Tuesday, October 16, 2018 8:09 PM | Derek Price

BEE CAVE, Texas — After two days of evaluations, journalist members of the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) selected the 2019 Ram 1500 as Truck of Texas.

The award was presented Oct. 16 at the culmination of the Texas Truck Rodeo, presented by the Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), in which 69 journalists drove 57 vehicles and voted on winners across a range of consumer categories.

In addition to the Ram 1500 winning the overall prize, the 2019 Maserati Levante GTS won SUV of Texas and 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio took home CUV of Texas. Complete results from the voting are listed below.

“TAWA journalists know their trucks, and they picked the new Ram as the clear winner,” said Michael Marrs, TAWA president. “Our members said the truck performed well even in challenging weather conditions during the Hill Country floods this year. It was also noteworthy that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles swept all the overall awards at this year’s competition.”

After a morning of off-road driving on Monday, torrential rain and safety concerns forced the remainder of the event to move to on-road evaluations. Still, journalists said they enjoyed their brief time driving four-wheel-drive vehicles on slippery Texas hills and through deep mud — conditions that challenge even the best 4x4s and uncover strengths and weaknesses of off-road products.

"Being named the Texas Auto Writers Association's Truck of Texas is the highest honor in the world's largest pickup market," said Reid Bigland, Head of Ram Brand and U.S. Sales; Chairman, President and CEO, FCA Canada Inc. "The all-new 2019 Ram 1500 offers the best combination of class exclusive features, refinement capability and efficiency. Winning this award is a challenge, but the Ram 1500 is well suited to the hard-working needs of Texas truck buyers."

At the end of the event, journalists judged each of the vehicles in five criteria: Interior, Exterior, Performance, Value and Personal Appeal.

In addition to SMDI’s title sponsorship, other sponsors of the 2019 Texas Truck Rodeo included LINE-X Protective Coatings, Saddleback Leather Company, Katzkin Automotive Leather, the San Antonio Auto & Truck Show, DFW Auto Show, Houston Auto Show, AutomotiveTouchup and Wieck.