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Toward that end, the new 2009 Ford F-150's fully boxed chassis is further fortified to provide best-in-class rigidity, payload capacity (up to 3030 pounds), and tow ratings (up to 11,300 pounds). As such, the new F-150 is well positioned to capture contractors migrating down-market out of Super Dutys to save money and gas (did we mention that a new six-speed automatic, a lighter, more aerodynamic cab, and other tweaks boost fuel economy by 12 percent with the 5.4-liter?).

Ford claims payload and towing numbers like that simply can't be had with a coil sprung rear axle, so it stuck with leafs but made them longer to smooth the ride and wider with new mounting hardware to improve lateral rigidity and roll control. Lateral grip of 0.70 g for both Fords bested all but the feathery base Dodge and Suzuki, and our rear-drive SXT scored the best stop at 133 feet from 60 mph (the three-ton Lariat needed 144 feet).

Status-conscious contractors will have eight F-150 models from which to choose (including the forthcoming SVT Raptor), which Detroit editor Todd Lassa reckons is "about four too many," adding, "If this Lariat is the third truck from the top, how much of a boudoir must the King Ranch and Platinum interiors be?" Judges praised the low noise levels and interior materials quality, though some found the design cartoonishly macho.

Still, handy features like the Tailgate Step, Box Side Step, a stowable bed-extender, and rear seats that fold up with one hand to reveal a broad, flat load floor help tally a strong superiority score. On the negative side of the ledger is Ford's aging all-V-8-engine lineup, which is composed of two- and three-valve 4.6-liters and a three-valve 5.4. SVT will bring a bigger 6.2 in the Raptor, and an EcoBoost V-6 is likely to join the lineup for folks who don't tow, but the diesel is on hold.

The base V-8 handily outruns and outhauls the V-6 Dodge, but sounds and feels strained doing so. Gearing that's a third shorter than the Dodge's kept our 5.4L 4x4 within 0.6 second of the big Dodge, but costs it at the pump, where both trucks averaged just 13.2 mpg over 500 miles of mixed driving. The new six-speed automatic features excellent tow/haul-mode programming (ordering downshifts with a tap of the brakes on downhill grades, holding lower gears, etc.), but in normal mode, it's lethargic to kick down, and there's no way to manually select the higher gears.

Both Fords tackled our off-road sand-loop with aplomb. The 4x4 transfer case engaged high-and low-range settings quickly and easily, with the message center confirming the shift was in process. We're disappointed, however, that there's no on-pavement AWD option as offered by Dodge and General Motors.

Will the 2009 Ford F-150 be crowned the 2009 Motor Trend Truck of the Year? Find out Tues, December 16.

Photogragy by Brian Vance, Julia LaPalme, and William Walker

Where Yogi's deja vu comes in is that, almost 20 years later, Hyundai is not only reenacting Lexus's yellowing battle plan, but using it to do to Lexus what Lexus did to those one-time fat and happy German luxocar builders.

No, Hyundai's Genesis isn't a separate brand as Lexus is. But it's a car so apart from anything the Korean firm is associated with that it might as well be. Like those early Lexi, the Genesis has that same many-luxury-cars-morphed- into-one appearance. The shape is more Andy Williams than Placido Domingo. And of all the Genesis's many impersonated Lexus qualities, the most notable is its steering feel, which replicates the LS's highly oiled, precision-bearing, sensation, spot on.

So, too, the car's silky yet quick acceleration. In V-8-guise (a 290-horse V-6 comes standard), 60 mph can be dialed up in as little as 5.0 sec. Yet, even in ordinary go-with-the-flow acceleration, the Genesis's all-new 4.6L, 368-hp V-8 (*using premium fuel raises output to 375 hp and 333 lb-ft) is such a refined sweetheart that Deutschland's and Japan's brightest engineers ought to be sensing the hot breath of their South Korean counterparts on their necks right about now.

Does the Genesis have what it takes to score the 2009 Motor Trend Car of the Year honors? Find out on Nov. 18

The Fit is a ball to drive. The 1.5L four-cylinder, breathing via VTEC, spins to its 6600-rpm power peak (117 hp) like a puppy on the loose, urging the Fit from 0 to 60 mph in 8.3 sec. Sports-car thrust it isn't, but the Fit is so happy at its work you almost don't care. The five-speed manual (a five-speed auto with paddles is optional) works better than units in cars costing far more; it flicks through its gates with a light touch. Clutch takeup is syrup-smooth.

You won't mistake the Fit for a Porsche, but on the twisty stuff you won't feel let down, either. The diminutive, 16-in. 185/55 tires hang on with 0.81 g of grip -- nipping on the new Mazda6 GT and the Audi A4 -- and steering forces build up nicely through the wheel. Stopping is the Fit's weakest performance parameter; the brakes need 138 ft for 60-to-0-mph stops.

Fuel economy is down a bit from the previous model but still checks in at 27/33 mpg city/highway. Not bad considering there's room for four adults (even five for short trips) plus "magic" rear seats that effortlessly fold down -- creating a huge flat cargo floor (and nearly 60 cu ft of room).

Does the Honda Fit have what it takes to be the 2009 Motor Trend Car of the Year? Find out on Nov. 18.

Photography by Brian Vance and Julia LaPalme

Some of that familiarity breeds contempt. Authentic-looking pull-up door handles will have the fingernailed set relearning to open doors with their knuckles. The sound made by closing the doors or trunk lid is disconcertingly Nixon-era, and access to the Challenger's rear compartment is woefully inadequate: Either laboriously motor the power driver's seat forward or grapple with the coupe world's worst manual seat release on the passenger side. Once back there, the seats are commodious, though cavelike on the visibility front.

Built on full-size LX sedan underpinnings, the Challenger looks, feels, and drives big. If you insist on flailing away at the accurate but lifeless steering, the R/T will hustle around turns, but you'll feel loads of body motion and weight transfer. It really excels at the smoky burnout and the dragstrip hustle. The 0-to-60-mph-sprint takes 5.1 sec and the quarter flashes by in 13.6 at 104.9 mph, tying the lighter, larger Pontiac G8 GT to 60 and besting it in the quarter mile.

Can the Dodge Challenger take home the Motor Trend Car of the Year award? Find out on Nov. 18.

Photography by Brian Vance and Julia LaPalme

The Flex's third-row seat is rated for two passengers, and it's available in six- (with optional refrigerator between the split second row) and seven-passenger variants. Other notable options include Microsoft Sync and a big panorama roof. The third row is more comfortable for adults than the Chevy Traverse's three-passenger rear seat. Sharing its Volvo-based platform with a variety of Fords, including Taurus X, Flex's dimensions are similar to the Chevy's, with a lower h-point. The driver can set his seat low, making it feel like a station wagon, or high, for that much desired SUV-command view of the road. It's by no means an off-roader, yet it handled our off-road section with ease.

With its soft suspension, deliberate steering, and big flat expanse of hood ahead of the driver, the Flex doesn't inspire spirited driving, which helps explain its better fuel economy versus other contenders on our test loop. The V-6/six-speed automatic combo is smooth with adequate power, although the transmission offers no upshift-downshift options for family vacations across the Rockies. Those who fondly remember late-1960s Country Squires with 429 V-8 options will appreciate the coming 3.5L EcoBoost making about 325 hp.

"Times have changed," says senior editor Ron Kiino. "We're criticizing a Honda instrument panel and center stack and praising a Chevy's." It's true: The Traverse's IP and controls are clean and workable. The interior plastics and materials are attractive and appear durable. Third-row access is straightforward, although the second row's high floor and short seat bottom compromises its comfort a bit.

The Traverse is a nice-looking piece on the outside, too, although the rear window line is shaped the way it is in the name of style, not visibility. Fold the second- and third-row seats flat, and the Traverse will swallow 116.4 cu ft of stuff. Need to bring more junk along? No problem, given its 5200-lb towing capacity.

Everyone has been pleased with the powertrain. With optional dual exhausts, the newest version of GM's 3.6L DOHC V-6 spools out 288 hp, more than competitive power, although it's necessary to move the Traverse's 5111 lb, plus cargo. The engine is quiet and smooth, with a wide powerband. It's mated to a six-speed automatic transaxle, replete with a handy toggle switch on the end of the shifter to allow manual scrolling up and down all six gears.

Do you think the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse has what it takes to take home the title of 2009 Motor Trend Sport/Utility of the Year? Find out who the winner is at midnight eastern time on Oct. 16.

BMW's new SUV without the "U" doesn't really know what it is. It's big and immensely heavy (nearly 5000 pounds), yet seats only four (sort of) and offers limited luggage space in back. It's pricey enough to char your American Express Black Card: more than $63K as-tested with the twin-turbo six and easily a good $10 grand more for a similarly optioned twin-turbo V-8 xDrive 50i. It rides tall like an off-roader, but would prefer not to get dirty. Visibility is limited, particularly to the rear. The sport-biased chassis will hammer your backside if the tarmac picks up any lint.

And yet...on the right road the X6 performs as if it never heard of Sir Isaac Newton. 5000 pounds? So what? Even with the "base" twin-turbo six, the X6 whooshes to 60 mph in just 5.9 seconds (engine and six-speed auto flow and fly like a champion figure-skating pair).

Handling prowess can be breathtaking; more than one driver remarked that the X6 hoovered through turns "easily 10 or 15 mph faster than anything else." Yes, the X6 has its charms.

So do you think the 2009 BMW X6 ultimately has what it takes to take home the title of 2009 Motor Trend Sport/Utility of the Year? Find out who the winner is at midnight eastern time on Oct. 16.