It’s no secret that many of us here at LotPro.com find the idea of the average family riding around in a heavily-optioned, leather-lined, extended cab four-by-four pickup truck to be close to be the ultimate in absurdity. The closest thing most of these “air haulers” will come to off-roading is accidentally jumping a curb and riding over the well-manicured flower bed of the local shopping mall. But with the price of a gallon of gas averaging less than $3.00, many urban cowboys are once again thinking of parking a pickup in front of their own suburban Ponderosas.

What’s more, the domestic automakers desperately need the profits they reap from truck sales to fuel their R&D efforts in what they see as the soon-to-be burgeoning small car segment. And with the Asian automakers re-trenching after a very much less-than-successful assault on the full-size truck segment, the American manufacturers are poised to regain a significant share of the truck market.

Finally, to reiterate what we stated last year, there still are, and will continue to be, legitimate markets for pickups in the U.S., which is also why Ford’s latest award is so important: the biggest market for pick-em-ups in America is Texas.

2009 Truck of Texas

Everybody knows that Texas is big. But few living outside the state can really grasp just how big it really is. If you’re traveling from Beaumont in the east to El Paso in the west, you’ll cover almost 840 miles. That’s further than Salt Lake City to Los Angeles and only 50 miles less than driving from Rome, Italy to Paris, France. And remember, the whole time you’re covering all that prairie; you’re still in the same state!

Texas is also big into oil drilling, oil refining, cattle ranching, farming and construction. Knowing that, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist (although if it did there are plenty of those types to be found at the Johnson Space Center, which is just south of Houston) to see why most pickup owners in Texas are serious about their rides. Texans, in fact, are so big on trucks, that in 1992, the Texas Auto Writers Association™ founded the “Texas Truck Rodeo. ™”

This year, the “Truck Rodeo” was held October 15-18 in San Antonio, Texas with testing at the famous Knibbe Ranch. For three days 41 members of the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA™) drove 44 trucks and SUV’s in a true “working ranch” setting. In addition to the journalists, more than 60 automotive industry executives attended the event. Winners were honored in various categories, with the overall winner receiving a silver cup “traveling trophy” along with the honor of being named “Truck of Texas” and “SUV of Texas”.

According to TAWA president Harold Gunn, “’ Truck of Texas’ is really the most important award of its type in the industry. We love trucks down here, and we really use these vehicles everyday. And since we spend so much time in our vehicles, for us it’s not just about how the horse feels being towed, but how your butt feels sitting in the truck, too.”

Results of the 2009 Texas Truck Rodeo

For the seventh consecutive year, a Ford truck took top honors – this year it went to the 2010 F-150, led by the SVT Raptor Supercab. Ford also won Outstanding Feature, while Ford’s lineup of trucks also won Truck Line of Texas.

Here is a complete list of winners:

Truck of Texas – 2010 Ford F-150

SUV of Texas – 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL 350 BlueTEC

CUV of Texas – 2010 Cadillac SRX 2.8 Liter Turbo

Truck Line of Texas – Ford

Outstanding Feature – Ford Work Solutions

Full-Size Pickup Truck – 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Supercab

Mid-Size Pickup Truck – 2010 Dodge Dakota Crew Cab TRX4

Luxury Pickup Truck – 2010 Ford F-150 King Ranch SuperCrew

Heavy Duty Pickup Truck – 2010 Dodge Ram 3500

Full-Size Sport Utility Vehicle – 2010 Ford Expedition King Ranch

Mid-Size Sport Utility Vehicle – 2010 Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition

Compact Sport Utility Vehicle – 2010 Jeep Patriot Limited 4X4

Full-Size Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle – 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL 350 BlueTEC

Mid-Size Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle – 2010 Lexus R450h

Luxury Crossover Utility Vehicle – 2010 Cadillac SRX 2.8 Liter Turbo

Compact Crossover Utility Vehicle – 2010 Subaru Outback

Mid-Size Crossover Utility Vehicle – 2010 Lincoln MKX

Full-Size Crossover Utility Vehicle – 2010 Ford Flex EcoBoost

The Bottom Line

LotPro.com would like to thank Harold Gunn for his help in furnishing the details for this article and, once again, a tip of the Stetson to Ford for a job well done.

Where do you spend most of your time

Here at LotPro.com, we’re, we’re as much of a sucker as the next person when it comes to beautiful automobile designs. But while a vehicle’s exterior usually generates the most excitement, it’s actually the interior of those same cars where most of us spend our time – which is precisely why Wards AutoWorld created these awards.

“There are certain aspects we look at closely in the Interior of the Year competition, and value is just as important to us as fit-and-finish, styling, comfort and safety,” says Drew Winter, editor-in-chief of Ward’s AutoWorld magazine.

“An interior doesn’t have to be expensive to be good,” Winter says. “But it does have to convey a sense of high-quality craftsmanship and have pleasing textures and low-gloss surfaces. Electronic systems have to be intuitive and easy to use and not just focus on offering a high number of features and functions. Consumers are becoming a lot savvier about what they want inside their vehicles.”

Eleven categories

This year, 35 vehicles were nominated for the four car categories (economy-priced, popular-priced, premium-priced and sports car) and two truck categories (popular-priced and premium-priced) as well as special-achievement awards in five other areas (grooviest interior, best redesign, best graphic display, design harmony and best brand expression).

And the winners are…

Honda Fit Sport (Economy-priced car)

According to the judges, “With its ingenious second-row flexibility, ample headroom and premium materials, Honda proves an inexpensive car need not feel cheap.”

Volkswagen CC (Popular-priced car)

The judges had this to say about the CC, “In the popular-priced car category, the Volkswagen CC springs from the well-regarded Passat architecture and adds a beautifully executed interior that puts this $28,225 4-door coupe in serious competition with more expensive luxury cars.”

Acura TL (Premium-priced car)

“The all-new Acura TL, at $42, 995,” according to Wards, “delivers creamy caramel-tone leather and sporty luxury in a breathtaking combination that instantly raises Acura’s stature among upscale buyers.

Nissan 370Z Touring (Sports car)

Nissan received kudos for designing an interior that is both modern and retro: “If price is an object, the 2-seat Nissan 370Z Touring pairs a potent 332 hp with a purposeful passenger compartment that manages to be both spacious and sporty, while paying homage to famous Z cars of the past, all for $36,865.“

Dodge Ram (Popular-priced truck)

Wards felt that the new Dodge Ram was a great value for the money and that it “trumps its rival, the new Ford F-150, with a spacious, well-conceived interior that fits as well on the job site as at the soccer field.”

Ford Flex (Premium-priced truck)

“The Flex demonstrates marvelous flexibility (their pun, not ours) in a 6-passenger seating configuration that employs high-quality materials and a supremely nifty power folding function for second-row seats, allowing easy access to the third row.”

Kia Soul (Grooviest Interior)

The judges really liked the Soul’s red interior. “Priced at $18,345, the 5-passenger Soul Sport reaches out to youthful buyers with an ideal mix of comfort, quality and funkiness, with lighted door speakers that flash to the beat of the music.”

Audi A4 (Best Redesign)

Reflecting on the A4’s relationship with the rest of the Audi lineup, the panel of experts had this to say, “The all-new Audi A4 secures the German auto maker’s sterling reputation for benchmark interiors. Priced at $40,825, the new A4 exudes understated but unmistakable elegance.”

Ford Fusion Hybrid (Best Graphic Display)

The editors of the magazine “marveled at the amount of information Ford engineers managed to fit into the Fusion Hybrid’s relatively small instrument cluster above the steering wheel, all the while encouraging fuel-efficient driving with a digitally projected vine that sprouts leaves as mileage grows.”

Lexus RX 450h (Design Harmony)

According to Wards, “The RX, with its riveting asymmetrical center stack, tasteful wood steering wheel and luscious color palette, is recognized with a special-achievement award for Design Harmony.”

Cadillac CTS-V (Best Brand Expression)

Finally, the Cadillac CTS-V, “with its intoxicating styling and angular instrument panel, wins a special-achievement award for Brand Expression. Priced at $68,135 with a dizzying array of electronic gadgets, the 556-hp CTS-V is for the serious driver who craves equal amounts of performance and style.”

Why are we still writing about trucks?

Here at LotPro.com, it has always been about cars and more cars. The advent of high gas prices last summer was cause for celebration. With any luck, pickup trucks would revert to their proper place as a means of transport for farmers and construction workers, while gas-guzzling SUV’s would die a quick death. Unfortunately, the credit mess caused the entire automotive world to come crashing down on itself and at the end of the year, the Ford F-150 was still the best-selling nameplate in the U.S.

That being said, it seems like we have spent an inordinate amount of time writing about the new F-150, while the Dodge Ram has languished in the shadows. So when the new pick-em-up from Auburn Hills received Truckin’ Magazine’s TOTY award, we figured “what the heck”.

So here, in all its glory, is the news release from Chrysler:

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Jan. 6 / – The game-changing all-new 2009 Dodge Ram continues to win praise by consumers and media. The all-new Dodge Ram was named 2009 Truck of the Year in the current issue of Truckin’ magazine.

“It’s an honor to have Truckin’ magazine recognize our all-new 2009 Dodge Ram with this significant award,” said Scott Kunselman, Vice-President Jeep(R)/Truck Product Team, Chrysler LLC. “This award speaks loudly about the design and capability of our Dodge Ram along with its benchmark interior and unmatched ride and handling.”

1994 Ram

“Overall, the sleek design represented the most dramatic change in Ram design since the ’94’s love-it-or-leave-it big-rig look, and we think it’s a hit,” said Bob Ryder, Senior Tech Editor, Truckin’. “The Dodge Boys have really done their homework on this one. The quality of materials, including wood trim, chrome accents, and leather, is miles ahead of the previous generation, and really makes the Dodge look luxurious.”

Ram Box

The all-new 2009 Dodge Ram includes the first-in-segment RamBox(TM) cargo management system that includes versatile, weatherproof, lockable, illuminated, drainable storage bins, pickup bed dividers, a 2-foot bed extender, and a cargo rail system with sliding adjustable cleats. The 2009 Ram also includes the first-in-segment coil-spring, five-link rear suspension fitted to a solid rear axle providing ride and handling not found on any other pickup truck. A new 5.7-liter HEMI(R) V-8 engine with fuel-saving MDS technology provides more horsepower (390 hp) and torque (407 lb.-ft.) and its best-in-class aerodynamics — .387 Cd — helps improve fuel economy and performance.

In addition, the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram includes first-in-segment, factory-installed 4-inch dual exhaust styled dramatically into the rear bumper, first-in-segment store-in-the-floor storage bins with nearly twice as many bins (42) than the previous model (26) and 35 safety and security technologies. Standard features include side-curtain air bags and Electronic Stability Program (ESP) which includes all-speed traction control, trailer sway control, hill-start assist and anti-lock brake system (ABS). Significantly upgraded interiors with segment-first surround-sound audio system and live SIRIUS Backseat TV(TM) round out the interior.

Recently, the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 Crew Cab earned 5-star ratings for driver- and front-passenger protection in a frontal crash, the highest ratings in the U.S. government’s safety crash test program.

In addition to winning Truckin’ magazine’s Truck of the Year, the all-new Dodge Ram has picked up several key awards since its introduction:

  — Ward’s AutoWorld - Ward’s 10 Best Engines of 2009 (2009 Dodge Ram 5.7
HEMI engine)

– Texas Auto Writer’s Association (TAWA) - 2009 Full-Size Pickup Truck of
Texas

– Edmunds.com - Inside Line Editors Most Wanted 2009

– Autobytel.com – 2009 MyRide/Autobytel Editor’s Choice Awards - Truck of
the Year

– Maxim - Achievement in Party-Enabling Technology (RamBox)

– Automotive Journalist Association of Canada - Best New Pickup

– Sobre Ruedas - Sobre Ruedas Best Pickup Truck for ‘08

NACOTY and NATOTY awards

Patterned after the European “Car of the Year” award, the North American awards were first given in 1994. The jury is composed of no more than 50 journalists from the United States and Canada. In order to be eligible for consideration, a vehicle must be “substantially changed” from the previous model and be on sale shortly after the announcement of the award in early January. In addition:

•    Cars must have reasonably foreseeable annual sales in North America of 5,000 vehicles.

•    Trucks must have reasonably foreseeable annual sales in North America of 2,000 vehicles.

The three finalists are announced in December and the winners are unveiled at a press conference at the beginning of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit (although the show does not sponsor the awards in any way).

Award trivia: During its sixteen years, hybrids have been honored 4 times. Domestic automakers have garnered eight awards, Japanese automakers have won the award three times and European automakers have received the award four times (for Car of the Year). In the Truck of the Year competition, domestic automakers have taken the award home 9 times, Japanese automakers have won 4 times, while European automakers have won twice.

This year’s finalists are:

Car of the Year

 Ford Flex

Hyundai Genesis

Volkswagen Jetta TDI

Truck of the Year

Dodge Ram

Ford F-150

Mercedes-Benz ML320 BlueTEC

One for the money

On Wednesday of this week, Kelley Blue Book announced that the 2009 Ford F-150 pickup truck was named by the company as the Best Redesigned Vehicle for 2009. Five years ago, the F-150 won the first award given out by Kelley and this year marks the first time, ever, for a repeat winner.

In taking the award, the F-150 beat out 9 other re-designs: the Acura TL and TSX, Audi A4, Dodge Ram, Honda Fit, Mazda6, Nissan Maxima and Murano as well as the Subaru Forester.

According to Jack Nerad, executive editorial director for Kelley, “”We were so impressed with the 2009 Ford F-150, we’d go so far as to say it isn’t just a great truck, it’s a step forward for what a vehicle can be. Imagine a truck that can help you keep track of your tools and keep you aware of where your employees are, and you can see that the new F-150 brings with it world-class innovation.”

Two for the show

While Kelley was bestowing its honors in the U.S., two other events across the pond bestowed honors on the Transit Connect, a vehicle Ford unveiled at this year’s Chicago Auto Show and one we’ll see here in the middle of 2009.

On December 8th, the U.K.’s Association of Car Fleet Operators gave their top commercial vehicle award to the Transit Connect van. This marks the sixth consecutive year it has won this award.

Two days later, Britain’s leading van magazine, What Van? honored the Transit Connect with its security award for a light van, the seventh time the Ford van has received the award.

The Bottom Line

Here at LotPro.com, we know that trucks aren’t sexy. But there are two things that need to be remembered about these vehicles: historically, the F-150 has contributed greatly to Ford’s bottom line. Even in a depressed economy, sales of the new model look to keep the company afloat even as Nissan stops building trucks and Toyota struggles to break into the market.

Secondly, the Transit Connect represents Ford’s next great step: bringing the goodness of driving dynamics and space efficiency over from Europe and introducing both to the U.S. market.

15th year of awards program

2009 marks the 15th year of Wards Automotive Magazine’s 10 Best Engines list. Not only is this the North American auto industry’s only award of its kind, it is, according to Wards, “considered by many to be the ‘Oscars” for automotive engines.”

This year, six of the magazine’s editors nominated a total of 32 different engines and the list consisted of last year’s winners plus all-new engines as well as those that had received significant improvement over a previous design. In order to qualify, each engine must be available in a regular-production U.S.-specification model scheduled to be on-sale no later than the end of the first quarter of 2009. Vehicles the engines are available in are given a price ceiling of $54,000 in a price cap formula that is indexed to the average cost of a new vehicle.

So without further ado, the winners are (in alphabetical manufacturer’s order)

Audi 2.0 liter TFSI turbocharged DOHC I-4 (A4 Avant)
Freshly revamped with 211 hp and 258 lb.-ft. of torque for the new A4, this marks a fourth consecutive 10 Best for Audi’s turbocharged 4.

BMW 3.0 liter turbocharged DOHC I-6 (135i Coupe)
The twin-turbocharged, direct-injected gasoline I-6 returns for a third year with 300 hp and 300 lb.-ft. of torque.

BMW 3.0 liter turbodiesel (335d)
A sequential twin-turbocharger system delivers impressive fuel economy as well as 265 hp and a stump-pulling 425 lb.-ft. of torque.

Chrysler 5.7 liter Hemi OHV V-8 (Dodge Ram/Challenger R/T)
The Hemi returns with more refinement, power (376 hp) and variable-valvetrain and induction technology.

Ford 2.5 liter DOHC I-4 HEV (Escape Hybrid)
A redesigned Atkinson cycle 4-cylinder engine with intake variable cam timing (iVCT) enables spark and cam timing to be varied according to engine load for optimal fuel efficiency.

General Motors 3.6 liter DOHC V-6 (Cadillac CTS)
Equipped with direct-gasoline injection, the second appearance for this advanced V-6 was tested in the CTS (it also appears in GM’s CUVs) and delivers 304 hp using regular grade gasoline.

Honda 3.5 liter SOHC V-6 (Accord Coupe)
This Honda V-6 with 271 hp and 254 lb.-ft. of torque is individually tailored for the Accord coupe and sedan. 4 doors will give you the version with cylinder deactivation technology for fuel economy while in the coupe, sans deactivation, it’s designed to deliver a fatter torque curve.

Hyundai 4.6 liter DOHC V-8 (Genesis)
The automaker’s first V-8 produces 375 hp and 333 lb.-ft. of torque. It features a die-cast block, 2-stage intake manifold and continuously variable valve timing for both intake and exhaust.

Toyota 3.5 liter DOHC V-6 (Lexus IS 350)
Toyota wins a fourth consecutive award with this V-6 that employs a combination direct and port-injection fuel system that helps this engine produce 306 hp and 277 lb.-ft. of torque.

Volkswagen 2.0 liter SOHC I-4 Turbodiesel (Jetta TDI)
VW’s newest turbodiesel is certified in all 50 states and produces 140 hp and 236 lb.-ft. of torque. Boasting EPA figures of 30 city/41 highway, this compression ignition engine makes for a much more entertaining alternative to most hybrids.

Truck Sales in the Land of $4 Gas

It’s no secret that many of us here at LotPro.com find the idea of the average family riding around in a heavily-optioned, leather-lined, gas-guzzling extended cab four-by-four pickup truck to be a special form of lunacy. The closest thing many of these “air haulers” will come to off-roading is accidentally jumping a curb and riding over the well-manicured lawn of the local shopping mall. For evidence of how far the pickup has strayed from its original intent, one has only to look at the precipitous decline in sales this summer that was the direct result of skyrocketing fuel prices. With gas prices nudging $4 per gallon, the wannabees fled the market – leaving only those who really needed a truck as the customers that were driving them off dealer lots in the second half of the year.

And while the market has rebounded somewhat from this summer’s truck sales debacle, it appears as though the sales numbers for these vehicles will never reach the same heights again. But lost in the roller coaster ride of sales in the past year are two simple facts; Fact number one: there still are, and will continue to be, legitimate markets for pickups in the U.S. Fact number two: The biggest market for pickups in America is Texas.

2008 Truck of Texas

Texas is big. No doubt about it. If you’re traveling from Beaumont in the east to El Paso in the west, you’ll cover almost 840 miles. That’s further than Salt Lake City to Los Angeles and only 50 miles less than driving from Rome, Italy to Paris, France. And the whole time you’re driving in the same state!

Texas is also in the oil drilling business, the oil refining business, cattle ranching, farming and construction. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist (which Texas has plenty of) to see why most pickup owners in Texas are serious about their trucks. Texans are so big on trucks, in fact, that in 1992, the Texas Auto Writers Association™  (TAWA™) founded the “Texas Truck Rodeo. ™”

The Truck Rodeo is held the third weekend of October and, for three days, members of  TAWA drive trucks and SUV’s on on-road and off-road courses. Winners are honored in various categories, with the overall winner receiving a silver cup “traveling trophy” along with the honor of being named “Truck of Texas” and “SUV of Texas”.

According to TAWA president Harold Gunn, “’ Truck of Texas’ is really the most important award of its type in the industry. We love trucks down here, and we really use these vehicles everyday. And since we spend so much time in our vehicles, for us it’s not just about how the horse feels being towed, but how your butt feels sitting in the truck, too.”

2009 Ford F-150

Ford Sweeps Top Awards

For the sixth consecutive year, a Ford truck has won top honors – this year it went to the new 2009 F-150. Ford also won CUV and SUV of Texas, while Ford’s lineup of trucks also won Truck Line of Texas.

Here is a complete list of winners:

TRUCK OF TEXAS – 2009 FORD F-150

SUV OF TEXAS – 2008 FORD EXPEDITION KING RANCH

CUV OF TEXAS – 2009 FORD FLEX

TRUCK LINE OF TEXAS – FORD

OUTSTANDING FEATURE – DODGE RAM BOX

FULL-SIZE PICKUP TRUCK – 2009 DODGE RAM 1500, LARAMIE 4X4

MID-SIZE PICKUP TRUCK – 2009 TOYOTA TACOMA D-CAB 4X4

LUXURY PICKUP TRUCK – 2009 FORD F-150 KING RANCH

HEAVY DUTY PICKUP TRUCK -  FORD F-350 CABELA’S EDITION

FULL-SIZE SPORT UTILITY VEHICLE – 2009 GMC 2WD YUKON HYBRID

MID-SIZE SPORT UTILITY VEHICLE – 2008 FORD EXPLORER

COMPACT SPORT UTILITY VEHICLE – 2009 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA XSPORT

FULL-SIZE LUXURY SPORT UTILITY VEHICLE-2009 CADILLAC ESCALADE HYBRID

MID-SIZE LUXURY SPORT UTILITY VEHICLE -2009 MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 BlueTEC

LUXURY CROSSOVER UTILITY VEHICLE – 2008 LINCOLN MKX

COMPACT CROSSOVER UTILITY VEHICLE – 2009 SUBARU FORESTER 2.5X

MID-SIZE CROSSOVER UTILITY VEHICLE – 2009 MAZDA CX-9

FULL-SIZE CROSSOVER UTILITY VEHICLE – 2009 FORD FLEX

The Bottom Line

There are still markets out there where a pickup truck is more than a status symbol. So from LotPro.com, a tip of the Stetson to TAWA and to Ford for a job well done.