Texas Truck Rodeo– Battle of the Pickups

Fall Off-Road Events Put Trucks to the Test…AND THE RESULTS ARE NOW IN!

The winner for Truck of Texas is invariably (and rightfully so) one of the half-ton pick-ups. The title goes to the one sporting all the attributes– luxury, comfort, capability and off-road prowess.


The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) annual Texas Truck Rodeo driving event was held at the Eagles Canyon Raceway in Decatur this year. With the racetrack off-limits for this event, the curated off-road route was where vehicles were put to the test over various moguls and rock formations. There was also an opportunity to test the vehicles on-road, and a few were limited to on-road only, but the Truck of Texas title will go to the one sporting off-road muscle along with everything else, said the Savvy Drivers.

Photos: Kevin McCauley of Capturing the Machine

The Ram 1500 Limited 10th Anniversary Edition

RAM 1500 WAS NAMED:
2023 TRUCK OF TEXAS
FULL-SIZE TRUCK OF TEXAS
LUXURY PICKUP TRUCK OF TEXAS

BEST PEFORMANCE
BEST PERSONAL APPEAL

Toyota fought to retain its Truck of Texas title with Tundras sporting the i-FORCE MAX 3.5-liter twin turbo V6 hybrid engines.

TOYOTA TUNDRA WAS NAMED:
OFF-ROAD PICKUP TRUCK OF TEXAS

This year, it was a tough competition between the 2022 Ram 1500 Limited and Toyota Tundra’s TRD Pro and Capstone. Noticeably absent from the competition the last few years has been Ford’s F-150; GM and GMC eventually followed Ford’s lead by not entering the Silverado and Sierra. Nissan’s Titan was also withdrawn from the 2022 competition. It’s a shame, because both Ram and Toyota stand ready to compete with the best of the best. Absentees take warning: Your absence leaves those who remain in the competition in a position of opportunity; and once market share is gained, pickup drivers tend to be loyal customers!

Always a standout on and off the road, Toyota’s Tacoma TRD Pro sets the bar for mid-size trucks.
TAWA was the very first group of media to drive the new 2023 Ram Heavy Duty Rebel, which was unveiled at this year’s State Fair of Texas.

THE RAM HEAVY DUTY REBEL WAS NAMED:
HEAVY DUTY PICKUP TRUCK OF TEXAS

Nissan Frontier PRO-4X Crew Cab offers much for a lower cost and retains its reputation as a maneuverable Billy Goat off-road. We love the simplicity of switching to 4H and 4L on the fly with a simple turn of the dial.
THE FRONTIER WAS NAMED MID-SIZE TRUCK OF TEXAS
2022 Ram 1500 TRX remains the apex predator of the truck world with a 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI V-8 engine.

Read Part 2: 2022 Texas Truck Rodeo–Battle of the SUVs

A couple of days after the TAWA Rodeo, we got another chance to drive some of these vehicles and others at the Texas Motor Press’s Off-Road Invitational at the Brazos Valley Off-Road Ranch in Bryan, Texas. Click here to see photos and winners.

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Life On The Site

Life On The Set

Life With A Twist

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