THIS YEARS MUDFEST WINNERS

WE INVITED ALL AUTOMAKERS WHO SELL SUVS AND CUV IS IN NORTH AMERICA TO PARTICIPATE IN MUDFEST, TO FIND WHICH ARE THE BEST AND MOST CAPABLE VEHICLES IN DEALERS TODAY.

THE AUTOMAKERS SENT US 23 VEHICLES TO TEST. WE GROUPED THEM ACCORDING TO PRICE, USABILITY AND FUNCTION. BEFORE WE TOOK THEM OUT OVER THE TEST TRACKS AT DIRTFISH RALLY SCHOOL.

THE FIRST GROUP IS THOSE COMPACT UTILITY VEHICLES. SMALLER PASSENGER CAR-BASED CROSSOVERS THAT SEAT FIVE PEOPLE. THERE WERE A LOT OF NOTABLE VEHICLES INCLUDING, THE HYUNDAI TUCSON THE MAZDA CX-5, THE SUBARU XV CROSS TRACK HIGHBRED, AFTER THE TESTS THE OVERALL WINNER IN THIS CATEGORY WAS JEEPS CHEROKEE TRAILHAWK 4 X 4.

NEXT UP FAMILY UTILITY VEHICLES, THESE ARE FULL SIZE SUV’S. THIS WAS THE LARGEST CATEGORY WITH SEVEN VEHICLES COMPETING TO BE THE BEST. INCLUDED IN THIS CATEGORY THE MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER, THE DODGE JOURNEY, THE NEW CHEVY TAHOE, THE DODGE DURANGO, AND THE KIA SORRENTO, AND AFTER TESTING THEM ALL ON THE SKIDPAD AND MILD OFF-ROAD TRACK, THE KIA SORENTO PERFORMED THE BEST FOR THE PRICE.

FOR PREMIUM VEHICLES ON A SMALLER SCALE THERE WERE ONLY TWO CONTENDERS MERCEDES GLK WITH A DIESEL ENGINE AND VOLVOS XC60. AFTER CONSIDERABLE TESTING THIS CATEGORY WAS A DRAWER

ON TO THE FULL-SIZE PREMIUM SUVS, THIS WAS A VERY TOUGH CATEGORY. THE TWO OUTSTANDING VEHICLES WERE ACURA’S MDX AND JEEP’S GRAND CHEROKEE IT WAS VERY CLOSE BUT JEEP WON BY A HAIR.

WE DID HAVE AN EXTREME CAPABILITY CATEGORY AND WITHOUT QUESTION RANGE ROVER TOOK THAT CROWN.

NOW IT’S WASN’T JUST OUR OPINION THAT CHOSE A WINNER, WE ENLISTED THE HELP OF 24 AUTOMOTIVE JOURNALISTS TO HELP US WITH THE VOTING. WE ARE ASKED EVERYBODY TO COME UP WITH WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS THE OUTDOOR ACTIVITY VEHICLE OF THE YEAR PICKING ONE VEHICLE FOR THE OVERALL WINNER. THE JEEP CHEROKEE TRAILHAWK WAS A UNANIMOUS VOTE FOR PRICE CAPABILITY AND FUEL ECONOMY.