Road & Track Editor Talks Pickups on 'Tonight Show'
Larry Webster, Road & Track editor-in-chief, visited the "Tonight Show" on March 14 to talk trucks with host Jimmy Fallon, who has been very vocal about his desire to purchase a new pickup truck. Ram was the first to try to accommodate Fallon's wish by parking a brand-new Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn (complete with a RamBox and air suspension) in front of 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, attempting to lure the host to take a test drive.
Instead, "Tonight Show" talent scouts asked the leader of the one most popular automotive magazines in the country to talk with Fallon about which pickup he should buy. The segment was one of three on the March 14th show, giving Webster plenty of time to offer a few good suggestions to Fallon and speak to, what seemed like, the main reason for Fallon's purchase — namely, he might need to carry a bunch of pumpkins around with him.
On the plus side, the two had — along with Andy Cohen, executive producer of the popular "The Real Housewives" reality shows — a chance to talk about the Toyota Tacoma, Ram 1500 and two Ford F-150s; however, they only got to show a photo of the Chevrolet Silverado.
The Hulu episode of the show is titled "Larry Webster Educates Jimmy Fallon on Trucks," but there are a few things we want to clarify before you view it. To begin with, Webster, while plugging the latest issues of his magazine, identifies the classic Ford Bronco 4x4 SUV as a pickup truck. Although that's not technically true we can let that slide because some people may think that a truck is the same thing as a pickup. Webster also noted that the Tacoma is not built in the U.S., but said "the Tundra is." Of course, the Tundra and Tacoma are both built in the San Antonio and have been for several years. Finally, he told Fallon that you can't get a sunroof in the Ford F-150, and that just isn't true.
We'll likely have more on Fallon's eventual pickup truck purchase as he does more research. But from the sound of it, Fallon is looking for something big enough for his young family (which probably means a crew cab for a child safety seat) with four-wheel drive (to drive on the beach somewhere) and long enough to carry as many pumpkins as possible (we didn't understand this, but who are we to argue?). Filling all those needs might be tricky because, in relation to the last requirement, there are no 8-foot beds offered with any crew-cab half-tons. It sounds like Fallon may have to go the custom route. Stay tuned.
Comments
Road and Track does not do much Pickup truck testing. Motor Trend does the most then Car and Driver, but Car and Track is focused more towards Sports Cars.
You were right to call this guy out on Facebook. He doesn't know what he is talking about and is giving bad info. His answer that because his company's parking lot has a few older pickups by employees means nothing if you don't have the basic knowledge.
With answers like that, how did he ever become editor-in-chief???
Mark Williams called out the R&T choice on Facebook. Then someone from the mag, a writer, said they have pickups in their staff parking lot so they know what they are talking about. Maybe someone there does, but the editor doesn't have the basic facts down. Exactly as Mark Williams predicted he gave Jimmy bad info.
"This makes perfect sense; editor of magazine called Road and Track to give advice about pickup trucks? Maybe they thought the name of the magazine was Road and Truck?" - Mark Williams
@all
you really didn't expect Jimmy's producers to really care about pickups did you? They think we're all hillbillies.
that is all.
@Dave,
Answers like what? What did this guy say that was so wrong?
I wouldn't call Williams a truck expert either. All his articles are comprised of either calling out other writers or writing what others tell him to write.
They should have gotten Mark Williams.
I am shocked that the editor said F-150 doesn't have a sunroof. I don't know who was first, but Ford invented the luxury pickup the King Ranch. And the 2015 is the first pickup truck with a dual pane panoramic sunroof.
More corporate sponsorship.
And you thought it ended when the commercial break was over?
Wow, that's a lot of false facts there! This is why it always pays to do personal independent research and not always listen to heresies.
The Ford has a Moon Roof, not a sunroof, two different things.
@Jack, Please only speak on subjects you are informed about. A moonroof is a type of sunroof and describes all sunroofs today. Sunroof is just a generic term. Moonroof just means it is electronically operated.
"The term moonroof was used in the 70's to describe a glass panel inbuilt electric sunroof, and is now used generically to describe ALL glass panel inbuilt sunroofs."
http://autorepair.about.com/od/glossary/a/sun_vs_moon_roof.htm
Chris your source is incorrect. Sorry
wow that guy didn't have a clue about trucks. If he wants to go on the beach buy a raptor or power wagon with some big wide tires, get 4 doors and all the bells and whistles, and voila ! still chuckling to myself that f150's don't come with sunroofs (guess I should tell my dad that his f150 has a picture of the sky painted on his roof). Be interesting to see what he buys as he is getting bad information...
Moonroof is glass, sunroof is metal.
Anyone that dose not know how to inflate a tire should not be driving on a beach.
papa jim, you are correct.
Tell him to go out and buy that 6x6 Mercedes so he can fit in with all of those billionaire Arabs.
All I can say is anyone from Road&Track will more than likely lean towards something like a Toyota Tacoma, or Nissan Frontier as a daily driver, as they lean more toward foreign sporty vehicles than anything to do with full size pickup trucks! and if they were to choose an American truck? I would hope it would be a Chevy or Ford with the Ram coming in at third, even though it does have more car like attributes than the trucks from Chevy and Ford! and is technically owned by a foreign company, even though I still feel it is an American company! or at least was for over 100 years!
I would go with the first ever back to back Motor trend truck of the year Champion Ram.
http://www.motortrend.com/oftheyear/truck/1402_2014_ram_1500_is_motor_trend_2014_truck_of_the_year/
F-250 King Ranch Crew Cab Long Bed. It has four cupholders up front, 4 in the back, tons of room for the kids, and the most pumpkin hauling ability of any of them. I'm a Ram guy myself, but Ram doesn't offer a truck that "looks like it is wearing khakis."
So, solved.
Larry Webster started off his "help" with, "Pickup trucks are for those people who are trying t compensate for something."
That first comment clearly shows where Larry and Road & Track's bias and ignorance and lack of knowledge of pickup trucks is coming from.
To Jimmy's credit, Jimmy told Larry he was wrong on that so good for Jimmy.
And people in riced up Lancers, WRXs, Supras with 5'' exhaust tips are NOT trying to compensate for anything?
@Marcus
I would have to agree with you, @Lou_BC's suggestion of a Mercedes 6x6 would also fit. The expense and ride for a small family would not on the other hand.
Someone has got to tell the kid:
"Demo's don't drive pickups"
Jimmy Fallon is an extreme liberal and he's using his show to make fun of pickup trucks,, he's using pickup trucks as new joke material. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth lived in a city all his life, never got his hands dirty, I bet he doesn't even have a drivers license. Explaining a pickup truck to him is like explaining brain surgery to a garbage man. Real men are few and far between in the entertainment profession.
Tom#3, I disagree. I'm pretty sure he has a liscense and I'm sure he's gotten his hands dirty. What is a real man anyway? Sounds like you are a bit insecure. Jay leno works on cars all the time and he was/in in the business.
I know it's difficult to fill all the criteria for choosing a "truck" or "pickup truck" but I would want Jimmy to at least consider gas mileage as much as country of origin (many are mutts these days), payload and moon roofs.
Also, the people I see driving "trucks" these days are as likely to be business people as they are to be dirty-handers. They don't go off-road, they don't haul tons of payload and they don't change their own oil. They just want a "truck."
Ken? Jay Leno was a nobody, used to work as an auto mechanic, he got his hands dirty. You just don't get it? Jimmy Fallon is making fun of YOU. He's saying he's better than you cause he doesn't drive a pickup. I understand these city boys. A real man is me, I can do it all, a jack of all trades, I can put a new roof on my house, shovel a ton of coal off in 5 mins, fix my truck, even repair my own big screen tv, installed a heat pump myself saved $6K, plus I know how to make love too and please a woman.
Tom#3, I pay someone to do most of that for me. I do consider myself a man as well.
First truck company that buys commercial time wins.
" I'm a Ram guy myself, but Ram doesn't offer a truck that "looks like it is wearing khakis.""
RAM offers a two tone 1500.
Jimmy needs a Ford Raptor. He'll be a happy man every time he climbs in!
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