Part 3: The Top 5
Finally got around to finishing this, only 2 months late…
5. Accurate GXL400D - @fabriemi999
Prelim Engineering: 12.74 pts. The Accurate has a few standout features, especially with regard to towing capacity, but it doesn’t quite add up to a complete package. Torque is best-in-class at nearly 480 lb-ft, making the Accurate a good option for anyone who needs a lot of towing capacity, and fuel economy manages to be an impressive 24 mpg. But it doesn’t provide a full suite of traditional truck capabilities, as load capacity is actually lowest in class, and off-road capability is poor. It also doesn’t make quite a complete case as an around-town vehicle. While comfort is better than most and safety is excellent, on-road handling is some of the worst in the class. Reliability is decent. So if towing is a top priority, the Accurate is worth a look.
Design: 5/10, .44 pts. Of the multiple entries using the anachronistic 2011 Ford Explorer-based body, this one probably does the best job of making it look more appropriate to 2003 with the addition of large front and rear bumpers. The front fascia is an appropriate bold SUV look, but the way the headlights slant to meet the hood line looks a little bit off. The side mirrors look too heavy-duty for this type of vehicle. Side reflectors and a fuel filler cap appear to be missing, but there is some nice work on the side cladding. The rear looks OK on the whole, but the tail light placement doesn’t account for the liftgate panel gaps. It would have been nice to see some molding up on the roof.
Dave: I like the engine, and it definetly has the room I want, but it seems to be compromised otherwise, falling into a kind of medium area where the goods and the bads are basically cancelled out. That torque though, great for towing… but there’s definetly better.
4. Flint Blue Ridge 4x4 Standard - @oldmanbuick
Prelim Engineering: 14.73 pts. The Blue Ridge is pretty much what you would expect from a traditional full-size truck, for better and for worse. Overall utility is very good thanks to seating for 8, plenty of interior space, and the second-best load capacity in class. The engine, however, is a bit of a let down, with mediocre torque output that trails far behind the class leaders. Off-road capability is among the best in the class, and reliability and service costs are also good. Safety scores are also near the top of the class. But the drawbacks inherent in a traditional truck design also show through. Fuel economy is only about 15 mpg, on-road handling is sloppy, and it is the least comfortable vehicle in the class by a significant margin. The Blue Ridge would make a good fit for a buyer who truly needs well-rounded truck capabilities and is willing to put up with the drawbacks that typically come with a truck.
Design: 6/10, .60 pts. The overall design is era appropriate and with a good level of detail compared to many other entries, but the overall effect of the design is that it is rather bland and inoffensive, with nothing to make it stand out from the crowd
Dave: This looks, feels, and acts a lot like my Suburban. While I like that, im looking for something beyond a basic truck wagon, especially considering its price, which is on the high end of what I’m looking at, and for what I get.
3. Allure Q5 - @ducethetruth100
Prelim Engineering: 13.06 pts. The Allure is an excellent choice for someone looking for a comfortable around-town vehicle with SUV looks, but it stops short of providing a full package of truck-like capabilities. The on-road experience is excellent, with comfort, drivability, and sportiness all at or near the top of the class. Safety scores are also good, and the Allure is not entirely without some truck capabilities. Torque for towing is better than most, as is load capacity. But off-road capability is extremely limited. The Allure is also expensive to purchase and own, with high service costs, poor gas mileage, and a questionable reliability record. Still, the Allure is likely to catch the interest of buyers looking for a premium on-road experience with some legitimate towing and hauling capabilities–as long as offroading is not in the picture.
Design: 5/10, .44 pts. The design is overall relatively attractive for an upmarket-looking crossover SUV. But things break down a bit on the rear, where the taillights look a bit janky and the chrome stripes appear excessive. The design is also missing a third brake light and rear side reflectors that would have been required on a US-market vehicle of the time.
Dave: Its a luxury car on stilts. It’s so comfortable to drive, and that engine just pulls forever… but a luxry car is not all what I need, and where it counts otherwise its only middling to decent. My wife Anna might like it though…
2. Vagus XL - @thpethalK
Prelim Engineering: 13.03 pts. The Vagus offers pretty much what you would expect from this big, bold truck. Interior space (with seating for 7) is generous, torque is plentiful, and load capacity is very good. In fact, in terms of practicality and utility, the Vagus places third overall in the field. It’s also extremely comfortable, being edged out only by the Allure for the title of most comfortable in the class. It’s also the sportiest entry in the field. But for as many superlatives as the Vagus deserves, it is not without its drawbacks. Off-road capability and safety scores are only so-so, and the Vagus handles on the road like the big truck it is–which is to say, not very well. It’s also an expensive ride across the board, with a class-topping $31,800 sticker price, high service costs, poor reliability, and fuel economy of only 12 mpg. So for the buyer who wants big truck capability and big comfort, the Vagus is a good choice–as long as you can afford it.
Design: 7/10, .75 pts. This design does a nice job overall of conveying the sense of a big, burly SUV, and there is some nice detailing on it as well. There are a few drawbacks. The front fascia looks a bit disjointed, perhaps a bit too busy toward the bottom with multiple grilles and lights, and perhaps a bit too plain towards the top. The headlights and grill up top also look like they want to move a bit higher and perhaps be a bit taller to fill the large space. It’s a bit questionable if the headlights and taillights wrap around enough to include the required US-market side reflectors, and reverse lights appear to be missing from the rear.
Dave: Now this is very near what I’m looking for. Comfort is good, the engine is powerful but very high strung, it’d moan when towing… but otherwise its a great package, and i like it. But the cost is above what i’m looking for, and there is something that beats it for less…
1. DCMW Qabiruz Six Standard - @moroza
Prelim Engineering: 18.32 pts. The Qabiruz is a massive–and massively capable–vehicle with only very few true drawbacks. Its only real competitors for overall utility are the Flint and the Vagus, as the DCMW has generous interior space, a nearly-top-of-class 455 lb-ft of torque, and class-leading load capacity. It is only prevented from being the hands-down practicality champion by having only 6 seats, compared to the Vagus’s 7 and the Flint’s 8. Its truck credentials are rounded out by good–although not exceptional–off-road capability. But the Qabiruz excels in ways that either or both of those other big trucks struggle. It’s prestigious, extremely safe, and comfortable for passengers. Reliability is outstanding, and service costs are kept better-than-average as well. In spite of its bulk, the Qabiruz manages a respectable 19 mpg. Really the only thing the Qabiruz struggles with–and perhaps inescapably so given its sheer girth–is drivability, which is at the absolute bottom of the class by a substantial margin. But with its many other virtues, the Qabiruz makes up for its few drawbacks. Any buyer who isn’t put off by the Qabiruz’s sheer mass is likely to find much to like about this vehicle.
Design: 8/10, .86 pts. The Qabiruz has a handsome, burly presence, and the design is detailed and impeccably well-executed. But the chrome-toothed hood scoop looks a bit out of place, and there is a general excess of chrome trim for something of this era and market segment. Overall, a handsome, well-done design with a few minor quibbles that are only in the eye of the beholder.
Dave: Wow… its huge. But it’s exactly what i want, the best mix between comfort for long trips, capability, and space. The engine is excellent, the room is enormous, and overall this feels like exactly what i wanted. ITs not even all that expensive given how massive it is. Nothing I cant handle, I’ve driven larger…
And finally, it’s done,
Thank you to everyone who made and submitted vehicles for RKC, I’m truly appreciative of your patience and am open to any feedback if I ever do host another challenge!