2009 4x4 Of The Year Participants

Suzuki Equator Crew Cab RMZ-4
Weighing in at 4,491 pounds (lightest of the test) with a 261hp 4.0L V-6 engine for an overall power-to-weight ratio of 1 hp to every 17.2 pounds, in this corner is the '09 Suzuki Equator 4x4 Crew Cab RMZ-4. Suzuki is known for making off-road vehicles, though most of them are bikes and quads that fit in the bed of a truck. Suzuki's customer base is pretty dedicated, and when they asked Suzuki, who makes SUVs like the Grand Vitara, to make a truck they could haul their bikes in, Suzuki listened. Suzuki thought long and hard about the request and decided that outsourcing its truck would make the best business sense. The company came home with a midsize truck based on the Nissan Frontier but kitted up in unique Suzuki body skins and features. The big dimpled grille and standard side-curtain airbags give this truck a look and standard safety rating different from the Frontier.

Underneath the Equator, we found a vulnerable aluminum driveshaft; adequate skidplates on the engine, transfer case and fuel tank; and only one front tow hook. We did notice the Bilstein shocks, but we wondered why the rear axle vent didn't have a hose running up to a higher location.

From the driver seat the truck was described as basic and straightforward with no extra frills and nothing extraneous. Unlike some magazines, we applaud trucks for being so dirt-simple. Judges liked the e-brake handle in the center console where it should be, and some wished that Suzuki would have chosen the manual transmission rather than only offering the four-wheel-drive version with the auto. Cargo ability was also great due to the in-bed tie-down system and spray-in bedliner.

On the road the Equator had drivers losing years off their age. It turned grown men into 17-year-olds behind the wheel of their first real truck. The truck was repeatedly described as fun, peppy, zippy, and the perfect first truck, especially for urban driving and country roads. The long-haul discomfort, highway expansion joint hop, and wind noise reminded the elder judges of their age, but most were willing to deal with it for the fun factor and V-6 pep.

Off road the Suzuki gods were smiling on their new little truck. It wheeled with the best of our test and rarely fell behind. The rockcrawling portion had judges wishing for lower gears but praising the rear suspension and selectable locker. The hillclimb was a point-and-shoot affair, and the high-speed desert runs had drivers grinning like kids, even though a little more power would have been welcome and the smaller size was obvious when compared to the big Dodge. The sand results were all over the place for judges. Some drivers declared the truck perfect, others a bit rough and choppy, but most agreed it was a contender for the crown-perfect at nothing, but great at everything.

So will the Suzuki-badged Frontier be able to execute the Fists of Death powerpunch and tip the scales in its favor? Like the Karate Kid, it's a newcomer to the game, but it has plenty of Nissan experience in its corner. Plus the overall good times the truck offered to judges with its size and power gave it "fun points" that some other trucks just couldn't match. If it takes the crown, the boss's hair just might turn from gray to brown as he reverts to his 16-year-old self while driving the long-term tester over the next year.

The Goods
* Simple interior
* Rear locker
* Fun to drive

The Bads
* Needs a manual tranny
* Needs lower gearing
* Needs low-end torque