Portland-The Northwest Automotive Press Association (NWAPA) staged it 14th annual Northwest SUV of the Year Competition, known as Mudfest, over two days in early October. A total of 28 vehicles, the most ever entered at the event, were tested on- and off-road by 22 automotive journalists from Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia. The winners will be announced on Nov. 13.
NWAPA members drove each vehicle on-road during the first day of testing, followed by a track day in which the SUVs were driven through a coned track course at Portland International Raceway (PIR) to determine handling, cornering, and braking capabilities.
Immediately after the coned course, vehicles were tested on a 2-mile off-road course at PIR. All vehicles were required to have either a four-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive system.
After each portion of the competition, journalists score the vehicles in a total of 16 categories to determine winners. Scoring covers such categories as acceleration, braking, on- and off-road steering and handling, off-road capability, off-road technology, ergonomics/functionality, interior/exterior styling, and cargo usability, among others.
Vehicles included in Mudfest 2007, mostly 2008 model SUVs and CUVs, were the Audi Q7, BMW X3, Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Edge, Honda CR-V, Hummer H3 Alpha, Hyundai Veracruz, Jeep Grand Cherokee CDI, Jeep Liberty, Jeep Patriot, Kia Sorento, Kia Sportage, Land Rover Range Rover Sport, Land Rover LR2 SE, Mazda CX-7, Mazda CX-9, Mercedes-Benz ML320 CDI, Mitsubishi Outlander, Nissan Xterra, Saturn Vue, Subaru Outback, Subaru Tribeca, Suzuki XL-7, Toyota FJ Cruiser (overall winner of Mudfest 2006), Toyota Land Cruiser, Volkswagen Touareg FSI, Volvo XC70, and Volvo XC90.
There are four category winners in the competition: under $25,000, $25,001-$35,000, $35,001-45,000, and more than $45,000. Each winner is determined strictly by journalist scoring, who rate each vehicle in the 16 scoring segments from 1-7. Once the four category winners are determined, journalists vote on the overall winner from the top SUV in each category.
Two additional awards are Best Value SUV and Best Off-Road SUV. Winners of Mudfest 2007 will be announced on Nov. 13, and all awards will be presented on Nov. 14 and 15 at the Los Angeles Auto Show by the 2007 competition co-chairs.
Many of the competing SUVs in the Mudfest 2007 were hot off the production line, with several models not yet released for sale. The advancements of both on-road and off-road technologies in the majority of the vehicles was outstanding, a far cry in comparison to the vehicles tested in the first Mudfest competition held in 1994.
Advanced traction and stability control systems, electronic braking systems, hill-decent control systems, improved suspension systems, and a plethora of safety features make these vehicles much safer and vastly more usable, particularly in off-road or severe driving conditions.