Four By Fours...X4!

It's a sad fact: All too many 4x4 trucks and sport/utilities never drive off the road-unless they happen to run into a flower-bed in the mall parking lot. That's a waste, because manufacturers continue to develop new four-wheel-drive systems, improve tire science, and develop rugged-yet-good-riding suspension technology, making today's four-bys better on- and off-road than ever. Lately, full-size truckmakers have also brought to market dedicated "Off-Road" equipment packages. Thus raising the question: Just how good are today's trucks as off-roaders? And which are better than the rest? Sounds like a comparison test to us. We rounded up from Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet, and Toyota the following: their best half-ton, extended cab (four doors), shortbed, full-size pickup, packing the beefiest V-8 engine, an automatic transmission, and its own "4x4/Off-road" option package. This time out, we're allowing the Chevy Silverado to also represent its virtually twin cousin, the GMC Sierra. We got four superbly matched trucks ranging in as-tested price from $29,493 to $33,075. Then we hit the trail.

The "Big Four" In PickupsThe Chevrolet Silverado was an all-new vehicle just a year ago, and even though its styling doesn't seem that much of a stretch from the design it replaced, there's a ton of good stuff underneath. That includes stiff, hydroformed frame rails, standard four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, and a new roster of powerful, LS1-based Vortec V-8s, just to name some of the news. Though extended-cab models only had three doors for '99, the fourth door's been added this year. Our tester carried a base price of $26,476; leather, off-road package, and the optional 5300 V-8 brought the total to $31,958.

Dodge's Ram is the oldest design in this comparo, dating back to '94. The square-rigged, I-wanna-be-a-Kenworth styling keeps it extremely popular among truck buyers, as does the availability of gasoline V-10 or Cummins turbodiesel engines in 31/44- and 1-ton models. It set the standard for cabin room, and remains the widest rig in this comparo. Our fully decked off-roader based at $23,520, and notable options including the $1590 Leather Interior Group elevated the price to $33,075, the most expensive of the four.

Ford's F-Series trucks remain the best-selling vehicles in the country, and you need only look at the new Toyota Tundra to see that the F-150 was indeed its design target. Released as a '97 model, the redesigned F-150 was given a minor freshening for '99 that included more powerful Triton OHC V-8s, and the now requisite fourth rear-opening door. For 2000, this Island Blue Metallic example started at $24,715, and rang the register for $31,620 after options.

Toyota is indeed the first true "imported" challenger in the domestic full-size pickup wars. Designed for our market, and assembled in Indiana, the 97-percent-full-size Tundra is a superbly executed package. It's caught the attention of the other three manufacturers, as well as truck buyers themselves, backed by the fact that the Tundra had the most successful sales launch in Toyota's history. It's the only truck around packing a double-overhead cam, four-valve-per-cylinder V-8 and other neat touches, such as exterior handles on the two rear doors. This one's base MSRP was $25,585, the final tally is $29,493. That makes it the least expensive of the four, though the leather interior option package would've put it midpack with the rest.

Interesting side note: Each of these vehicles garnered Motor Trend's Truck of the Year award in the year it was eligible, remembering that each year's contest is open only to all-new or substantially remodeled hardware. The Dodge took top honors in '94, Ford did the deed in '97, and the Chevy won just last year. The Tundra currently wears the crown. We obviously had the top pickup players assembled, and it only got tougher from there.