Truck Trend - January 2017

WORLDS FIRST: WE DRIVE FORDS NEW 10-SPEED AUTOMATIC
JAN/
JA
N/FEB
FEB 2
20
017
17
THE PICK
THE
TH
P
PI
PICKUP
IC
CK
KUP
UP A
AND
ND S
ND
SUV
UV
UV
GAS VS.
DIESEL:
FORD SUPER DUTY LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER

NISSAN TITAN XD MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER & METRIS
NISSANS YEAR
OF THE TRUCK
ARMADA TITAN PATHFINDER
EXPLORE
MORE!
11 1 201611 30 2016
70
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017
VOLUME 20, NUMBER 1
TRUCKTREND.com
COVER STORY
24
GAS VS. DIESEL: REVISITED

Thee EEppiic Bat
Th
attl
ttltlee Ra
Rage
R ge
g s On
THE CONTENDERS:
2017 FORD F-SERIES SUPER DUTY 2016 NISSAN TITAN XD

2016 MERCEDES-BENZ VANS 2016 LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER
26
32
4 TRUCKTREND.COM JAN/FEB 2017
40
36
8
58
FEATURES & DRIVES
52
2017 FORD F-150

10 Speeds,
No Compromises
56
6
BMW
BM
W CH
HAR
ARGE
GES
GE
S UP
UP
THE X5
Ultimate Plug-In Machine?
46
2017 NISSAN
TITAN
A True 12-Ton That
Isnt Half-Baked
58
A TALE OF TWO QXS

Infiniti Doubles Down on
Crossover Strategy
50
2017 NISSAN
ARMADA
Conqueror
52
2017 NISSAN
PATHFINDER
More Where it Matters
54
2016 CHEVROLET
TAHOE
Is it Still a Player?
IN
TE
RV
IEW
56
42
IN EVERY ISSUE
67
JUDY BRENNAN AND

JOHN COCKBURN
Buick Envision Chief Engineers
08
THE DRIVERS SEAT

20-ish Years
20
WHALE WATCHING
All Washed Up
10
EMISSIONS CH
HEC
ECK
K
Readers Sound Off
22
SWAY CO
SW
ONTR
ON
TR
RO
OL
L
Thee Ma
Th
Maki
king
ki
ngg of th
thee Te
Tesl
slaa Truck
sl
14
TRENDING NOW
OW
W
Whats Hot, Whats Her
ere,
e,
Whats Coming
70
LONG-TERM UPDATES
ARRIVAL
2016 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali
UPDATE
2016 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X
72
LEGENDS
John Deere
ON THE COVER
We really love a gratuitous
smoke show. And really, who
doesnt? With 925 lb-ft of torque
on tap from its 6.7L Power Stroke
turbodiesel V-8, this 17 Ford
F-250 King Ranch blew through
its rear tires in glorious fashion.
Gas or diesel powered, burning
a little rubber still makes us
giggle like schoolboys.
Photo by Charlotte Bodak,
Ford Motor Company.
74
SHOP CLASS
Forced Induction Fundamentals
76
GEAR
The Latest Tools and Toys or Your Ride
82
PRE-OWNED
2008-2010 Ford F-Series Super Duty
TRUCK TREND (ISSN 1094-4370) JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 Vol. 20, No. 1 Published bimonthly by TEN:
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2017 JAN/FEB TRUCKTREND.COM 5
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THE
DRIVERS Seat
JGonderman@trucktrend.com
Jason GONDERMAN
@Mr_JGone
20-ish Years
wenty years is a long time. By

the time people turn 20, theyve
often graduated from high
school, moved out on their own,
and completed a least a couple
years of partying in college.
Over the course of twenty years most trucks
would be nearing worn out, and if still on the
road, theyd have near or over a quarter of a
million miles. Twenty years is longer than
the average lifespan of most household pets,
unless youre that odd person thats into birds
or turtles. If youve been a longtime reader
youve probably caught on by now that Truck
Trend has just begun its third decade of existence by turning the 2-0. If we were a married
couple, Id be expecting fine china. I wont be
waiting by the mailbox for it, but I certainly
wouldnt be returning the gifts either if they
were to show up on my desk. Hint, hint.
The magazine world is a weird one
were working on the Jan./Feb 17 issue in
September 2016 that will go on sale in early
November. Over the years these dates have
shifted back and forth in such a way that what
were doing now doesnt equally align with
what we were doing 20 years ago. Truck Trend
first appeared as an editorial department in
Motor Trend in 1995. In late 1997, it was spun
off into its own magazine, and Truck Trend
as we know it now was born. The first issue
was Feb. 98, and it carried on as a bimonthly
publication from day one until now. So here
we stand, holding the Jan./Feb. 17 issue,
which brings Volume 20 of Truck Trend and
our 20th year in print.
Since our parent company has changed
four times in the past two decades, first from
Petersen Publishing to Primedia to Source
Interlink Media to finally TEN: The Enthusiast

Network, so has the staffing and along with
it much of the knowledge of our history. In
fact, there are only a handful of people still
left with the company that have the tenure
to have been around when Truck Trend was
launched. And none of them worked on it at
the time. But thats all inconsequential to the
fact that we have completed 19 years and are
beginning our 20th.
Over the course of time, Truck Trend has
had only four editors. Mike Magda had the
honor of launching Truck Trend and seeing it
through its first years. Mark Williams moved
over from editor of Four Wheeler magazine
to take the helm in early 2000. Mark ran the
show until 2008 when the baton was passed
to Allyson Harwood. Allyson moved on in
2014, and that is when I entered the picture.
For those interested few, Mike is currently
enjoying retirement, Mark runs the show over
at Pickuptrucks.com, and Allyson is at Kelley
Blue Book. And yes, Mark, Allyson, and I are
all still friends and see each other at industry
events throughout the year.
Whats next for Truck Trend? Only time
will really tell. Weve grown from a small
department inside Motor Trend to being the
industry experts on pickups. The only thing
for certain is that well continue to soldier on,
putting out the best magazine we possibly
can, with the finest truck and SUV reviews,
tests, and features on the newsstand. And we
love hearing from you, our readers, so write in
with your feedback and suggestions, and do
it often! We may not reply to everyone, but we
certainly read them all!
Cheers to another 20 years! And Ill be waiting for the gifts to start rolling in. TT
GOATS
AS ALWAYS, WINNING DIRT MAKES
INVOLVED A LITTLE EXCELLENT UNDERSTAND
MUD SLINGING.
TOOTHPASTE. YOUR NEED
TO CLIMB
MOUNTAINS. AT
LEAST, MALE
GOATS DO.
1998 Toyota Tacoma ads
ffeatured in Truck Trend
8 TRUCKTREND.COM
T
OM JAN/FEB
/
2017
ON THE COVER
20 YEARS AGO
FEBRUARY 1998
The premier issue of Truck Trend featured

renderings of the upcoming 00 Chevy Tahoe
and all-new 99 Ford F-350 Super Duty. Tips on
disc brake swaps, big-block Chevy engines,
and selecting snow tires also graced the issue.
APRIL 1998
On the cover of the second issue was an epic

shootout between the Ford Super Duty and
Dodges 2500 Quad Cab, both equipped with
massive V-10 engines. Toyotas 98 Land Cruiser,
tracking mountain lions with a Chevy truck,
and a super-fast 300hp Ford Explorer rounded
it out.
JUNE 1998
Future SUVs were the name of the game this

month, with our first look at the 99 Suzuki Grand
Vitara, 99 Ford Explorer, and the 99 Mercedes
ML430. A complete guide to pickup and SUV
bike racks was included, along with a first drive
feature of a $250,000 Suburban.
AUGUST 1998
GM pickups were hot this month, with the

revised 99 Chevy Silverado showing front and
center. Also included were renderings of the
upcoming Lincoln Blackwood pickup and yet
another test of the new Ford Super Duty.
OCTOBER 1998
The all-new 99 Jeep Grand Cherokee was

shown on this cover, the second one in a row
feature a vehicle splashing through mud. A
beginners guide to towing and how to pick the
right supercharger kept things spicy this month.
DECEMBER 1998
The final cover of Truck Trends first year was all

about power, featuring a Roush F-150, Shelby
Durango, and Callaway Range Rover. Toyotas
all-new Tundra made an appearance along with
a bed-mounted toolbox buyers guide and yet
another Ford F-250 shootout.
EMISSIONS check
DEFly AFRAID
I have been a subscriber to Truck Trend
for many years and very much enjoy the
magazine.I would like to suggest that you
do an article on the myths and facts of diesel
vehicles in the USA. Specifically, what are
the realities and impacts of diesel exhaust
fluid (DEF), diesel particulate filters, and
regeneration issues (frequency, impact on
mileage, etc.) associated with modern diesels
in the United States. Most articles about
diesel-powered trucks gush with enthusiasm
but do not inform potential buyers about
the unique care and feeding requirements
levied on diesel engines by the EPA. I recently
purchased a Ram 1500 with the 3.0L EcoDiesel
engine and am very pleased. It has plenty
of power and the mileage is more than
noteworthy. I average between 25 and 27 mpg
in my rural county. My driving is quasihighway since there are only two stoplights
in the entire county. After purchase, I learned
that if my truck runs out of diesel exhaust
fluid it reduces power and goes into a limp
mode. Both General Motors and Ford also
have the same crippling device in place. Once
I learned about this issue I thought that I
would just stock up on DEF but learned that
the fluid has an extremely short shelf life,
which precludes keeping extra DEF at home
like motor oil, etc. If there is ever a shortage
of exhaust fluid for any reason, diesel trucks
have a liability.
Keith Kuczka
That is a great suggestion with some very

valid points. Our sister magazine, Diesel
Power, has written in depth about the
function and necessity of diesel exhaust
fluid, exhaust gas recirculation, and diesel
particulate filters. Like you said, your Ram
1500 EcoDiesel will not leave you totally
stranded if it runs out of exhaust fluid. All
manufacturers trucks go into a reducedpower limp mode when the tank runs dry,
DEFly AFRAID
as mandated by the EPA. However, they are

still able to drive at between 5 and 15 mph.
This is intended to get the truck out of traffic
and to a filling station. Though, we must say,
theres really no reason to ever run out of DEF.
All trucks give a warning and a countdown,
typically starting at 500 miles until empty,
in the driver information center display, with
Ram trucks providing the best indication
of exhaust fluid level of all manufacturers.
Regarding the shelf life of DEF, heat is the big
factor. If stored at 72 degrees, exhaust fluid
will last for about a year. Lower temperatures
increase that time, higher decreases it. And it
can be frozen and thawed with no detriment
to performance. Although DEF availability
was an issue around five years ago, its now
commonly available at most auto parts
stores, gas stations, and truck stops.
LESS IS MORE
While I do not presently own a truck, I have
a Lincoln Navigator, I do so ever enjoy Truck
Trend.All is not lost; I have owned three
pickup trucks in the past 13 years.
A letter in your July/Aug. 16 issue urges

publication each month instead of the
present schedule for every two months.
I wish to strongly express my wishes for
continuing your bimonthly schedule. It
gives your magazine more substance and
more credibility.
It is one reason that I subscribe.I think
your quality of information must decline
if monthly since there just isnt enough
meaningful and helpful data to fill each
month.
I do also like the way you urge continued
use of manual shift transmissions,
especially that teens ought to be required
to be licensed first on the stick shift instead
of merely automatics.
Richard DeVries
Thanks for the kind words, but we

disagree! There is absolutely no reason
that the quality of each issue would decline
with increased frequency. In fact, there is
so much going on in the world of trucks
and SUVs that we struggle each issue with
deciding what goes into print and what is
relegated to live only on our website. If we
had more pages (read: issues) we could do
a lot more comparisons, tests, and reviews.
It would be wonderful!
That all said, its still up to management
what happens, and as of now were
destined to stay the course.
OUT OF JUICE
LESS IS MORE
I agree that every new driver should have to

know how to drive a manual transmission,
but if your battery is dead you cannot tow
Power through even the most challenging off-road conditions

with the new BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2. Its our toughest
all-terrain tire. Ever.
BFGoodrichTires.com/KO2
2016 MNA, Inc. All rights reserved.
EMISSIONS CHECK
or push it to start. Modern alternators (unlike
the old generators) do not produce power
unless you supply power to them.
Larry Evans
BAIT AND SWITCH
This is a true statement. Thanks for bringing

it up, Larry. However, it should be known
that most dead battery situations arent truly
dead. It only takes a small amount of voltage
to command the alternator to produce power
and fuel pump to turn on, so if you dont have
enough to crank the starter but the dome light
still works, you should be good to bump start.
BAIT AND SWITCH

A while back, in one of their many emails,
AARP listed a story about the five vehicles that
you should not buy. I clicked on it and number
five was a Chevrolet Silverado 1500. They
state it made the list because of poor quality,
numerous repair problems, and lots of minor
issues.
Ive liked Chevy and GMC trucks in years
past, but always thought that GMC was more
expensive up front but worth less at trade-in
time. Your choice of the $62,000 16 GMC Sierra
1500 Denali for 2016 Pickup Truck of the Year
was a little surprising to me, but maybe the
Denali package is worth more these days.The
difference in cost is not worth it to me.
Steve Shaner
Weve got two different things going on here:

the first is a classic example of clickbait.
These types of stories flood the Internet and
are written only to get you to click on the
link. Theres no substance and rarely any
truth. Its hard to comment on the specifics of
this story having not read it, but weve got a
pretty good idea of what it likely says. Stick
with reviews from trusted sources like Truck
Trend, Motor Trend, KBB, PickupTrucks.
com, and the like.
The second part, Chevy versus GMC, comes
down to personal preferences regarding
styling and the availability of incentives.
Package for package the Silverado and Sierra
price out about the same; you can run the
tally on a Silverado 1500 High Country equal
to a Sierra 1500 Denali. Which one is less
expensive comes down to your dealer, your
negotiating skills, and the availability of
incentive offers. Your mileage may vary, just
know that when cross shopping all brands
youll be surprised just how even the pricing
really is.
GUARANTEED
VEHICLE
PROTECTION.*
WHEN SPILLS HAPPEN,
MAKE SURE YOUVE GOT
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WAY BACK MACHINE

Can you tell me whom I could get in touch
with about buying a back issue of the
magazine?
Christy Overton
This one is easy! Just point your Internet

browser to TENbackissues.com. For highquality custom reprints and framings, call
1-800-290-5460 or email TENreprints@
theygsgroup.com.
BOTH WORLDS
After reading the issue and your letter, I
wanted to give you my thoughts on the Truck/
SUV discussion. I now own a 15 Chevrolet
Tahoe LTZ anda 16 Silverado High Country.
For the last 25 years, I have had both an SUV
and a truck in the garage. The SUV can do 75
percent of the thingsthe truck can do but
not everything. The Tahoe might ride a little
smoother than the Silverado but not by much.
The Silverado tows more and hauls more,
and every once in a while, that is needed. The
Tahoe is more of a luxury vehicle, but the

Silverado High Country is a nice ride. I dont
believe one will take the place of the other
and applaud you and your magazine for
covering both. My wife feels like theTahoe
is easier to park and drive in traffic, so she
drives it more often. When we need to carry
six or seven people, the third row seats in the
Tahoe are nice.
A lot of our friends have both trucks and
SUVs, and I will continue to keep each in my
garage. I love your magazinekeep up the

good work.
Billy Quinton
Thanks, Billy, we totally agree and will

continue to be the truck and SUV authority.
HIT THE ROAD

When I received my first issue of Truck
Trend, I wrote a letter complaining about
the fact that there were more articles about
SUVs than trucks. It hasnt changed much
in the last year, so I will not be renewing my

subscription. I thought the magazine would
be about trucks and only about trucks. There
is more than enough information out there to
fill your magazine with articles and photos,
focusing only on trucks.
When I hear SUVs, I think of women, kids,
and shopping.
Bob Galasso
We hate to see you go, but Truck Trend has

always been about more than just pickup
trucks. It says right on each and every cover,
since day one, that we are the truck and SUV
authority. So its not like weve been trying
to hide anything. Subscriptions are cheap.
You should keep it going for another year and
each issue tear out and mail back to us all of
the stories about SUVs as a form of protest.
You can send them to:
NO MORE SPORT UTEs IN TRUCK TREND
831 S. Douglas St.
We look forward to your letters!
HOW TO REACH US
For all editorial questions:

TRUCK TREND MAGAZINE,
831 S. Douglas St, El Segundo, CA 90245
or email mail@trucktrend.com
For all subscription questions:
email trucktrend@palmcoastd.com
BOTH WORLDS
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NEWS + RUMORS + TRENDS
SPIED: 2018 Ram Heavy Duty
WE RECENTLY caught a peek at Ram

engineers testing a dualie pickup with
some curious camouflage, suggesting
the company will be giving its hard-working trucks
a slight cosmetic facelift within a model year. As the
images of the 4500/5500 chassis cab suggests,
General Motors, Isuzu Part

Ways on Midsize Truck
Development
GOING FORWARD, longtime partners General
Motors and Isuzu are parting ways on development
of midsize trucks, according to a Reuters report.
The two companies will continue to collaborate on
other projects involving medium-duty commercial
vehicles.
Isuzu wanted to remain focused on more basic,
commercial-oriented midsize trucks for developing
markets, whereas GM wanted to pursue a more
upscale, consumer-focused strategy. Isuzu and
Mazda announced a collaboration in which the two
companies would cooperate on development on
midsize pickups for markets outside North America.
the trucks cab and interior will likely stay the same,
with changes focusing on the front fascia of the
Heavy Duty.
With stiff competition in the form of the 17 Ford
Super Duty and an updated Silverado/Sierra HD
with a new Duramax, expect power ratings from the
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017
Cummins 6.7L engine to ratchet up even more than

the current 385 hp and 900 lb-ft of torque. The Ram
HD also has the distinction of being the only fullsize
pickup still available with a manual transmission.
Heres hoping the stick option will carry over with
the redesign.
Chevrolet to Reveal Fuel CellPowered

Army Colorado in October
GENERAL MOTORS and the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center (TARDEC) announced they would reveal a fuel
cell vehicle based on the Chevrolet Colorado. Hydrogen fuel cells will provide
power to electric motors, giving the militarized Colorado instant torque delivery
ideal for low-speed and off-road situations. Furthermore, the electric motors will
be nearly silent, providing an element of stealth for sensitive tactical situations.
TARDEC and GM entered into an agreement in 2015 that gives TARDEC
access to consumer technology and GM insight into fuel cell applications. The
agreement is consistent with the Department of Defenses desire to leverage
commercial innovation toward increased national security. The vehicle will be
pressed into experimental duty in 2017.
Toyota Reveals Updated 2017 4Runner TRD

with Off-Road Package
ONE OF the few body-on-frame midsize SUVs left on the market, the key appeal
of the 4Runner to buyers remains its formidable off-road capability. To balance
customers desires for both comfort and convenience, as well as off-road
capability, Toyota is changing up the trim packages for the 17 4Runner with the
addition of the TRD Off-Road and TRD Off-Road Premium trims.
Just below the dedicated TRD Pro model, the Off-Road trims feature Toyotas
Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System for improved wheel travel and articulation
off-road, low-range Crawl Control, and Multi-Terrain Select system. Pricing will
be released closer to its on-sale date, but dont expect a big increase over the
outgoing Trail model, which the TRD Off-Road replaces.
Infiniti to Release Worlds First

Production Variable-Compression
Engine in 2018
QX50
NISSANS LUXURY brand
Infiniti is about to debut the
worlds first production variable-compression engine in
the 18 QX50 crossover. Called
VC-T, the 2.0L turbocharged I-4
sports unique internals with the
piston attached to the crankshaft
via a multi-link pivot, which in turn
attaches to an actuator arm and
harmonic drive that move the pistons
travel up or down within the cylinder.
During low-load operation, the VC-T actuates
its high-compression phase, optimizing combustion
and improving efficiency when the turbos boost isnt needed. When power
is needed, the engine phases into low-compression, high-boost mode. The
system is said to offer infinite adjustment between compression ratios of 8.0:1
and 14.0:1. Infiniti claims more power and torque than the engine in its 3.5L
QX60 crossover (265 hp and 248 lb-ft), and well be surprised if the new-tech
engine doesnt produce 300 hp or more.
2017 Ram 1500 Adds Night Package

FOR THE 17 Ram 1500, FCAs truck brand is adding
the Night package to the Ram Sport model. Building
upon the Sport trim, the Night includes a body-color
rear bumper with dual chrome exhaust outlets, RAM
black-letter embossed tailgate, flat-black badging,
body-color door handles, and power-folding outside mirrors.
Also included are black-bezel headlamps with LED marker lights, a black grille
surround with Hex Perf inserts, and 20-inch gloss-black alloy wheels. On the inside,
the Night gets heated cloth bucket seats with 10-way power adjustment, poweradjustable pedals, and dual-zone climate control.
The Night package is available on regular, Quad, and crew cab 1500 Sport models,
in two or four-wheel drive, short or long beds, and the buyers choice of the 3.6L
Pentastar V-6 or 5.7L Hemi V-8. Production starts fourth quarter 2016, and pricing will
be announced closer to the on-sale date.
Mazda and Isuzu Enter Agreement

to Build Global Small Pickup
MAZDA MOTOR Corporation and Isuzu Motors
Limited have entered into an agreement to collaborate
on a global-sized pickup for markets outside North
America. The pickup will likely be a replacement for
the Mazda BT-50 and Isuzu D-Max, each companys
respective midsize offering.
Currently, the BT-50 uses a version of the global
Ford Ranger platform, so this partnership would likely
signify an end to the Mazda/Ford tie-up. It looks as
though the next Mazda pickup will be designed and
built by Isuzu. It will be an easy way for Isuzu to share
the development costs of its own new pickup, now
that it has announced its parting ways with longtime
partner General Motors on its next midsize truck.
TRENDING NOW
2019 JEEP WRANGLER PICKUP

CAUGHT TESTING!
ITS BEEN rumored for years, and now we
have the most solid evidence yet that its
really happening. Our spy shooter caught what is
clearly a pickup variant of the Jeep Wrangler. The
pickup version is expected to follow the regular JL
Wrangler by about a year, which is expected for the
18 model year.
In terms of powertrain, the Wrangler pickup is

expected to offer the same lineup of engines as the
JL Wrangler, meaning the choice of an updated 3.6L
Pentastar gas V-6, a rumored turbocharged 2.0L I-4
engine, and the 3.0L EcoDiesel V-6, all backed by
an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Pentastar and turbo I-4 are also expected to be offered
with a six-speed manual option.
2018 DIESEL JEEP WRANGLER

CHASSIS TEST MULE SPOTTED
EXCITEMENT CONTINUES
to mount in anticipation of
the next-generation JL Jeep
Wrangler. One of the most
highly anticipated options in the
next-generation Wrangler is the
availability of a diesel engine
option, generally believed to be

the VM Motori 3.0L EcoDiesel
V-6 also used in the Jeep Grand
Cherokee and Ram 1500.
Evidence that this engine will
be offered on the JL Wrangler
gets even stronger with these
spyshots clearly showing a

diesel exhaust fluid (DEF)
tank underneath a test mule.
Although the DEF tank does
somewhat impact ground clearance, it hangs no lower than the
fuel tank and is also protected by
a steel skidplate.
Benz Shows
Autonomous
Mercedes-Benz
ShowsAutonomous
Electric Vann
Concept
THE LATEST con
ncept
pt
to showcase the
otpotential of a robo
on
ized transportatio
future is the MercedesedesBenz Vision Van, part of the
companys AdVANce initiative, which seeks to utilize
technology to increase the productivity and efficiency
of commercial customers.
The Vision Van concept is configured as an urban
cargo parcel hauler, designed to work with both a
human operator, as well as autonomous air delivery
drones to expedite delivery of packages to multiple
locations in a given area.
The concept also features a modular parcel rack
that can be loaded as a complete unit and a cargo
system that automatically organizes parcels in the most
efficient arrangement for in-person or drone delivery.
Naturally, the Vision Van is all-electric, with a targeted
range of between 50 to 168 miles, depending on use
and duty cycle.
EPA ANNOUNCES
HEAVY DUTY TRUCK
ECONOMY STANDARDS
Bryce Menzies Breaks Record,

Shoulder in New Mexico
Fuel economy and CO2 regulations for

heavy trucks are about to kick into high
gear, which will affect 18 and later models, with a
step-up in requirements in 2021 and 2024 and full
implementation and compliance required by 2027.
The standards fall hardest on Class 7 and
8 trucks but will also affect 8,500-plus GVWR
pickups, such as the Ford Super Duty, General
Motors HD, and Ram Heavy Duty models.
Additional factors taken into account are payload
and towing capacity ratings, plus whether a vehicle
has four-wheel drive.
DESERT RACING superstar Bryce Menzies

attempted and succeeded in breaking the world
record for the longest jump in a race truck. In preparation for a public event in New Mexico, Menzies
broke the previous unofficial and official truck jump
world records of 301 feet and 332 feet with a Guinness World Recordverified 379.4 feet.
Menzies continued practicing after the recordsetting jump and unfortunately had a serious crash,
which resulted in a broken shoulder and severe
damage to his truck. Menzies is sponsored by Red
Bull Racing as well as BFGoodrich tires. Menzies
has won such noted off-road races as the Baja 500,
Mint 400, the TORC Pro 2 Championship, and the
Red Bull Frozen Rush.
Ford Releases
Limited-Edition Dallas
Cowboys F-150
FORD IS offering a limitededition 16 F-150 Dallas Cowboys
edition based on the XLT trim, the
best-selling configuration of the
F-150 in Texas. The truck features
unique Dallas Cowboys Edition
CHEVY, GMC
DOMINATE J.D.
POWERS TRUCK
RELIABILITY
FORECAST
badging on the front doors,
tailgate, wheel center caps on
the 20-inch chrome-finished alloy
wheels, blue-white-blue rocker
panel color striping, a Cowboyslogo bed mat, laser-etched
Cowboys doorsill plates, and
Cowboys star stitched floormats.
The icing on the cake is a 1
Volkswagen Announces $256 Million

Investment in Navistar
VOLKSWAGEN AG is taking a 16.6 percent stake
in American heavy-truck manufacturer Navistar,
valued at approximately $256 million. The deal will
give Navistar access to VWs heavy truck technology portfolio, which includes brands MAN and
Scania in Europe.
of 400 interior badge signed by

Dallas Cowboys team owner Jerry
Jones. This is not the first time
that Ford has offered a Cowboysthemed truck, with the 94 F-150
also being offered in a Cowboys
limited edition. The F-150 Dallas
Cowboys edition is available now
at select Texas Ford dealers.
Many believe this latest development is part

of VWs long-term plan of completely spinning off
its Truck & Bus unit to raise capital to pay for the
ongoing TDI emissions scandal in the U.S. and
globally. The alliance is estimated to help Navistar
realize cost-saving synergies of at least $500 million
within the first five years through procurement and
technology collaboration.
Just last month, the EPA and DOT jointly
announced tougher greenhouse gas standards
on Class-7 and Class-8 trucks. Navistar has been
offering MAN-engineered diesel engines in its
trucks since 2005.
J.D. Power is predicting GM fullsize trucks

will hold up for the long haul, based on
surveys of new and used truck buyers. The Power
Circle Ratings, which synthesize data from the
companys Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) and
Initial Quality Study (IQS) gave GM trucks three out
of the five spots among the top trucks. The winners
for GM were the 16 Chevrolet Silverado Heavy
Duty, the Silverado 1500, and the GMC Sierra 1500.
The 16 Ford Super Duty and the 16 Toyota
Tundra were also predicted to have good long-term
reliability. Both the Silverado 1500 and Heavy Duty
received an overall predicted reliability score of 412
out of 5. All the other models on the list received a
score of 4 out of 5.
FCA CONSIDERING
TRUCK-BASED SUV,
MIDSIZE PICKUP
With the abrupt discontinuation of the
Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200, Fiat Chrysler
Automobiles (FCA) is more dependent than ever
on trucks and SUVs. The market trends seem to
be in the companys favor, with sales of SUVs,
crossovers, and trucks hotter than ever.
To better meet customers desires, the company
is reportedly considering a Ram-based fullsize
SUV along the lines of the Chevrolet Tahoe and
Suburban, as well as a possible midsize pickup.
The midsize Dakota was discontinued in 2011. Its
unknown whether the truck will be of a traditional
body-on-frame design or a unibody model along
the lines of the Honda Ridgeline.
TRENDING NOW
Motor Trend Claims Hyundai

Pickup is a Go
LAND ROVER TEASES 2018

DISCOVERY WITH A SKYDIVING
BEAR GRYLLS
LAND ROVER is drumming up
a lot of commotion for its new
18 Discovery, giving the fullsize
SUV its own skydiving stunt
featuring TV adventure star Bear
Grylls. In a YouTube video, the
new Discos smartphone appconfigurable seven-seat interior
is showcased. While skydiving

from an impressively high altitude, Bear uses his smartphone
to deploy the middle and rear
seats of the large SUV.
Along with the video, Land
Rover released the first official
image of the Discovery, showing
2017 CHEVROLET
COLORADO ZR2 GAS
MODEL TESTING!
THESE SPYSHOTS of a high-riding
Colorado indicate the ZR2 off-road
concept teased at the 2014 Los Angeles
Auto Show may finally be headed for showrooms.
This test mule appears to be powered by a gas
V-6, as evidenced by its conventional, non-venturi
the SUVs full-frontal in all its

glory. As expected, the sleeker
styling abandons the outgoing
LR4s boxy silhouette for a
strong family resemblance to the
smaller Discovery Sport, as well
as the Range Rover Sport and
Evoque models.
tailpipe. We believe the production ZR2 will be

offered with both the 3.6L gas V-6 as well as the
2.8L Duramax I-4 diesel as an option.
The ZR2 appears to mercifully ditch the
Colorados notoriously low-hanging front air dam,
finally giving the truck a useable off-road approach
angle. We wouldnt be surprised to see some sort of
remote-reservoir shock system similar to the Toyota
Tacoma TRD Pro.
As with the TRD Pro, we expect the ZR2 to give
up some measure of on-road sharpness for greater
articulation and suspension travel off-road. Were
expecting the ZR2 to start at around $42,000,
approaching or surpassing $50,000 fully equipped.
ACCORDING TO Truck Trends sister

publication, Motor Trend, Hyundai has made
the decision to bring a production version
of its Santa Cruz compact pickup to market.
The truck is expected to ride on a unibody,
transverse-powertrain platform, likely sharing
its underpinnings with either the Santa Fe
midsize or Tucson compact crossover.
The Santa Cruz concept had a diesel I-4
engine. However, considering the cloud Volkswagen has cast over light-duty diesels in the
U.S. market, its likely the production version of
the Santa Cruz will have a conventional gasoline or hybrid powertrain. The production-intent
version may be shown at the 2016 Los Angeles
Auto Show or 2017 Detroit Auto Show, likely for
a 19 model year introduction.
2017 Chevrolet Colorado,

GMC Canyon Get New V-6,
Eight-Speed Auto
THE 17 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon
are getting a new V-6 engine and eight-speed
automatic transmission as a powertrain option,
offering extra power and a wider gear ratio spread
for improved performance.
The 3.6L V-6 features Active Fuel Management,
turning the Colorado into an efficient V-4 engine
when power isnt needed. Improved variable valve
timing and optimized direct injection provide
better throttle response and performance, and GM
claims the engine will feel more muscular when
accelerating or towing. The engine produces 308
hp and 275 lb-ft (up from 305 hp and 269 lb-ft in the
16 Colorado V-6).
Matched to the new engine is a new eight-speed
automatic with a wider gear ratio spread (7.0, up
from 6.0), a lower first-gear ratio for snappier throttle
response, and a higher axle ratio for relaxed freeway
cruising. The new 8L45 transmission weighs somewhat less than the 8L90 found in the Chevrolet
Silverado, so the gearbox is suitably optimized for
the Colorados lighter-duty task list.
Extangs lineup of matte finish tri-folds; featuring an ultra tough composite

panels and premium canvas to match your trucks OEM style.
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EXTANG.COM
WHALE WATCHING
G.R. WHALE
All Washed Up
occasionally get dirty glances from

the local-resident water police who
apparently have little better to do
than wander around searching for
people using water in an abhorrent
way: washing a car or truck. I can only
imagine what the particulate emissions from
my barbecue would do to them (theyd lose
any argument when I asked if they smoked a
cigarette as seldom as I grill) or see the puff of
start smoke from my mechanical-injection
diesel. But Im not going to stop cooking
outdoors and using the old diesel occasionally, and Im certainly not going to stop washing vehicles.
I learn far too much about them doing so.
In this business, vehicles are typically
borrowed from manufacturers, and one of
the agreements stipulations is the vehicle
is returnedless normal wear and tearas
it was handed out. I may be in the minority, but interpret that to include reasonably
clean and with a full fuel tank, so I clean a
lot of different cars and trucks. Not as many
as a car wash, but I can do it on 10 gallons of
water, likely less than evaporates off the water
polices pool in a week.
Since water tends to magnify things and
make them shinier, washing a truck gives
you a clue if the paint job is a good one and
brings out flaws and imperfections better. You
probably know before it gets wet what is decal

and what isnt, but when that decal grabs
your sheepskin mitt on a wet pass you have to
wonder how long it will remain affixed. Ive
never owned anything stickered so I cant give
an average lifetime.
Washing will show you how good the
panel fit is, how slippery (or not) the spray-in
bedliner is when wet, and how well stake
pockets, in-bed tie-downs and side steps
drain. I never thought it a big deal until I left
a pickupwith side steps more like ledges
parked outside in the rain, listing slightly
to starboard because of road crown. When
the rain quit everything got cold and that
undrained ledge formed an ice skating rink
overnight.
With a little thought you can imagine the
stamping process complexity that carved the
sharp character line in your broadsides and
WASHING A
TRUCK GIVES YOU
A CLUE IF THE
PAINT JOB IS A
GOOD ONE
where the rust will form first: rocker panel

at the wheelwells, inside the fuel door, the
bottom corner of the windshield, or? You
may also be able to predict how snow-packing
might affect forward vision because the fog
light nacelles will plug up if you dont keep
them on and heated, or how a minute or two
at speed on a muddy road will make your taillights marginal and license plate completely
illegible. And if the wash water collects in
some flange at the bottom of the wheel, its
plausible snow, salt, mud, and sand will pack
up in the same place, leading to rusty or outof-balance steel wheels.
Dont stop outside either. A few minutes
inside tells if you can reach the far dash
corners or if anything you drop beside the
seats gets permanent residency. Youll find
how much crap collects in shift boots, leverrelease indentations, too-deep seatback pockets, and carpet edges where your gas pedal
and dead pedal heels goand why they all
wear out so fast. Far and away I get the most
nicks and cuts vacuuming even though youd
think the area under a front seatwhere all
the sandal-clad or bare feet of rear seat riders
end upsimply wouldnt have so many sharp
edges beneath it.
So next time you test drive a truck, new or
used, ask if you can take it home and wash it.
Youll learn a lot. TT
R O C K W E L L S E R I E S / 34
17" / 18" / 20"
WHEELS
TIRES
SUSPENSION
B A C K E D BY T H E P R O C O M P P R O M I S E
ProCompUSA.com/Wheels
Available in Machine Face or Satin Black

LIGHTING
THE INDUSTRY'S FIRST

TRANSFERABLE LIFETIME WARRANTY
SWAY CONTROL
Edward A. SANCHEZ
ESanchez@enthusiastnetwork.com
THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX:
The Making of the Tesla Truck
ometimes the world doesnt quite

know what to make of innovators
and trailblazers that have zero
regard for tradition and boldly
go off in their own direction,
completely abandoning convention. Some hate them, some praise them, and
some dont quite know what to think of them.
I am not so narcissistic to hold the Truck
Trend staff up in the same company as such
greats as Henry Ford, William Durant, and in
the current era, Elon Musk. However, in our
own little microcosm of automotive journal-
ism, we stuck our neck out on a creative

project knowing that the result would not be
universally praised or popular. The result was
featured in the Nov./Dec. 16 issue on page
34, and if youre a Truck Trend subscriber, you
saw it on the cover of the magazine the Tesla
Model U pickup concept.
I had the idea brewing for a while, and
eventually threw it out during a Truck Trend
staff meeting. I initially faced some resistance among some of the more conventionally minded staff. However, once I was able
to speak my piece and make the case for
some of the design features of the concept,
they at least came around to accepting my
arguments, if not wholeheartedly agreeing.
Conversely, since it became a collaborative project, some of them wanted features
included that I did not feel were feasible or
practical. But at the end of the somewhat
messy creative process, I feel we came up with
a bold, yet believable, conception of what a
Talented artist Kris Horton

turned Sanchezs napkin doodle
(inset) into a full-fledged Tesla
Model U rendering.
22 TRUCKTR
TRUCKTREND.COM
TR
REN
END
E
END.
ND.
ND.
ND
D.C
COM
CO
OM
O JAN/FEB 2017
future Tesla pickup could look like.

Weve already received feedback from
some of you through letters and social media.
As expected, the reaction has been mixed.
Some of you have said a real truck has to
have a solid rear axle and be front engine,
rear drive, and body on frame. One Twitter
follower bluntly stated, A Tesla truck would
not be a truck in my eyes. Gotta have some
hydrocarbons burning to be a truck.
Thankfully, my coworkers, at least to my
face, did not share that same sentiment. I
personally believe it was the cool features
I proposed that won them over, like the
optional frunk refrigerator, on-board air
compressor with multiple outlets to run air
tools, adaptive air spring suspension, and
the extendable tailgate ramp allowing for a
motorcycle, quad, or other wheeled implement to be loaded directly into the bed. Not
to mention the multiple power outlets under
the frunk and in the bed to charge cordless
power tools, mix margaritas, or plug in a flat
screen, among many other activities.
To really sell the idea of a yet nonexistent
pickup we turned to the graphical expertise of Kris Horton. Without the talent
of a skilled artist, this project would
not have been possible and wouldnt
have received the attention it did. Dont
believe me? Just look at the chickenscratch sketches we started with (courtesy
of yours truly) and compare them with the
finished product. To say the transformation
was incredible would be an understatement.
And this should put to rest any rumors of our
renderings being merely a photochopped
Ridgeline.
I want to end by saying that I dont hate
the internal combustion engine, solid
axles, or fully boxed steel frames. They have
underpinned trucks for more than a century
and will likely continue to for decades to
come. However, if we only define trucks by
what they have and not by what they can
do, I believe were doing ourselves a major
disservice. If a truck can tow, haul, enable
recreation, go off the beaten path, and generally make our lives easier, then it shouldnt
matter whats propelling it down the road. TT
FEATURE
| Gas vs. Diesel
THE EPIC BATTLE RAGES ON
Words and Photo By Jason Gonderman
f it seems like it was just yesterday

that we took on the concept of pitting
gasoline-powered trucks, SUVs, and
vans against their diesel-fueled brethren you would be with the majority,
and you would be wrong. It has been two
years now since we last ventured down this
road, and a lot has changed since then. Last
time, in the Jan./Feb. 15 issue, we went with
a head-to-head approach, pitting the Ram
1500 EcoDiesel versus Hemi, BMW X5 35i
versus 35d, and Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
Duramax versus Vortec. We also tossed in a
heritage truck, a one-off prototype, and some
heavy tech to round out the bunch.
24 TRUCK TREND.COM JAN/FEB 2017
Were going to go about things a bit differently this time around. On the following
pages well take a look at the all-new 17
Ford Super Duty, Nissans 5.6L gasoline V-8
powered Titan XD, the Mercedes Sprinter and
Metris, and Land Rover Range Rover Td6. All
four of these vehicles are offered with both
forms of power plant, and all serve a different
purpose. Fords Super Duty represents the
heavy-duty class while Nissans Titan XD fills
in for the 12-tonplus category. Mercedes vans
have been doing work for decades and Land
Rovers Range Rover brings another diesel
option to the luxury SUV segment.

There are no right or wrong answers in
the gas versus diesel debate. Each has its
pros and cons, ups and downs, pluses and
minuses. For some cost is the determining factor, others economy, and still others
capability. What were presenting here is a
high-level overview of each vehicle, with an
emphasis on drivetrain. Our hope is that you
take what is learned, combine it with your
own research, and use both to make a more
informed decision the next time the gas or
diesel question is posed.
2017 Ford Super Duty
ENGINE: 6.2L Gasoline V-8

HORSEPOWER: 385
TORQUE: 430 lb-
PROS: Maximum payload of
7,360 pounds, lower initial and
maintenance cost
CONS: Poor fuel economy, old engine
architecture
ENGINE: 6.7L PowerStroke
turbodiesel V-8
HORSEPOWER: 440
TORQUE: 925 lb-
PROS: Massive power and torque,
class-leading renement, high tow
ratings
CONS: Sti initial up-front cost, needs
frequent DEF rells
2016 Nissan Titan XD
ENGINE: 5.6L Endurance Gasoline V-8

HORSEPOWER: 390
TORQUE: 401lb-
PROS: Smooth, quiet operation,
sharper throle response
CONS: Feels more stressed towing
and hauling, poor fuel economy
relative to diesel
ENGINE: 5.0L Cummins
turbodiesel V-8
HORSEPOWER: 310
TORQUE: 555 lb-
PROS: Diesel torque, Cummins
bragging rights, higher tow rating
CONS: Small DEF tank means frequent
ll-ups, lazier throle response than
gas engine
2016 Mercedes Sprinter and

Metris
ENGINE (METRIS): 2.0L Gasoline I-4

HORSEPOWER: 208
TORQUE: 258 lb-
PROS: Peppy turbocharged power in
urban-friendly package
CONS: Fuel economy below
expectations
ENGINE (SPRINTER): 3.0L BlueTEC
turbodiesel V-6
HORSEPOWER: 187
TORQUE: 325 lb-
PROS: Capable, proven commercial
powerplant
CONS: Not that much more powerful
or capable than base I-4 diesel
2016 Land Rover Range Rover
ENGINE: 3.0L Supercharged Gasoline

V-6
HORSEPOWER: 340
TORQUE: 332 lb-
PROS: Supercharged power and
responsiveness
CONS: Improved fuel economy over
outgoing V-8 but still thirsty
ENGINE: 3.0L Td6 turbodiesel V-6
HORSEPOWER: 254
TORQUE: 443 lb-
PROS: Rened operation for a diesel,
performance competitive with gas
V-6, good fuel economy
CONS: Still not as energetic as gas
engine. If you can aord a Range
Rover, do you really care about fuel
economy?
2017 JAN/FEB TRUCK TREND.COM 25
FEATURE
| 2017 Ford Super Duty
THE 2017 SUPER DUTY

IS FULLY LOADED
By Edward A. Sanchez Photos Courtesy of Ford
TOUGH TECH
he Ford F-Series is about to
reach a milestone as the bestselling truck in the U.S. for
40 straight years, an unprecedented winning streak. For
many months over the last few years, the
F-Series has even outsold the Chevrolet
Silverado and GMC Sierra combined. While
the F-150 is the volume-seller in Fords truck
lineup, the contribution of the Super Duty
to the F-Series success cannot be denied.
Ford does not publicly break out separate
figures for the F-150 and Super Duty, but it is
estimated that the Super Duty accounts for
between 30 and 40 percent of total F-Series
sales. So when it came time to redesign the

standard-bearer of the Built Ford Tough
brand, Dearborn knew it had a lot riding on it.
Based on our first impressions and an explanation of the new hardware, we think Ford is
in it to win it with the 17 Super Duty.
Strategic Strength
Like the F-150, the 17 Super Duty features
a nearly all-aluminum body, with the only
notable exception being the engine firewall.
Ford claims as much as a 350-pound weight
savings compared to the previous model.
You may note thats only half as much as the
claimed 700-pound weight savings of the
F-150. Although everyone likes getting better

fuel economy, its not as much of a factor in
the Super Duty, as its more-than-8,600-pound
gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) means
its exempt from EPA fuel economy reporting
and does not factor into corporate average
fuel economy (CAFE) standards. Secondly,
Super Duty buyers care most about capability
and durability. Ford notes that as many as 90
percent of Super Duty buyers tow with their
trucks. So part of the weight savings of the
aluminum body was reinvested into beefier
components to add capability.
To provide a more solid foundation
for towing and hauling, an all-new frame
(Below) Ford is especially proud

of the new convertible console
cup holders. The sliding gate can
accommodate two
..or four beverages.
The 17 Super Duty is the first all-new model since

the original debuted for the 99 model year.
GAS VS DIESEL
FORD IS CLAIMING BEST-IN-CLASS

TOWING AND PAYLOAD FIGURES OF UP
TO 32,500 POUNDS ON THE F-450
Towing Tech
process aided by the optional remote-opening

tailgate, which can be actuated from the cab
or with the key fob.
Speaking of towing capacity, Ford is claiming best-in-class towing and payload figures
of up to 32,500 pounds on the F-450 with a
gooseneck hitch, 21,000 maximum conventional towing without the need for a weightdistributing hitch, and 18,000 conventional
on the F-250 with the trailer tow package.
Several new features make towing and hitching a lot easier as well. Whereas the F-150
offers Pro Trailer Backup assist activated by
a knob on the dashboard (which takes over
steering function to aid reversing a trailer),
the Super Duty takes a more hands-on
approach, giving drivers visual aids and cues
with Trailer Reverse Guidance and StraightLine Backup Guidance. Like on the F-150,
both systems utilize a target sticker the
system uses to determine trailer angle. Trailer
Reverse Guidance shows a projected trajectory with yellow and red zones for potential jackknife situations. For Straight Line
Backup Guidance, the system gives the driver
prompts to turn the wheel right or left to keep
the trailer straight while reversing. We see
both of these features as being useful for both
towing rookies and drivers more experienced
with towing. In addition, with the available
multi-camera setup, the third brake light
mounted camera can also be used to line up
a gooseneck or fifth-wheel hitch in the bed, a
The Trailer Reverse Guidance system on the

Super Duty, unlike the F-150, requires the driver
to keep their hands on the wheel but does provide
interactive guidance in steering wheel direction and
angle, as well as a potential jackknife warning.
hitch with a set of inserts and different pins.

For those who do fifth-wheel and gooseneck
towing, a reinforced hitch subframe below
the bed is available.
Up to seven cameras gives the driver

unprecedented visibility from all vantage points.
features 95 percent high-strength steelsix

times more than the outgoing model. The
frame is also fully boxed from front to rear,
with the exception of chassis-cab models,
which feature a C-section rear for ease of
upfitting. The framerails are 112 inches taller
than the last-generation model, and the
frame features as many as 10 crossmembers
for maximum strength. Ford also emphasized the Super Duty features thicker-gauge
aluminum in the bed than the F-150, trying
to mitigate any concerns about bed strength
following GMs opportunistic videos on the
relative merits of steel.
To better meet the buyers towing needs,
the new Super Duty features a patent-pending
modular hitch receiver adapter system that
can accommodate from a 2-inch-diameter
hitch all the way up to a 3-inch-diameter
6.2L Gas V-8

N
aturally, the Power
Stroke diesel, with its
mammoth 925 lb-ft
of torque, steals all the headlines for powertrain news.
However, the 6.2L gas V-8 is a
perfectly respectable engine
in its own right. In fact, the
highest payload-rated Super
Duty is equipped with the gas
engine, which enables the
higher payload with its lighter
weight. Having less than half
the torque of the Power Stroke

and 55 less horsepower might
make you think the gas model
is a dog compared to the
diesel.
While the Power Stroke
is noticeably more powerful
behind the wheel, the 6.2
is by no means a 98-pound
weakling. The 25lb-ft
increase in peak torque
combined with the lighter relative weight compared to last
years model make the 6.2L feel

plenty sprightly unloaded. Even
with a modest payload, the gasser
holds its own. For fleet applications where purchase cost is the
primary consideration or for uses
where it wont be regularly towing,
the gas engine makes perfect
sense. If you tow regularly, the fuel
economy and torque advantage
of the Power Stroke makes the
most sense, even with its hefty
$9,000 premium.
The 17 Super Duty shares

its aluminum cab with the
F-150. Cab size actually
increases in every
configuration over the
outgoing model.
Maximum payload is 7,630 pounds on the

F-350 dualie with the 6.2L gas V-8.
One of the most innovative features on
the new Super Duty is a trailer tire pressure
monitoring system, which can monitor and
display the pressure of up to six trailer tires,
as on a three-axle trailer. The system consists
of special valve stems and a wiring harness
and requires an initial setup by the customer.
Up to 10 trailer profiles can be stored in the
trucks memory for the reverse and backup

guidance systems.
The new Super Duty also offers a classexclusive adaptive cruise control that remains
active when towing, even on steep downhill
grades, utilizing engine braking and grade
descent control.
One feature we were initially skeptical
about that we came to appreciate was Fords
new adaptive steering system. The system
The use of a common cab with the F-150 allows for quicker
adaptations of new technologies and features in the Super Duty.
consists of a motor and gearset within the

steering wheel itself that multiplies input to
make low-speed maneuverability easier and
actually reduces input at highway speeds
when towing to make transitions more
gradual and easily controlled. From behind
the wheel, the system is nearly transparent,
manifesting itself only by easier low-speed
transitions with less arm flailing. The system
is non-defeatable, but frankly, after experienc-
GAS VS DIESEL
The 6.7L Power Stroke
turbodiesel V-8 is
carryover from last year,
but engine tuning bumps
peak torque 65 lb-ft to a
massive 925 lb-ft.
2017 Ford F-250 Super Duty King Ranch

BASE PRICE: $57,455
VEHICLE TYPE: 4-door, ve passenger,
crew cab pickup
PRICE AS TESTED: $76,215
ENGINE: 6.7L Power Stroke turbodiesel V-8
power @ 2,800 rpm
torque @ 1,800 rpm
trans
440 hp
925 lb-ft
6 speed auto
CURB WEIGHT: 6,851 lbs

TOWING CAPACITY*: 17,600 lbs conventional, 14,700
lbs hwheel (as equipped)
ing it, we see no reason to disable it. Ford says

the system has a built-in failsafe that locks the
system into a direct mechanical connection if
theres any malfunction.
OBSERVED FUEL ECON: 14.5 mpg combined

*32,500 lbs maximum (F-450, gooseneck)
DEF tank capacity of 7.5 gallons, compared to

5.3 gallons for GM and 5.5 gallons for Ram.
Torque of the Town

As expected, the engines have been tuned for
greater output for 17. Horsepower for both
the 6.7L Power Stroke diesel V-8 and the 6.2L
gas V-8 are unchanged at 440 and 385 hp,
respectively. However, torque gets a bump,
with the diesel getting a 65lb-ft boost to a
staggering 925 lb-ft, and the gas engine going
from 405 to 430 lb-ft. Honestly, its getting
into the area of bragging rights at this point.
The Power Stroke is torque-managed in the
first three gears, so youre not getting the
full torque wallop until youre well down the
road. And none of us thought last years Power
Stroke was underpowered at all. The torque
boost on the gas V-8 is noticeable and makes
it a respectable choice for the budget-sensitive customer who isnt towing regularly.
The 6.7L Power Stroke was already classleading for refinement and noise, vibration,
and harshness (NVH), and the newest version
raises the refinement bar even further. At
idle, inside or out, the engine is remarkably
quiet. Under acceleration or load, the engines
sound makes it clear its a diesel, but the
noise is so muffled and remote, its more a
matter of sound quality than quantity. During
the morning of the presentation, one of the
trucks was started. We had to do a double-take
to figure out whether it was a gas or diesel
model.
While GM and Ram like to tout their
commercial-grade powertrains with thirdparty-sourced engines and transmissions,
Ford feels its in-house development and
integration gives it the edge in refinement,
ease of service, and uptime.
Another competitive advantage the 17
Super Duty can claim is fuel and diesel
exhaust fluid (DEF) capacity. The Super Duty
offers a maximum fuel tank capacity of up to
48 gallons on longbed crew cab models, plus a
Common Cab
From the A pillars to the C pillars, the 17
Super Duty shares its cab with the F-150.
While that may seem like a step backward, it
actually represents an increase in size from
its predecessor in all cab configurations. This
is the first completely all-new Super Duty
body and chassis in 18 years. The cabin of the
new Super Duty offers a mind-boggling array
of comfort, convenience, and productivity
features that we can only touch the tip of the
iceberg of in this review. Aside from the available multiview cameras that offer unprecedented front and rear visibility, Ford seems
most proud of its configurable four-container
convertible front cupholder that features
a sliding upper piece that converts the
driver side of the console into an additional
cupholder for four spots total, excluding the
two cupholders in the rearmost portion of
the armrest of crew cab models. The number
of auxiliary upfitter switches increases
from four to six, including two dedicated
40-amp switches. All models equipped with
the 8-inch Sync 3 system also feature Apple
CarPlay and Android Auto capability built-in.
On the road, the new Super Duty raises
the bar on refinement for the HD truck class.
While we wouldnt describe the ride quality as

cushy, its one of the smoothest weve experienced with this class of truck. As noted, the
refinement of the 6.7L Power Stroke diesel is
nothing short of astonishing. The idiom of an
iron fist in a velvet glove truly fits in this case.
With an MSRP thats moved up slightly for
17, the Super Duty isnt immune to modern
automobiles price creep. A base-model F-250
will cost just $32,535 for a regular cab XL; a
SuperCab adds $2,335 to that models price;
and the SuperCrew costs an additional $1,260
above that. Adding the 6.7L Power Stroke
diesel to any model adds around $9,000, so
the cheapest oil-burning Super Duty will cost
$41,130. Adding options, moving to higher
trim levels, or ordering four-wheel drive will
only add to the bottom line, but expect many
Super Duty owners to opt for XLT SuperCrew
4x4s, trucks that start at $44,030 with the 6.2L
V-8 and $52,625 with the diesel. A well-outfitted F-350 King Ranch 4x4 diesel will cost
well into the $60,000 range, while a wholehog F-450 Platinum starts at a breathtaking
$77,125.
It took Ford 18 years to do a complete,
clean-sheet redesign of the Super Duty, and
the new model doesnt disappoint. It sets a
high bar for GM and Ram to crest with their
HD trucks and will likely ensure Fords truck
sales leadership for years more to come. TT
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FEATURE
| 2016 Nissan Titan XD (5.6L Gasoline V-8)
TAKING ON
(ANOTHER) FUEL
By Sean P. Holman Photos Courtesy of Nissan
hen Nissan recommitted

to the fullsize truck space,
the company went all-in
designing a range of pickups that launched with
the introduction of the Cummins turbodieselequipped Titan XD. As you probably know
by now, the Titan XD is Nissans tweenera
not-quite-heavy-duty but more-than-light32 TRUCKTREND.COM JAN/FEB 2017
duty Xtra Duty option in the fullsize truck

space. The Titan XD chassis shares nothing
with the upcoming 1/2-ton Titan, not even
the lug nuts. Its truly in a class above the
typical 1/2-tons, if not quite to the level of
todays true heavy-duty pickups. Following
the Cummins-powered XD, Nissan has taken
the next step in the Titan rollout by introducing the gasoline model.
Right: Nissans Titan Boxes are a great

solution for lockable storage for items in
your bed. Unlike the competition, Nissans
bed storage solution is both removable and
compatible with tonneau covers.
Under the hood of the gas-powered XD

resides the second generation of Nissans
all-aluminum 32-valve DOHC 5.6L Endurance
V-8, known as the VK56VD, backed by a slick
JATCO-sourced seven-speed automatic transmission. While the first-generation VK56DE
and new VK56VD blocks are similar, the VD
adds direct injection, variable valve timing
and lift (Nissan calls this VVEL) on the intake
GAS VS DIESEL
OTHER THAN THE POWERTRAIN AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS,

GAS AND DIESEL XDS ARE OTHERWISE IDENTICAL.
and exhaust side, an automatic transmission
fluid warmer, and more than 150 unique
parts. Power jumps to 390 hp and 401 lb-ft
of torque versus the 317 hp and 385 lb-ft of
torque of the old V-8, numbers achieved on
regular gasoline. This compares favorably
to the 5.0L Cummins and its 310 hp and
555 lb-ft of torque, and while the 5.6L is not
a diesel, the gas V-8 has a broad, flat torque
curve for the majority of the power band. In
keeping with the American Titan theme,
the 5.6L engine continues to be produced in

Decherd, Tennessee, at Nissans Powertrain
Assembly Plant.
When equipped with the gas engine, the
Titan XD comes through the scales
about 500 pounds lighter than
the Cummins-powered XD.
The weight loss is due
to an engine and trans
combo that is about 300
pounds lighter, plus
the removal of the DEF tank and system,

along with a less-complicated exhaust setup.
Because of this, gas trucks will benefit from
a higher maximum payload of 2,594 pounds,
versus the diesels 2,091-pound max.
However, the lower GCWR of the
gas truck drops towing down
to an 11,270-pound maximum, versus the diesels
12,314-pound max.
Other than the
powertrain and associated systems, gas and
diesel XDs are otherwise identical. Axles are
the same AAM 9.84 units
as the diesel XD, although
the gear ratio rises to 3.36:1,
compared with the diesel trucks
fairly short 3.92:1. Brakes are also the
same large 14.17-inch front and 14.37-inch
rear discs. The steering system, including the
steering gear ratio, is similarly shared with
the diesel XD, as is the bed with its available
LED lighting, optional Titan Boxes, Utili-track
rail-and-cleat system, spray-in bedliner, 120V
outlet, two-way tailgate assist, and in most
trims, an integrated gooseneck hitch.
The 5.6L Endurance V-8 is built in Decherd,
Tennessee, the sole global source for the engine,
which is also found in the Japan-built Nissan
Patrol, Armada, and Infiniti QX80.
Stepping up into the cabin reveals standard

Titan fare, with no changes over the diesel
XD, save for a 6,000-rpm redline on the tach.
The exceptionally comfortable Zero Gravity
seats are a hallmark of the Titan interior, as
are quality materials and a wealth of power
outlets that include 12V, 120V, and USB. The
column shifter is retained, which opens up
the center console for additional storage, and
we love the tactile feel of all the switchgear,
adding to the overall Titan experience. Luxury
touches, such as heated and cooled front
seats, heated rear seats, and a heated steering
wheel, are available.
Complaints about the driver interface are
minor, such as our desire to have a larger
screen in the center stack and the ability to
see what gear the transmission is in when it
is in D. Wed also like to see power-folding
mirrors, as the big Titan XD can be a bit challenging in tighter city parking spaces.
After pushing the dash-mounted start
button, the V-8 comes to life and settles into
a nearly silent idle. At 70 mph, the cab is so
quiet that all you hear is some slight wind
noise around the mirrors. Thats it. Fortunately, some of the original Titans rowdy
V-8 is perceptible under wide-open throttle,
where a sweet exhaust growl can be heard,
but the engine favors refinement over attention. Acceleration is noticeably quicker in the
2016 Nissan Titan XD Gas

Platinum Reserve 4x4
BASE PRICE: $38,290
VEHICLE TYPE: 4-door crew cab pickup
ENGINE: 5.6L DOHC V-8
power @ 5,800 rpm
torque @ 4,000 rpm
trans
390 hp
401 lb-ft
7 speed auto

TOWING CAPACITY: 10,850 lbs
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: N/A
lighter gas XD, and the seven-speed transmission is a smooth operator that is quick to
shift, always seeming to be in the appropriate
gear with none of the sometimes harsh and
aggressive feel of the Aisin six-speed that
backs the Cummins.
With less weight on the nose, the suspension feels like it breathes a little bit better and
steering is more responsive, although the
heavyweight steering effort remains. Its not
that the Cummins XD is noisy or rides rough
by any stretch; its just that the gas model
improves on these already great attributes of
the diesel XD.
The gas XD uses a same-size 26-gallon
fuel tank as the diesel, and we expect range
to be more than 400 miles if our unscientific
observed highway fuel economy of about 18
mpg holds true. As with the Cummins XD,

we think an extended-range fuel tank in the
30-35 gallon range should be offered, especially for those who tow heavy trailers.
The Titan XD is already a lot of truck for the
money with the optional diesel engine, and
that value proposition gets even better with
the standard gas engine. With a starting price
of $35,290 for a crew cab two-wheel drive
S model, the gas XD is $5,000 cheaper than
the diesel model and includes the same five
trim levels of S, SV, SL, PRO-4X, and Platinum
reserve. A fully loaded Platinum Reserve XD
Crew Cab 4x4 represents the top of the range
and can be had for just $55,520. Of course, the
XD is available in both two- and four-wheel
drive, and in addition to the crew cab, regular
cab and King Cab models are on the way. TT
Gas and diesel Titan

XDs are nearly
indistinguishable other
than a different front
fender badge and a
different tailpipe.
FEATURE
MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER
(2.1L TURBODIESEL I-4)
MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER
(3.0L TURBODIESEL V-6)
MERCEDES-BENZ
TWO SIZES, ENDLESS FLAVORS
VANS
By Brett T. Evans Photos Courtesy of Mercedes-Benz
orn to Run. Thats the slogan

Mercedes-Benz uses to market
its Sprinter and Metris work
vans in the United States.
And run they do, using the
customers choice of either gasoline (Metris)
or diesel (Sprinter).
While we would love to see a compact
diesel engine under the Metris diminutive
hood (and we dream of a firespitting V-8
powered Sprinter), the fact is Mercedes only
offers its vans with one respective propulsion
method. That means diesel devotees are stuck
with the Sprinter and gas gurus get the Metris.
However, as we learned on an extended test
drive with each van family, both the Sprinter

and the Metris are well suited to their engines.
We drove Mercedes-Benzs lineup of vans at
an event in scenic Charleston, South Carolina.
The company operates a van manufacturing facility in nearby Ladson, and we spent a
couple days exploring the small businesses in
the area that use Benz vans to get work done.
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
(3.0L Turbodiesel V-6)
Our first stint behind the wheel was in a
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter powered by the
companys 3.0L turbodiesel V-6. Producing
188 hp and 325 lb-ft (from 1,400 to 2,400 rpm),
the engine is torquey and smooth, producing

good power throughout the rev range. Even
under the hood of a large crew van like the
one we were driving, it felt strong enough for
easy freeway cruising and merging.
With a maximum towing capacity of
5,000 pounds and a maximum payload
rating of 5,496 pounds, the V-6powered
cargo van is capable of doing some pretty
hard work. The Sprinter is also available in
a passenger van (up to 12 passengers) and
crew van (five passengers, with loads of cargo
space). Furthermore, for really hard work,
Mercedes-Benz builds a Sprinter chassis cab
with a maximum payload capacity of 6,389
MERCEDES-BENZ METRIS
(2.0L TURBOCHARGED GAS I-4)
(Above) Mercedes
offers three engine
choices. The Sprinter
gets either an I-4 or
V-6 diesel, and the
Metris is fit with a
turbocharged I-4
gasoline engine.
(Left) Although it
was powered by
the smaller 2.1L I-4
engine, this big, heavy
stake-bed Sprinter
was able to keep up
with freeway and
city traffic without a
problem.
pounds and a tow rating of 7,500 pounds.

And if the going gets rough, Mercedes offers a
sophisticated 4x4 system on short-wheelbase
Sprinters.
Driving the big van is also surprisingly
easy, thanks to its good sightlines all around
and wide, effective mirrors. Mercedes offers a
parking assist system that beeps and illuminates sequential lights to tell the driver how
close the van is to obstacles, and an optional
high-mount rearview camera offers a birdseye view of whats on your six.
The Sprinters downsides include a low
towing rating that gets eclipsed by many
midsize pickups, plus the V-6s five-speed
FEATURE
| Gas vs. Diesel
THE METRIS OFFERS AN

IN-BETWEEN SIZE THAT COULD
BE ATTRACTIVE TO MANY
PROFESSIONALS.
automatic transmission thats at least one
gear down on the competition. Theres also
some turbo lag thanks to the V-6s big snail.
However, working in the vans favor is a
comfortable, functional interior, refined
powertrain operation, and a nice groundswell
of useful power once the turbo lights up.
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
(2.1L Turbodiesel I-4)
Offering a very similar driving experience
as the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter V-6 is the
base-model Sprinter, which comes with a 2.1L
turbodiesel I-4. Although it produces far less
power and torque (161 hp and 266 lb-ft), it
also features a seven-speed automatic transmission. Those extra cogs almost completely
make up for the smaller engines power
MasterSolutions is available on both the Sprinter

and Metris, with vocational options that include
refrigerated vans, shelving units, and passenger
shuttle configurations
Interior quality is top-notch for a work vehicle, and the high-up seating
position made the Sprinter feel big-rig tall. It was great for forward visibility
and made for a fun driving experience.
The purpose behind Mercedes

invitation was to publicize its new
MasterSolutions program, which
puts fleet buyers in contact with
upfitters to build the perfect van
for a vocation.
deficit, bringing excellent fuel economy along

for the ride. In our time with the 2.1L engine,
we achieved around 20 mpg in extensively
city-biased driving.
Although some full-throttle performance
loss was notable, for most drivers, the 2.1L
engine will do just fine. It drives on the
highway with the same composure as its
larger-engined brother, and thanks to its
lighter weight, the I-4 actually has a higher
payload capacity (by 11 pounds) than the V-6.
Its available in almost all the same combinations as the V-6, with the exception being the
V-6only 4x4.
Downsides on the V-6 transition to the
I-4 with the addition of some powertrain
coarseness. Although the I-4 doesnt transmit
vibrations to the passengers, its gritty song
In contrast to the up-high Sprinter, the Metris sits down low, with a carlike
interior whose highlights include an grippy, cool-looking optional steering
wheel thats identical to the one youd find in a C-Class.
Some grittiness can be felt from the tires and

suspension on some roads, though, and the
Metris isnt as composed on the freeway as
the Sprinter. Nevertheless, its budget pricing
and stout, fun engine would make it a good
match for small businesses in need of a good
workhorse. Making the Metris even more
attractive will be a steeper price cut for the
17 model year thanks to the compact vans
forthcoming Worker trim level.
Parting Thoughts
at high revs is much less melodious than the

impressively smooth V-6. Still, the sevenspeed automatic does a good job shifting
smoothly and keeping the engine in its
powerband. Upsides port over as well, namely
a decidedly composed, Teutonic take on the
work van recipe.
aplomb. Our mileage was around 22 mpg in

town, while we saw around 28 mpg on the
highway.
Overall, the Metris and its gasoline engine
make a good pair. The seven-speed automatic transmission keeps the turbo spooling
well, and the fuel economy is impressive.
If youve got your heart set on a MercedesBenz but dont care about its fuel source,
your choice is simple. If youve got big jobs
to do, get the diesel Sprinter, but if youd like
to park it in a garage and dont need to do a
lot of hauling, the Metris will do just nicely.
Likewise, fans of oil burners will love the
Sprinters down-low torque and good fuel
economy given its size, while others will
appreciate the Metris responsive gas engine
and efficient operation.
In fact, in spite of their different fueling systems, both vans share a lot: namely,
excellent fuel economy and reasonable
power given their intended purpose. Diesels
ever-improving refinement and gasolines
constant efficiency increases have yielded
these vehicles. Each has a refined powertrain
and reasonable green cred, and either would
be a fine addition to a fleet. TT
Mercedes-Benz Metris
(2.0L Turbocharged Gas I-4)
Intended for those buyers for whom a
Sprinter is too large and a compact van like
the Ford Transit is too small, the Metris offers
an in-between size that could be attractive to
many professionals. Available in a cargo van
or passenger van, the Metris has one roofline,
one wheelbase, and one body length, with no
chassis or cutaway cab options. We suspect
most buyers wont care, as both the cargo van
and the eight-passenger variant do their jobs
very well.
Underpinning both Metrises (Metres?
Metri?) is a sturdy, rear-wheel-drive platform that gets its motivational force from a
2.0L turbocharged gasoline I-4. Its 208 hp is
stouter than both Sprinter engines, with 258
lb-ft of useful torque coming along for the
ride. Theres not much turbo lag to speak of
either, which was a pleasant surprise. In fact,
the engine was great fun, with a pleasant
surge of power once the turbo hit full boost.
Freeway passing was a non-issue, as was tooling around town.
The Metris cargo van can carry up to 2,502
pounds of stuff or tow a 5,000-pound trailer.
Wed be a bit leery loading it down that
hard given the engines size, but it certainly
handled the limited work we threw at it
(moving an apartment across town) with
Our drive took us to the Port of Charleston in South Carolina where we got
to sample the Metris trim, midsized dimensions for several hours.
SPECS
2016 MERCEDES BENZ
2016 MERCEDES-BENZ
2016 MERCEDES-BENZ
SPRINTER 2.1L
SPRINTER 3.0L
METRIS
Base Price: $32,495 (van);

$36,095 (cab chassis)
Engine: 2.1L turbocharged I-4
Diesel
Power: 161 hp @ 3,800 rpm
Torque: 266 lb- @ 1,4002,400 rpm
Maxiumum Payload: 5,507 lbs
(van); 6,400 lbs (cab chassis)
Maximum Towing: 5,000 lbs
Maximum Cargo Volume:
586.1 cubic feet
Maximum Passenger
Capacity: 12 passengers
Base Price: $37,490 (van);

$37,090 (cab chassis)
Engine: 3.0L turbocharged V-6
diesel
Torque: 325 lb- @ 1,4002,400 rpm
Maximum Payload: 5,496 lbs
(aan); 6,389 lbs (cab chassis)
Maximum Cargo Volume:
586.1 cubic feet
Maximum Passenger
Base Price: $28,950

Engine: 2.0L Turbocharged
Gasoline I-4
Torque: 258 lb- @ 1,250 rpm
Maximum Payload: 2,502 lbs
Maximum Cargo Volume: 186
cubic feet
Maximum Passenger
FEATURE
RANGE ROVER
DOES DIESEL
B
ouncing back half a year to

our July/Aug. 16 issue, youll
recall our first drive of the long
awaited and new-for-16 Range
Rover Td6 diesel. On paper, its
a marvelous engine fit into a luxurious host.
The 3.0L V-6 turbodiesel engine produces a
modest 254 hp and a more impressive 440
lb-ft of torque. Best yet, its rated at up to
29 mpg on the highway. Available in both
the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport,
we decided that further investigation was
necessary into whether or not this oil burning
power plant is a worthy upgrade over the
standard petrol engines. With that in mind,
By Jason Gonderman
Photos Courtesy of Range Rover
LUXURIOUS OIL
BURNERS
we picked up a 16 Range Rover and headed

out on a weeklong road trip.
The first thing worth noting is that you
wont be buying a Td6 model to make a statement. Sure, merely driving a Range Rover
projects a certain impression on those that
you cross paths with. However, those folks
would be hard pressed to realize theres a
diesel under the bonnet. A tiny badge on the
rear gate denotes that you have a Td6 model,
but aside from that, its indiscernible to the
average viewer as the noises it produces both
inside and out are strikingly reminiscent of
the standard direct-injection gasoline engines
the Rover comes equipped with. There were
several occasions where passengers muttered

the words, Its a diesel? Really? And we got
no fewer than half-a-dozen glares from other
fuel stop patrons when we pulled up to the
diesel pump and grabbed for the green nozzle.
Though in this day and age, no one is going
to run up and tell you to stop like the old VW
Passat commercial would have you believe
theyd rather sit back and watch the show.
With only 254 hp on tap youre not going
to be winning very many races, but the ample
torque does ensure that you get off the line
at the stoplight quicker than the other guy.
Cruising on the open highway, the Range
Rover Td6 is just as elegant and sophisticated
as you would expect from any in the lineup.
Its quiet, composed, and full of quirky British
charm that were sure owners get used to at
some point. Our tester managed to get close
to the claimed fuel economy numbers but,
alas, fell a couple short. Even still, knocking
down 27 mpg on the highway, the porky ute
beats most of its competition. Were certain if
you try for it, greater than 30 mpg can be had
pretty easily.
For the off-road portion of our week of testing, we chose to hit up the sand dunes, since
With a six-figure as-tested price, fuel costs are
clearly not an issue for Range Rover Td6 buyers.
For this price, wed recommend getting the
supercharged 5.0L gas V-8.
2016 Land Rover Range Rover HSE

BASE PRICE: $84,950
VEHICLE TYPE: Four-door, seven-passenger SUV
ENGINE: 3.0L Turbodiesel V-6
power @ 3,500 rpm
torque @ 1,750 rpm
trans
254 hp
440 lb-ft
8 speed auto

EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 22 city / 29 hwy / 25
combined
this is what all of those videos on the Internet

would have you believe Range Rovers are built
for. In the past, we would have wholeheartedly agreed. However, the wheezy little diesel
engine sucks all of the fun out of driving in
the sand. In a bit of shameless self-promotion,
wed like to fancy ourselves as good drivers
when it comes to sand. However, we got this
pig hopelessly stuck very quickly. Where the
nasty supercharged V-8 Rover would power
through and angrily claw its way out, the
diesel Rover wheezed as it dug deeper holes.
Therein lies the rub with the whole dieselpowered Range Rover thing. If your bank
account is in a drought, youre not likely to be
cross shopping Range Rovers when looking
for your next ride. That said, those who are in
the market for the likes of a Rover probably

arent going to be having any trouble keeping
it fed either. So it begs to question what the
draw of the low-power, high-mileage diesel
engine actually is. Sure, 29 mpg is a huge
jump from the supercharged 5.0L V-8s 19,
but then so is 510 hp to the diesels 254. With
more than double the power and 21 more
lb-ft of torque, the supercharged V-8 is truly
the way to go. Its more fun to drive in all situations and is way cooler in the pickup line at
your kids school. If you really want to save on
fuel costs, then a Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel
is the way to go. But if youre looking for a
rolling status symbol that costs more than an
average Midwest home, throw economy to the
wind and step up to the V-8. TT
FIRST DRIVE
| 2017 Ford F-150 3.5L EcoBoost 10-Speed
,
10
SPEEDS
NO COMPROMISES
T
echnology is always on a
relentless forward march,
and its not uncommon for
new technologies to be met
with skepticism or hostility
by traditionalists (and few other markets are
more traditional than fullsize trucks). As soon
as Ford announced the 10-speed automatic
transmission for the 17 F-150 3.5L EcoBoost,
we almost immediately heard the grumblings
of itll be too busy, Itll be a nightmare to
work on, It wont hold up to towing, and so
forth. While long-term real-world reliability
remains to be seen, Ford subjects all of its
productsand its trucks specificallyto

extremely rigorous testing. Considering the
F-150 is the crown jewel of the Ford lineup
and its most successful product, we doubt
theyd launch it without full confidence
in its reliability. And as far as the driving
experience, prepare to be surprised. All of
our expectations were exceeded behind the
wheel. There are some real, tangible benefits
to the 10-speed in real-world use.
The 10-speed transmission and higher torque
output of the 17 3.5L EcoBoost make for a
capable combination for towing and hauling.
By Edward A. Sanchez Photos Courtesy of Ford
The gauge cluster gives a realtime display of what gear the

transmission is in. Most shifts
are transparent and seamless,
giving a smooth, enjoyable driving
experience.
Whats New?
In terms of the transmission, essentially
everything. The 10-speed transmission is
not an evolution of last years six speed but
rather a clean-sheet design. The transmission
was codeveloped with General Motors and a
version of it is used in the 650hp 17 Camaro
ZL1. However, software and calibration is
unique to each manufacturer. The overall
ratio spread is wider than the outgoing sixspeed, with three overdrive ratios and shorter
lower gears for a more confident launch. The
transmission is the first from Ford not to have
any cast-iron components. The transmission extensively utilizes high-strength steel,

aluminum, and where appropriate, composites. An integrated torque converter/turbine
clutch saves 2 pounds. The overall package
size and weight of the transmission is very
close to the outgoing six-speed.
Shifty Business
One of the concerns we initially had going
into it was the subjective driving experience. Would the transmission be constantly
hunting for the right ratio, making for an
Fords new 10-speed
automatic transmission,
co-developed with
General Motors, shares
no parts with the
outgoing six-speed,
and its the companys
first transmission
that uses no cast-iron
components.
unpleasant experience behind the wheel? While

that certainly could have been an outcome
with that many ratios, the superb software and
control calibration on the transmission makes
the number of ratios almost transparent. The
transmission can kick down multiple gears
non-sequentially, meaning it can go from 9 or
10 to 5 or 6 if the situation warrants. Engineers
claim the transmission can skip as many as six
ratios in a kickdown. Under wide-open throttle
acceleration from a stop, the transmission goes
sequentially through the ratios. Although it obviously shifts more frequently than a six-speed
transmission, the experience is not jarring or offputting. It simply shuffles quickly through the
gears, providing strong, seamless acceleration.
Thankfully, the calibration is smart enough to
know when its towing or hauling and will hold
the right gear as long as necessary. When towing
a 9,900-pound trailer, the truck got up to speed
and held third gear up the hill, providing the
optimum ratio for the job at hand.
Under the Hood
FORD SHOWS HOW TO DO HIGHRATIO TRANSMISSIONS RIGHT
The other big news for 17 is an extensively

updated 3.5L EcoBoost V-6. Other than the bore
and stroke, nearly every other area of the engine
is updated, including a new aluminum block
casting. On the top end, the former bucket tappet
valvetrain has been replaced with roller finger
followers for reduced friction and improved
noise, vibration, and harshness. The new 3.5L
EcoBoost also employs a new dual port/direct
injection system for improved emissions.
The turbochargers are also new for 17. These
changes result in a net gain of 10 hp and more
significantly, 50 lb-ft of torque, for a total of 375
hp and 470 lb-ft of torque, the highest torque
output of any current -ton pickup, including
V-8s and diesels. The engine and added ratios of
the 10-speed make for a strong, capable, confident combination well suited to use in a -ton
truck. The other major update is the addition
of automatic stop-start to the 3.5L EcoBoost. As
with the 2.7L and other applications, the operation is very smooth and quick, feeling much like
a hybrid. The system is defeatable via a dashmounted button for the traditionalists that like
to burn gas at stoplights.
Sales of the EcoBoost F-150 since its launch
have more than silenced the doubters, now
comprising more than 60 percent of new F-150s
sold. Although the 10-speed is only officially
offered with the 3.5L EcoBoost for 17, Ford
representatives strongly inferred it would be
available more extensively within the F-150
lineup in the future. After having experienced it
ourselves, we see that as a positive development.
Well soon have another opportunity to experience it in a slightly different configuration with
the second-generation F-150 Raptor. We cant
wait. TT
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FIRST DRIVE
| 2017 Nissan Titan
A TRUE
-TON
THAT ISNT
HALF-BAKED
FULLY COOKED
By Sean P. Holman Photos Courtesy of Nissan
ith the successful launch

of the Titan XD in both
diesel and gas versions
complete, next up on
Nissans ambitious
truck revitalization plan is the 17 Nissan
Titan. Unlike the heavier-duty Titan XD,
the Titan is Nissans shot at the heart of the
1/2-ton market, a place where Ford F-150s,
Chevy Silverado 1500s, and Ram 1500s reign
supreme. Not to mention the excellent GMC
Sierra and current Japanese fullsize king, the

Toyota Tundra.
If youve been following our Titan XD
coverage, youll be very familiar with the
Titan, as they share the same cab and gas
powertrain. However, the entire chassis and
front clips are unique to the Titan, and it
wont be available with the grunty Cummins
5.0L V8.
Based on the previous F-Alpha Titan
platform and sharing not one bolt with the
XD, the Titan chassis is stout and recognizable.

Unlike the previous Titan, the 17 will now
have a regular cab variant. Those opting for
two doors will get an 8-foot bed, while a King
Cab, 612-foot-bed model will be available at a
later date, and of course, the bread-and-butter
crew cab with a 512-ft bed will be offered. Overall, the Titan crew cab is 12 inches shorter than
an XD crew cab and sits about 2 inches lower.
Under the shorter, lower hood is the
same American-made, second-generation,
The non-XD 12-ton Titan is visually similar to its

bigger brother, but it has a shorter bed and totally
unique chassis.
FIRST DRIVE
The Titans towing and payload ratings fall

a bit compared to the XD, but theyre still
class-competitive. The shorter wheelbase
pays dividends off-road, as we learned.
all-aluminum VK56VD 5.6L Endurance

32-valve DOHC V-8, teamed with the identical
smooth-shifting seven-speed Jatco automatic
found in the gas XD truck. Compared to the
original VK56DE 5.6L, the new engine adds
direct injection, variable valve timing and
lift (Nissan calls this VVEL) on the intake and
exhaust side, an automatic transmission fluid
warmer, and more than 150 unique parts.
Output of the new engine is cranked up to 390
hp and 394 lb-ft of torque versus the 317hp
and 385 lb-ft of torque of DE engine, numbers
achieved on regular gasoline.
Routing all that power to the ground is a

solid rear axle, sprung with traditional leaf
springs. Because of the low 4.886:1 first gear
of the seven-speed transmission, the final
drive ratio is a relatively high 2.937:1 for
improved efficiency. Pro-4X models receive
an electronically operated rear locker.
The rest of the chassis consists of front
independent double wishbone suspension
and coilover shocks, variable assist rack-andpinion steering, and vented discs at all four
corners. The front brakes come in at 13.78
inches, and the rears measure out to be 13.58
The VK56DE 5.6L V-8 features direct fuel injection and a high
compression ratio for greater performance, economy, and refinement
than its predecessor.
inches, not a whole lot smaller than the 14.17and 14.37-inch discs found on the XD.
Like the XD, the Titan comes with a highly
configurable bed that features LED lighting, a
two-way damped tailgate, and spray-in bedliner.
We imagine that the exceptional Utili-Track
rail system will come in handy for those who
plan on hauling the maximum 1,610 pounds
of payload. Trailer draggers will be able to yank
around up 9,390 pounds of conventional trailer,
but those with goosenecks will have to step up
to the XD.
While the truck has the right pieces on paper
to be competitive, one really has to climb in to
the driver seat to know Nissan is serious about
the Titans mission. From the modern, rich interior on the backside of a solid door slam to a big,
refined V-8 that idles with a luxury-like hum,
but snarls under load, you know right away that
this is a good one.
There is nothing about the Titan that feels
cheap, even in the base S trim. Comfortable
seats, quality materials, and good ergonomics
are hallmarks of the interior, and you can tell
someone obsessed over the feel of the switchgear and other details. We especially like the
360-degree camera system. Ride quality is taut
but comfortable, and PRO-4X and Platinum
Reserve 4x4s are upgraded to Bilstein monotube shocks for even better ride and handling
performance.
ONE REALLY HAS TO CLIMB IN

TO THE DRIVER SEAT TO KNOW
NISSAN IS SERIOUS ABOUT THE
TITANS MISSION.
2016 Nissan Titan Platinum Reserve 4x4

BASE PRICE: $34,780
VEHICLE TYPE: 4-door crew cab pickup
ENGINE: 5.6L 32-Valve DOHC V-8
power @ 5,800 rpm
torque @ 4,000 rpm
trans
390 hp
394 lb-ft
7 auto
If we have to find something to complain

aboutand we really are grasping at straws
hereit would have to be the high-effort
steering. Once acclimated, you get used to it,
but like the XD, it is always feels heavier than
the competition. Nissan engineers tell us this
is because they favored road feel over excessive boost, and in that regard they succeeded.
At nearly 1,000 pounds lighter than a comparable XD and with some of the best steering
feel in the class, the Titan feels sporty and
engaging in the twisties.
PAYLOAD: 1,610 lbs

EPA MILEAGE RATING: 15 city/21 highway
Thanks to the reliability track record of the

NV van, Nissan will be backing all 17 Titans
with the same 5-year/100K-mile bumperto-bumper warranty, Americas best in the
pickup segment. The company hopes that
this level of confidence in its product will
help convince buyers on the fence to take a
chance on the Titan.
Another convincing factor may be the

price. Taking a page from the XDs marketing
playbook, you get a lot of Titan truck for the
money. A base V-8-powered 4x2 crew cab S
model starts at just less than $35,000, while
a full-tilt 4x4 crew cab Platinum Reserve will
sticker at $55,400, about $1,500 less than a
gas XD and $5,500 less than a diesel XD. Like
the XD, a total of five trim levels are available:
S, SV, PRO-4X, SL, and Platinum Reserve.
However, all the marketing and warranty
support in the world in the world wont
matter if the truck isnt good, and this is
where we are happy to tell you that the Titan
is no half-baked effort. After allowing the
original Titan to languish for years in the
marketplace, this new truck is well thought
out and everything Nissan needs it to be
in order for it to contend. If the Titan has a
chance, its because this truck is that good.
Theyve convinced us, now they just need to
convince potential truck buyers. TT
FIRST DRIVE
| 2017 Nissan Armada
By Jason Gonderman Photos Courtesy of Nissan
CONQUEROR
THE ALL-NEW ARMADA
he first-generation Nissan
Armada, as we currently know
it, was born in 2003 as an 04
model. Originally named the
Pathfinder Armada, the biggest
of Nissans SUVs became simply known as
Armada a year later. A mid-cycle refresh
came about in 08, and trim levels were
introduced and retired frequently. Though
sales remained respectable, 2015 brought
a year of uncertainty as to the Armadas
future, with Nissan first announcing that the

second-generation Armada would be based
on the next-generation Titan chassis and
then following that with another announcement ambiguously stating that the future of
Armada was undecided. It was a nervous time
for lovers of this starkly beautiful fullsize ute.
Then it happenedthe moment fan boys
around the world had been waiting
forat the 2016 Chicago Auto
Show: the cover was pulled
off the all-new 17 Nissan
Armada, and it was
everything we hoped it
could be. No longer would the Armada be

Titan-based. Instead, the second-generation
would move to the legendary Patrol chassis.
Known worldwide as a Dakar Rally champion, sand dune hero, and off-road legend,
the Patrol has some serious pedigree.
Unfortunately, on its trip over from Kyushu,
Japan, the 17 Armada loses some of the
bits that make the Patrol what it is. Locking
differentials arent available, nor the disconnecting sway bars or cross-linked hydraulic
suspension. Its a decontended Patrol, sure,
but its a Patrol nonetheless.
For the U.S. market, the secondgeneration Armada more closely
mirrors Infinitis QX80, which
has been on sale stateside
since the 11 model year.
Though in regards to the
Patrol and QX, one might
think that the platform is
growing a bit long in tooth,
but when it comes to Armada
this is a very welcome step
forward. As you may recall, we at
Truck Trend had a 14 Armada Platinum
Reserve in our long-term fleet for a year, and
we grew very fond of it. So for us, getting
the opportunity to finally jump behind the
wheel of the new 17 model was a real treat.
The 17 Armada will be available in three
trim levels: SV, SL, and Platinum (gone is

Platinum Reserve). However, Nissan only
had Platinum-trimmed four-wheel-drive
versions available for us, which was quite all
right. If youve spent any amount of time in
the QX80, then slipping behind the wheel
will feel like dj vu. This isnt to condemn
the Armadarather its a reflection of the
notion that Nissan buyers dont cross-shop
Infiniti and vice versa, ultimately making
the Armada Platinum one of the best-kept
secrets among fullsize luxury SUVs. Supple
leather seating and soft-touch material
encapsulate the occupants, while accents of
faux wood and chrome adorn the instrument
panel and center console. Seating for eight is
standard while middle row captains chairs
are optional, reducing seating to seven. The
front and middle rows are quite comfortable
for passengers of all sizes, but as you would
expect even in the girthy Armada, the third
row is best left to the kids.
Cruising down the road, the first thing

you notice is how quiet Nissan has been able
to make the cabin. That isnt really surprising given the emphasis automakers are
putting on eliminating discernable noise,
vibration, and harshness these days. The
Armada rides like a nearly 3-ton body-onframe SUV should, with comfortable and
2017 Nissan Armada Platinum

BASE PRICE: $44,400
VEHICLE TYPE: Fullsize eight-passenger SUV
ENGINE: 5.6L Endurance V-8
power @ 5,800 rpm
torque @ 4,000 rpm
trans
390 hp
394 lb-ft
7 speed auto

EPA MILEAGE RATING: 14 city/16 comb/19 hwy (2WD)
13 city/15 comb/18 hwy (4WD)
confident handling more akin to a modern

1
2-ton pickup than a luxury SUV. Highway
cruising is effortless, and the Armada is no
slouch on twisty roads either, sticking to the
corners tight enough to make both second
and third-row passengers a bit queasy. Power
delivery from the new-to-Armada directinjection VK56VD 5.6L Endurance V-8 is swift
yet controllable. Horsepower jumps from
317 on the outgoing model to 390 for the
second generation, which is down from 400
in the Infiniti due to tuning for regular versus
premium fuel. A smooth-shifting sevenspeed Jatco automatic transmission delivers
power to the axles, up from five cogs in the
outgoing transmission, and the combination
allows for an EPA estimated 14 city, 19 highway, and 16 combined mpgsubtract one
from that for the four-wheel-drive models.
Despite being tuned for the suburban
sprawl rather than the Dubai deserts, the
Armada still has what it takes to get the family
deep into the woods for an off-the-grid weekend. Four-wheel drive is available, and the
Armada uses a traditional two-speed transfer
case with a dedicated low-range. Hill descent
control is also available and works exceptionally well. While the Patrols locking differentials are noticeably absent, brake-bias traction
control steps in to keep the Armada moving
forward when traction becomes limited.
In our limited time behind the wheel,
the second-generation Armada proved to be
everything we expected and so much more.
Pricing starts at $44,400 for the SV two-wheel
drive and climbs up to $59,990 for Platinum
four-wheel drive, which places it right in line
with the others in its class. And when you
consider the features included, that price
proves to be a downright bargain. Were
beyond excited for the new Armada and are
certain that the buying public will embrace it
as well. TT
FIRST DRIVE
| 2017 Nissan Pathnder
PATHFINDER
REBORN
MORE WHERE IT MATTERS
By Gary Witzenburg Photos Courtesy of Nissan
he Nissan Pathfinders 30th

birthday brings a substantial
update of its fourth generation,
which debuted for 13. Beyond
a somewhat more aggressive
look, the most important changes are its more
powerful and more efficient 3.5L V-6 engine,
its 6,000-pound tow rating, and its many new
driver-assistance/safety features.
A new Nissan V-Motion grille is flanked
by swept-back boomerang headlamps
(LED on Platinum models) with LED daytime
running lights under a taller, sleeker hood.
The front bumper and fog lamps are new, and
aerodynamic drag (Cd) is down to 0.326 from

0.340. The side mirrors have new turn signal
repeaters, and the rear bumper and tail lamps
are revised.
Most significant inside is the new, more
user-friendly touchscreen infotainment
system, a new Advanced Drive-Assist Display
between the gauges, and improved voice
recognition. Standard on Platinum are
NissanConnect Navigation with three years
of SiriusXM with Traffic and NissanConnect
Services with automatic collision notification, emergency call, stolen vehicle locator,
service scheduling, and maintenance alerts.
The Pathfinders
driver information
and entertainment
displays are
updated for 17.
The Pathfinders
3.5L V-6 gets direct
fuel injection for the
new model year,
raising output to 284
hp and 259 lb-ft. A
CVT automatic is
once again the only
transmission option.
The upgraded DOHC, 24-valve, directinjected aluminum 3.5L V-6s intake

manifold, heads and combustion chambers
are redesigned for significantly better flow,
friction is reduced throughout and a stiffer oil
pan reduces vibrations. It spins out a healthy
284 hp at 6,400 rpm and 259 lb-ft of torque
at 4,800 rpm, while scoring 20 mpg city, 27
highway, and 23 combined EPA fuel-economy
ratings with front-wheel drive, one mpg less
with available all-wheel-drive. Hill Start Assist
is standard, Hill Descent Control comes with
all-wheel-drive, and the third-generation
Xtronic CVT transmissions DStep Logic
Control simulates the feel of a conventional
automatic.
In a day of piloting a 17 Pathfinder
Platinum on a variety roads, we found its
performance good, ride quietly comfortable, handling surprisingly precise, and CVT
(normally not our favorite) virtually trans-
2017 Nissan Pathnder

BASE PRICE: Less Than $30,000
PRICE AS TESTED: N/A
VEHICLE TYPE: Crossover Utility Vehicle
ENGINE: 3.0L V-6
Available driver assistance features include

Intelligent Cruise Control, Forward Emergency
Braking, Blind Spot Warning, and Rear Cross
Traffic Alert.
The three-row cabin (leather is standard on
SL and Platinum) offers good room for up to
seven, though front-seat travel seems somewhat compromised in favor of second-row
legroom. Nissans EZ Flex Seating with Latchand-Glide and the 60/40-split, tilt-and-glide
second-row seat eases access to the 50/50-split
third-row even with a child safety seat in
place on the passenger side. Also available are
heated and cooled front seats, heated steering
wheel, heated second-row seats, power tilt and
telescoping steering wheel, Intelligent Key with
Pushbutton Start, multi-user memory settings,
13-speaker Bose Audio, the class-exclusive
Around View Monitor with new Moving Object
Detection, tri-zone automatic climate control,
Bluetooth connectivity, remote engine start and
Nissans Tire Pressure Monitoring System with
Easy-Fill Tire Alert that signals when the pressure is correct.
power @ 6,400 rpm
torque @ 4,800 rpm
trans
284 hp
259 lb-ft
CVT auto

FUEL: EPA MILEAGE RATING: 20/27/23 mpg (fwd);
19/26/22 mpg (4wd)
parent. The new touchscreen infotainment

system pleases with large, easy-to-use icons,
and it works well with a just-right array of
handy knobs and buttons. While not intended
for serious rockcrawling, it performed very
capably in a mildly challenging off-road test.
Our only gripes are that
the front seats need a bit more travel
for long-legged occupants and the Hill
Descent Control button on top of the driving
mode rotary switch is too easy to activate
inadvertently.
The 17 Pathfinder is available in four
models: base S, mid-range SV and SL, and
top-line Platinum. Options include a Trailer
Tow Package; an SV Cold Package with heated
front cloth seats, heated steering wheel, and
heated outside rearview mirrors; an SV Tech
Package with Navigation, Blind Spot Warning, and Rear Cross Traffic Alert; an SL Tech
Package with the Bose Audio, Navigation, and
trailer towing harness and hitch receiver; an
SL Premium Package with Navigation, Bose
Audio, a Dual Panorama Moonroof, and a tow
hitch receiver with integrated finisher; and
a Family Entertainment Package with dual
8.0-inch headrest displays, rear seat wireless
headphones, wireless remote control, rear
headphone jacks with volume control, a USB
port, and HDMI and VTR jacks.
The updated 17 Pathfinder is a substantial
improvement in virtually every way over
the 16 and a newly strong competitor in the
important and profitable three-row CUV
segment. TT
FIRST DRIVE
| 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe LT
FULLSIZE
LEGEND
Words and Photos By Lee Lovell
he Chevrolet Tahoe is what

many consider one of the
last survivors of the dinosaur
body-on-frame SUV era. We
say dinosaur because the
crossover-craze asteroid has already impacted
and is threatening the existence of these
once-staples of the automotive landscape. In
fact, only 18 body-on-frame SUVs are on the
market today, and six of those belong to GMs
fullsize GMT family.
That decline can be attributed most to the
fact that crossovers have gotten so good lately
that its getting harder to justify the downsides of a body-on-framer. Its an even harder
pill to swallow when you consider our midrange LT testers sticker of more than $59,000
(fully loaded tops $73K). As truck lovers, a
IS CHEVYS
TAHOE STILL A
PLAYER?
traditional ladder frame holds a soft spot

in our hearts, but can the Tahoes positives
convince us to lay down that kind of coin for
a purchase? We had a week to find out.
As is often the case, capability is a strong
justification for these types of SUVs, and the
Tahoe doesnt disappoint. When compared
to a unibody crossover, the Tahoe ladder
frame triumphs when it comes to towing.
With a fully boxed frame, Auto Grade Braking, and a 355hp 5.3L V-8 under the hood,
our tester had a tow rating of 8,600 pounds,
thanks to the optional Maximum Trailering
Package, which swaps in a 3.42 rear axle
ratio, trailer brake controller, Z85 air-leveling
suspension, and two-speed transfer case on
four-wheel-drive models (our tester was rear
wheel-drive).
Interior capability is also another strong

point of the Tahoe. This three-row SUV is
large and in charge, measuring 204 inches
long and 8012 inches wideand you feel every
bit of it behind the wheel. However, those
numbers pay dividends inside. The interior
is wide, the seats are comfortable, and the
center storage cubby can swallow a laptop
whole. Feeling thirsty and want copious
cupholders? There are 15 of them. Moving to
the second row, there is more than enough
room for the long-legged. However, that isnt
the case for the third row, as tight dimensions
make it only suitable for children. Cargocarrying capacity is 15.3 cubic feet behind the
third row, 51.7 cubic feet behind the second
row, and a massive 94.7 cubic feet with both
rows down.
Even in a more basic LT

trim, the Tahoe offers
sophisticated styling
and elegant good looks.
As equipped, our 2WD
tester offered a taste of
what is the heart of the
Tahoes market.
2016 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 2WD

BASE PRICE: $47,000
VEHICLE TYPE: 4-door, 7-passenger,
body-on-frame SUV
ENGINE: 5.3L EcoTec3 V-8
power @ 5,600 rpm
torque @ 4,100 rpm
trans
355 hp
383 lb-ft
6 speed auto

EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 16 city/23 highway/18
combined
FUEL ECONOMY OBSERVED: 15.4
thanks to triple-sealed doors, acoustically

laminated glass, and plenty of sound insulation. Chevrolets My-Link 8-inch touchscreen
infotainment unit was very intuitive and
responsive and comes with Android Auto
and Apple CarPlay functionality. We were also
impressed with the various driver assistance
features. A backup camera and rear parking
sensors are standard, and stepping up to the
LT trim equips the Tahoe with Lane Keep
Assist, forward collision monitoring, and
Safety Alert (vibrating) driver seat. Our tester
also had the optional blind spot monitor with
rear cross-traffic alert, which we found very
helpful on vehicle this size.
So is the Tahoe worth its sticker price? If
spaciousness, towing capacity, and American
manufacturing are your top priorities, then
absolutely. However, unless maxing out those
priorities will be your reality, we arent as sure if

its worth the coin. The closest argument against
it is Chevrolets own Traverse CUV, which has
21.6 more cubic feet of cargo capacity behind
the first row. Ultimately, there many crossovers
out there that tow nearly as much, have around
the same amount of interior space, get better
fuel economy, and are considered more luxuriousall for $10-$20K less than that of our
tester. They have gotten that good.
That said, none of those crossovers would
be able to tow a boat or toy hauler as effortlessly as the Tahoe. There is something reassuring about a rig that will do all that is asked
of it without complaint, even if most owners
dont plan to use its full capability. For that
reason, there will always be a place for fullsize
body-on-frame SUVs, like the Tahoe, on the
roadand in our hearts. TT
THERE IS SOMETHING REASSURING

ABOUT A RIG THAT WILL DO ALL THAT IS
ASKED OF IT WITHOUT COMPLAINT.
During our time with the Tahoe, we drove

from our natural habitat of Los Angeles to
San Diego and back. The Tahoes suspension
(which is a tad floaty) and steering (which is
electrically assisted and very light) left quite
the impression. While the combination of
the two made for a very comfortable highway
ride, road undulations and broken pavement
would upset this large SUV, causing it to
quickly drift into another lane if not careful.
Were curious to see if the LTZs standard
Magnetic Ride Control would help alleviate
this issue.
Those moments aside, we enjoyed our time
inside the cabin, which was rather hushed
FIRST DRIVE
| 2016 BMW X5 xDrive40e
By Tim Esterdahl Photos Courtesy of BMW
ULTIMATE
PLUG-IN
MACHINE?
F
BMW Charges Up the X5 with xDrive40e

ollowing the success of the BMW
i8, the 16 BMW X5 xDrive40e is a
marriage between the versatility
and luxury of the well-known
SUV and the all-electric mobility of the eDrive technology. Using lessons
learned in the BMW i program, the X5
features the latest and greatest BMW electric
technology to give its largest SUV a dose of
performance and efficiency.
The 16 BMW X5 xDrive40e joins gas- and
diesel-powered variants of the luxury SUV to
promise even better fuel economy with the
possibility of driving purely on electricity.
This is through combining a 2.0L turbo56 TRUCKTREND.COM JAN/FEB 2017
charged inline fourcylinder gasoline engine

with an eDrive electric
motor powered by
lithium-ion batteries.
Both are mated to
an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Working together, the
gas engine and electric
motor produce 308 hp
and 332 lb-ft of torque,
enough to propel the SUV
from 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds.
The powertrain is EPA-rated to return
a combined mileage of 56 MPGe on electric
power and 24 combined mpg when the internal combustion engine is in use. The base
X5 xDrive35i with a turbocharged gasoline
I-6 is rated at 21 combined mpg, while the
xDrive35d with a 3.0L I-6 diesel is rated at
27 combined mpg. BMW says the electric
motor can power the SUV for up to 14 miles
on pure electric power and is ideal for short
commutes and quick trips around town, a
statement that makes sense when looking at
the fuel economy figures. Those who drive
longer distances may be better served by the
diesel, but for those who drive less than 20
miles a day on average, they could be doing
it without using more than a few drops of
gasoline.
BMW eDrive technology provides exceptionally efficient performance as well as the
potential for all-electric mobility with zero

tailpipe emissions, ushering in a whole new
form of driving experience in a Sports Activity
Vehicle, said Hector Arellano-Belloc, BMWs
product and technology spokesman. At the
same time, the BMW X5 xDrive40e reaps the
benefits of the technology and know-how
transferred from the debut of the BMW i cars.
Behind the wheel, the marriage between
the powertrains is seamless, with the SUV
quickly getting up to speed and returning the
typical excellent driving experience found
in many BMW products. With the additional
Sport and Manual shift modes, it is quite easy
to forget you are driving a hybrid product,
since it simply drives and feels like a gasolinepowered BMW X5.
Engaging the fully electric mode creates
a unique driving experience since it almost
turns into a game of keeping it in electric
mode. This balancing act is due to how the
hybrid charges through regenerative braking.
When hitting the brakes, kinetic energy is
collected and used to charge the battery. This
allows the X5 to charge itself and is quite
useful in stop-and-go traffic or city driving. As
it charges, the battery charging mode found
under the tachometer fluctuates rapidly
between charge and ready modes, indicating
which mode you are in. Keeping the X5 in
2016 BMW X5 xDrive40e

BASE PRICE: $62,100
VEHICLE TYPE: Midsize luxury SUV
ENGINE: 2.0L TwinPower Turbo inline 4-cylinder
with eDrive electric motor
power*
torque*
trans
308 hp
332 lb-ft
8 speed auto

EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 23/25/24 city/hwy/
comb - 56 MPGe comb
*Combined gas/electric
all-electric mode takes some getting used to

since hard acceleration off the line causes the
gasoline engine to engage, while promptly
draining the battery. Plus, driving an uninterrupted distance (no stops or braking) also
drains the battery quite quickly.
Engaging the eDrive ability is done through
a center consolemounted button, and it
is automatically turned on when the X5
starts up. The electric mode is engaged for
all driving below 45 mph unless the battery
is depleted or the driver accelerates quickly.
There is also a MAX eDrive setting engaged
with the same button, which forces the
vehicle to only be powered by the electric
motor. This setting works for up to 14 miles
and below speeds of 75 mph. Going beyond

this range or speed causes the engine to
engage and take over.
There is also a third setting, called SAVE
Battery mode, which turns off the eDrive
system and conserves the battery. This is ideal
for long-distance trips.
Another way to charge the hybrid is
through plugging it in. There is an occasional
use charging cord, according to BMWs
owners manual, housed in the rear hatch area
that allows the X5 to be plugged into a wall
outlet with the plug-in located at driver-side
front fender. BMW says it takes an estimated
three hours to fully charge the battery. We
plugged it in overnight, and it was fully
charged by morning.
While the BMW X5 xDrive40e offers
consumers an alternative when shopping for
an X5, in real-world driving, the electric-drive
aspect of the vehicle is somewhat challenging
to utilize to its fullest potential. During our
week of driving, we were constantly engaged
in trying to keep the battery fully charged to
use the fully electric mode. Once the electric
mode was engaged, it seemed to drain quicker
than we anticipated, and we were constantly
managing this part of the vehicle. This isnt
to say the system doesnt work. In fact, the
gasoline engine and electric motor work in
perfect harmony together. It is simply going
to necessitate an owner actively paying attention to the batterys charge and the range of
miles they plan on driving in order to return
the 54 MPGe estimated fuel economy. TT
FIRST DRIVE
| 2017 Inniti QX30 & 2016 QX60
INFINITI
DOUBLES DOWN
ON CROSSOVER
STRATEGY
The 2017 Infiniti QX30: The

Diminutive Premium Player
With a Big Mission
hen you arrive at Washington States SeattleTacoma airport, you

immediately become
aware that youre in an
international city, as all communications are
broadcast in both English and Japanese.
This global, outdoorsy, and active metropolis was a perfect location for the first drive of
the 17 Infiniti QX30, an all-new premium
compact utility vehicle that will appeal to
buyers who fit the demographics and lifestyles of Seattleites. It has an international
passport: Infiniti is the luxury division of
Renault-Nissan,, the alliance of French and
By Sue Mead Photos Courtesy of Inniti

Japanese auto manufacturers. Added to that,
the new crossover is built at a factory in the
UK along with other Nissan vehicles, and
it shares lineage with the Mercedes-Benz
GLA-Class. It also shares the GLAs 2.0L turbocharged engine. However, its exterior and
interior styling and mechanical tuning come
at the hand of Infiniti designers and engineers to give it a somewhat unique footprint
in the market. Plus, the company wants to
make sure the QX30 speaks fluent Infiniti.
We drove both the Sport and AWD versions
of the QX30 throughout a day of motoring
along the freeways and two-lanes of the Puget
Sound region, where seaside roadways snake
tthrough
g coastal villages
i g and small towns aarrree
tucked into a landscape o

of rolling hills dotted
w
n forests. We concenwith swaths of evergreen
trated our review on the aall-wheel-drive
v i
i is
i front-biase
i ed but can send up to
versionit
50 p
percent of its
to
i power
p
o the rear with seamlless, intelligent
i
ig
AWD. Infiniti has tweaked
the front MacPherson/reear multilink suspenssion set up for a smart baalance of handling
aand comfort, although In
nfiniti-tuned, the
el
electronic
l
i power steering
i g carves corners in a
manner that feels slightlyy German. Although
i more torqueyy when pushing
the Sport is
the throttle and when mo
otivating it through
i the paddlees, the AWD moves
the ggears with
q
quickly and confidently, with a goal of sureffooted traction..
SSport models get an 85
5 percent stiffer
rear roll bar, stiffer springg rates, sport-tuned
eering, and a 10-speakeer Bose audio system.
sstee
They are distinguished with unique front

and rear lower fascias, body-color side sill
panels, gloss-black grille, black outside
mirror housings, dark-chrome exhaust
finishers, aluminum pedal finishers, unique
19-inch alloy wheels with 235/45R19
summer run-flats, Infiniti-branded brake
calipers, cross-drilled front brake rotors, and
a flat-bottomed steering wheel. Living up to
the premium label are eight-way power
sports seats with an integrated headrest,
four-way power lumbar, leatherette and
Dinamica seating surfaces, and memory
settings for seats and mirrors.
Although we enjoy zippy motoring, our
choice would be the AWD that has slightly
rugged looks with its 8 inches of ground
clearance, modest underbody plating, roof
rails, and 3 percent stiffer roll bar over the
FIRST DRIVE
The QX30 blurs the traditional lines

between hot hatch and crossover
with responsive handling and a
somewhat snug interior.
base version. It stays flat in the corners, with

good brakes that have a good pedal feel. The
Premium AWD has its own unique front and
rear lower fascias and sills, extended overfenders, roof rails, 18-inch aluminum alloy
wheels with 235/50-series all-season rubber
beneath. Also onboard was a collection of
goodies like a universal garage door opener,
rain-sensing wipers, heated washers, LED fog
lamps, chrome trunk finisher, and aluminum
kick plates.
Our only complaint was the roominess
and access to the rear seat. It would serve
two better than three passengers and has
a low roofline, plus the ingress and egress
to the back requires some maneuvering for
taller riders. The cargo area is small but what

you would expect for a vehicle of its size. Its
best features? Its a premium looker with a
mannered ride, and its easy to pilot in urban
environs.
The 2016 Infiniti QX60:

Updates Bring More Style,
Safety, and Technology
Five years ago, Infiniti had three vehicles in
its US lineup. Today, it has nine models in
that portfolio, with three hybrid variants.
We recently drove the updated QX60 sevenpassenger SUV that slots in the one of the
most competitive segments of the automotive
market. What makes it stand out from the
With premium materials, the QX60s interior is comfortable

and luxurious. Its design is a bit dated, though.
crowd and a sea of sameness? Our goal was to

drive it and learn the answer.
Launched in the U.S. in 2012 as the
Infiniti JX, the midsize premium crossover is
Infinitis first vehicle to be 100 percent built
in America. Rechristened the QX60 for the 14
model year to align with the brands updated
naming system, it gets a mid-cycle refresh for
the 16 model year to better compete against
the Acura MDX, Audi Q7, Volvo XC90, and
BMW X5, among others. Youll notice new
exterior design cues, novel interior luxury
touches, retuned chassis dynamics, and a
comprehensive suite of comfort, convenience, and safety technologies that benefit
from upgrades.
Its styling may be all-Infiniti, but the QX30 has a distinctly European feel,
emphasized by its Mercedes-engineered powertrain.
AIM FOR THE BEST.

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We Fuel Your Adventures.

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FIRST DRIVE
The midsize QX60

crossover is one of Infinits
best-selling models.
THE QX60S REVISED FORM ACCENTUATES ITS LOOKS

THAT ARE AN APPEALING BLEND OF POWER AND ELEGANCE
Outside, the QX60s revised form accentuates its looks that are an appealing blend of
power and elegance with familiar signature
brand features like Infinitis double-wave hood
and crescent-cut D-pillar. The interior has an
ambiance of elegance and fine craftsmanship
with thin chrome accents, uplevel soft-touch
materials, and standard leather seating trim
with contrast stitching.
Available in both front- and all-wheeldrive versions, the performance-engineered
crossover is offered with a choice of two
powerful and efficient powertrains. Standard
is a 3.5L V-6 gasoline engine that makes 265
hp at 6,400 rpm with peak torque of 248 lb-ft
at 4,400 rpm. Optional is a hybrid powertrain
with a supercharged 2.5L inline-four-cylinder

engine that is paired with an electric motor
powered by a compact lithium-ion battery
pack to produce a total of 250 hp and 243 lb-ft
of torque. Both are mated to a sport-tuned,
electronically controlled continuously variable
transmission (CVT) featuring Infinitis D-Step
transmission logic that adjusts the shift feel of
the CVT to mimic the shift patterns of a more
traditional step transmission.
Safeguarding occupants is a top priority,
with several advanced safety technologies now
available through revised options packages,
including a comprehensive predictive forward
collision system with emergency braking and
pedestrian detection. This technology watches
2017 Inniti QX30
2016 Inniti QX60
BASE PRICE: $39,450
BASE PRICE: $42,600
PRICE AS TESTED: N/A
VEHICLE TYPE: Two-row, ve-passenger

premium SUV
VEHICLE TYPE: Three-row, seven-passenger,

midsize premium SUV
ENGINE: 2.0L I-4, turbocharged and intercooled
ENGINE: 3.5L V-6; Supercharged 2.5L I-4 hybrid
power @ 5,500 rpm
torque @ 1,200 rpm
trans
power @ 6,400 rpm
torque @ 4,400 rpm
trans
208 hp
258 lb-ft
7 speed auto
265 hp*
248 lb-ft**
CVT
CURB WEIGHT: 4,385 to 4,524 lbs
EPA MILEAGE RATING: 24 city/33 hwy (FWD);

21 city/30 hwy (AWD)
EPA MILEAGE RATING: 21 city/27 hwy (FWD); 19 city/27

hwy (AWD); 26 city/28 hwy (Hybrid FWD); 25
city/28 hwy (Hybrid AWD)
the vehicle in front and tracks vehicle speeds

to detect and help prevent or mitigate a collision. The companys Around View Monitor
with moving object detection uses four wideangle lenses mounted around the vehicle
to provide a birds-eye view on the center
console for a clear picture of nearby hazards
during low-speed maneuvers. Backup collision intervention alerts the driver to crossing
vehicles and other large stationary objects
behind the vehicle when moving in reverse;
if necessary, the system will automatically
brake to help avoid or mitigate a collision.
We drove the new model over a course of
125 miles in the San Antonio, Texas, area.
Notable is its quiet, luxury-appointed cabin,
high level of technology and communications features, and more responsive ride
and handling. Improved driving dynamics
come as a result of modifications to steering
dampers and a new steering rack, altered
spring rates, bolstering to the body structure,
and new tire compounds. Of note is the
QX60s car-like ride in corners that speaks to
the engineering revisions that reduced the
roll angle by 10 percent. Also notable is the
impressive number and scope of the options
packages for the QX60 that bring uplevel technology and equipment as well as even more
elegant trims. TT
*250 hp combined (hybrid gas/electric)

**243 lb- combined (hybrid gas/electric)
INTERVIEW
By Gary Witzenburg
VISUALIZED
Behind Buicks New Right-Size CUV
Photos Courtesy of Buick
udy Brennan and John Cockburn

(pronounced co-burn) have
followed different career paths to
arrive from different directions at
different times to the same mission.
Judy, based now at the GM Technical Center
in Warren, Michigan, is Global Chief Engineer for Buicks all-new Envision premium
compact CUV (crossover utility vehicle).
John is Envisions Regional Chief Engineer
in Shanghai, China. While John was in the
United States developing the Envision, I was
in China working on other programs, Judy
Judy Brennan
Global Chief Engineer
said. Then he came to China to launch it, and

a year ago I returned here to launch it in the
United States.
Born in Detroit and raised in nearby
Warren and Harsons Island, Michigan, Judy
was good in math and science and saw her
engineer father as a role model. Then, when
she attended a Women in Engineering workshop at Michigan Technological University,
she was sold. After a week of that, she says. I
knew I wanted to be an engineer.
She landed a co-op job with General Motors
while pursuing her degree at Michigan State
University, and after graduating, she was
hired by GMs Fisher Body Division in 1983. A
whirlwind series of assignments of increasing
responsibility have followed since early stints
there in manufacturing engineering and body
tool design. She worked in two assembly
plants, as a field engineer in Chicago, then in
1988 earned a GM fellowship to attend the
Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). That
led to management jobs that begin with
prototype build shop manager, then vehicle
engineering group manager, vehicle line
director, and vehicle architecture and design
studio engineering manager. She then served
three years at GM Australia as Holdens first
John Cockburn
Regional Chief Engineer
female engineering director, followed by 5 1/2

years leading vehicle programs at GM China.
Canadian-born mechanical engineer John
was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, then
started in GMs Canadian Parts Fabrication
organization following his 1988 graduation
from the University of Toronto. He moved up
to first-line production supervisor, then transitioned to vehicle assembly, and then chassis
engineering at GM Canadas regional product
engineering center. He moved to Detroit to
work on Corvette and Camaro/Firebird chassis, working up to lead chassis engineer for
Corvette. He moved to powertrain and chassis
engineering for GM compact cars, which
gave him some global experience working
with Opel in Germany. Then he moved up to
overall vehicle program engineering manager
for compact vehicles and then transferred
INTERVIEW
How did you achieve the very quiet cabin?
JC: It has triple door seals, active noise cancel-
to Europe to lead engineering of the awardwinning Opel Zafira.

And when I was in Europe, we were
bubbling up this new global compact SUV, he
relates. Then I was asked to move back to the
U.S. to lead the engineering of an all-new dedicated architecture for the premium compact
SUV that ultimately became the Envision.
Johns passion for cars was solidified as a
teen when he rebuilt an old MGB GT sports car
at a cousins shop in Glasgow, Scotland. His
cousin said, If you can get it to run, lad, its
yours to drive. And that sealed the deal: He
decided he wanted to be an auto engineer.
Both recently took time from a busy day in
Shanghai to get us up to speed on Envision:
Truck Trend: Does Envision share its platform
with any other vehicle?
John Cockburn: No. Its an all-new premium
compact SUV architecture with extensive use

of high-strength and ultra-high-strength steels
and extensive chassis isolation. For me, it was
a profound opportunity to get in on the design
of a brand-new architecture tailored just for
premium compact SUVs.
What is the powertrain?
Judy Brennan: For 16, its a 2.0L turbo with our
third-generation six-speed automatic and allwheel drive. For model year 17, weve added a
2.5L base engine and front-wheel drive.
Buick has needed a CUV between the threerow Enclave and subcompact Encore.
JC: Our mission was a right-size Buick SUV,
lation, and proprietary acoustic materials. Its

a dissipative acoustics system with equivalent
performance to a barrier system but about 15
kg lighter. We went after efficient fundamentals to keep the mass as low possible, and
its 200 pounds lighter than the Audi Q5 2.0L
turbo all-wheel-drive with more available
options.
from the larger Enclave, which they continue
to love. We wanted something between
Encore and Enclave in size, so Envision is
15 inches longer than Encore and 15 inches
shorter than Enclave. We also wanted a
premium ride and spirited handling, with
very aggressive targets. Weve advanced our
modeling and manufacturing methods to be
able to develop a structure that is exemplary for noise and vibration and stiffness,
which allowed the chassis engineers to set
up outstanding ride and handling. And it
absolutely had to be segment-leading in
noise, vibration, and harshness, a trademark
of Buick, which we also have achieved.
JB: It rides and handles like a sedan but with
the amenities and benefits of an SUV. Its agile
and responsive, the first crossover with HiPer
Strut front suspension.
What is the all-wheel drive system?
JC: Its a twin-clutch system with two rear
clutches for instantaneous and anticipatory

response. Not just driving-in-the-snow allwheel drive, its a really dynamic system that
even looks at steering angle inputs as youre
driving. On dry pavement, it senses what
youre trying to do to give you the best turn-in
and corner exiting performance. It can shift
torque 100 percent front to rear and side to
side, and its very good off-road with 200
millimeters of ground clearance.
JB: The interior was a top priority with
premium materials. Everything you see and

touch from the driver seatsteering wheel,
armrests, door trimis soft, supple, and very
premium. We wanted an environment that
would give the driver a sense of well-being
but was also inclusive for all passengers, with
heated and reclining rear seats and tri-zone
automatic climate control.
With all the latest driver assistance and
safety features?
JB: Yes, it offers the best of GMs active safety
technology with a combination of ultrasonic

sensors, radars, and cameras. With side blind
zone and rear cross-traffic alerts and lane
keep assist, its a very confident vehicle for me
as a mom. We also use the seats that vibrate
to warn if youre going out of your lane or if
it sees imminent crash conditions. My two
teenage daughters, who are going through
driver training, love the braking and handling
and feel very confident in this vehicle.
Since its assembled in China, should potential buyers be concerned about quality?
JB: Absolutely not. It was designed, engi-
neered and validated by engineers in North

America, then revalidated in China. All GM
plants, no matter where they are on the globe,
adhere strictly to our Global Manufacturing
System with the same quality standards. TT
partly to give people an option to move down
Buick benchmarked the Audi Q5 for

refinement and features for the new
Envision crossover. The result is a
beautifully refined interior space.
R
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A
D
N
I
L
L
I
T
S
IS
E
C
A
R
O
T
T
H
G
I
R
YOUR
THE THREAT ISNT OVER YET.

Support the RPM Act and protect racings future.
www.SEMA.org/RPMAct
TECH + UPDATES + ADVICE + GEAR
ON THIS PAGE LONG-TERM TEST FLEET
UP
DA
TE
NISSAN FRONTIER PRO-4X GMC SIERRA 1500 DENALI
Special delivery: If youre trying to impress

Mom or get out of the doghouse with
your wife, the Frontiers center console
cupholders are large enough for a big vase
of flowers.
BRING ON THE BOOST
LOGBOOK
QUOTES
The accessory
bed extender
works better as
a cargo divider.
I positioned it
against the cab
and used it to
keep smaller
camping gear
from moving
around.
Every rear-seat
passenger
complains
about the awful
seat bottom.
It needs to be
raised at least
a few inches
to improve
comfort.
Im surprised
how comfortable this
10-year-old
platform is on
the highway
with a smooth,
quiet ride.
BRETT T. EVANS
The 16 Nissan
Frontier Pro-4Xs
surprising freeway
comfort lent
itself to a few
long-distance trips
during this report,
including one to San
Francisco and one
to Salt Lake City.
2016 NISSAN
FRONTIER PRO-4X
In the months since our last longterm report on the 2016 Nissan
Frontier Pro-4X, our midsize pickup has
been pressed into commuting duty more
frequently. Since Truck Trend Editor (and resident boonies-enthusiast) Jason Gonderman
passed the keys to the Frontier to yours truly,
it sees more time on the mean streets of
downtown Los Angeles than the wide-open
spaces of Big Bear or El Mirage.
However, its in those tight city confines
that the Frontier starts to make sense over
its Chevrolet Colorado and Toyota Tacoma
rivals. Although those pickups compete in
SHOP CLASS P74
By Brett T. Evans
the same size class as the Frontier, Nissans
entry in the midsize market still features
nearly compact dimensions, at about 7
inches shorter and 2 inches narrower than
the Colorado and Tacoma. The Frontiers
up-high driver seat and down-low windowsills further ease fitting the pickup into tight
parking spaces or down narrow alleyways.
Of course, the trucks compact size
plays against it in some ways as well: the
pickup box is at least an inch shorter than its
competitions and the rear seat has tighter
knee room to accompany the uncomfortably
low seat bottom. Your back seat passengers
will be miserable within 30 minutes, a fact
this author regrettably learned only after hed
stuffed his significant others parents back
there for a one-hour trip. Were we spending
our own hard-earned cash on a Frontier,
wed abandon the crew cabs useless rear
seat in favor of the King Cabs extra bed
length and occasional-use rear jump seats.
Other complaints compared to the Pro-4Xs
competition include its dated interior design
and hard interior plastics. And while the high
driver seat is nice from a visibility standpoint,
it compromises headroom for passengers
taller than 6 feet, and its lumbar support is far
too aggressive, resulting in back pain for this
driver after about three hours at the helm.
LONG-TERM NUMBERS
Report: 3 of 4
Previous Report(s): May/June 2016,
Sept./Oct. 2016
Base Price: $31,640
Price as Tested: $33,240
Miles to Date: 16,120
Miles Since Last Report: 5,085
Average MPG (this report): 16.08
Best Tank (mpg): 19.73
Worst Tank (mpg): 13.15
Test Maintenance: Oxygen sensor
replaced at 1,500 miles. 5,000-mile
service, oil change, and tire rotation.
10,000-mile service, oil change, and tire
rotation. Handbrake adjusted at 11,200
miles. 15,000-mile service, oil change,
and tire rotation.
Test Problem Areas: A handbrake that
failed to effectively hold the vehicle on
steep hills was adjusted.
That said, the Frontier has a tough,
rugged personality thats missing in most
other modern trucks, and its 4.0L V-6 has a
playful, aggressive exhaust note and very
impressive low-end grunt. The car-based
V-6s found in the Tacoma and Colorado
could learn a very good lesson in useful
torque from Nissans VQ40DE engine.
Its do-it-yourself six-speed manual transmission is also great fun combined with the
engine, resulting in some manly over-run
burble with every shift. Shift feel leaves a
little to be desired, with unclear shift gates
and long throws, but well never complain
about a manually shifted, V-6powered 4x4.
With a few camping trips and loads of
daily driving under its belt, our complaints
about the Frontier are few. Its impressively
quiet, even at freeway speeds, and the
plasticky interior doesnt bother us enough
to complain too much. The sound system is
great, and the navigation display is simple
to operate and reasonably intuitive. Plus,
we love its square-jawed styling; the Frontier looks like a truck ought to, with simple
surfaces, big windows, and boxy lines.
Its as-tested price of $33,240 strikes
us as a great bargain too, especially in a
world where a similarly equipped Colorado
or Tacoma would cost $36,000 or more.
Indeed, the crude, muscular Frontier
remains one of our favorite trucks on the
market today.
THAT DEER LOGO HAS BEEN USED IN

ONE FORM OR ANOTHER SINCE THE
NNATIONS
A
CENTENNIAL.
LEGENDS P72
JOHN DEERE
GEAR P76
PRE OWNED P82
COOL, NEW STUFF

F
2008-2010 FORD F-SERIES

ES SUPER
SUPE
SU
PE
P
ER DUTY
ER
DU
UTY
L
VA
RI
AR
The 16 Sierra 1500 Denali

is a gorgeous pickup no
matter what angle you
view it from. Bold lines
and GMCs signature LED
lighting package combine
to produce a stunning look
that is not easily matched.
Stuffed under the hood is GMs burly 6.2L

EcoTec3 V-8 engine. A combination of Active
Fuel Management cylinder deactivation,
direct fuel injection, and variable valve
timing allow the largest displacement engine
in the 12-ton class to achieve an impressive
EPA fuel economy rating of 15/17/21 mpg.
2016 GMC SIERRA

1500 DENALI
It feels like just yesterday that the we
announced to the world that the 16
GMC Sierra 1500 Denali had won our 2016
Pickup Truck of the Year award. And its
hard to believe that our long-term tester has
already been in the fleet for three months
and racked up more than 5,000 miles. We
can only attribute time flying by so fast to the
fact that the Sierra Denali has been such a
pleasure to live with and reaffirms that our
Pickup Truck of the Year award went to the
right truck.
Through the course of this first quarter the
Sierra has performed nearly flawlessly, with
the exception of one nagging issue: a very
rough transmission clunk. We first noticed
this issue when testing a 15 Chevrolet
Silverado 1500, and then it appeared again
briefly during our 2016 Pickup Truck of the
Year test with the 16 Sierra Denali. Now,
living with the truck, we find that its actually
a quite frequent occurrence. Our best guess
is that since the eight-speed transmission
wants to shift so aggressively through the
gears that on part-throttle transitions, most
often from coasting to accelerating, it gets
caught between gears and is forced to firmly
shift into the next available. Unfortunately,
its difficult to replicate on demand, so diagnosing the issue has been tough. Hopefully
JASON GONDERMAN
LONG-TERM NUMBERS
By Jason Gonderman
well have a more solid explanation for this

issue by the next report.
Aside from the occasional shifting irregularities, weve been thoroughly satisfied with
performance of the Sierra Denali. Our tester
is outfitted with the 6.2L EcoTec3 V-8 engine,
the aforementioned eight-speed automatic
transmission, and a 3.23:1 axle ratio. The
result is a burly V-8 engine that churns out
Our Sierra Denali is outfitted with GMs
third-generation magnetic ride control
shock absorbers, which can adjust the
damping rate almost instantly.
LOGBOOK
QUOTES
Power from
the big V-8 is
fantastic, and
finding the kickdown button at
the end of the
pedal stroke
leaves us with
a large juvenile
grin.
How the heck
to do I turn on
the LED bed
lights?
Out of
windshield
washer fluid,
again.
BANG! Did
we just get
rear-ended or
was that the
transmission
again?
Report: 1 of 4
Previous Report(s): N/A
Base Price: $54,240
Price as Tested: $62,060
Miles to Date: 5,297
Miles Since Last Report: N/A
Average MPG (this report): 15.34
Test Best Tank (mpg): 19.75
Test Worst Tank (mpg): 13.67 (towing)
Test Maintenance: N/A
Test Problem Areas: The transmission has
occasional hard-shifting issues.
420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque that is also
rated at up to 21 mpg on the highway. In the
real world, this means passing and merging
are effortless while still maintaining decent
fuel economy. Through this quarter were
averaging about 15 mpg combined, which
is right on with the EPA city estimate but falls
a touch short of the 17 mpg combined estimate. Our best tank netted 19.75 mpg, which
we hope to improve upon now that the truck
has broken in a bit. The downside to all this
power is the engines thirst for premium fuel,
which is required.
Keeping us isolated from the road are
the Sierra Denalis MagneRide magnetic
ride control shock absorbers. Previously
employed on the Cadillac Escalade, the
Sierra Denali received these shocks for the
15 model year. The magnetic ride controls
sensors read every millisecond and can
make adjustments to the shocks dampening in as little as five milliseconds. This
produces a ride thats one of the smoothest
and most controlled of any 12-ton pickup that
weve driven.
So far our 2016 Pickup Truck of the Year
winning GMC Sierra 1500 Denali is living up
to our expectations. The interior is quiet and
refined, the ride is top notch, the engine is
stellar, and weve just begun to explore the
full range of the trucks technology suite.
Stay tuned as we dig deeper into life with the
Sierra Denali in the coming reports. TT
THE GARAGE
LEGENDS
JOHN DEERE
o most people with even a passing

interest in modern machinery, the
name John Deere will immediately
bring to mind an image of that yellow
leaping deer against a green background, just as quickly as Coca-Cola evokes gently
curving white lines on a red background. This
farming equipment company contributes its own
long thread to the fabric of contemporary American
society. And that deer logo has been used in one
form or another since the nations centennial. No,
not the bicentennialthe centennial.
John Deere, the man, was born in Vermont
in 1804 and grew up to become a blacksmith.
However, he left his home state at the age of 32 and
relocated to Illinoisa place called Grand Detour,
which is way to the west of Chicago. He set up a
blacksmith shop and made small farming implements like shovels and pitchforks as well as general
repairs. He found he was often repairing plows that
were originally made for finer soil, not heavy and
sticky prairie land that prompted frequent stops to
clean the wooden or iron plows.
Weve all heard that old saying about turning
swords into plowshares. Well, Deere did something
similar with a steel saw blade. Deere took a
polished blade and worked it into a curved shape.
When put to the test, the mud slipped off cleanly.
Now farmers could get their fields plowed quicker
than ever before. They said that it cut through the
rich soil so well it made a singing sound (thats not
By Colin Ryan
Photo Courtesy of John Deere
too far-fetchedthink of musical saws).

The greater effect of this meant that pioneering
types went even further west into the Great Plains
to cultivate more land. This relatively humble steel
plow actually changed the face of the country. All
those arable acres we see when looking out of an
airplane window owe a huge debt to John Deere.
Deere also did something else that was
revolutionary at the time. Instead of waiting until
someone ordered a steel plow before making it,
he produced several in advance. Customers could
see the product and buy it immediately. In 1839, he
made 10 plows, but soon became busy enough go
into partnership with one Leonard Andrus. Output
quickly jumped to three figures.
Other partners came and went, while production
swiftly moved from hundreds to thousands, thanks
to a new factory established at Moline, Illinois, a
location chosen because it allowed access to the
railway and the Mississippi river (Deere eventually
had a spell as Molines mayor). In 1849, 16 workers
produced more than 2,000 plows. At first, British
steel was used, but Deere soon turned to Pittsburghs mills for a more
convenient supply.
Charles Deere,
Johns son, came
on board in 1858,
aged 16. Five
years later, theres
THEY SAID THAT IT CUT

THROUGH THE RICH SOIL SO WELL
IT MADE A SINGING SOUND
an evolution: the Hawkeye Riding Cultivator, where

the user would sit on it, pulled by a pair of horses,
rather than walk behind. Wagons and buggies
followed several years down the line. The company
even tried its hand at bicycles twice, once in the
late 1800s and again in the 1970s.
Like any company, this one saw periods of
expansion, with more factories built, along with
phases of declining sales and worker unrest.
Nevertheless, it managed to move with times,
despite its founder dying in 1886, and embrace
what were then-new technologies like tractors,
which became the bread-and-butter line. The first
John Deere tractor was the Model D and came out
in 1923. It only had a two-cylinder engine, but it had
staying power, remaining on sale for three decades.
The Great Depression hit hard, but the company
took the noble steps of lowering rent for workers in
John Deereowned housing and carrying farmers
debts, not repossessing any equipment. Its hard to
imagine a contemporary operation without those
kinds of roots doing anything similar. Somehow,
two more tractors were introduced, both going on
to become big sellers. These were the 34 Model A
and the Model B a year later.
Combine harvesters joined cotton-picking
machines and bulldozers, with diesel power
coming in after the Second World War. Sales
reached the $1 billion mark in 1966 and were $36.2
billion in 2012. These days, the John Deere product
line includes snowmobiles, backhoes, ride-on
mowers, forestry vehicles, and drivetrains. It now
has factories in India, Argentina, Brazil, France,
Finland and Germany, employing more than
60,000 people worldwide. Yet, after all these years,
the main headquarters are still in Moline. John
Deeres original curved steel blade, though, is on
display at the Smithsonian. TT
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SHOP CLASS
By Alex STEELE ASE Master Technician
BRING
ON THE
BOOST
THE FUNDAMENTALS OF
FORCED INDUCTION
umping (compressing) ambient air into

an engines intake manifold, adding
to pressure created by the internal
compression ratio, generates additional
power from combustion. The concept goes back
more than 100 years, with increasing relevance in
current automotive production.
Mainstream naturally aspirated engines run
solely on pressure created internally to provide
combustion of the air/fuel mixture. The amount
of pressure is determined by the volume of space
within a cylinder and combustion chamber with
the piston all the way down (bottom dead center),
compared to the amount remaining after the piston
travels all the way up (top dead center). This is
the compression rati: 1212-to-1 means the volume
at BDC is 1212 times greater than that at TDC. The
higher the ratio, the greater the air is compressed,
and therefore higher pressure in the combustion
chamber.
High compression has always been a highperformance mainstay, but with it comes a few
hitches. When air is compressed to build higher
pressures, temperature increases as well. Within a
gasoline-burning four-stroke engine, if pressure/
temperature applied to the air/fuel mixture is too
high, it will ignite the mixture prior to the firing of
the spark plug (preignition). In simple terms, this
creates two separate explosions, which bang
together and produce a knock (detonation, spark
knock, ping). Along with the knock from abnormal
combustion, extreme combustion temperatures
are created, which can cause internal engine
damageliterally burning a hole through a piston if
conditions are right.
Knocking has always been an issue with gasoline internal combustion engines, but its held in
check with the use of dynamic adjustments to air/
fuel ratio, ignition timing, and exhaust gas recircula74 TRUCKTREND.COM JAN/FEB 2017
tion (EGR), with the aid of a knock sensor input

to the powertrain control module. However, when
dealing with performance oriented high-compression, higher octane fuel is often a necessity. The
higher the octane rating, the higher the temperature
required to ignite the air/fuel mixture. Within a high
compression engine, this prevents the unwanted
ignition prior to the spark at the plug.
Boost
In 1885, German engineer Gottlieb Daimler
patented the use of a gear-driven pump to force air
into an internal combustion engine. This mechanically driven device went on to be known as a
supercharger.
The turbocharger, compressor driven by the
flow of exhaust gasses, was attributed to Alfred
Bchi, a Swiss engineer researching diesel engine
technology in 1905.
The amount of pressure inside the intake manifold above atmospheric pressure, achieved through
either method, is accurately referred to as boost.
Pros and Cons

The mechanically driven supercharger has the
advantage of immediate response in performance
from boost pressure. However, at the same time,
the load on the engine required to rotate the supercharger subtracts significantly from engine power
(a loss usually compensated for by the pressurized
induction).
A turbo has the opposite effect: less power loss
by driving the compressor with exhaust gas flow
Ford upped the ante in 08 with the debut of
the 6.4L Power Stroke diesel V-8. This engine
utilized two turbochargers plumbed in a seriessequential configuration.
but with a delay in boost, which diminishes low-end

throttle response (turbo lag).
Supercharger (Blower)
Typically, superchargers are belt-driven from the
crankshaft. Modern automotive superchargers
are used almost exclusively for high-performance
applications, not efficiency.
Rotating a supercharger may absorb as much as
a third of the engines horsepower at the crankshaft.
However, the direct boost overshadows the power
loss as seen with response and total power output.
Thats why we see 500ci supercharged engines in
Top Fuel drag racing. Engines like these are not so
worried about fuel economy, only power, peaking
near 10,000 hp and consuming 4-5 gallons of
nitromethane during a quarter-mile run.
Roots-Type
Roots-type blowers are where it all started with the
use of counter-rotating shafts with an equal number
of lobes (or paddles) intertwined to pump air. They
THE GARAGE
Turbochargers are found on both modern gas and
diesel engines.
dont compress air internally but simply move it

o the intake mani-through the supercharger and into
fold where the boost pressure form
ms. The amount off
pm of the engine//
boost is regulated strictly by the rp
supercharger, which establishes high
h g amounts off
upercharges
pressure even at low rpm. Roots su
g are
a simple design and highly reliable
e, used in OE
applications by GM, Ford, Mercedes, and Toyota.
y
Remember that increased presssure of the air//
e consequently?
fuel mixture increases temperature
Thats one drawback to the Roots--type super-charger.
sseparating the pulses, the conflict is eliminated and we produce a more efficient flow
of exhaustt to each of the two scrolls.
bine wheel and impeller therefore
The turb
s faster
f
spin
ass compared to the same engine
w h a single-scr
l
roll turbo. This enhances boost as a
with
wh l and
d decre
d eases turbo lag.
whole
Variable Geometry
G
(VGT)
Screw-Type
Similar to a Roots-type supercharg
ger, the screw-type uses two shafts with a screw thread
t
design.
Unlike the Roots-type, the variable
e pitch of the
screws and tight clearances actually
the
ll compress th
air within the supercharger. This provides greater
efficiency at high rpm and lower temperature
increase of the compressed air.
Centrifugal
A centrifugal supercharger uses an impeller to
compress the airsimilar to the compressor wheel
of a turbocharger. While limited in the amount
of pressure produced compared to a Roots or
screw-type blower, centrifugal superchargers
are somewhat smaller, produce less heat from
compression, and easily network with a heat
exchanger (intercooler).
Turbocharger
A turbo is generally a centrifugal design with the
use of an impeller to compress air just like its
supercharger sibling. But the impeller (compressor
wheel) is joined by a shaft to a turbine, as opposed
to a drive belt. The turbine is kind of the opposite of
an impeller. It rotates with exhaust flow and drives
the impeller via the captured kinetic energy.
Again, disadvantages of turbocharging include
the lag in boost and the high temperatures from the
use of exhaust gases, but unlike superchargers,
boost can be dynamically controlled. This control
has long been obtained with the use of a waste
gate, which is basically a valve that varies the
amount of exhaust routed to the turbine in conjunction with engine load.
Single-Turbo
This is the basis of the bunch: one turbine and one
BOOST BASICS
impeller inside the housing of one turbocharger,

d
driven
i
by
b th
the one main
i exhaust
h t flow
fl from
f
the
th
engine. Its a simple and comparatively inexpensive
design.
Twin-Turbo (Bi-Turbo)
Two turbos on one engine can be used in parallel
(half the exhaust through turbo #1 and half through
turbo #2) or sequentially (exhaust moves through
turbo #1, then turbo #2).
Two-stage twin turbos combine a large and
small unit routed in series with the exhaust. Smaller
turbos provide better power at low speeds (less
turbo lag), while the larger is more efficient at
higher speeds. The two can be controlled accordingly depending upon driving conditions, making
the system more efficient.
Twin-Scroll
Pay attentionthis is a very cool setup. Twin-scroll
means a turbo using two turbines (or one turbine
wheel with two sets of blades) with separate inlet
and outlet exhaust passages, fixed to a shaft
driving the impeller.
With the use of a custom exhaust manifold,
specific cylinder exhaust ports are routed to one
scroll and the remaining cylinders to the other.
Example: A four-cylinder engine (firing order
1-3-4-2) will have the exhaust from cylinders #1 and
#4 routed to one scroll and that from cylinders #2
and #3 to the other.
The exhaust pulses from each cylinder come
out the exhaust valves in the firing order sequence.
Due to what we call valve overlap, half of the pulses
are not in sync and interfere with each other. By
This system
y
usess variable vanes on the turbine as
o
d blades. This allows for adjustment
opposed
to fixed
o the surface are
of
ea contacted by exhaust, ultimately
ch g g turbine
b e and impeller speed in accorchanging
da ce with
dance
t load.
oad.
V
cient, expensive, and used mostly
VGTs
are effic
o diesel applica
on
ations due to the lower exhaust
t p
G soline exhaust temp is much
temperature.
Ga
higher
hi
h and
d would
l require more exotic materials for
the internal hardware to hold up.
Electric
This could possibly be the future of OE turbocharger production. An electric motor can be used
in tandem with exhaust flow spinning the turbine.
Just like regenerative braking on a hybrid, the electric turbo motor can also be used as a generator.
On deceleration when boost is unnecessary, the
exhaust can continue spinning the turbine/generator and charge a high-voltage battery.
Intercooler
We dont want hot intake air, and the majority of
turbochargers use an intercooler between the
turbo and the intake manifold. Just like a radiator,
the intercooler removes part of the heat generated
when the turbo compresses incoming air by using
moving air or recirculating fluid.
Why So Many Turbodiesels?

Lets get back to preignition. A gasoline-burning
engine compresses the air/fuel mixture. If pressure
and temperature are too high, the mixture may
ignite prior to the spark plug doing its job. A diesel
engine compresses only air, and the fuel is injected
after the high pressure is formed nearing top dead
center. The fuel ignites on contact with the high
temperature air created from compression, so
preignition from excessive pressure isnt an issue
with diesel applications.
This, along with a shorter power-range that
limits turbo lag, makes diesel engines ideal candidates for turbocharging.
Up In The Air
Why is turbocharging so important in aviation?
Air density is the issue at high altitudes. The
density decreases the higher we get, with less
oxygen per cubic inch of air. So a naturally aspirated piston engine can eventually be starved for
oxygen at a certain height.
A turbochargers boost pressure increases air
density, giving us more oxygen in the combustion
chamber to be burned along with additional fuel
applied. Turbo boost can keep an aircraft engine
running virtually the same as at sea level, even
while flying at high altitudes.
The same air density principles apply with
forced induction on the ground. Only down here
were focusing more on power and efficiency,
instead of maintaining flight. TT
THE GARAGE
By
B
y Brett T. Evans
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additions to the tire companys
legendary lineup of utility vehicle
tires. The Q/Ts proprietary Silent
Wall technology provides a quieter
ride by reducing the resonance of the
tire, helping prevent the thrum that can
grow tiresome over long periods of time.
Yet, traction isnt compromised thanks
to wide tread grooves that help evacuate
rainwater and sipes that improve treadwear
and traction in wet, snowy weather. A long,
65,000-mile treadwear warranty makes them
even more attractive.
Toyo Tires 800-442-8696
toyotires.com
76 TRUCKTR
TRU
UCKTR
CKTREND
END.COM
END.
D COM
CO
OM
M JAN
A /F
AN/F
/FEB
/FE
/FEB 20
017
THE GARAGE
STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP,
MANAGEMENT, AND CIRCULATION
Bully for You
Quick installation and fast

operation are two of the
benefits with the Bulldog
Velocity Series High-Speed
Jack. The hydraulic jack
makes it easy to hitch fifthwheel and gooseneck trailers to
your truck, and it installs in just
about 30 minutes, compared
to two hours for other hydraulic
units. Each jack can withstand
12,000 pounds, and an optional
wireless remote makes lifting your
trailer even easier.
Bulldog
Products
B
lld g P
d
800-632-3290
bulldogproducts.nett
As required by Title 39, Section 3685 United States Code below is the
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3. Filing Date: 10/01/2016
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Publisher: TEN: The Enthusiast Network, LLC, 831 S. Douglas St.,
9. Publisher, Christian Nimsky, 831 S. Douglas Street, El Segundo, CA 90245;
Editor, Jason Gonderman, 831 S. Douglas Street, El Segundo, CA 90245;
Managing Editor, Lee Lovell, 831 S. Douglas Street, El Segundo, CA 90245
10. Owner: TEN: The Enthusiast Network, Inc., 831 S. Douglas Street,
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13. Publication Title: Truck Trend
14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: Jul/Aug 2016
15. Extent and Nature of Circulation:
Average No.
Copies Each
Issue During
Preceding
12 Months
a. Total number of copies ........................................... 91,442
b. Paid Circulation (by mail and outside the mail)
1. Mailed Outside-County Paid
Subscriptions Stated on
PS Form 3541 ........................................................ 49,977
2. Mailed In-County Paid
Subscriptions Stated on
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3. Paid Distribution Outside the Mails
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and Carriers, Street Vendors,
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Distribution Outside USPS....................................... 10,758
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2. Free or Nominal Rate In-County
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Mailed at Other Classes Through
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i. Percent Paid (15c divided by 15f times 100) ............... 99.3%
16. Extent and Nature of Circulation:
Tip-Off
If all you want is a little extra style for

your truck without spending a ton of
coin, consider Hot Tips, by Hedman.
With three different finishes and
several different styles, plus sizes to
fit almost any exhaust, these bolt-on
tips add a subtle dose of personal
style, even if your budget doesnt
allow for an all-new exhaust. They
install easily, and each tip has a
drainage hole to prevent moisture
from accumulating and causing
corrosion.
Hedman Hedders
562-921-0404
hedman.com
No. of Copies
of Single
Issue
Published
Nearest to
Filing Date
91,782
49,867
9,889
0
58,756
438
0
0
0
438
60,194
31,588
91,782
99.3%
No. of Copies
Average No. of Single
Copies Each Issue
Issue During Published
Preceding Nearest to
12 Months Filing Date
a. Paid Electronic Copies............................................ 12,288 10,899
b. Total Paid Print Copies (Line 15C) + Paid
Electronic Copies (Line 16A.........................................73,024 70,655
c. Total Print Distribution (Line
15F) + Paid Electronic Copies (Line 16A........................ 73,475 71,093
d. Percent Paid (Both Print & Electronic
Copies) (16b divided by 16c X 100 ............................... 99.4% 99.4%
[X] I Certify that 50% of all my distributed Copies (Electronic & Print)
are paid above a nominal Price.
17. Publication of Statement of Ownership will be printed in the:
Jan/Feb 2017 issue of this publication.
18. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner
Thomas Slater, SVP Consumer Marketing
10/01/2016
I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete.
I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on
this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be
subject to criminal sanctions (including nes and imprisonment) and/or civil
sanctions (including civil penalties).
Happy Camper
Theres nothing quite like taking off into the boonies,

boonies finding a quiet spot in the trees,
trees and setting up camp for a
few days of solitude. But nothing can ruin a good campout like a flooded tent or ant infestation. Luckily, Napier
can help by putting the tent right in your truck. The 57 Series Sportz Truck Tent mounts right to a trucks bed,
getting it off the ground and away from bugs and weather. There are eight different models, and each features
a sewn-in tent floor, a full rain fly, and a 4-foot-square awning to provide some camp shade. Its a complete
home-away-from-home package.
Napier 800-567-2434 napieroutdoors.com
NO LIES
Just More Power That You

Can Feel Every Time You Drive
Visit www.coldairinductions.com/nolies/ Made
in the
to learn what NO LIES means.
Order this month and get a FREE Cold Air Inductions
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PRE OWNED
THE GARAGE
By Colin Ryan Photos Courtesy of Ford
2008-2010 FORD F-SERIES SUPER DUTY
DONT DISMISS THE SECOND-GEN
his was a short generation, but it was

no less sweet because of it. Revisions
for the 11 models that followed were
so sweeping that it became another
generation (the current Super Duty
is the third wave and 17 will see the introduction of
generation four, which follows the smaller F-150 into
the world of aluminum). Yet the 08 to 10 trucks are
still a marked improvement over their predecessors.
Beneath that imposing new styling is a reinforced
frame, a new rear suspension (including longer leaf
springs) for better on-road manners, and a lower
rear end to make towing easier.
Following the usual format, the F-250 and F-350
came in really basic XL (vinyl upholstery, radio,
17-inch steel wheels), XLT, and Lariat trim levels, plus
an FX4 off-road specialist version, along with three
themed versions: Cabelas, King Ranch, and Harley
Davidson. The FX4 was superseded by the Cabelas
trim in 10. Neither of these latter two models were
offered with the regular cab. The F-450 was available in the same trim levels as its siblings, minus the
Cabelas version. Air conditioning became standard
throughout the range for 09.
The basic engine is a 5.4L V-8 making 300 hp
and 365 lb-ft of torque. The bigger gasoline option
is a 6.8L V-10 producing 362 hp and 457 lb-ft of
torque (this is paired with the automatic transmission only). The star of this generation, though, is
the 6.4L PowerStroke V-8 diesel engine. It makes
350 hp and a mighty 650 lb-ft of torquethe latter
at just 2,000 rpm, which is perfect for getting some
weight rolling. Although diesel is more economical
than gasoline, dont expect much more than 15
mpg on average.
The Ford diesel has a slightly lower output than
the equivalent Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra, but
bear in mind that the F-350 could tow appreciably
more than its cross-town rivals.
Transmission choices are a six-speed manual or
a five-speed automatic, both with one more ratio

than the previous gearboxes. Throw in regular,
Super, or crew cabs, bed lengths of 634 feet and 8
feet, plus the option of a dualie rear axle, and the
number of possible combinations easily goes into
the dozens. Ford also offered a greater range of trim
levels than General Motors or Dodge/Ram.
2008-2010 Ford F-Series Super Duty

BODY TYPE
Pickup truck
DRIVETRAIN
Front engine, RWD/4WD
ENGINE
5.4L/330hp SOHC V-8;

6.8L/362hp SOHC V-10;
6.4L/350hp DOHC V-8
Driver, front passenger
AIRBAGS:
PRICE RANGE, WHLSL/RETAIL $4,964/$8,808 (08

F-250, RWD XL 5.4L V-8,
(KBB)
manual trans, regular
cab); $26,648/$32,028
(10 F-450, 4WD Harley
Davidson 6.4L V-8, auto,
crew cab)
Disc/disc, ABS
BRAKES, F/R:
With this generation, the F-450 was now offered

with a bed, instead of just as a chassis cab. The
standard setup here is a long bed, crew cab, dual
rear wheels, and a limited-slip rear differential. The
diesel engine is the sole power unit for this model.
Options include a foldaway step for easier bed
access (a step in the front bumper is standard and
makes checking the oil a whole lot easier), as well
as telescoping side mirrors for better visibility when
a trailer is hooked up.
On the work front, the F-250 can tow 12,500
pounds and carry 3,170 pounds. The F-350 takes
those numbers up to 18,700 and 5,720 respectively,
while the F-450 handles a massive 24,500 pounds
when towing and 5,720 pounds of payload.
An 09 F-350 Lariat crew cab with rear-wheel
drive, long bed, diesel engine, and an automatic
transmission, in good condition and bought from
private party, is valued at $20,890. A comparable
Chevy Silverado 3500HD is blue-booked at
$20,331, while a similar Dodge Ram 3500 Mega
Cab can fetch $21,748, despite only coming with a
short bed. TT
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and regulations to determine whether your particular application/installation is authorized for use on a public highway.
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Truck Trend - January 2017

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WORLDS FIRST: WE DRIVE FORDS NEW 10-SPEED AUTOMATIC

FORD SUPER DUTY LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER

ARMADA TITAN PATHFINDER

VOLUME 20, NUMBER 1

GAS VS. DIESEL: REVISITED

2017 FORD F-SERIES SUPER DUTY 2016 NISSAN TITAN XD

FEATURES & DRIVES

2017 FORD F-150

A TALE OF TWO QXS

JUDY BRENNAN AND

THE DRIVERS SEAT

2017 JAN/FEB TRUCKTREND.COM 5

ART DIRECTION & DESIGN

TEN: THE ENTHUSIAST NETWORK, LLC

SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO

Occasionally, our subscriber list is made available to

BACK ISSUES: TO ORDER,

wenty years is a long time. By

Interlink Media to finally TEN: The Enthusiast

The premier issue of Truck Trend featured

On the cover of the second issue was an epic

Future SUVs were the name of the game this

GM pickups were hot this month, with the

The all-new 99 Jeep Grand Cherokee was

The final cover of Truck Trends first year was all

That is a great suggestion with some very

as mandated by the EPA. However, they are

A letter in your July/Aug. 16 issue urges

Thanks for the kind words, but we

10 TRUCKTREND.COM JAN/FEB 2017

I agree that every new driver should have to

Power through even the most challenging off-road conditions

2016 MNA, Inc. All rights reserved.

This is a true statement. Thanks for bringing

BAIT AND SWITCH

Weve got two different things going on here:

WAY BACK MACHINE

This one is easy! Just point your Internet

Tahoe is more of a luxury vehicle, but the

garage. I love your magazinekeep up the

Thanks, Billy, we totally agree and will

HIT THE ROAD

in the last year, so I will not be renewing my

We hate to see you go, but Truck Trend has

For all editorial questions:

StayPut Cleats keep your

FormFit Edge contains a

GIT YOURS NOW!

Go to HuskyLiners.com or call 800.344.8759

NEWS + RUMORS + TRENDS

SPIED: 2018 Ram Heavy Duty

WE RECENTLY caught a peek at Ram

General Motors, Isuzu Part

14 TRUCKTREND.COM JAN/FEB 2017

Cummins 6.7L engine to ratchet up even more than

Chevrolet to Reveal Fuel CellPowered

Toyota Reveals Updated 2017 4Runner TRD

Infiniti to Release Worlds First

2017 Ram 1500 Adds Night Package

Mazda and Isuzu Enter Agreement

2017 JAN/FEB TRUCKTREND.COM 15

2019 JEEP WRANGLER PICKUP

In terms of powertrain, the Wrangler pickup is

2018 DIESEL JEEP WRANGLER