The International Motor Press Association goes back to the Pocono Raceway for their 2006 Test Fest

(Photo: Kevin ''Crash'' Corrigan)

This was my first time attending the IMPA Test Fest which is organized annually by the International Motor Press Association. The event takes place in the Pocono region of Pennsylvania over a two day period and has been designed to allow automotive journalists to experience a wide array of vehicles in a short space of time.

Day one: The off-road course.

The first day was spent experiencing a range of 4WD vehicles on an off-road course which was sponsored by Land Rover North America. The company had brought in a team of experts to set out the course and to instruct, where necessary. This team was headed up by Mr. Bob Burns, whose name is almost legendary in the 4x4 adventure world.

(Photo: Kevin ''Crash'' Corrigan)

As not all 4WD vehicles are created equal, the course was divided into three levels and colored markers directed drivers as to the route to take according to the capabilities of the vehicle they were driving. I was suitably impressed with all of the vehicles which I drove that day but I shall mention a few that I feel worthy of note.

The Land Rover products operated superbly, especially when you had someone like Bob sitting next to you handing out advice. The only thing, which, on occasion, caused them slight difficulties was the road-biased tires which the company fits as standard to all their models.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Isuzu I-370 crew cab 4WD pick-up which is also sold under the Chevrolet Colorado banner. Pickups, because of their lack of weight on the rear, are not traditionally known for their off-road capabilities. Yet, this mid sized utility model crawled over the terrain as well as most of the SUV's. Alas, the Isuzu is not offered in Canada, which is a shame as it appears an excellent workhorse for the money.

(Photo: Kevin ''Crash'' Corrigan)

Volkswagen's Touareg model was extremely impressive, especially when you consider that the design is basically that of a crossover SUV.

The Toyota FJ Cruiser handled the course with relative ease and reinforced my belief that this vehicle is possibly the most value-for-money off-road capable SUV available today.

My favorite vehicle of the day was, without a doubt, the Hummer H3. This was the first time I had driven the H3 and as it is the smallest of the Hummer brand, I had not expected much in the way of off-road prowess. I'll be honest, I was totally amazed at how well the vehicle performed. It went everywhere that the LR products did and with such ease, that on occasion, it appeared to be almost laughing at the course.

My conclusion at the end of the day was amazement at just how much the off-road world has changed. With electronic traction control on almost every vehicle nowadays, the need to charge around the countryside is long gone. Today's modern traction control systems replace the need for momentum and wheel spin is reduced to almost zero. This not only saves wear and tear on the vehicle, it also helps to protect the environment.