While everyone has heard of the Indy 500, the Super Bowl, and the World Series, Texas holds an equally intense annual competition. For the past 26 years, Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) members have congregated to choose the Truck of Texas. This is not an easy choice, and can’t be accomplished by just kicking tires or reading stats.
Last week, 70 journalists drove 71 vehicles (valued at nearly $4 million) both on and off road. Vehicles were evaluated in 17 categories over two days of intensive driving at the Longhorn River Ranch in Dripping Springs, Texas.
When the dust finally settled, Ford’s 2017 Super Duty was named Truck of Texas. Since Texans claim that everything there is “bigger and better,” it seems fitting that the 2016 winner is both. These mammoth trucks are not only more capable than ever before, they are also fun to drive-even for a lightweight who’s more at ease with small cars.
The auto writers were impressed by the Super Duty’s abilities. Especially impressive was its near-magical steering ability. Only the slightest nudge was required to make a sharp turn when driving through tight spaces. Taking the Super Duty trucks on the gruelling off-road trail left several writers with bumps and bruises, a reminder of how much fun they had.
Doug Scott, Ford Truck Group Marketing Manager, said, “We are honored to win the Truck of Texas award as it underscores the all-new 2017 Ford Super Duty lineup as the toughest, smartest, and most capable trucks we’ve ever built.
This prestigious award from the Texas Auto Writer’s Association further solidifies Ford’s truck leadership in Texas, where F-series continues to be the best-selling truck and builds on our momentum as the top-selling truck in the United States for 39 consecutive years.”
Ford Motor Co. was named the winner of several other categories, including Truck Line of Texas. The 2017 Ford Super Duty won Heavy Duty pickup truck, and the 2017 Ford F-150 won best powertrain for its 3.5 L EcoBoost V6 engine.
The 2017 Nissan Armada won the title of SUV of Texas, and the 2017 Volvo XC90 won CUV of Texas.
Winners in other categories included the 2017 Nissan Titan XD Single Cab as Best Commercial Vehicle, and the 2017 Nissan Titan as the Full-Size Pickup winner.
The 2017 RAM 1500 won Luxury Pickup Truck, and the 2017 RAM 2500 Power Wagon was named the top Off-Road Pickup. The 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro was named best Mid-Size Pickup, and the 2017 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, best Off-Road Utility vehicle.
Full-size Luxury SUV was the 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS; Mid-size Luxury SUV was the 2017 Jaguar F-Pace, and Full-size SUV, the 2017 Nissan Armada.
Mid-size SUV was the 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee; Compact SUV, the 2017 Jeep Cherokee; Full-size CUV, the 2016 Mazda CX-9; and Mid-size CUV, the 2016 Nissan Murano.
Compact CUV was the 2016 Jeep Renegade; and Luxury CUV, the 2017 Volvo XC90.
An award for Best Technology went to the 2017 Honda Ridgeline for their innovative in-bed audio system. Best Connectivity was awarded FCA Uconnect Access.
TAWA President Nic Phillips said, “This year’s Texas Truck Rodeo was by far the most competitive in the most categories. More than 70 member journalists put in more than the equivalent of 15 days of driving time in the competing vehicles...Ford’s all-new 2017 Super Duty and its innovative use of advanced materials, as well as improvements in powertrain and features, thoroughly impressed our journalists. Nissan was the most overall awarded brand with five category wins, including the 2017 Nissan Armada as the SUV of Texas.”
The TAWA Truck Rodeo, held October 9-11 on the 1,650 acre Longhorn River Ranch, was sponsored by Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI). For more information about TAWA, please visit www.texasautowriters.org
Jo Ann Holt is a journalist and car columnist based in Dallas and a member of Texas Automobile Writers Association (TAWA).
