2016 Toyota Tacoma TRD Just Beat Chevy Colorado for 4X4 of the Year

Capping off a successful new model introduction, Toyota’s new 2016 Tacoma has earned the top spot in Petersen’s Off Road Network judging as 4X4 of the year. The new Tacoma topped the GM twins, Chevy Z71 Colorado and Canyon. Yes, it even beat the diesel version. The Colorado was second to the Tacoma.

The 2016 Toyota Tacoma beat or tied the Colorado in the two most important categories; Tacoma won the Ride and Drive evaluation, and it tied the Colorado in the Empirical section. Tacoma also narrowly topped the Colorado in the Mechanical Evaluation and 4-Wheeling Attributes. The two trucks tied in the judges voting on the Exterior.

Other vehicles included in the evaluation were the Jeep Renegade Trailhawk, the Land Rover Range Rover TD6, the Nissan Titan XD, Ram Rebel, and Mercedes-Benz G-550. The Trailhawk was the overall winner in the Empirical evaluation, making it the top vehicle on paper (as opposed to on a trail).

Last year’s voting by Petersens put the Toyota 4-Runner TRD on top. So Toyota has back-to-back wins. Those that wish to dismiss the win by Toyota as bias by Petersens towards Toyotas should note that in 33 years of evaluations by the group Toyota vehicles have only won four times.

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