They picked them for their January, 2013 edition.
The winner is the Jeep w/ the Rubicon Package.
No.2 was the Ford w/ the Raptor Package. The best pickup package out there for 4 wheeling.
No.3 was the Dodge w/ the Power Wagon Package. Voted the best 3/4 ton 4WD.
Last place at #7, was the Nissan Xterra Pro-4X. #6 was the Toyota 4Runner Trail. #5 was the 12 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X. And No.4 was the 2012 Toyota Tacoma TRD T/X Baja Series.
Some pretty cool vehicles. Prices running anywhere from about $30,000, for the Xterra Pro, and the Jeep Rubicon to about $42,000 for a Power Wagon or a Raptor.
While I'm sure Consummer Reports won't say much good about some of these choices, the article struck me as pretty good food for thought.
What'ca think ? E

What didn't they like about the Nissan Xterra Pro-4X that was so much better on the pick-up (Frontier) ? I'm assuming they both had the 4.0 V-6.

In notice GM is never in the running.

Its nothing but a handle full of staffed people's biased and prejudiced opinions with a hypothesis that is determined to be the outcome before the testing/research begins.

The Peterson's rag didn't any of these three as their top picks... Like FAIR CHASE said, biased opinions of guys with computers.... Kinda like here...

You guys need to read the article to see what they are driving at.
This is about packages on 4WD's that make them perform better in various off road situations.
The Dodge Power Wagon won because it has features no GM product has. Not Dodge pickups in general, the Dodge Power Wagon pickup.
The Ford Raptor beat it, the Power Wagon, because it matched and exceeded the Power Wagon's performance off road.
And the little Jeep Rubicon beat both of those because it can go places they can't.
Granted not many hunters need the last word in 4WD capability. But it's nice to know who makes what in a potential hunting vehicle for off road use.
Now, if you want to buy a GM product and modify it for better off road use, you'll find that 4Wheeler runs plenty of artiles about doing just that. Not just new stuff but old stuff as well. Usually these articles are about people who own such vehicles and have paid their own money to make'em what they want. Trust me, GMC is well represented. E

There has been no doubt for several years that the Rubicon is the THE most capable factory off road vehicle made. Dual selectable lockers go along way in helping, but the solid axle set up is what makes it king. I love my Suburban, but Jeep is the onlly manufacturer that really listens to what consumers want, and their production can barely keep up with sales. You can't say that about ANY other production 4x4.

They reported that the air bags on the Xterra deployed when they put it through some sort of back and forth testing.. The pickup also climbed their "loose hill" test better. Worked better on their stair climb. Picked it's way over the rocks more easily, etc. They both had the V-6.
For the Xterra, they said it would have rated higher if the side air bags hadn't deployed.
They liked the pickup, saying "It's true the Frontier didn't excite us in any large way, but we really couldn't find fault with it either. Overall it is a great choice as a daily driver that sees weekend use...... "
It was the cheapest vehicle to make the top 7, BTW. E

Thanks Eremicus. I always kinda liked the Xterra package and I owned one of the previous generation models with the smaller V-6 (3.3 L V-6) and thought it was under powered and the limited slip diff sucked. When they came out the generation similar to the tested model that had the 4.0 V-6 and a rear locker, I took one for a street "test" and thought that the improvements were huge. IIRC, the power upgrade was almost 100 hp over what I had and I believe the tranny went to a 4 or 5 speed auto over the previous 3 speed ( with overdrive). Just a nice simple compact SUV without a bunch of BS whistles and bells.

Tacoma ?

They had a Baja package Tacoma at 4th place. They summed it up by saying "Raptor fun w/o Raptor price. Their tested Raptor came in at $42,570. The Tacoma w/ thre Baja Package was $35,255. Fuel mileage is far better with the Baja Tacoma.
They also commented that larger tires and a little more lift would help. But, all in all, it handles typical off road challenges well. That and it "begs to go fast." Or it's "85% of the Raptor." E

Sounds like a pretty interesting article. Thanks for sharing, I think I will go see if I can spot that issue.

My 2006 4Runner has an "RSCA" switch, which allows me to turn off the Rollover Side Curtain Airbags on rough terrain in case the vehicle lists too far to one side or another. It looks like the Xterra could use such a switch, too.

we have an 07 4.0L Auto, makes a great wifemobile and has been a great family car, it does great in the snow and the traction control works great once you get used to how it works, one thing I hate about it is the back doors, it works great for the car seat but me and my screwed up back have a hell of a time getting out

This is #1 with me. My 2012 TRD Off Road. Didn't see any reason for the Baja. I added 265 85 16's and sliders on the side, Bilstien 5100's and a 3 leaf pack on the rear.

Thats a nice truck.

Do these "packages" offer any savings over buying a standard rig and equipping it with quality off-road capable accessories? Seems like a lot of money for a catchy name like power wagon or baja. mtmuley

Yes, if, and that's a big if, they are just what you want and need.
For instance, we have the Toyota TRD, Off Road that you see above that suits well enough for many. No point in buying the Baja package.
But, when it comes to heavy duty pickups, the Dodge Power Wagon has more capability than does the Ford Raptor. Neither has much in the way of good gas mileage. But a Ford pickup with the Eco-Boost V-6 can give one both real power and economy. It, with selected options got some votes by the staff of 4Wheeler over the Power Wagon in this last year's top 4WD truck evaluations.
From such a point, it would be the cost of after market options and their installation charges. But even that assumes you are getting a complete package designed and engineered to work in harmony with what is already there. With a factory package, that is not a problem. E

Yep. You get badazz stickers!

Truck looks great, what did you set your Bilsteins at?

The Nissan front diff will totally grenade, housing and all, if you flog it. You can snap a CV axle on a Tacoma for sure, but that is field repairable with a spare part. No Nissan for me.

At the highest setting. I could have maybe set the fronts down a notch. But I wanted to make sure I had plenty of fender clearance for the taller tires.

I ordered this truck with a 6 speed.

What was the difference in costs between your upgrades and the Baja Package on a Tacoma ? E

I bought my truck through the Costco program. I figure there is at least 4k to 5k difference between it and the Baja.

I also added BMAF sliders, of which I really like. I had them welded to the frame.

BAMF makes some kick butt sliders! I got a set for my son's '07 Tacoma and liked them so much, I ordered a set for my '12. Mine are gonna get installed either Friday or next week (waiting to hear back from the welder...). We got ours powder coated...







Also got the hi-lift jack and mounts:



And did the 7-pin relocated under an aftermarket flip-up license plate for both trucks. Both trucks are also equipped with rear air bags - fill nozzles located under the license plate by the relocated 7-pin:



Son's truck has Bilstein 5100's set at 1.75", my truck I went w/ the Eibach coils and 0 setting on the 5100's for total lift of 1.6".

Very capable, reliable trucks! It's easy to get lost playing around modifying them.

David

Prices seem way too low to me.

i love the rubicon but comparing its offroad capabilities with any pickup is really apples to oranges. the wheelbase, type of suspension and ground clearance are key differentiators. better to compare pickup to pickup and jeep to other similiar vehicles. but the rubicon will still come out in front. its purpose built for offroading.

Silly that they didn't include the FJ Cruiser 4x4 - which is what Toyota touts as their most capable off-road vehicle.

SU35 - Sweet looking rig!! I like it!!

Eric

They included two Toyotas which tested better. E

Yeah but you have to have a dodge to get em. Nobody wants a Dodge.

My Raptor has served me extremely well.

How come the FJ Cruiser wasn't in the mix?

FOsteology,
I always wondered what a Raptor would look like WITHOUT the silly simulated dirt decals. The real dirt is a big improvement.

I like the looks of your truck.

I don't know. You might try going to their website, and seeing if they tested one and what they thought of it. E

I'm not a serious off-roader; I just use my 4X4 Tacoma off-road for fishing and hunting. The off-roaders I know, though, hold the FJ in pretty high esteem.

It is largely a matter of taste. I prefer to start with a Ford F-350 diesel and then you don't have to add anything to make it stout or look cool. It gets 24 mpg and hauls a ton of stuff. It has no donkey crap add-ons.

I never did either, till I wised up and Chevy dropped their trucks till they're practically low-riders.

Never been, or will be a Ford guy.

I like Dodge trucks....almost as much as I like making fun of em.

Yours is pretty bad ass, I'll give ya that.

I can't stand it when the auto magazines compare vehicles and rank them. They typically are comparing apples to oranges, and then rank them based on a feature that is used 1% of the time. Absolutely silly. I stopped reading the magazines in the 90s when they ranked the Ford Ranger higher than the Tacoma based on things like road noise and fuel mileage. Little consideration was given to offload capability or longevity.
Out of the group tested, I would take the Power Wagon over the others in a landslide based on overall usefulness, payload, towing, etc... If I'm just traveling off road I'll tow my Yamaha Rhino, or '52 Willys. YMMV.

fixed it for you.

Both of you guys really need to read the article. They point out the strong and weak points, and say why they picked one over the other. The fact that you may choose to rate them differently, is always your call. For instance, the Dodge Power Wagon can carry far more in it's bed than can the Ford Raptor. If that's important to you, then which rates best to you is odvious.
Likewise, if you need a 3/4 ton truck, odviously the Jeep Rubicon is not going to work.
In other words, it's a good source for reference information.
In their latest contest for Pickup Truck of the Year, they rated the new Dodge 1500 4WD over the Toyota Tacoma Baja. While I can see why they did so, there is no way I'd buy the 1/2 Dodge over the Baja packaged Tacoma. And I'm a huge Dodge fan. E

We must also keep in mind what we actually intend to do with the vehicles. Will it be a daily driver? Will we be racking up a lot of miles each year and thus have to run an all-terrain tire instead of a true offroad tire. Does it have to carry a lot of gear or people? Is it going to cost too much to actually use it like you may want to? Is your offroading in rocky areas or flat and muddy locations? Are you interested in fun or just trying to get there and back without breaking anything?


There are loads of questions that we have to ask ourselves when selecting a 4x4 to meet our own personal needs. I was considering how to best equip myself with a presentable-looking work truck that would also do double-duty around the camp, which involves mud as the main obstacle. I didn't want to run mud tires on my daily driver and have found fullsize trucks to be a bit cumbersome for real woods-work. I wound up just keeping my F150 4x4 with BFG AT's as my daily driver and then picked up an older, used Toyota with mud tires for camp/hunting duty. My father does the same. Your work truck stays presentable much more of the time, without mud and blood all over, and your reall off-road truck is much more capable. Yes, I pay insurance on two vehicles, but I love pulling up in my Ford after work and basically hopping straight into my muddy little Toyota without having to transfer a bunch of gear to go hunting. I grab my rifle and backback and go. And it really does go, relative to a full-size truck. Plus, you do have a spare vehicle if one has to go in the shop or your wife needs to use your pickup. Two of my least glamourous purchases over the last few years have been an old 4-Runner and a deer camp that adjoins my property, but I get more use and enjoyment out of those two items than nearly anything else I own. Just my two cents, for what it's worth. I'm not about to buy a $30k-$50k new ride and use/abuse it like I need to, then have to clean it up to meet a client the next day. No thanks....

Because they wanted a Dodge to win.

For "fourwheeling" I term I have never liked, the list is fine. For working out in the bush or a long truck supported hunting trip, I will take an F-350 Ford diesel any day. Better ride, better mileage, and it will out last everything on the list by 2-3 times. A big truck has room.

I know this is the Internet and all, but really?!?!

If I ever hit the lottery I'm going to have these guys build me a hunting rig.
www.legacypowerwagon.com/Legacy-Power-Wagon-4-Door_p_13.html

Those are fantastic little trucks. I bought one in 2006. It was great off road and very comfortable around town. Nice looking too!

I had to part with mine in 2009 because of a serious financial setback due to the recession. I've been making do with a hooptie 2003 Ford 4WD/AWD Explorer ever since. It's gravel road rated. :^)

My situation has greatly improved. About 3 weeks ago I went to the Jeep dealership and ordered a Wrangler Sport! I'm kind of excited about it. Never owned a Jeep before. The waiting is hard but it'll be just like I want it.

Here's a pic of my Tacoma the day I finished installing the lift with the tire and wheel package.

It was never that clean again.

Terry

Nice tacoma. What are the specs on the tires & wheels?

The tires were Mickey Thompson 285/70R16 MTZ's. The wheels were Mickey Thompson too but I can't remember the name. Some sort of bling mock bead lock. They didn't do anything but didn't hurt anything either. The truck had a 3" lift.

Glad it works for you, it doesn't for me. Good thing the company is paying for the fuel & repairs on the 7.3 Powerstroke I'm driving. It has gone 70K without any major repairs, the first 80, not so well.

A friend has the crewcab F-250 diesel 4X4. It may last forever but it doesn't do well at all in the mud. It's just too heavy. Nice truck though.

Those big Ford diesels don't seem to fare well in the snow either. Or any big diesel it seems. mtmuley

I bet the honda ridgeline didn't get invited...

Is it a good truck? I sat in one at a carshow once and really liked what I saw.

I really like mine-been through some rough stuff in the past and never been stuck. do a youtube search and you will be suprised at what this "soccer mom" truck is capable of.

Dave

hwg,
Diesel engines typically go 400,000 miles. Some go a million miles.

I was just Bustin' on you a little bit. I understand the longevity of the basic Diesel engine, but from what I have seen from the power strokes, you'll need to replace a lot of ancillary parts to keep them going. Injector pumps, injectors, flywheels, and turbos immediately come to mind. The truth is, as long as you want to keep replacing parts, they will all stay going forever.

That is what a lot of people around here do for recreation.

I see a lot of nice brand new 'off road' vehicles around town, but I see damn few in the woods.
Last year, a friend showed up with his new mega expensive Raptor, but was afraid to take it trail riding. Terrified of getting a scratch.
I'll just stick with my 25 year old 4 cylinder Toyota 4Runner. Goes anywhere I want to go, long ago paid for, and I am NOT afraid to get it scratched or dirty.

The big trucks don't have great traction when they are empty. Neither do the small and medium trucks. Put some weight in the bed and they are really good.