Truck Trend's Best in Class 2008
Every Full-Size, Compact, Pickup, SUV, Minivan, and More!
By Editors of Truck Trend
It's that time of year again. We've collected the vital information on every pickup, sport/utility vehicle, crossover, and minivan and put all the data into charts for you to sift through. You won't find this information anywhere else on the planet and certainly won't get it broken down as it is in these easy-to-see head-to-head comparison categories. Every important vehicle sold in the U.S. is here, with all the pertinent specifications and prices as well as our choices in each grouping. We lean more toward those vehicles with the most capable four-wheel-drive systems, and highest tow ratings and payload capacities along with those that offer a variety of strong engines. Of course, those priorities may not be yours. That's why we've listed all this data in a single issue. If you think fuel economy or pricing is more important, you can weigh your decision accordingly and make a different choice. All pricing is from the most recent "Kelley Blue Book New Car Price Manual (Third Edition 2008 Models)" with remaining specifications taken from the most recent versions of the manufacturers' press materials. To the best of our knowledge and the best of our abilities, all the columns line up properly and the information here is correct. Of course, that does mean some mistakes may have made it through the nets. Feel free to let us know of any you've found. For now, sit back, kick your shoes off (grab a magnifying glass), and wander through the specs and pricing numbers of every vehicle a truck guy (or gal) could ever care about. And if you think of a few categories we could include in our 2009 Best In Class Awards, feel free to drop us a line. Drum roll please...join us in welcoming the Class of 2008 winners.
Classes Truck Trend's Best in Class 2008: Work Truck
Work Truck -- This class is about back-breaking heavy-duty work chores and abuse. As such, we look more closely than usual at things like price, GVWR, actual curb weight, and engine options. |
Truck Trend's Best in Class 2008: Topline Power Puller
This is the evolutionary equivalent of the biggest, baddest, meanest carnivore on the planet, but raw numbers is just one way we select winners. We've driven them all and graded them according to capability, function, and style. |
Truck Trend's Best in Class 2008: Hardcore 4x4
If there's one segment that creates the most debate (a polite term) among our judges, it's this one. Jeep has many advocates with its basic technology and long 4x4 history, as well as its impressive Rubicon off-road package. |
Truck Trend's Best in Class 2008: Midsize SUV
We've arbitrarily designated SUVs with a wheelbase over 106 (actually 106.3) inches as midsize SUVs, which makes this the largest chart we've ever assembled. In fact, there are so many entries, we've chopped this category into three separate winners. |
Truck Trend's Best in Class 2008: Ultimate Performance SUV
This segment is all about arriving and driving in style, so the money issue isn't the primary consideration. Still, you can't just charge huge amounts and not have the plush comforts to back it up and the capability to separate itself from the pretenders. |
Truck Trend's Best in Class 2008: AWD Crossover
AWD Crossover -- This growing segment should get even bigger in the next few years. For manufacturers, the trick is to make sure these crossovers don't look too much like cars, even though they're typically based off some kind of car platform. |
Truck Trend's Best in Class 2008: Minivan
You can almost hear the yelling over the loudspeaker: "Ding, ding, ding--the winner and still champion..." Yes, the Honda is still the winner of this humdrum people-mover category, mostly because of interior quality, quick throttle response, and (believe it or not) fairly good ride and handling char |
Truck Trend's Best in Class 2008: Compact Pickup
Admittedly, this segment of the auto industry hasn't been getting much love over the last few years. Prices of full-size pickups have been so competitive, salesmen are slotting buyers into bigger, stronger, more capable vehicles, sometimes for the same money. |
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Posted May 5 2008 08:24 AM by Mark Williams
Much of our time is spent traveling places to drive a given manufacturer's latest and greatest. Usually that means flying to some familiar place, staying is some familiar hotel, and more times than not driving on some... more
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Has the ever-growing pain at the pump finally gotten you thinking about giving up your V-8, seven-passenger SUV for something a little more frugal? Well you might want to get to a dealership soon, because the trade-in... more
I congratulate General Motors for being first in the pool with hybrid-powered, full-size sport/utilities. These SUVs employ a true hybrid powertrain (not like the Malibu, Aura, and previous-gen GM trucks, which use what... more
DETROIT - This is an idea whose time has come, and quickly gone. Presidential candidates John McCain (I believe he proposed it first, so he's mentioned first) and Hillary Clinton have proposed a moratorium on the federal... more
I grabbed the keys to the BMW X6 last night. By the time I got home I was wondering whether, in a quiet corner of the FIZ, BMW's giant engineering center in Munich, a bunch of engineers were crying into their weissbier... more
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Posted April 11 2008 02:33 PM by Allyson Harwood
While it would make sense for cars, trucks, and SUVs to be painted in simple colors like "red" and "blue," that's never the case. Automakers use their own brand-specific paint mixes, and each one gets its own name.... more
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Has the ever-growing pain at the pump finally gotten you thinking about giving up your V-8, seven-passenger SUV for something a little more frugal? Well you might want to get to a dealership soon, because the trade-in... more
I congratulate General Motors for being first in the pool with hybrid-powered, full-size sport/utilities. These SUVs employ a true hybrid powertrain (not like the Malibu, Aura, and previous-gen GM trucks, which use what... more
DETROIT - This is an idea whose time has come, and quickly gone. Presidential candidates John McCain (I believe he proposed it first, so he's mentioned first) and Hillary Clinton have proposed a moratorium on the federal... more
I grabbed the keys to the BMW X6 last night. By the time I got home I was wondering whether, in a quiet corner of the FIZ, BMW's giant engineering center in Munich, a bunch of engineers were crying into their weissbier... more
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Posted April 11 2008 03:38 PM by thomas_voehringer
Some trucks and SUVs have huge blindspots. Here's a technology that overcomes them. more
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Has the ever-growing pain at the pump finally gotten you thinking about giving up your V-8, seven-passenger SUV for something a little more frugal? Well you might want to get to a dealership soon, because the trade-in... more
I congratulate General Motors for being first in the pool with hybrid-powered, full-size sport/utilities. These SUVs employ a true hybrid powertrain (not like the Malibu, Aura, and previous-gen GM trucks, which use what... more
DETROIT - This is an idea whose time has come, and quickly gone. Presidential candidates John McCain (I believe he proposed it first, so he's mentioned first) and Hillary Clinton have proposed a moratorium on the federal... more
I grabbed the keys to the BMW X6 last night. By the time I got home I was wondering whether, in a quiet corner of the FIZ, BMW's giant engineering center in Munich, a bunch of engineers were crying into their weissbier... more
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Posted April 18 2008 12:09 PM by Melissa
My sunny Friday mid-morning drive yielded a lot of eye candy and beater-classics on the open road. Take a look at what caught my eye this wonderful morning. more
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Has the ever-growing pain at the pump finally gotten you thinking about giving up your V-8, seven-passenger SUV for something a little more frugal? Well you might want to get to a dealership soon, because the trade-in... more
I congratulate General Motors for being first in the pool with hybrid-powered, full-size sport/utilities. These SUVs employ a true hybrid powertrain (not like the Malibu, Aura, and previous-gen GM trucks, which use what... more
DETROIT - This is an idea whose time has come, and quickly gone. Presidential candidates John McCain (I believe he proposed it first, so he's mentioned first) and Hillary Clinton have proposed a moratorium on the federal... more
I grabbed the keys to the BMW X6 last night. By the time I got home I was wondering whether, in a quiet corner of the FIZ, BMW's giant engineering center in Munich, a bunch of engineers were crying into their weissbier... more
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