After completing two days of on-pavement and off-road testing at the Mudfest 2025 Outdoor Vehicle of the Year Competition, the automotive media professionals of the Northwest Automotive Press Association named the 2025 Ram 1500 RHO Crew Cab 4×4 the Northwest Outdoor Activity Vehicle of the Year, the organization’s top award.

“It should come as no surprise that twin-turbocharged inline-six-cylinder power and the impressive off-road chops of the 2025 Ram 1500 RHO Crew Cab proved to be a winning formula. Ram has offered desirable packages in the past; the RHO continues that streak,” said NWAPA President Tom Voelk. “It was up against stiff competition this year, but Northwest Automotive Press Association members chose the Ram as the recipient of the coveted 2025 Outdoor Activity Vehicle of the Year honor.”

NWAPA testing journalists include Jim Redden, the automotive editor of the Portland Tribune.

NWAPA journalists also crowned the Ram 1500 RHO Crew Cab in two additional categories: Best Pickup Truck and Extreme Capability Vehicle.

“The fact that the Ram 1500 RHO took three categories in the Mudfest contest speaks to how strongly NWAPA members feel about this machine.” Voelk said of the RHO. “It confidently walked through the off-road course, and yet jurors found it remains comfortable and useful as a daily driver while on pavement.”

In the Electrified Activity Vehicle category that includes battery-electrics, hybrids and plug-in hybrids, the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 XRT takes the prize. The Two-Row Family SUV award goes to IONIQ 5 XRT as well. The 2025 Jeep Wagoneer Series II Overland earned the honor as the best Three-Row Family SUV. Newly refreshed, the 2026 Genesis GV70 3.5T Sport Prestige impressed NWAPA journalists, taking the Luxury SUV trophy. The Best Value NW Outdoor Activity Vehicle title is awarded to the 2025 Subaru Forester Touring Hybrid.

NWAPA’s Mudfest competition is now in its 31st year, and its journalists have been evaluating outdoor activity vehicles from the early days of the modern SUV era. This year’s two-day event hosted 19 NWAPA media members evaluating 21 crossovers, SUVs, and pickups on specially prepared courses at The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington.

NWAPA members evaluate the vehicles in real-world conditions. Day One testing involves on-pavement courses designed to evaluate acceleration, handling, braking, and road dynamics. Day Two is run on a custom-designed course that focused on off-pavement performance, evaluating traction, ground clearance, suspension articulation, and advances in off-road tech.

NWAPA Mudfest 2025 categories and winners are:

 Two-Row Family SUV: 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 XRT

Three-Row Family SUV: 2025 Jeep Wagoneer Series II Overland

Luxury SUV: 2026 Genesis GV70 3.5T Sport Prestige

Pickup Truck: 2025 Ram 1500 RHO Crew Cab 4×4

Electrified Activity Vehicle: 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 XRT

Extreme Capability Vehicle: 2025 Ram 1500 RHO Crew Cab 4×4

Best Value NW Outdoor Activity Vehicle: 2025 Subaru Forester Touring Hybrid

NW Outdoor Activity Vehicle of the Year: 2025 Ram 1500 RHO Crew Cab 4×4

About NWAPA

NWAPA (nwapa.org) is a professional organization of automotive journalists and media members from the Pacific Northwest, Southwest Canada and beyond. Founded in 1991, NWAPA includes 45 voting members representing newspapers, magazines, radio stations, podcasts, television channels, online video outlets, and websites. Members of the organization have been testing SUVs and crossovers since the advent of the modern sport-utility vehicle in the mid-1990s. Non-voting NWAPA members include representatives from automotive manufacturers and related industry professionals.