Reader: I was just rereading your Pickup Truck of the Year (Jan. '05) and have to say it was a pretty worthless article. I, for one, would have never come to the same conclusions as you guys, but some good points were brought up. It gave me the idea that you should run a "Contractors' PTOTY." Give the guys who beat their trucks, day in and day out, an idea of what they can expect from a real-world thrashing. Load the trucks to the max, throw blocks, lumber, and anything else you can think of in the box, and head down a rutted dirt road and see how they fare.
And don't just spend a day! Beat those things for a couple of months, and let everybody know what kind of maintenance each truck needed and your honest opinion as to which truck you would rely on day after day to get you, and you equipment, to work and back. I still am a fan of your magazine and I'm not condemning you for one article-just thought I'd give you guys some feedback from someone who knows what a truck has to put up with every day.
Dace Juilfs
Baxter, MN
Editor: If these were our own trucks, we might-might-consider this. Unfortunately, though, we have to return the trucks to the manufacturers in reasonable condition. (There are other journalists at other publications who want to test these vehicles too.) We do, however, put our long-term test trucks through some pretty rigorous paces over the course of a year, and we do all the things you mention-put them to work hauling and towing, run them hard in some rough conditions (the weather at the Midwest Bureau gets heinous in winter!), and we report the costs of ownership over the test period.
Reader: Alright, I have sat by long enough. I am sick of people saying, "Why didn't my favorite rig win Four Wheeler of the Year?" or "How could you choose a Volkswagen, Lexus, or whatever when it costs so much?" Simple-if any one of the readers could be given a bunch of vehicles to try out for awhile without having to buy them, I am pretty sure it would be hard to say no. I have read many past Four Wheeler magazines lately, and I can't count how many times you've had to tell readers that the reason some rig wasn't in the test was because the company didn't send you one. So in short, maybe the Volkswagen did actually kick all the other trucks' butts-and maybe that kind of capability comes at a price. Honestly, how many of us wouldn't sink $50K to own rigs if we had the means, just to make them more capable? To the editors, maybe a "Best Bang for the Buck" award and a "Judges' Pick" award might be nice for future comparo tests. I think it would be a good idea. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest-it has been eating at me for awhile.
Jonathan Child
via fourwheeler.com
Editor: Glad we can help keep your blood pressure down. Actually, we've met plenty of fellas over the years who've easily sunk $30K, $40K, $50K or more into their rigs. Of course, they don't do it all at once, and when they're done-if a truck buildup is ever really "done"-they've usually got a Top Truck Challenge trail monster, not some bone-stock OE rig. On the other hand, many so-called "stockers" nowadays can be incredibly competent trail machines, and the most sophisticated of them-like the Touareg, the GX470, and the LR3-have a price tag to match their abilities. We're still not inclined to discriminate in our testing against a truck based on its sticker-but a "Best Bargain" award sounds like a plan for the future.
Reader: I just got my May '05 issue, and I've got to say it's the best ever! That M-920 is awesome, as is the CXT. While I'm just 14 and haven't ever been 'wheeling, when I'm old enough, I'll have a pretty good idea, thanks to you guys. And as a tenderfoot in 'wheeling, I agree with your Four Wheeler of the Year results. I wish there was a "Bargain Award" too. Finally, do you raffle off all your project vehicles?
C.M. Hickson
via fourwheeler.com
Editor: Actually, we don't raffle off any of our project vehicles. Most of them are returned to the vehicle manufacturer after a year, maybe two, after which they're typically crushed due to reasons of liability. There are a few project vehicles we actually do get to keep-such as our Project Teal J, which we've had in our stable since 1997-but we will usually hold on to these as long as possible, as testbeds for all the new products that become available for them over time.