Finding some tough mudders at Mudfest

From a distance, Mudfest looks like grownups playing with expensive toys.

To be honest, that’s pretty much what it is, but there’s an underlying seriousness.

Mudfest is the nickname of the annual Northwest Outdoor Activity Vehicle of the Year competition held by the Northwest Automotive Press Association (NWAPA). The event is now in its 22nd year, and I’ve been there for all but two of those years, doing the work and having the fun.

Mudfest 2016 took place recently at The Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton. The contest was especially relevant this year, since sales of SUVs and crossovers have exceeded those of standard passenger cars.

At The Ridge, a custom off-road course was created for the purpose of evaluating each vehicle’s all-wheel-drive capabilities. A paved track used for go-karting at The Ridge served as the on-road test course, giving drivers a perfect setup for assessing ride and handling characteristics such as acceleration, turning stability, and braking.

For vehicles designed to handle extreme off-road conditions, a separate area was created to simulate those conditions, which require low-range four-wheel drive and superior axle articulation, approach angles and departure angles.

Twenty-six NWAPA members tested 28 vehicles, including SUVs, crossovers and pickups. Entries competed in six different categories: Compact Utility Vehicle, Premium Compact Utility Vehicle, Family Utility Vehicle, Premium Utility Vehicle, Extreme Capability Vehicle, and Pickup. Voters also select their overall favorite from the entire bunch and the entry with the most votes wins the activity vehicle of the year title.

All types of media are represented by NWAPA members participating at Mudfest, including newspapers, television, radio, magazines and the Internet.

Deciding on one favorite among an excellent collection of vehicles is a tough task, but after two full days of driving them off-road and on the go-kart track, and comparing interior and exterior design, technologies, functionality, pricing and fuel economy, the following entries were determined best in class:

Compact: 2016 Mazda CX-3 Grand Touring

Premium Compact: 2016 Volvo V60 Cross Country T5 AWD

Family: 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee 75th Anniversary Edition

Premium: 2016 Volvo XC60 T6 AWD Drive-E

Extreme Capability: 2016 Jeep Wrangler 75th Anniversary Edition

Pickup: 2016 Ram Rebel

From among those outstanding segment winners, the Jeep Grand Cherokee 75th Anniversary Edition emerged as overall favorite and was named NWAPA’s Northwest Outdoor Activity Vehicle of the Year for 2016, and I’m looking forward to Mudfest 2017.

Mary Lowry is an independent automotive writer who lives in Snohomish County. She is a member of the Motor Press Guild and a board member of the Northwest Automotive Press Association.