| The Northwest Automotive Press Association (NWAPA), an organization of professional automotive journalists from this part of the country who are published worldwide, staged the 12th annual Northwest SUV-of-the-Year competition, known as Mudfest, Oct. 11-12 at Portland International Raceway (PIR). Mudfest is recognized nationally as the largest head-to-head off road vehicle competition event in the country. Each vehicle was scored in on-track, on-road, and off-road catagories by each journalist. The on-track testing included a coned slalom course to judge acceleration, handling, and braking capabilities of each vehicle. The off-road portion was on a specially-prepared closed mud and hill course.
The 2007 category winners are:
- Under $25,000 — Honda CR-V
- $25,000-$34,999 — Toyota FJ Cruiser
- $35,000-$45,000 — Volvo XC70
- Over $45,000 — Volvo XC90
- Best Off-Road — Land Rover LR3
- Best Value — Nissan Xterra
- SUV of the Year — Toyota FJ Cruiser
The Mudfest awards luncheon was held at Safeco Field on the opening day of the Seattle International Auto Show, Oct. 25. |
