It was out on the trail where we really got a taste of the Dakota's schizophrenic personality, and where we developed our love-hate relationship with it. On smooth roads with minor imperfections, and in the sand washes, it was the most fun to drive. The mechanical rear limited-slip was a welcome respite from a world of digital traction aids, and the Dakota's low center of gravity, tight chassis, and good power-to-weight ratio made rallying exercises fun and predictable. But as soon as the road presented a high crown, the Dakota was dragging its belly like a rattlesnake moving through the Mojave and had to be carefully walked over obstacles to avoid high-centering. Oh, what an extra inch of ground clearance and some 31s would do to make the Dakota a formidable player in this field. Instead, the soft front end oscillates at speed over whoops, and the tires rip at the rear fender flares at full compression. To make matters worse, the 4WD knob is buried low on the dash, and the approach angle is Lamborghini-like in comparison to the other vehicles in the test.
With enough open-differential axle hop to shake your Dr. Pepper free of bubbles, the Ram with its excess of torque shuttered its way through the deep sand washes and temporarily left the occupants' bodies numb to other forms of input. As it sat buried axle-deep in the wash with a pointed and newly exposed boulder threatening the naked aluminum transfer case to one side and the vulnerable plastic fuel tank to the other, someone finally asked aloud for an off-road package and skidplates. Our Ram proved helpless in the dirt without a limited-slip, and a check of the options revealed that we could have added the peace of mind that comes with skidplates for only $45. The Ram, as configured, wasn't really meant for trail duty, and it reminded us of that fact at every opportunity. As much as we love Dodge's big truck, like an amicable break up, we were ready to move on after a day of wheeling with the big guy.
The H2 SUT is huge, it is a bit jiggly, and visibility is lacking, but it exonerates itself quite well on the trail, with a supple suspension, high seating position, and class-leading equipment. On the trail, the H2 is as unstoppable as a runaway freight train, the great ride is a mix of rear air suspension and shock tuning, and the H2 takes everything to throw at it and asks for more. While it may not be the right rig for a trip through tight forests, it is perfectly in its element in the wide open desert, easily the most competent 'wheeler in this group, and one of the best you can buy. The Hummer also has real recovery shackles, and it was the only vehicle able to free the 7,000-pound Dodge from its entrenched position in the soft sand of the wash. The 35-inch BFG A/Ts provided excellent traction and never once left us wanting more; those who had spent the previous rotation driving the Ram on the trail were often rewarded with a stint in the H2. Testers also appreciated the low gearing and electric rear locker.
The Tundra is a fantastic highway cruiser, and the TRD package, which adds a retuned suspension, tow hooks, and BFG tires, does wonders for the ride on the trail, soaking up terrain imperfections with aplomb. One area that surprised us was the unprecedented number of flats on our Tundra. While no other vehicle suffered any flats, the Tundra suffered two, and almost a third one. Each of these flats was a pinch type, where the wheel pinches the sidewall against the tread, cutting the sidewall with the rim. Since we have always had good luck with the BFG Rugged Trail T/A tires, we are left to wonder about the Tundra's odd 18-inch wheel size and relatively short sidewalls, although the heavier Ford with 20-inch wheels and similar sidewall height suffered no such issues. Perhaps it is the fact that the Tundra was equipped with two-ply P-metric tires, rather than the more appropriate three-ply LT designation. Logbook comments indicated that our testers were impressed with how well Toyota's electronic traction control worked, despite the lack of mechanical traction aids.
Unlike the Dodge, the limited-slip and skidplate-equipped Ford had no real problems on the trail. The heavy front end wasn't the smoothest on the whoops, but the chassis was strong and absorbed harsh impacts well, and axle hop wasn't nearly as prevalent in the Super Duty as it was on the Ram. Overall, the ride was much smoother than the Ram, and while we doubted the functionality of 20-inch wheels, we liked the proportioned look of them on the truck and never had any tire issues the entire test. Tow hooks and overall tire size were nearly as good as the Hummer, and Ford still offers manual hubs and transfer cases as an option. The Super Duty's visibility, which was lauded on the pavement, was also good for spotting obstacles on the trail.
With testing finished the scorebooks were added up, revealing that the winner of the 2008 Four Wheeler Pickup Truck Of The Year is...
What's Hot: Awesome trail machine, superb interior, excellent ride quality
What's Not: Small bed, still thirsty, that damn offset steering wheel
Our Take: The rig of choice if you only need a part-time pickup truck.
From the Logbook:
* Where can I put the 5th-wheel hitch?"
* Amazingly nimble for such a gigantic vehicle."
* I love this truck."
* The 4WD knob looks like part of the stereo."
* Obviously the best trail machine of the group."