NWAPA Mudfest 2026 Outdoor Activity Vehicle of the Year

Each May, the Northwest Automotive Press Association (NWAPA) holds its annual Mudfest event. Held at Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, WA, journalists evaluate different AWD and 4WD vehicles on the pavement and in the dirt (and, of course, the mud). The vehicle with the highest marks earns the NWAPA Outdoor Vehicle of the Year award. I was one of this year’s 19 journalists and drove all 18 vehicles. So, how does Mudfest work?

The Testing Process

Day one on-road evaluation, which was composed of a tight slalom, an acceleration and braking test, plus a spirited lap around Ridge’s go-cart track. On day two, we hit the specially built off-road course, made up of climbs and descents, gravel stretches, articulation challenges, an off-caber berm, and of course, a watery mud section. This course tested ground clearance, traction, articulation, and general off-road capability.

Mudfest has four vehicle classes: Two-Row Family Vehicles, Three-Row Family Vehicles, Luxury SUVs, and Pickup Trucks. Remember: this wasn’t a hard-core wheeling event. Most manufacturers bring their latest offerings, which is why, for example, Toyota brought its new RAV4 Hybrid Woodland, not its Tundra, Tacoma, Sequoia, and 4Runner. (Those vehicles have appeared at Mudfest in the past, however.)

Mudfest 2026 Vehicles

2026 Hyundai IONIQ 5 (EV)
2026 Jeep Wrangler Moab 392
2026 Kia Sportage X-Pro
2026 Mazda CX-5 Premium Plus
2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness
2026 Subaru Uncharted GT AWD (EV)
2026 Subaru Trailseeker Limited (EV)
2026 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Woodland (HEV)
2026 Volkswagen Tiguarn SEL R-Line Turbo
2026 Honda Pilot Elite
2026 Hyundai Palisade XRT Pro
2026 Kia Telluride X-Pro
2026 Mitsubishi Outlander Trail Edition
2026 Genesis GV80 3.5T Prestige Black
2026 Genesis GV80 Coupe 3.5T Prestige Black
2026 Lucid Gravity Ground Touring (EV)
2026 Polestar 4 Dual Motor Pilot & Plus (EV)
2026 Ram 1500 Warlock Crew Cab 4×4

On Road Evaluation

The on-road testing had some definite standouts. The AWD Lucid Gravity, a $125,000 EV SUV, had four-wheel-steering and 828 horsepower. It’d also do 0–60 in about 3.1 seconds. It was part hypercar, part SUV, part spaceship, and it was likely the fastest vehicle here. There were two Genesis GV80 3.5T Prestige Black models—409-hp coupe and 375-hp SUV form—were also very good on the test course. Subaru’s new Trailseeker and Uncharted AWD adventure-focused EVs were also notable on the pavement and offered instant torque from the electric motors. Other on-road handlers were the Mazda CX-5 Premium Plus (now naturally aspirated only) and the grippy Volkswagen Tiguan Turbo.

Conversely, off-road-centric vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler Moab 392 and Ram 1500 Worlock Crew Cab 4×4 were out of place in the tight on-road tracks. Well, all but the acceleration test, where the Jeep and Ram made all the great V8 noises.

Getting Into The Muddy Action

This test track let each driver sample what these vehicles could do in off-road scenarios. These weren’t rock crawls or deep mud bogs. But the course was more technical than most AWD/4WD vehicles will ever see and showcased each vehicle’s capability.

While the Jeep and Ram weren’t on-road warriors, they were in a league of their own off-road and were the only rigs with low range and lockers. With that said, a few other vehicles were surprisingly good in the dirt.

The 2026 Kia Telluride X-Pro impressed with 9.1 inches of ground clearance, an off-road-tuned suspension, and effective off-road drive modes. Subaru’s new Outback Wilderness offered 9.5 inches of ground clearance and its X-MODE, letting it tackle obstacles with ease, plus it has turbo power. In fact, most of these soft-roaders offer an off-road driving mode, trail camera systems, and other features making them the most capable AWD vehicles ever made.

Some vehicles were just downright fun to drive in the dirt. Hyundai’s IONIQ 5 XRT was like an electric rally car. With AWD, all-terrain tires, extra ground clearance, and gobs of power, it was a blast on the gravel sections. The Subaru Trailseeker and slightly smaller Uncharted were also a lot of fun to drive spiritedly in the dirt. The Mitsubishi Outlander Trail Edition, which was fitted with Cooper all-terrains, was surprisingly fun to fling around and thanks to a well-tuned chassis and smart drive modes. And yes, the spaceship-like Lucid Gravity even took to the dirt. Its suspension could be raised for extra clearance, and it easily conquered all the obstacles.

The Final Results

With ballots tallied from all 19 journalists, the class winners are as follows:

Two-Row Family SUV: 2026 Subaru Trailseeker Limited

Best Three-Row Family SUV: 2026 Kia Telluride X-Pro SX-Prestige AWD

Best Luxury SUV: 2026 Lucid Gravity Grand Touring

Pickup Truck: 2026 Ram 1500 Warlock Crew Cab 4×4

Electrified Activity Vehicle: 2026 Subaru Trailseeker Limited

Extreme Capability Vehicle: 2026 Jeep Wrangler Moab 392

Best Value NW Outdoor Activity Vehicle: 2026 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Woodland

The overall 2026 NW Outdoor Activity Vehicle of the Year award went to the 2026 Subaru Trailseeker Limited, which had an as-tested price of $45,840. Its combination of on-road performance and off-road prowess made it a jack of all trades. If it’s like other Subarus, it’s destined to get more off-road ability via the aftermarket, turning this Trailseeker into a real adventuremobile.

Photos by Andy Lilienthal