rolling down. Doors with rear hinges offer the easiest access to the back seat, whether you store gear or carry people.

If you don’t need to take the work crew with you every day but do tote around some tools, this configuration can work well. You can seat up to six passengers with a front bench seat and five with front bucket seats. The rear passengers may not be comfortable, but you’ll get them where you need to go.

Crew Cab

A crew cab comes with four full-sized doors. Nissan, Ram, GMC, and Chevrolet use the term Crew Cab when describing trucks that feature four full-sized doors. Ford likes the name SuperCrew, and Toyota continues to confuse, calling the Tundra four-door trucks CrewMax and Tacoma four-door trucks a Double Cab.

The doors of a crew cab truck open normally, like those of passenger cars, and the rear seat almost always features a bench style. With a bench front seat, you can fit up to six passengers in a crew cab. This larger cab offers truck owners the flexibility to carry a work crew to the job site, pick up the kids from school, and run players to soccer practice. And you can do it all with a bed full of lumber for your home improvement project or your next contracting install.

While you can carry up to six passengers, those in the middle seat in either row will find the fit rather snug. Most manufacturers offer a single design standard with upgrades available as an option or on specific trims. Space varies with crew cabs based on factors like dashboard configuration, center console options, and other accessories.

On the whole, you can expect more space for front and rear passengers in terms of leg, hip, and shoulder room. And because a crew cab has four full-sized doors, the rear windows are also full-sized and will roll down.

Extended Crew Cab

As the name implies, an extended crew cab offers even more space than a regular crew cab. Some manufacturers even create additional storage space behind the second-row seats. Manufacturers have started adding storage compartments into the rear seat-backs and beneath the rear bench with clever seats that fold down or up.

Extended crew cabs have the most interior cabin space of any truck. You can usually identify an extended cab simply by looking at the extra length of the cab behind the rear doors.

Cab Size vs. Towing and Payload

The advent of the larger cab has the unfortunate impact of reduced towing capacity and payload. You often hear about platforms that manufacturers use to build their trucks on. These platforms come with a fixed dimensional capacity, meaning they are only so long and so wide. If a manufacturer adds three feet to the length of the cabin, three feet usually get subtracted from the bed. A smaller bed can hold only so much, so the payload capacity gets reduced.

The same principle extends to towing, but for a slightly different reason. Adding length to the cabin adds more weight in the frame, body, and interior seating. Because the powertrain can only carry so much, the added weight to the cabin must be subtracted from the towing capacity. In most cases, this trade-off has a negligible impact on capacities, but if you’re towing and hauling for a living, you should scrutinize this exchange.

Contact Rydell Chevrolet in Grand Forks

At Rydell Chevrolet Buick GMC, we know every truck has a purpose. That’s why we stock an expansive inventory of Chevy Silverado, GMC Colorado, and GMC Sierra trucks. We offer multiple cab configurations for every lineup and invite you to browse our inventory online. You can stop in anytime to see firsthand the differences in cab styles or reach out online to ask questions or start the buying process. One of our friendly, professional salespeople will happily show you the best features on our trucks to help you make the right decision for you.