Our goal was simple: find out who makes the best four-wheel drive truck in the U.S. We asked each of the truck makers to send us its best off-road package available on a pickup truck — one pickup per manufacturer. What we heard back might surprise some. In fact, GM (meaning Chevy and GMC), decided not to send either a midsize or full-size competitor, mainly because it has brand-new trucks on the way. That means we had four pickup trucks ready to shift into low range and compete in our decathlon of dirt — 10 different events, almost half of which are biased to off-road prowess.
It started after we published our Duel in the Desert. As you recall, that Shootout was unique in that it was a “one test, two trucks, best time” contest. We found a great course and a great driver to make the head-to-head competition one of our most popular — and controversial — to date. Sure, the Ram Runner was more like a custom-built creation from Mopar, and the SVT Raptor was more like a pro athlete, but they both had something to prove.
When we published the Duel in the Desert, Ram and Ford fans alike had very passionate opinions. One consistent opinion was that the Shootout was not a good all-around test of the each 4x4’s strengths and weaknesses. That point will be debated for millennia, but it did make us think about our next Shootout.
This time we wanted to offer truck makers a chance to prove their 4x4 credentials through one simple challenge: Give us your best 4x4 off-road package on whatever pickup you sell through a dealership, and let us test the snot out of them. This allows us to find out which factory off-road package is the best all-around off-road champion.
The four trucks we have for this contest are listed below, in alphabetical order by brand.
- 2012 Ford SVT Raptor
- 2012 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X
- 2012 Ram Power Wagon
- 2012 Toyota Tacoma Baja
We should note that, with a new truck on the horizon, GM declined to participate.
To do this right, we knew we’d want to include the support of some of our four-wheeling experts, so we went to the team at Four Wheeler Magazine. Editor John Cappa and Technical Editor Sean Holman (now the editor of Diesel Power Magazine) joined us as judges for our Ultimate 4x4 Shootout, and they conducted their own extreme challenge test at the same time. In addition to providing their own pickup perspectives for us, they also had a few SUV off-road packages for their test.
We did our objective testing at the Chrysler Proving Grounds just outside Chelsea, Mich. Before anyone cries foul and bias, we should let you know we made offers to both Chrysler and Ford to host the Shootout performance testing at their facilities, and after some back and forth with both companies, the most convenient (mutually agreed upon) site worked out to be the Proving Grounds.
Thankfully, we got full access to the wide-open vehicle dynamics area to conduct the acceleration and braking runs without any interference, as well as several off-road areas and challenges that were on site.
In addition, we invited a RaceLogic VBOX expert to join us for the track-testing day (based about an hour away in Clawson, Mich.) to provide us with technical support and serve as a neutral third-party observer. Subsequent truck tests, such as fuel economy, were conducted in and around Ann Arbor and just outside Flint, Mich. We used a private off-road park called The Mounds, where we conducted the remainder of our off-road tests.
In the end, our Ultimate 4x4 Shootout comes down to 10 separate scored events where we directly compared each truck with the other three contenders. In the quantitative tests, the winner received 100 points, and the runners-up were awarded points based on how close they came to the winner’s performance. For the remaining off-road events, qualitative scores were assessed separately by the three judges.
In the Off-Road Testing category, we evaluated each truck’s dedicated 4x4 engineering, and scoring was done by consensus. Of course, this is where we invite you to do your own assessment and come up with your own score if you so choose. Each score and test result will be in the appropriate section, with the comprehensive box scores in the Results section.
On to the Shootout!
Ultimate 4x4 Shootout: Acceleration, Braking, Fuel Economy
0-60 Acceleration
As we started our test runs at the Chrysler Proving Grounds, temperatures were heading to 90 degrees, and humidity was about 70 percent. We took at least three runs with each truck, giving them a chance to cool down with an extended coast-down and casual drive back to the start line after each run.
Our long half-mile straightaway gave us plenty of room to capture our zero-to-60-mph data. Each truck was tested with two adult males inside — one driver and one passenger recording the VBOX data through a laptop. For the sake of full disclosure, our driver added about 190 pounds and the passenger added about 175 pounds. We took the best (lowest) time for each truck.
We weren’t looking to set the fastest time ever recorded for each truck; we’ll leave that to the professional hot-shoes at the major magazines. Instead, our main objective on every run was to be as consistent as possible with our technique and process to minimize any extraneous variables. That meant making sure the windows were always rolled up, the air conditioning always off and the vehicle in Drive with the Overdrive off. At each launch, we brake-torqued the automatic transmissions to 2,000 rpm before takeoff.
How did the trucks do? As you might have guessed, the fastest truck was the one with the best power-to-weight ratio: The SVT Raptor, with its 411-horsepower, 6.2-liter V-8. It ran the fastest test time at 7.71 seconds, which is more than a full second faster than the heaviest contender, the Ram Power Wagon, at 8.73 seconds. The two smaller players, the Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma Baja (each with very similar power-to-weight ratios), ran very close, at 8.46 and 8.40 seconds, respectively.
For event scoring, we indexed the Raptor at 100, Tacoma Baja 92, Frontier 91 and Power Wagon 88.
For old-school enthusiasts who have to know the quarter-mile times, we have that, too. It might surprise you to see how close they all are:
- SVT Raptor, 16.07 seconds at 88.96 mph
- Tacoma Baja, 16.60 seconds at 83.87 mph
- Frontier, 16.69 seconds at 84.86 mph
- Power Wagon, 16.89 seconds at 83.85 mph
For our brake tests, we drove the same stretch of road we used for our acceleration tests. The procedure was simple: get to 60 mph as comfortably as possible, and then slam our foot into the brake pedal once our digital readout from our VBOX computer hit the designated speed.
We ran each truck through four separate trials, each time getting as close to 60 mph as possible. To score the test, we threw out the high and low times and averaged the remaining two. This allows us, again, to eliminate as many variables as possible and keep the playing field even. All our competitors had BFGoodrich tires, with the Frontier being the only one with Rugged Trail T/As; the rest were shod with All Terrain T/As.
The results were a little surprising. The Frontier bested the rest of the group by a pretty good margin, stopping from 60 mph at an average of 141.1 feet. The Tacoma Baja came in second at 149.7 feet; the Raptor came in third at 151.6 feet; and the heaviest of the group, the Ram Power Wagon, stopped in a respectable 157.5 feet.
For event scoring, we indexed the Frontier at 100, Tacoma Baja at 94, Raptor at 93 and Power Wagon at 90.
For the fuel-economy test, we started the day by checking all the vehicles’ factory-listed tire pressures before filling each fuel tank to full followed by two clicks, just to make sure.
The Ram 2500 Power Wagon came with a dual tire-pressure-setting selector that allowed us to change the parameters for the tire pressure warning light by 20 pounds of inflation pressure. This option gives Ram owners a better “bandwidth” of abilities for a truck that is running around town with an empty payload or a truck at or near maximum payload. Since we were not doing any payload runs for our mileage loop, we chose to use the lighter of the two settings and were able to lower the rear tire pressures to 60 pounds instead of 80. This would make for a much more comfortable ride, and it better duplicates how most owners would likely drive their truck around town.
Our driving loop took us in and around the Ann Arbor area, getting us as far east as Romulus, as far north as Holly and as far west as Howell. We asked all the drivers to keep the air-conditioning fan and temperature level consistent and try to stay within visual range of each other, adhering to all speed limits. The total loop, including fill-ups at our start and finish fuel station (we even filled up before and after the run at the same pump), took about six hours.
Winning the mileage competition was the Tacoma Baja, with 20.7 mpg. The Frontier PRO-4X was right behind with 20.2 mpg, and the big-motored SVT Raptor delivered 16.4 mpg. As you might have guessed, the heaviest pickup (6,660 pounds) with the tallest rear-end gears (4.56:1) had the worst fuel economy at 11.9 mpg.
For event scoring, we indexed the Tacoma Baja at 100, Frontier at 98, Raptor at 79 and Power Wagon at 58.
Ultimate 4x4 Shootout: Price, Payload, Road Performance
The Value Equation
At a time when some truck makers are looking to keep themselves back in the black with more luxury option packages, appealing to an increasingly smaller demographic, we wanted to reward the competitors in our Shootout for offering an off-road package for the lowest price.
We could have tried to create a horribly complicated mathematical equation or software algorithm to determine who offered the most 4x4 bang for the buck based on what parts are included and at what cost. Instead, we decided simply to reward the least expensive qualifier and let the rest of the off-road packages measure themselves against that truck.
Not surprisingly, the least complicated of the packages was the least expensive player. Coming in at just $31,275, the Nissan Frontier PRO-4X was awarded the full 100 points. At a little over $5,000 more, the Toyota Tacoma Baja scored 86 points; at over $13,000 more, the entry-level Ram Power Wagon ST scored 70 points; and at over $22,000 more expensive, the Ford SVT Raptor scored 58 points.
For event scoring, we indexed the Frontier at 100 points, Tacoma Baja 86, Power Wagon 70 and Raptor 58.
How Much Do They Haul?
Since these are pickup trucks, we thought at least one test should reward pickups that best work like a pickup and can carry a hefty load. Conversely, if they can't carry much in their bed — meaning their personalities are too one-dimensional — they don't score well. Yes, we know this is an off-road test and most trucks that do this kind of prioritized dirt duty don't usually carry a full load of cement footings, but if it's going to look like a duck and act like a duck, it dang well better be able to quack like a duck and carry more than just passengers and fishing gear.
We calculated each truck's payload number by subtracting the actual weight (no passengers, full tank of fuel, CAT scales) from the listed gross vehicle weight rating. We believed this was a good test to score because it would clearly call out those specific truck engineers who sacrificed too much or too little to achieve any extreme suspension capabilities. If pickups are anything, even ones biased for serious off-road use, they need to be able to perform many tasks, and that should include carrying a good load.
Again, the results may not surprise you. The Power Wagon, sitting on a stout three-quarter-ton chassis, came in first place with 1,850 pounds of payload. In second place, the Nissan and Toyota tied with 1,120 pounds. And in last place, with a measly 800 pounds of maximum payload, the SVT Raptor.
For event scoring, we indexed the Power Wagon at 100, Tacoma Baja 61, Frontier 61 and Raptor 43.
On-the-Road Feel
This test was scored during our fuel-economy run in and around Ann Arbor. Each judge rotated in and out of every truck over the 150-mile loop. At the end of the full day’s rotation, and after making thorough notes regarding each truck, the judges came together to discuss each truck’s assets and liabilities during the various high-speed freeways, city traffic and country two-lane byways we encountered during the route.
Each judge awarded 10 points to the winner, and then we determined how well the other competitors scored in comparison. For many of the categories, the judges kept it simple. If the scoring was close, first through fourth place could be scored 10, 9, 8 and 7. However, if a particular judge believed more separation was needed in a given category, scoring could be 10, 8, 5 and 4.
For event scoring, we indexed the Raptor at 100, Tacoma Baja 80, Power Wagon 70 and Frontier 57.
As it turned out, scoring was pretty consistent. The winner — the SVT Raptor — got a unanimous score from the judges and collected 100 points. Each judge named the Raptor the truck with the best on-pavement ride quality and the one they’d most want to drive daily. The responsive throttle, sporty high-lux interior and tight suspension feel were key strengths.
In second place, the Tacoma Baja scored 80 points, with drivers noting some excessive suspension stiffness at slower speeds. Relatively close behind with 70 points, the Power Wagon was a little heavy and plodding compared with the rest of the group, and the heavy-duty chassis didn’t help, either. Finally, the Nissan was the unofficial rough rider of our group, with a numb and wandering steering feel and sometimes-unnerving front-end feel, especially over choppy dirt and broken paved roads.
Ultimate 4x4 Shootout: Off-Road Testing
Sand Hill Climbing
Our first 4x4 challenge was a sand hill climb on the Chrysler Proving Grounds. The rutted channel ran up a ravine about 200 feet and was covered in wet sand. First, we first tried to crawl up the hill, but the sand was too deep and loose.
After a couple of tries, it was clear we needed more speed to keep the tires spinning. At the top of the hill, we would have to negotiate a tight right-hand turn to get onto an equally steep downhill trail. The downhill section was not as sandy, and it was a great place to try the various hill descent controls. (The Ram Power Wagon was the only player without the feature.)
The Toyota Tacoma Baja, with its relatively wide tires and light weight, did a pretty good job of tracking through the sand. By staying in a lower gear, we could keep the wheels spinning, eventually inching our way to the top. Once the shorter-wheelbase trucks found more solid ground near the top, they had the advantage. On the way down the hill, we engaged the Toyota’s hill descent control, and it calmly controlled our speed down to 2 mph. Once you get used to keeping your foot away from the brake, all you have to do is steer.
The Nissan Frontier struggled a little more, as the tires and throttle response did not seem well-matched for this event. Likewise, the hill descent speed was a little fast. We saw 5 to 6 mph pretty quick — that may not sound like much, but it felt unnerving on the steep slope.
The Power Wagon suffered a bit on this challenge as well, as it took a lot of time and effort to figure out the best way to keep the tires from sinking through the sand, stopping all progress. The truck’s extra weight and the relatively narrow tires — not to mention finding the right gear to keep engine revs up — created a lot of trouble for the Ram in sand. And when we did figure out the gearing and drivetrain, the rear end lurched into a horrible axle hop that sounded like someone was banging on the rear end with a sledgehammer. On the downhill section (once we were able to finish our three-point turn), the extra gearing helped control our speed, but again, the size and weight made us a little uncomfortable as we picked up speed.
As for the SVT Raptor, it was difficult to argue with its sharp throttle response, big horsepower and giant tires. This one had the easiest time on the hill climb, as the Off-Road mode settings and easy-reach center console shifter made wheel-spinning power easy to control. When you factor in that we had the speed-sensitive front limited-slip differential and a selectable rear locking differential in high range, the Raptor was the unanimous winner, garnering first place and 100 points.
For event scoring, we indexed the Raptor at 100, Tacoma Baja 73, Frontier PRO-4X 67, and Power Wagon 47.
This nasty piece of torturous hillside was first put in place at the Chrysler Proving Grounds to push Jeeps to their limits and to torment competitors into submission. The obstacle looks exactly like a set of torn-up concrete stairs, ready to make even the most athletic off-road vehicle grovel for another way up.
The trick is not to hit the steps head-on and not allow the vehicle to get into a hopping, bouncing rhythm; that’s when axle shafts snap. Stiffer suspensions will struggle here, and jumpy (or sluggish) throttles or improperly geared transmissions will punish drivers and onlookers alike. (Nobody wants to see a truck spitting rocks at gawkers.)
Our plan of attack, previously agreed upon by the judges, was not to bash and blast our way up this 30-yard stair climb. We wanted to keep our progress at comfortable and reasonable speeds and let each vehicle tell us where it struggles and where it excels. Each of us cycled in and out of each truck, drove the steps and rotated to the next competitor.
At the end of our designated time at this event, two trucks rose to the top again. The Tacoma Baja seemed to do pretty well with its A-TRAC traction control, rear locker and in 4-Low. But with one of the faster crawl ratios (1st gear x axle gear x low range), it struggled a bit when trying to look confident and controlled — always going a touch too fast. Several times, it even got a little sideways as it swapped wheel speed for grip on some of the slicker sections.
The Nissan struggled in some of the same ways, suffering from an insufficient low-range ratio (and resulting crawl ratio) that didn’t allow the truck to go slow enough over the seemingly endless six-inch rock faces. The Frontier’s stiff front suspension and stock wheel travel didn’t help, either, and in the end, it didn’t look very elegant.
The Power Wagon certainly had plenty of brawn and muscle (in the form of horsepower and lockers) for this climb, but the longer wheelbase and front coil-link suspension made for some rough going. When we didn’t have the front locker engaged (and, of course, we always ran with the swaybar disconnected), we had trouble with one or the other front tires spinning. When we engaged the front locker, we had trouble steering, navigating the steps at angles and needing to zigzag up the challenge. Ultimately, although the Power Wagon was quite capable, it was clawing pieces of cement off the stairs and spitting rocks all over the place, not looking very stealthy at all.
The Raptor did quite well over this obstacle, with strong traction at all four wheels (locker in back and aggressive limited-slip differential in front) and good ground clearance. The front camera allowed us to see all things necessary to comfortably walk our way, back and forth, up the steps. The camera even shows movable guide lines (and a zoom feature) that will literally have you putting your treads on the dime or quarter you see on the ground, looking both elegant and stealthy. Add to that a strong, slow-going crawl ratio, and the Raptor was the unanimous pick once again.
For event scoring, we indexed the Raptor at 100 points, Power Wagon 93, Tacoma Baja 76 and Frontier PRO-4X 66.
We conducted this test outside of Flint, Mich., where we had the good fortune to work with a private off-road park called The Mounds. The park charges a nominal fee for a day’s use, but it offers some wonderful off-road trails, open sand-wash areas and even several designated and well-maintained extreme 4x4 trails.
Our main focus centered on a 25-yard winding trail filled with basketball-sized rocks and boulders that would let us test each truck’s strength and flexibility to its limits. And Mother Nature gave us a bonus in that the park was filled with mud and water holes after recent rainstorms. The water made the rocks on our Rock Garden trail quite slick, which was just fine by us.
The trick to this hardened minefield was keeping a steady and even amount of throttle, allowing the tires and suspension to mold and flex over the rocks. Much of the drive through the obstacles was determined by how well a driver could guess at how much ground clearance was needed over some of the larger, more pointed boulders. It wouldn’t take much to carelessly slide a tire on the wrong side of a piece of granite and have it rotate up and puncture through an oil pan or bend a driveshaft.
All the trucks navigated the course with various levels of skill, but the Power Wagon’s extra ground clearance, as well as its big tires and massive stance, seemed to really help, allowing this player to dance over the rocks like it was a bowling ball ballet. Front and rear lockers were a big advantage on rocks, and the flexible front end prevented most of the harsh hits we felt in the other smaller trucks.
The Frontier had the most difficult time, taking undercarriage and skid-plate hits every time the front wheels came off the backside of a rock. The Tacoma Baja did better than the Nissan, but it still struggled to keep its speed down with the low-range ratio of the transfer case. As for the Raptor, it, too, made short work of the Rock Garden but did struggle with its lower undercarriage clearance heights. Its wider stance wasn’t much of an asset for our judges, either.
For event scoring, we indexed the Power Wagon at 100 points, the Raptor 88, Tacoma Baja 80, and Frontier PRO-4X 68.
Ultimate 4x4 Shootout: 4WD Parts & Pieces
One thing we know about four-wheel driving is that if you ask 10 different people to define it — especially if you ask people from different parts of the country — you’re likely to get 10 different answers. Likewise, as we discovered, when you look at different truck makers trying to make “the best 4x4,” the types of vehicles will vary quite a bit as well.
Each of our competitors uses a unique strategy, offering their particular customers the best four-wheel-drive package possible; however, how they achieve that goal can be very different. In this category, we take a closer look at exactly what parts and pieces each 4x4 package includes and how they compare to the others.
To score this event, our judges examined what technology from a given manufacturer is the most useful and how successful those off-road engineers were in achieving their goal. Keep in mind this is an overall score for the specific trucks and is no reflection of what we think (good or bad) about the individual parts. For full disclosure, we like locking differentials, big tires and lots of ground clearance.
A partial list of special 4x4 parts on the SVT Raptor includes unique "wide-mouth" fenders, 35-inch tires, Fox Racing shocks, wider lower control arms, rear electronic locker, front Torsen limited-slip differential, front camera, Off-Road mode and a 2.64:1 low range.
The Raptor uses an electronic-shift four-wheel-drive system with a 2.64:1 low-range ratio, and it offers a crawl ratio (1st gear x axle gears x low-range) of 45.1:1. It rides on 35-inch BFGoodrich all-terrain tires, and the vehicle’s rear locking differential is activated by pulling the 4x4 dial on the dash when in either high or low range.
For 2012, the Raptor sports a new Torsen front limited-slip option, as well as a front wide-angle camera to offer the driver incredible visibility (with guide lines, depending on where the tires are pointed) when crawling a trail.
The Raptor’s biggest assets are in the suspension tuning with four Fox Racing shocks (the rear ones have remote reservoirs), where the front and rear springs are specially tuned and the front A-arms are uniquely sized and positioned to better deal with higher-speed impacts and bigger tires.
Likewise, the front and rear fenders are unique to allow as much wheel travel as possible, and the Raptor offers a smart hill descent control. Finally, almost like a secret weapon, the Raptor’s dedicated Off-Road mode gives the traction control system special parameters to better adapt to faster or slower four-wheel-drive speeds.
A partial list of special 4x4 parts on the Nissan Frontier PRO-4X includes 31-inch tires, rear electronic locker, Bilstein monotube shocks, hill descent control and a 2.63:1 low range.
Nissan is having some success with its PRO-4X option package in the full-size Titan as well as its function-first Xterra SUV. There was a time when Nissan tried to use its street performance brand, Nismo, to promote a more aggressive off-road package. Let’s just say the results were mixed. Thankfully, Nissan started to invest more energy and engineering into its PRO-4X brand, but there might be room for more aggressive advances.
Clearly the least substantial of the four off-roaders here, the Frontier offers a solid wheel and tire package (265/75R16 BFGoodrich Rugged Trail T/A tires), a set of four heavy-duty monotube Bilstein shocks, hill descent control and an electronic rear locking differential. No suspension modifications are included, and (oh, yeah) there are stickers, too. The Frontier PRO-4X uses a dial-shift four-wheel-drive engagement, with a 2.63:1 low range. The crawl ratio is 33.9:1.
A partial list of special 4x4 parts on the Ram Power Wagon includes 33-inch tires, Bilstein monotube shocks, front swaybar disconnect, front and rear electronic lockers, 9,000-pound winch and a 2.72: low range.
The Power Wagon uses a Ram 2500 HD chassis, which means a stout set of front and rear live axles. In addition, it uses a similar 4x4 strategy to the much smaller, lighter and extremely capable Jeep Wrangler Rubicon (also owned by Chrysler) — meaning old-school and relatively low-tech.
Included in the Power Wagon package are front and rear electronically controlled locking differentials, as well as an impressive front disconnect switch to separate and relax the swaybar, allowing the front axle almost 30 percent more freedom of rock-navigating movement. The result is a more conforming and pliable front end that gives the tires more range of motion to roll over nasty terrain. Both the locking differentials and the front disconnect are activated by small switches on the center instrument cluster.
The tires are essentially 33-inch BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/As, and the Power Wagon has the tallest axle gears of the group, at 4.56:1. The low-range ratio is 2.72:1, giving the Ram a crawl ratio of 40.1:1.
We should note that the Power Wagon is the only vehicle sold in the U.S. to come standard with a recovery winch mounted (to the frame) on the front bumper. This practically guarantees this truck, or any other vehicle that’s near it, will never get stuck.
A partial list of special 4x4 parts on the Toyota Tacoma Baja includes 31-inch tires, rear electronic locker, Bilstein monotube shocks, rear remote reservoir shocks, 1.5-inch spring lift in front, 1-inch lift in rear, extra wheel articulation, hill descent control, advanced traction control and a 2.57:1 low range.
The newest player in this segment, the Tacoma Baja is new for this model year and is Toyota’s first attempt at a serious factory-sold desert racer. Unfortunately, they’re making only 750 of them, and future production is yet to be determined.
We know Toyota has a strong history in Baja racing, and this new edition emphasizes the success of Toyota’s TRD package, which includes an electronically locking rear differential as well as a smart A-TRAC traction control system and hill decent control, both activated separately with low-mounted electronic switches.
Like the Raptor, the Baja’s suspension is unique to this model, offering 1.75-inch taller front springs (compared with a stock TRD-equipped model) and one inch of lift in back. Toyota, like Nissan, also uses Bilstein shocks, though the Baja has heavy-duty, large-rod-diameter coil-overs in front and remote reservoir Bilsteins in back. We’re told the wheel travel has improved one inch in front and almost two inches in back. Bump stops have been custom-tuned to help better prevent bottoming out at higher speeds. The electronic shift transfer case, controlled via a three-position dial on the dash, employs a 2.57:1 low range and offers a 33.7:1 crawl ratio, the weakest of the group.
This category has a good amount of subjectivity to it. Even after crawling in, around and underneath each vehicle — scrutinizing each and every 4x4 part and spending quite a bit of seat time in each truck on pavement and in extreme 4x4 situations (our favorite was playing in the mud at the off-road park during a downpour) — there are still elements of bias that (we acknowledge) can creep in. That’s why we suggest you use our opinions as a starting point. We’ve spread all the technology before you and let you know what we like. If you have a different opinion or bias, feel free to rescore this section and add up the totals to determine your own winner. And if that scoring changes the finishing order, you’ll have your own winner to declare. We, however, will stick with ours.
The two trucks that clearly separated themselves in this category were, not surprisingly, the Raptor and Power Wagon. We went round and round about all the strengths they possessed and all the cool features they showcased. But in the end, we awarded the Raptor just two more capability and versatility points to win this category. Essentially, it came down to the Raptor’s incredibly smart and adaptable traction control system and the front camera that could, quite literally, keep almost anyone from ever getting into trouble. The Power Wagon, on the other hand, is more of a brute-force-capable mauler that pulls like a tractor and offers strong cable pulling power with its winch if those tires should ever get stuck.
We awarded the Raptor 100 points for the seamless and powerful integration of all the individual parts that seem to add up to something larger and stronger than the math would imply. In second place, we awarded the Ram 98 points; the Tacoma Baja received 88 points and the Frontier 69.
Ultimate 4x4 Shootout: Results
Several months ago, we asked each of the truck makers to send us their best off-road package because we wanted to find out, once and for all, which of them offers the best four-wheeling pickup truck on the market. What we got back were four players ready to get down and dirty.
To win this decathlon-style competition (10 contests in which the winner is awarded 100 points), it’s all about being a well-rounded athlete. If you’re good only in a few events, you likely won’t have enough points to win. In fact, to score well, a truck really doesn’t have to be the best at anything — it just has to be able to score well in many events.
Of course, we could have included more tests, more terrains and more truck challenges, but we determined that these 10 were a good balance for what we’re looking for in a 4x4 champion. And as you’ve seen, almost half of our events were biased toward off-road prowess, with the remaining categories aimed at overall truck performance.
Here’s how we scored our 2012 Ultimate 4x4 Shootout:
No. 4: 2012 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X V-6 | 777 points
The Frontier earned first or second place in three of 10 categories, offering the least expensive as-tested price of the group. Also, it had the best stopping distance from 60 mph (which surprised more than a few of us), as well as scoring well in fuel economy. Still, as an off-road package, the PRO-4X was outclassed and outperformed by the other trucks. Although it was able to keep up, the lack of ground clearance, the tire choice and the suspension limitations were too much to overcome. But if you’re looking for a strong value in a little pickup truck, we were impressed with how well the Frontier kept up with the other, more athletic competitors. Although it's the last-place finisher, this truck deserves credit for doing as well as it did and facing this level of competition. Yes, the Frontier kept getting knocked down event after event, but it always got back up, ready for the next punishing challenge.
No. 3: Ram Power Wagon ST V-8 | 814 points
For some, the Power Wagon is a name without peer and was likely the favorite coming into the Shootout. On paper, it’s an amazing wish list of heavy-duty four-wheeling parts that no other pickup truck can match: front and rear lockers, swaybar disconnect, monster ground clearance, 33-inch tires, a factory winch and more. In the tests where it did well, it did quite well, coming in first or second in four of 10 events. Naturally, it performed well in the most extreme of the off-road events, and with its 2500 chassis, it literally sat high above the other trucks with almost 2,000 pounds of payload. Unfortunately, in those events where it didn’t do well, it didn’t do well at all, landing in last place (by a good margin) in fuel economy and on our sand hill climb. The end result was a performance with an even mix of highs and lows — that’s not how you win this type of endurance Shootout.
No 2: Toyota Tacoma TRD Baja V-6 | 830 points
If there was one player in our Ultimate 4x4 Shootout that embodied the all-around spirit of an Olympic decathlete, it was the Tacoma Baja. Winning only one event (fuel economy) by the slimmest of margins, the Baja placed second in more than half of the other events. Clearly not the most powerful of the group or most extreme-terrain capable, the Baja does offer a good balance of targeted technological upgrades (select suspension and shock parts) along with a reasonable price point. Unfortunately, those strengths have their liabilities. On certain terrain and at certain speeds, the money saved in suspension tuning and capability is quite apparent, almost punishing the driver with shock stiffness at slower speeds. That’s probably fine if you spend most of your time desert-running above 50 mph, but not too practical in the real world. Still, mechanically speaking, there’s much to like here, and it’s a good first step for a truck maker that really should be coming to market with its Stage II and Stage III performance trucks as soon as possible.
No. 1: Ford SVT Raptor V-8 | 861 points
Not since the Toyota Tacoma in our 2012 Midsize Shootout earlier this year has a single vehicle so dominated a contest. In fact, the Tacoma won only four of 10 events in that Shootout, whereas the SVT Raptor won five of 10 in this one and finishing a close second in the most brutal of our 4x4 challenges. Clearly, there is a lot to like about this truck, especially as it relates to being tested and driven as an all-around four-wheeler. The Raptor does both high- and low-speed four-wheel drive quite well, and it gives the driver many different types of traction and gearing changes that should give any backcountry explorer plenty of choices to suit a wide variety of obstacles. From the judges’ point of view, the list of 4x4-prioritized technology is definitely impressive, yet the most amazing thing about this truck, especially when pushed into some serious terrain challenges, is how well the electronics (transmission, traction control, gearing, etc.) integrate with the mechanicals. Whether locking the differential in high or low range (not something many competitors can do) or switching on and off the Off-Road mode to better accommodate separate sandy hill climbs that quickly transition to steep descents, the electronic integration of all these technologies — whether for on-road or off-road use — is impressive. And until somebody makes something better (and good luck with that), we crown the Ford SVT Raptor the champion of our 2012 Ultimate 4x4 Shootout.
News Source: http://special-reports.pickuptrucks.com/2012/09/ultimate-4x4-shootout.html
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