Motor Trend awarded its 2008 Truck of the Year award, the last of its three yearly awards, to the Toyota Tundra today. New for the 2007 model year, the Tundra beat out the Chevy Silverado HD, GMC Sierra HD and Ford's line of F-250, -350 and -450 Super Duty trucks. What's interesting about MT's TOTY competition is that because these trucks have such a wide range of capabilities and purposes, they are not pitted against each other, bur rather against specific criteria determined by the magazine's editors. Each is scored in the areas of "superiority", "value", and "significance". They use this strategy in both the Car OTY and SUV OTY award competitions, as well.
While we think the Tundra is the most significant truck that hit the market this season, at least in terms of how it has increased competition in this segment to new levels, we're not so sure that it stacks up as well in the other two categories. For one, it's difficult to call the Tundra "superior" when it's been saddled with a number of quality issues, including most recently its first official recall of 15,600 trucks for a driveshaft issue. And how exactly is the Tundra a better value than its competitors in the class when all can be had with a bed full of rebates and incentives?
Our money was on the F-450 for this award, as the truly super truck from Ford is rather peerless in the market. But we're not the editors of Motor Trend, and it's their award to give to whomever they choose. We're sure they're ready for the onslaught of armchair automotive journalism that's coming their way. Toyota, no doubt, is thrilled with the honor. Expect to see new commercials for the Tundra with those golden calipers on the hood any day now as the automaker attempts a last ditch effort to reach its goal of selling 200,000 units in 2007.
