Previous 4x4 of the Year Winners
1983: Chevrolet S-10 Blazer
1984: Jeep Cherokee (2.8L engine)
1985: Isuzu Trooper II
1986: Ford Ranger
1987: Nissan Pathfinder (two-door)
1988: Jeep Cherokee (4.0L engine)
1989: Toyota pickup
1990: Nissan Pathfinder (four-door)
1991: Dodge Dakota
1992: Chevrolet Blazer (fullsize)
1993: Jeep Grand Cherokee
1994: Dodge Ram (1500 V-8 shortbed regular cab)
1995: Dodge Ram (2500 V-10 longbed Club Cab)
1996: Jeep Grand Cherokee (with center diff lock)
1997: Jeep Wrangler Sport
Category & Highest Ranked
RIDE & DRIVE--30% of total points
*Urban: Jeep
*Highway: GMC
*Dirt or gravel fire roads: Jeep
*Sand: Jeep
*Rockcrawling: Jeep
*Hillclimbing: Isuzu
*Braking quality: Mercedes-Benz
EMPIRICAL--25% of total points
*Torque/weight ratio: Jeep
*1/4-mile acceleration: Jeep
*60-to-0 braking: Jeep
*Load-carrying capacity: Mercedes
*Miles per gallon: Isuzu
*Price as tested: Mazda
MECHANICAL--15% of total points
*Engine's available power: Jeep
*Transmission: Mercedes-Benz
*4WD/low-range engagement: Dodge
*Steering: Mercedes-Benz
*Fit and finish: GMC
*Drivetrain performance: Jeep
INTERIOR--15% of total points
*Ergonomics: Dodge
*Appearance, fit and finish: Mercedes-Benz
*Appointments: GMC
*Perceived noise level: Mercedes-Benz
EXTERIOR--15% of total points
*Body styling: Dodge
*Cargo: GMC
*Four-wheeling attributes: Jeep
*Fit and finish: Mercedes-Benz
At least 20 minutes are spent...
At least 20 minutes are spent carousing the undercarriage of every vehicle, looking for poor assembly, low-hanging stuff, and trick goodies such as the unusually finned Dana 44 under the Isuzu.
We encountered breakage of...
We encountered breakage of some minor component on nearly every 4x4 tested. Surprisingly, a lower front shock bolt parted ways with the ML320.
Of the V-6 engines in the...
Of the V-6 engines in the test, we were most pleased with the revvy 3.0L in the Rodeo--even when mated to a good-as-you-can-hope automatic trans.
We counted a total of 10 tire...
We counted a total of 10 tire repairs on the 4x4 of the Year journey--this allowed us full familiarity with the jacks and spares.
This year's trip required...
This year's trip required more rock stacking, yank strapping, and just plain grunting than any in recent memory. New Publisher Joe Sebergandio was a pro by week's end.