Motor Trends 2009 Sport/Utility of the Year competition reaches its final stage - the judging
Category
🚗
MotorTranscript
00:00 Welcome back to the 2009 Sport Utility of the Year judging.
00:08 Well all of the editors have driven all the cars on our road loop, so we're now ready
00:11 to vote.
00:12 And the first step is going to be a walk around, informally comparing our impressions and notes.
00:24 Way to support the DeLobrego.
00:25 I mean, coming in I thought, well this is going to be really strong in value.
00:29 You've got all the equipment you want, really good price.
00:32 But when it's full of people like we have now, I mean it's almost riding on its stops
00:36 the whole way.
00:37 It's benching bounds over imperfections in the pavement.
00:42 It strikes me as a great checklist vehicle.
00:44 So they've put, they've assembled the long checklist of all the things we have to have
00:49 to have a good vehicle for the American SUV segment.
00:52 They've even gone to some of the same exact suppliers in those segments and said, "Okay,
00:56 we want this material, this button, and these types of things."
01:00 Why would you want this instead of a 3 Series Coupe or a 5 Series Sedan?
01:05 I can't answer that question.
01:06 I totally agree in terms of, it doesn't make any sense.
01:09 It's heavy, it's expensive.
01:10 Damn, it's good out here.
01:11 Dynamically, it's phenomenal.
01:12 It seems like a big waste of a lot of neat technology on a vehicle.
01:21 Is this the wrong place?
01:23 This thing is proof that Toyota really aren't the smartest guys in the room, like everyone
01:29 thinks they are.
01:30 You know, Detroit gets Hillary for producing big gas guzzling SUVs.
01:31 Well, this is as big and as gas guzzling as anything that's ever come out of a motorhome.
01:32 For a while after the big meteor hit, it killed off the dinosaurs.
01:33 So, Stegosaurus and Cymbronosaurus has been wandering around for a short time.
01:34 Here's our current example.
01:35 We've had the informal walk around.
01:36 Now it's time for the deliberations and the vote.
01:37 Every vehicle will be weighed against the three criteria, superiority, significance
01:58 and value.
01:59 Every editor will talk about every car.
02:01 Then we'll have a secret ballot, count up the winners and see who won.
02:04 Let's see how it goes.
02:05 The bottom line to me is it's just cool.
02:06 It's just neat.
02:07 I sit in that car and I smile a little bit.
02:08 It's just friendly and interesting and innovative.
02:09 It's something that's a little bit rarer these days to have.
02:10 And it reflects fun courage to really kind of make a giant swerve in design and attempt
02:11 that.
02:12 I think it's been very successful.
02:13 I like the honesty in this thing.
02:14 It's not overloaded with gadgets.
02:15 It doesn't have a gazillion buttons.
02:16 It's got a lot of fun.
02:17 It's got a lot of fun.
02:18 It's got a lot of fun.
02:19 It's got a lot of fun.
02:20 It's got a lot of fun.
02:21 It's got a lot of fun.
02:22 It's got a lot of fun.
02:23 It's got a lot of fun.
02:24 It's got a lot of fun.
02:25 It's got a lot of fun.
02:46 It actually was for me one of the pleasant surprises of this entire contest.
02:52 Direct injection engine zings right to 7,000.
02:56 A really nice dashboard array and instrument panel.
03:00 I think again a pleasant surprise there.
03:02 Great easy intuitive controls.
03:04 Pleasant materials.
03:05 Easy to read gauges.
03:06 Okay so now it's crunch time.
03:07 Time to vote.
03:07 Well we have a winner.
03:33 Not unanimous but a winner.
03:42 Yay.
03:45 (upbeat music)