2009 State Fair of Texas Brings Out Big Trucks

| |
Related articles: Life > Autos

Usually when you think of the State Fair of Texas, you think of great tasting food, magic acts, thrilling rides, livestock shows, and various wares for sale: everything from pots and pans to 550-pound juicers. Well, the Texas Fair also has on display, scattered throughout the fair grounds, the most spectacular array of pickup trucks imaginable. Not to mention buildings filled with auto manufacturers’ best vehicles in the world.

So whether you want to see the new Volkswagen Jetta (49 mpg) or the bold and bright Dodge Challenger, along with 100s of other SUVs, Crossovers, and All Terrain Vehicles, the 2009 Texas State Fair is the place to be. The Fair runs from Friday, September 25 through Sunday, October 18 at Fair Park in Dallas.

Forgive me for bragging just a little, but the Texas Fair is the largest and most profitable state fair in the country. Over three and a half million folks will come to the fair and consume tons of wonderful tasting food. They will experience a great metropolitan city, while at the same time getting a first-hand view of farm animals, agriculture products, and prize-winning cooking, canning, quilting, and art work that describes this great state, allowing one to reflect on her contemporary diversity blended with her pioneering past.

This year, with the price of gasoline falling back to more affordable ranges, many people will be interested in what new cars and trucks are available. Here are some of the highlights from the State Fair auto show.

The 2011 Ford Super truck proves that when the going gets tough, you need a Super Duty truck! Ford’s F-Series has been the best selling line of trucks in the U.S. for 32 straight years. The new Super Duty further underscores Ford’s “Built Ford Tough” legacy.

“Our Super Duty customers do some of America’s toughest jobs,” said Mark Fields, Ford President for the Americas. “Every day they’re out there working with little fanfare and all they ask for is the right tool for the job. The new 2011 Super Duty offers them a truck with best-in-class towing and payload, all-new powertrain, and even more capability than ever to help them do their jobs.” About 25 percent of all trucks sold in America are bought in Texas.

Bob Carter, Toyota Division Group Vice President and General Manager didn’t waste much time when talking about the Fifth Generation 4Runner at the State Fair. “Texas has rugged and tough terrain and the 4Runner is just what is needed for off-road capability.”  

Toyota has invested in the Texas experience. The new Toyota truck plant in San Antonio directly employs nearly 2,000 team members in addition to other supplier partners and a combined investment of $1.3 billion since ground was broken in 2006.

“By this time next year,” Carter continues. “The San Antonio plant will also be producing our 2011 Tacoma compact pickup truck on the same line with the Tundra. This will bring several hundred additional jobs to both the plant and our suppliers, creating an even more positive economic impact to the San Antonio area and state.”

The new GM Terrain is the new, smaller SUV promised by GM engineers as they go about continuing the brand’s over 100-year tradition of building fine engineered and quality products.

“Yukon, Acadia, and now Terrain—we’re continuing to build on the successful formula as the bold styling, premium features, and functionality our customers have come to expect from our full-size truck products, as well as creating smaller vehicles to appeal to a broader audience,” said Susan Docherty, General manager of Buick GMC.

It is obvious that GM is going all out to provide new products to meet the various needs of the consumer. The Terrain is a good example of that by averaging 32 mpg, which leads that segment. Six standard air bags and OnStar are just two of the safety features offered by Terrain.

When I drove the Terrain, I liked the ride and handling I got behind the wheel. Premium materials inside, highlighted by the warm glow of red ambient lightning, made me feel pretty darned good about the driving experience. The vehicle starts at $25K and you can load it up for under $30K. Either way you get GM’s 5-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.

At the Texas State Fair, Dodge introduced the “New Crew” of ultimate heavy-duty pickup trucks: 2010 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500.

The 6.7L engine is the cleanest in the marketplace and meets stringent 50-state emissions requirements without Diesel Exhaust Fluid. The 3500 offers superior towing capacity at 18,000 lbs. and a maximum payload of 5,110 lbs. The Dodge heavy-duty pickups have a hydro-formed, fully boxed frame with advanced torsional rigidity and stiffness. A coil-spring suspension setup is used up front, while the multi-leaf spring design is maintained in the rear for heavy-duty capability. Two cargo box sizes (6-foot-4-inches and 8 feet), single and dual rear wheel configuration offers great storage of tools for the workplace or camping gear for the playing place.

The improved interior noise level and the comfort on highway surfaces made Dodge Trucks a real contender for Texas Truck of the Year last year.

Again this year the competition between Dodge Ram, Ford 150 Series, Chevy Silverado and Toyota Tundra will be all the more fierce. In October, the Texas Auto Writers will come together to select the truck of the year for 2010. For three days in San Antonio, over 40 professional auto writers will drive everything the auto industry has to offer. The manufacturer that wins the prize of Best Truck of the Year will have much to brag about.

Durhl Caussey writes an auto column read around the world. He is also Secretary for the board of directors for The Texas Auto Writers Association. He may be reached at this paper or dcaussey@sbcglobal.net .