Following annual tradition, the Motor Trend staff rounded up every all-new or significantly updated vehicle for the 2002 Sport/Utility of the Year competition. The eclectic group this year ranged from a car-based sport/cute to a military-derived uber-machine. All were put through the paces on Los Angeles-area roads and at the track before the all-important group drive that had the staff caravanning to Death Valley for days of highway running and good-ol' off-roading.
Between the magazine, radio, and television show, you've seen the beauty shots, heard the expert sound bites, and seen the rehearsed action. Online, we invite you to ride along with the team through this piece, in an exclusive Web-only video (coming soon), and take in the scenery and adventure behind the scenes of the SUV of the Year drive. Buckle up, it's time to get dirty...
No group trip begins without...
No group trip begins without a stockpile of road munchies, and staff dietician Scott Mead again ensured we would have good excuses to chow every 30 minutes during vehicle rotations. No wonder it's hard for us desk jockeys to shed pounds....
We stopped for a vehicle rotation...
We stopped for a vehicle rotation in the Inyo National Forest in front of the striking Mono Craters, an ashen chain of volcanic mountains formed during the ice age. Photog David Newhardt never misses an opportunity to become a speed bump while capturing a group shot.
Each stop affords an opportunity...
Each stop affords an opportunity to further scrutinize the vehicles and compare notes. Here, C. Van Tune and Chuck Schifsky examine the Chevy Trailblazer's potent Atlas inline six.
Now our Detroit muscle Jack...
Now our Detroit muscle Jack Keebler and Todd Lassa look at the Trailblazer for the sake of video. It often seems on the road trips that we do something for real, then fake it for posterity. Media magic...
John Matthius takes notes...
John Matthius takes notes on the Toyota Highlander during a periodic break for notes, refreshment, and rotation. After a couple days on the road, it becomes a challenge to scrawl unique insights on the clipboard, pushing the staff to consider every vehicle facet, again and again.
Traveling with a dozen vehicles...
Traveling with a dozen vehicles can make something as simple as a fuel stop become a project, shown here as our rolling traffic jam blows into a dusty village for gas.
One of our favorite Death...
One of our favorite Death Valley trails passes by Leadfield, a mining town that has all but disappeared. It was booming back in 1926 when a post office was established in August, but it took only till February 1927 for the post office to close and the town to die.
Photog John "Kiwi" Kiewicz,...
Photog John "Kiwi" Kiewicz, Chuck, and Van point to the spot where we buried a Motor Trend license plate for a reader contest on a past torture test expedition.
Captain Tune and Executive...
Captain Tune and Executive Officer Schifsky direct the editors for the umpteenth group shot from atop a hill overlooking Leadfield.
Among the trail highlights...
Among the trail highlights was Titus Canyon, offering a slippery river wash to negotiate and awesome cliff walls on both sides.