2012 Ultimate 4x4 Shootout Preview No. 4

Here is the last of our four Ultimate 4×4 Shootout highlight videos: a brief walk around each of the competitors.

Here's the quick background if you're a first-timer here. This all started when we heard from you — our readers and truck-loving fans — after we published our  (SVT Raptor vs. Mopar Ram Runner) and set of videos. More than a few readers noted that particular Shootout could be considered unfair because the Raptor was a factory-built supermodel and the Ram Runner was basically an aftermarket Frankenstein.

Fine, we said, let's test our way to the ultimate champion of all factory-offered four-wheel-drive packages and settle this once and for all. We asked the various pickup manufacturers to send us their best 4x4s so we could compete them in 10 head-to-head contests, culminating in our first-ever Ultimate 4×4 Shootout champion.

The four trucks we have for this contest, in alphabetical order by brand, are the Ford SVT Raptor, Nissan Frontier PRO-4X, Ram Power Wagon ST and Toyota Tacoma TRD Baja (highlighted below). It's important to note before anyone cries foul that, with a new truck on the horizon, GM declined to participate in our Shootout either of their midsize or full-size Z71 packages.

You've seen the first (), second (Frontier PRO-4X) and third () highlight videos from our Ultimate 4×4 Shootout, and here's the final one, with our full story and competition video coming next week.