Numbers From Head-to-Head Light-Duty Shootout Add Up in Favor of Ford
CHICAGO, Nov. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- PickupTrucks.com, an authoritative website for pickup truck news and information, has named the Ford F-150 its Best Overall Half-Ton Pickup. The F-150 earned this title in the website's annual shootout, which this year pitted the latest batch of half-ton trucks against each other in a head-to-head matchup to determine which was the best for everyday use. In a close race, the F-150 took home the victory against the Chevrolet Silverado, Toyota Tundra, Dodge Ram, GMC Sierra and Nissan Titan.
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Each year, PickupTrucks.com selects the trucks and truck segments that have changed the most, then puts those trucks head-to-head in tests that reflect how the trucks will be used by most consumers. This year, the Shootout asked each truck manufacturer to supply similarly configured trucks with a crew cab, four-wheel-drive and the largest V-8 engine available. Trim level was up to the manufacturer, and all manufacturers were informed of the other truck specs prior to the event.
This year's trucks were tested at the Milan Dragway in Milan, Mich., for level-ground acceleration and towing tests. The trucks were also tested on public roads for fuel economy and general driving impressions, and at GM's Milford Proving Grounds for hard-core, uphill trailer-towing tests, as well as offroad, autocross, traction control and brake tests. To compile the results, PickupTrucks.com selected well-known automotive engineering and consulting firm Ricardo Inc. to instrument each of the vehicles and ensure performance tests were executed identically and without bias. The best truck in the segment was selected based upon performance in all areas.
"Our testing system combines hard performance data from Ricardo and subjective assessments from our team of experts, like feature usability and driving comfort," said PickupTrucks.com editor Mike Levine. "We believe our scoring system reflects how core truck buyers drive and evaluate their half-ton pickups during everyday use."
This year, the Ford F-150 is the 2008 PickupTrucks.com Shootout Best Overall Half-Ton Pickup.
"The only thing this truck was missing was a powerful V-8," Levine said. "It finished last in two of the three pure-power towing tests, but the rest of the truck's performance and packaging was nearly perfect. It took top spots in our timed ride-and-handling and fuel economy tests, and offered value and features the other trucks couldn't compete with -- like trailer-sway control, which can manage the trailer's brakes, and excellent loaded ride quality."
The Chevrolet Silverado was a close second. It was so dominating in the power and pulling tests that it barely lost to the better-featured, better-riding F-150. If the Silverado had improved its fuel economy performance to even the middle of the pack rather than last place, it would have won this contest.
The Toyota Tundra finished in third, the Dodge Ram in fourth, the GMC Sierra in fifth and the Nissan Titan in sixth. To see more detailed results and calculations, visit www.PickupTrucks.com.
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