Why? Well, for a start, I spent much of my early working life in the family building business. I therefore have a certain fondness for the trusty workhorse. Also, although I often drive the new offerings in the pickup market, it is rare that I get the opportunity to truly test them back-to-back. Usually, by the time I step into the new Ford or whatever, I've forgotten most of what I'd felt concerning the latest Dodge. Of course, that could also be a sign of old age creeping up on me as well, I guess!!!
Now obviously, a company like General Motors does not go to the expense and hard work to stage an event like this unless they believe that they have a pretty good product on offer. After all, it's a bit like taking the Cola challenge, but with even more brands thrown into the mix.
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That said, one must remember that this is an event staged by one particular truck manufacturer and that at the end of the day, the goal was for me to come away looking favorably at "their" products.
So, did it work? Do I now have a tattoo on my left buttock that reads "GM trucks rule"???
Well, as the event was staged in four sections, let's take a look at them one by one and see.
Towing and Trailering
I frequently haul trailers myself and am amazed at how a vehicle's characteristics can alter once it's attached to a drawbar. Often, a truck which handles superbly as a single unit and might lead you to believe that it would make a great tow vehicle, actually becomes a wallowing lump once coupled to a trailer. Therefore, at the end of the day, the only true test is to hook it up and see, and so that's what we did!
The outcome: I have to say that GM received my vote on this one. Comfort, Power (6L Vortex), and most of all vehicle stability made it #1 in my books. The Ford F150 (5.4L V8) was a very close second, followed by the Dodge Ram (5.7L Hemi), and last, I'm sad to say, the Toyota Tundra (5.7 V8).
To be honest, my placing of the Toyota came as somewhat of a shock to me, particularly as I have always held a certain soft spot for Toyota since I drove their Hilux trucks for work all those years ago. Simply put, I felt that the 7000lb trailer behind me was controlling the truck a little more than I wanted it to. The vehicle which handled extremely well as a solo unit became a little too light and bouncy on the rear for my liking.