Page 27 - Motor Trend (May 2020)
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Responses of the Year I always enjoy the Truck of the Year
Whoa! The January issue just arrived, story; the reviews, photography, and
and it’s a keeper. Lots of info, photos, and Reader on location comparisons are top notch. However,
opinions to pore over, again and again. this year I couldn’t help but notice an
This month’s reader on location is
For a guy who prefers the traditional odd exclusion from the finalist list. I
Jeff Redman, writing to us from
print magazine format, the staff at MT understand that someone could try to
Kenya. “Fifteen years ago we signed
has produced, in my opinion, one of the up to sponsor a young man named make a case for any truck that didn’t make
finest issues available to a fan of, shall we Thomas at an orphanage in Kenya. He the list, but seeing as the F-150 was the
say, spirited driving. was a teenager when we first ‘met.’ top-selling truck in America in 2019, I
Dave Holmes After 15 years of letters and phone found it odd it didn’t get a finalist spot.
calls, my family flew to Kenya to stand
South Hill, Washington The F-Series has been the No. 1 selling
up as his family in his wedding to his
wonderful bride, Catherine. In this truck in America for the past 41 years. I
Congratulations to Mr. Loh and the picture, my son Sam, myself, my wife, like to think there’s good reasoning for
entire COTY team on what is perhaps the Barb, and Sam’s girlfriend, Maddie, its absence from the list, but I can’t help
best issue of MotorTrend that I have ever are straddling the equator while on but think it’s a case of the reviewers losing
read. I actually read the entire issue cover safari. We are still trying to figure out touch with the average buyer.
to cover because I could not put it down. our next car, so MT is always with us." Ben Teal
Keep up the great work, Mr. Loh. You Greenville, South Carolina
deserve an attaboy. is a test judged on driving dynamics. Also, We’re definitely not losing touch—Truck,
Stephen Shechtel finishing 12th against 11 amazing sports just like Car and SUV of the Year, is only
via email and supercars doesn’t mean the Supra is open to new or significantly updated
a bad car, even if in context it sounds like vehicles. The 2020 Ford Super Duty met
In his profile of the sixth-generation we think it is. Similarly, take a look at the our criteria, but none were available in
2020 Subaru Outback as a finalist for BMW 8 Series—it finished higher than time for testing. Rest assured, it—and the
SUV of the Year, Miguel Cortina writes, the Supra at BDC, but against our COTY F-150 when it gets its next update—will
“Those who want more power can criteria (which keeps the entire model line be included in future Truck of the Year
get an optional turbo-four engine for in mind), it didn’t earn a finalist nod.—Ed. competitions.—Ed.
the first time.” In fact, a turbocharged
2.5-liter flat-four was available during
the Outback’s third generation, on the
Outback 2.5XT (2005–2006) and 2.5XT Trust ..V1 earns it one ambush at a time.
.
Limited (2005–2009). A 2009 example of
the latter is still my daily driver.
Howard Donnell
Elgin, Texas
You’re right—good catch, Howard. Those Glenna R.,
old Outbacks and their WRX engines were
pretty great. The new one, using its Ascent- Dallas, TX
sourced 2.4-liter turbo flat-four, definitely
reminds us of the old car.—Ed.
I noticed that in your Car of the Year Love the arrows! Where’s
edition you listed the Toyota Supra as one “
of the finalists for the Car of the Year. In the radar? They tell me Ahead
your Best Driver’s Car edition (December
2019) you listed the Supra as 12th among every time. A detector
12 entries. I believe one tester’s comment
was that it was not “road ready.” Curious without the arrows is like Beside
how it can go from last as a Best Driver’s
Car to a finalist for Car of the Year? a car without headlights. ”
Chris Neville
Behind
via email
The answer is quite simple: Best Driver’s
Car isn’t Car of the Year. In COTY, each
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