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2005 Pickup Truck Of The Year - Power On Parade

Six Trucks, Four Days, 1,000 Miles, One Winner

Photography by Ken Brubaker
SPECIFICATIONS
GENERAL
Vehicle/model Chevy Silverado Hybrid 1500 Extended Cab Dodge Dakota Quad Cab Laramie Dodge Power Wagon Quad Cab Ford F-250 Super Duty Super Cab Nissan Frontier King Cab NISMO Toyota Tacoma Double Cab TRD
Base price $30,195 $28,679 $31,940 $33,935 N/A N/A
Price as tested $37,743 $33,284 $42,635 $39,380 N/A N/A
Options as tested LS Décor, hybrid system, Safe & Sound Package, Light Duty Power Package, upgrade to front leather seating surfaces, Autotrac active transfer case, OSRV mirror with driver-side auto dimming, power fold and heat, turn signal, dual zone automatic air conditioning, redundant radio controls, heavy-duty suspension, camper/5th wheel trailer wiring provisions Leather-trimmed 40/20/40 bench seat/center armrest storage, customer preferred package 26J, skidplate group, trailer tow group, four-wheel antilock brakes, supplemental side airbags, five-speed automatic transmission, 3.92 axle ratio,anti-spin differential, 4.7L Magnum V-8 engine,sliding rear window, Sirius satellite digital radio,Uconnect hands-mirror, 17x8 aluminum chromeclad wheels, P26565R17 BSW on-/off-road tires, under-rail box bedliner Premium cloth 40/20/40 bench seat, customer preferred package 26P, premium convenience group,premium security group, five-speed automatic transmission 6.8L V-10 engine, TorqShift five-speed automatic transmission, 18-inch OWL A/T tires, Lariat luxury package, Electronic shift-on-the-fly, power sliding rear window, manual telescoping trailer tow mirrors, premium 6-CD changer, adjustable gas/brake pedals, trailer hitch receiver, two-tone paint Nismo Off-Road package, side airbags Tie-down cleats, door-sill protector, floor mats, TRD Off-Road package, convenience package, SR5 package, towing package, sliding rear window with privacy glass, JBL Audio 6-disc in-dash CD changer audio system with seven speakers and steering-wheel controls, driver and passenger seat-mounted side airbags and front- and second-row side-curtain airbags SRS with rollover sensor
ENGINE
Type OHV V-8 SOHC V-8 OHV V-8 SOHC DOHC V-6 DOHC V-6
Displacement (ci/liter) 325/5.3 287/4.7 345/5.7 415/6.8 241/4.0 241/4.0
Bore x stroke (in.) 3.78 x 3.62 3.66 x 3.40 3.92 x 3.58 3.55 x 4.16 3.76 x 3.62 3.70 x 3.74
Compression ratio 9.5:1 9.0:1 9.6:1 9.2:1 9.7:1 10.0:1
Intake SEFI SMPFI SMPFI SMPI NVIS (Nissan Variable Induction System) EFI
Mfg.’s power rating @ rpm (hp) 295 @ 5,200 230 @ 4,600 345 @ 5,400 362 @ 4,750 265 245 @ 5,200
Mfg.’s torque rating @ rpm (lb-ft) 335 @ 4,000 295 @ 3,600 375 @ 4,200 457 @ 3,250 284 282 @ 3,800
Mfg.’s suggested fuel type (octane) 87 87 89 87 93 91
DRIVETRAIN
Transmission 4L60-E four-speed automatic 545RFE five-speed automatic 5-45RFE five-speed automatic TorqShift five-speed automatic Five-speed automatic A750E five-speed automatic
Ratios:
First 3.06 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.842 3.52
Second 1.63 1.67-upshift; 1.50-kick-down 1.67-upshift; 1.50-kick-down 2.22 2.353 2.04
Third 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.55 1.529 1.40
Fourth 0.70 0.75 0.75 1.00 1.000 1.00
Fifth N/A 0.67 0.67 0.71 0.839 0.72
Axle ratio 3.73 3.92 4.56 4.10 N/A 3.73:1
Transfer case NV246 NV233HD Manual shift NV271 NV273 Dana 44 VF2BM two-speed
Low-range ratio 2.72:1 2.72 2.72:1 2.72:1 2.596:1 2.57:1
Crawl ratio 31.0:1 32.0:1 37.2:1 33.5:1 N/A 33.74:1
FRAME/BODY
Frame Steel ladder Steel ladder Steel ladder Steel ladder Steel ladder Steel ladder
Body Steel Steel Steel Steel Steel Steel
SUSPENSION/AXLES
Front Independent torsion bar, gas pressurized shocks, 32mm antiroll bar Upper and lower “A” arms, coil springs over gas-pressure shock absorbers, link-type antiroll bar Quadra Link leading arms, track bar, coil springs, electric disconnecting antiroll bar, gas-charged Bilstein monotube shock absorbers/ AAM 9.25-inch, TracRite electric locker Coil, radius arms, shock absorbers, antiroll bar/Dana 60, 9.75-inch ring gear Double-wishbone, coilover-shock absorbers, antiroll bar Coil-spring independent double wishbone with gas-filled shock absorbers, antiroll bar
Rear Semi-elliptic, variable rate, two-stage multileaf springs, gas pressurized shocks/live axle with 8.6-inch ring gear, Eaton (G80) locking differential Multileaf two-stage longitudinal springs, staggered gas-pressure shock absorbers, link-type antiroll bar/Detroit Axle with 8.25-inch ring gear, anti-spin differential Longitudinal leaf springs, gas-charged Bilstein monotube shock absorbers/AAM 10.5-inch, TracRite electric locker Leaf springs, antiroll bar, staggered shock absorbers/Visteon, 10.50 ring gear Rigid leaf rear suspension/live axle Dana, electric locking differential Leaf spring rigid/Toyota manufactured solid axle and electric locker
STEERING
Type Engine independent electro-hydraulic power recirculating ball Power rack-and-pinion Recirculating ball Power recirculating ball Power rack-and-pinion Power rack-and-pinion
Turns (lock-to-lock) 3.0 3.18 2.75 N/A 3.55 3.64
Ratio 15.7:1 17.4:1 13.4:1 20.38:1 20.4:1 17.3:1
BRAKES
Front 12.01-inch vented disc 12.3-inch vented disc, dual-piston sliding calipers 13.9-inch vented disc, twin-piston sliding caliper 13.66-inch ventilated disc 11.7-inch vented rotor 12.56-inch ventilated disc
Rear 12.8-inch vented disc 11.6-inch drums 13.9-inch vented disc, sliding caliper 13.39-inch ventilated disc 11.3-inch non-vented rotor 10-inch drum
ABS Four wheel Four-wheel Four wheel Four wheel Four wheel Four wheel
WHEELS/TIRES
Wheels (in.) 16x7 cast aluminum 17x8 aluminum 17x8 forged aluminum 18x8 16x7 16x7
Tires P245/75R16 Goodyear Wrangler ST P265/65R17 Goodyear Wrangler RT/S LT285/70R17 BFGoodrich All Terrain T/A LT275/70R18E Pirelli Scorpion P265/75R16 BFGoodrich Rugged Trail T/A P245/75R16 Rugged Trail T/A
FUEL ECONOMY
EPA city/highway 10 percent increase over base extended cab in composite city/highway and 13 percent increase in city-only driving 15/20 N/A N/A N/A 17/20
Actual combined, city/highway/trail 13.7 13.6 11.9 9.4 18.9 18.2
DIMENSIONS/CAPACITIES
Weight (lb.) 5,008 4,758 6,081 6,299 4,200 (estimated) 4,100
Wheelbase (in.) 143.5 131.3 140.5 141.8 125.9 127.8
Overall length (in.) 227.7 218.8 227.7 231.2 205.5 208.1
Overall width (in.) 78.5 71.7 79.8 79.9 72.8 74.6
Height (in.) 73.9 68.6 80.6 79.5 69.7 70.1
Track (in.) 65/66 62.8/62.9 69.5/68.5 68.3/67.2 61.8/61.7 63.0/63.4
Minimum ground clearance (in.) 8.7 7.9 8.3 8.5 9.3 9.4
Turning diameter, curb-to-curb (ft.) 43.7 44.0 48.9 47.5 43.4 40.6
Bed dimensions LxWxH (in.) 78.7x61.9x19.5 60.3x59.6x17.6 76.3x70.2x20.2 82.4x50.9x20 72.4x61.4x17.9 60.3x56.7x18
Approach/departure angles (deg.) 25.4/27.5 22.8/22.5 35/26.5 25.7/12.8 31.5/22.6 33/23.4
GVWR (lb.) 6,400 6,010 8,510 9,400 5,600 (estimated) 5,450
Payload (lb.) 1,392 1,250 2,430 2,900 1,600 1,415
Maximum towing capacity (lb.) 7,500 6,600 11,000 12,500 6,500 6,500
Seating 5 6 6 5 5 5
PERFORMANCE
Eight-mile empty payload (sec. @ mph) 11.68 @ 61.42 11.71 @ 60.67 11.51 @ 61.44 11.16 @ 63.97 11.20 @ 65.05 10.69 @ 66.05
Eight-mile half payload (sec. @ mph) 12.41 @ 58.49 12.15 @ 58.63 11.86 @ 59.37 11.82 @ 60.40 11.47 @ 63.21 11.09 @ 64.04
Quarter-mile empty payload (sec. @ mph) 17.98 @ 77.39 18.18 @ 75.0 17.95 @ 74.85 17.37 @ 78.86 17.28 @ 80.69 16.64 @ 82.69
Quarter-mile half payload (sec. @ mph) 18.97 @ 75.48 19.33 @ 72.58 18.47 @ 73.02 18.34 @ 74.97 17.72 @ 78.28 17.24 @ 79.92
Braking 60-0 mph empty/half payload (ft.) 166.3/169.4 182.7/185.5 193.4/189.6 193.4/135.6 180.1/178.8 139.5/149.2
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