Photography/Videography by Eric O’Hara and Kelby McGaughey—1Off Productions
There is no better way to develop an appreciation for the engineering and design behind new vehicles rolling off the assembly line than to spend time with a member of the team that built it. One event that allows us this opportunity is the annual Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) Texas Truck Rodeo.
It’s hard to believe that TAWA just held its 30th Anniversary of the Texas Truck Rodeo. And your Savvy Drivers have participated in the event for almost 20 of those 30 years! The Truck Rodeo has been held at various off-road driving venues around our great state of Texas over the years. For The Savvy Drivers, it has been an eye-opening experience into the world of off-road driving. Besides the fun of driving the new vehicles off-road, we love the stories about the brands and the people behind them. Building and retaining market share is what any business is all about, after all. It takes leadership, passion and perseverance.
The event was primarily and originally established as an off-road test-driving event. So our votes tend to skew toward the vehicles most capable of going anywhere and everywhere. That said, we’d wager that a lot of owners of all these popular off-road-ready vehicles rarely experience all that they are capable of!
Our review of the 2023 TAWA Texas Truck Rodeo event at Eagles Canyon Raceway in Decatur starts with the trucks…Be sure to click on the links to see videos of the test drives in action!
Full-Size Pickup of Texas–Perhaps the Automotive World’s Top Title
Trucks have been a primary focus for Toyota the past couple of years. Read our review of the 2023 4WD CrewMax Limited 4×4
Heavy-Duty Pickup Truck of Texas–A Title That Carries a Lot of Clout
Mid-Size Pickup of Texas is an Expanding Segment Where Capability Reigns
Tough Competition for Off-Road Pickup of Texas
We will update this post to add the Truck of Texas winners after they are announced!
In the more recent years, the event has developed into a testing ground for not only half-ton and heavy-duty trucks, but also the “light-weight” members of the lucrative trucking industry—the ever popular SUVs, ranging from compact to full-size compete for SUV of Texas.