Why [Your Favorite Car] Wasn’t at Performance Vehicle of the Year

2023 Nissan Z Base Price

It's almost Mecum Auctions time again! The bidding takes place March 16 to 19 in Glendale, Arizona, and live gavel-to-gavel coverage is available through our online subscription service, MotorTrend+ (sign up for a free trial today!), or on your television via the MotorTrend channel.There's something about the southwest when it comes to trucks. Pickups are plentiful there, and based on the wide variety of rigs that are up for grabs at the Arizona auction, we're very optimistic about the collection that awaits Senior Content Producer KJ Jones at the Mecum Auctions event in Houston, Texas, April 1 and 2, as well.For the first time ever, KJ will be on the floor at a big-time auto auction, and hopes are high that this upcoming Glendale sale will be a great precursor to what could be the most truck-heavy event on Mecum's tour.We've already noted two cool trucks being auctioned in Arizona: a 2020 Jeep Gladiator that was displayed at the SEMA Show in 2019, and a customized 1963 Chevy Greenbrier Sports Wagon that garnered great response.This teaser highlights a rare, dual-rear-wheel Chevy Suburban. The sample seen here is a 1986 model that wasn't produced by the factory (none of these rare unicorns were), but to many truck fans is a rig that Chevrolet brass should have authorized and offered for interested buyers. Can you imagine driving something like this today, with a 6.6-liter Duramax diesel engine under the hood instead of a basic big-block Chevy V-8?Related: The General Motors Duramax Diesel Engine Through HistoryLike the previous Mecum-Glendale rigs we featured, this 'burban has no reserve attached to its sale, which should make it interesting to watch.1986 Chevy Suburban Silverado DuallyFirst, this 1986 Chevy Suburban is not an actual 1-ton dually. It's a 3/4-ton rig that's been upfitted with a dual-rear-wheel axle, the appropriate finishing fenders, and so on. And for Chevrolet Suburban know-it-alls, yes, it's a Silverado in frame only; Suburbans and pickups share the same chassis, but the truckwagon has never formally had Silverado in its name.Big-Block Chevy PowerA 7.4-liter (454ci) big-block Chevrolet engine sits beneath the dually Suburban's hood. The limited information we have doesn't reference any modifications, but even the stock powerplant has plenty of oats.Low MilesIn 2022, 42,000 miles is the mark of a creampuff, especially for a rig that's closing in on 40 years old.Nothing's PerfectWe're guessing this image was included in the photo set for "full-disclosure" purposes—the 1986 Chevy Suburban dually is super clean, but it's not 100 percent flawless, as evidenced by the crack that runs down the dash cover.Rear ViewRoadkill host David Freiburger has a soft spot in his heart for 'burbans with rear "Barn" doors that open wide and promote easier loading and unloading of items in the cargo area. We also like the look of the big, wide "hips" on a Suburban, with four tires tucked beneath them.Dually SuburbanThis 1986 Chevy Suburban isn't the "best" truck among all the custom rigs being auctioned, but to us it's very cool. You just don't see dually (what is a dually, anyway?) Suburbans anywhere, so its rarity makes it worthy of receiving our spotlight for Mecum Auctions' Glendale, Arizona, event.2022 Mecum Auction ScheduleHere are the remaining 2022 Mecum Auction events that can be viewed on the MotorTrend+ streaming service (sign up for a free trial today!) and on MotorTrend TV.March 17-19: Glendale, ArizonaApril 1-2: Houston, TexasMay 18-21: Indianapolis, IndianaJune 10-11: Tulsa, OklahomaJuly 28-30: Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaAugust 19-20: Monterey, CaliforniaSeptember 8-10: Dallas, TexasOctober 14-15: Chicago, IllinoisNovember 11-12: Las Vegas, Nevada

ram 1500-trx Full OverviewYes, we're calling our $91,185 2021 Ram 1500 TRX a good road trip vehicle in a time when the premium gas it guzzles costs nearly $6.00 per gallon near our office. No, we don't believe things are better just by virtue of being expensive, but sometimes, an expensive thing is expensive because it's actually good, and when it comes to long-distance travel, our Ram TRX long-term tester is king.Let's start with a few simple facts. If you can comfortably afford a $90,000 truck, you can afford the gas. You may not want to, but it isn't hard to find another truck with better fuel economy if that's the case. Either way, you know what you're getting into. If you're even considering a TRX, you want what it has to offer: big power, cushy off-road suspension, all the comfort features, and an overdose of truck attitude. More than anything, you want a truck. If you're going to get a truck anyway, and you want to be king of the interstate on your next family vacation, the Ram 1500 TRX is your chariot. Those fancy Bilstein shocks might've been developed for desert racing, but they're equally awesome on the highway. The TRX floats over the bad pavement left in the wake of 80-ton big rigs as easily as it goes down a trail.Available only with the four-door Crew Cab, the TRX is as massive on the inside as it is on the outside. People riding up front get big, comfy captain's chairs, and the folks in the back have all the legroom in the world. Blow $21,000 on options like we did, and you get everything from 12-way power leather heated seats, cooled front buckets, leather-wrapped grab handles, and a heated steering wheel to make the trip more comfortable. Before you even get in, you can pre-condition the cabin with the remote start function. That's a great way to enjoy the Ram's V-8 burble while making the cabin nice and comfy.You can also make those long interstate slogs easier on the driver. Our Ram has adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, blind-spot warnings, automatic wipers, a head-up display, and more. That's on top of the standard 12.0-inch portrait-oriented infotainment screen that does split-screen CarPlay or Android Auto so you can still use other functions at the same time.Then, there's the driver's favorite feature: 702 supercharged horsepower, standard. Merging on the freeway? Going up a hill? Passing slow traffic? Got the truck loaded down with gear or a trailer? All of the above, simultaneously?  Just apply throttle, and all your problems are solved.You know how it goes. At some point in the road trip, there's always that one car up ahead that's camping in the left lane, pacing traffic in the right lane instead of passing. Once enough traffic stacks up behind the two, your options for getting ahead become scarce and don't last long. With a 702 hp V-8, you can make the most of them.We do, of course, have to talk about the gas mileage. If you're coming out of a truck that's 12 years old like the average new vehicle buyer in America, 10 to 14 mpg is nothing new for you. Might even be an improvement. On a recent trip to Phoenix and back, we set the cruise control at 80 mph, and the truck still self-reported more than 14 mpg (the EPA highway rating). Not great compared to other modern trucks, but not all that bad considering this thing is a flying brick with ample seating for five powered by a massive supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 being driven by people who can expense the gas.Sure, filling the 33-gallon tank hurts at $6 a gallon (or sometimes more), so much so we advise people to fill up at a quarter-tank so they don't have to run two transactions when the credit card cuts off—$175 fill-ups suck, but at least you can go nearly 400 miles on that gas, hopefully to a region with lower prices.The TRX is wildly expensive and impractical in many ways, but if you're going to buy one anyway, you'll be happy to know it's as pleasant to drive on the good old-fashioned family vacation as it is crossing the country off-road on the Trans-America Trail.Looks good! More details?More on Our Long-Term Ram 1500 TRXThe Ram 1500 TRX Joins the MT GarageWhich Is Quicker—a Charger SRT 392 Scat Pack or the TRX That Towed It to the Track?…And What About a TRX or a Rivian R1T?The TRX Isn't a Great Forest Service TruckBut It Is a Good MudderHuge Power Saves This Ship