When the American auto industry partially collapsed in the wake of the economic downturn, one of the factors was a loss of sales to foreign cars, which many critics said had to do with the decline of quality American vehicles.

However, one area where Detroit’s big three automakers can claim victory are pickup trucks. Kelley Blue Book recently ranked the top five full-size pickups for 2010, and Ford, Chrysler, and GM took the top three spots over their Japanese rivals Nissan and Toyota.

The ever-reliable F-150 took home the overall top spot, with the news source calling it “strong and refined in every aspect.” The F-150 has been the best selling American-made car for 29 years in a row.

The truck was closely followed by Chrysler’s Ram 1500 in second and the Chevy Silverado in third. The Toyota Tundra placed fourth, with the Nissan Titan in last.

As GM and Chrysler look to pay back their government bailouts, news like this bolsters American’s confidence in their models.

Many of these pickup trucks have received acclaim for years beyond 2010. Those interested in buying a pickup might want to search for used Ford F-150 models at the pre-owned dealers.