When a true truck comparison test takes place,
there are many various locations where the trusty vehicles are best put to
their duties. Supercars need to experience the excitement and heart-pumping
action of the track, SUVS need to head abruptly off-road, and when it comes to
trucks, the harder the work at hand, the better. In the very scenic Farm
Sanctuary located in both Watkins Glen, New York and north of Los Angeles, this
location is offered up on a silver platter, with plenty of opportunities to
show strength and vigor. This is where the staff of Motor Trend made
sure that they provided a well-emulated day for these trucks, and see if claims
of durability are solid.
This is a valuable and heart-warming organization:
they specialize in saving farm animals from abuse. Chickens, pigs, lambs,
goats, cows, horses, and more of the valuable species that right here on many
farms around Knoxville. Before the not-so-light duties began, the good point
was made that many of today's pickups in the mid-size range are more capable
than many full-size pickups were as recently as two decades ago. So the mid-sizes
were the choice on deck to be brought out to the test, and the winner was going
to be the one that worked the hardest on the farm, while also feeling natural
to drive in the city.
The group first noticed that the Honda Ridgeline
was the only unibody pickup in the crew, designed for the driver that craves
utility but also is after the comfort offerings of a crossover. It's 280-hp
3.5-liter V6 was the only non-4WD contender for this contest on the farm, and
there are admittedly some nice advantages its packages has over the others. With
knobby tires and sheet metal that is squared-off, the Tacoma TRD Off-road on
deck was literally the opposite of the Honda in all ways. It's true that this
solid competitor has a reputation for long-lasting durability and excellence,
and the testing model was a 3.5-liter V-6 mated to a 6-speed automatic.
Our beloved Colorado Z71 was the winner of
back-to-back Truck of the Year awards in 2015 and 2016, and its V-6 was the
most powerful engine of the bunch, cranking out 308 horsepower. The Ford Ranger
that was “brought out to the trough” literally during this event incorporated
the use of the 2.3-liter turbocharged I-4 that was borrowed from the
muscle-bound and speedy Mustang. As the race was now really on to see which
truck fared the best when put to pasture duty, features editor Scott Evans
claimed that “Toyota does win all the style points,” absolutely looking the
part inside and out.
The cabin of the Tacoma seemed a bit
higher-quality off the bat, but the confines seem cramped as well. It proved to
be very difficult to find a comfortable driving position in the rock-hard
seats, which don't do much in the way of lowering or raising. The ride
experienced while putting the Tacoma to the test was a bit stiff, and the
brakes proved to be overly sensitive as well. This made for a ride quality that
seemed a bit punishing, and said revving also was always in the high zone.
The Ford Ranger XLT was challenged with some
suspension issues as well: the ride had such a soft characteristic, that it
made the truck bounce perpetually. Every single bump hit, closing of a door, or
turn made the Ford sway with the memorable properties of “a cheap motel's
vibrating bed.” The crew later discovered that the ride could have been made
much better with Ford's special brand of off-road package, but the overall
characteristics were very under sprung, and all-over-the-place busy. One
quality that the customers of today definitely do NOT want is one that throws
the driver around, constantly doling out shots much like a rickety wooden
roller coaster on Coney Island.
The prized Chevy Colorado
was the “Goldilocks of the group,” and the chief testing editor lamented that
he should have known it was still so far ahead in terms of ride and overall
refinement. It is still much like a truck, but also very well-behaved on roads
that encounter next-to-no maintenance. The powertrain felt very peppy, and the
transmission had a great amount of response compared to the Toyota. The task of
unloading at the hay feeder was easy with the Colorado, by means of the ingenious
bumper-mounted bed step that makes it easier to hop in and begin unloading. The
reason why the Colorado aced this test with flying colors was its functional
bed, amount of available power, and ability to offer a button-downed ride on
the daily: We are excited about yet another badge of excellence for our
mid-sized staple of might!
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