But really, three days of driving and testing all of these trucks taught me that there is no better time to buy a truck. The difference between the best and the worst is minimal and the best all-around truck may not be best truck for you. Maybe that's one of the reasons pickup owners all think their truck is so good: Because it is. The testing included empirical data as well as subjective scoring to create the finalists. The regiment of testing included performance on the Milan Dragstrip, towing a 6,500-pound trailer up a 7 percent grade, braking, auto cross, as well as additional performance testing. All of the vehicles were driven by the same person for testing purposes. Subjective scoring looked at interiors, exteriors and overall drive impressions. The scoring was fair and well documented. As a pickup owner and evaluator, my conclusions are different than everyone else who participated in program. See, there is always some wiggle room. Of course, you can debate the samples. Engines vary in size and suspensions are tuned differently, so finding the best of the best starts with what you're testing. However, each truckmaker was notified beforehand and could provide the vehicle it thought best for the all-around testing. Quarter-mile funThere is no better way to measure a truck's ability off the line than at Milan Dragway. Take each truck, pull it up to the Christmas tree and floor it. Runs were conducted empty and tugging a trailer. While there's something surreal about trying to blast off with a 6,500-pound trailer and hitting a top speed of 70 mph at the end of the run, it's fun. Less than half a second separated the first five vehicles, with the Silverado placing first with a time of 15.52 seconds and a top speed of 94.13 mph. The Ram and Titan finished fourth and fifth respectively, most likely due to the five-speed transmission. The F-150, which hopped its rear tires on nearly every attempt had a best time of 16.96 seconds and a top speed of 85.9 mph. The big pullIt may not have the drama of a Toyota Tundra commercial, but the test was fairly simple: Start from a standstill and climb a 7 percent grade as fast as possible. General Motors Corp.'s Silverado and Sierra muscled its way up the hill and ended up with Toyota in the middle. GM uses the biggest V-8 out of the bunch and the 6.2-liter engine provides one of the best sounds for a pickup pulling a heavy load. The Tundra's 5.7-liter I-Force held its own as well, flying up the hill and finishing second, between the Silverado and Sierra. The Titan and Ram both use a five-speed transmission, which seemed to hurt it on much of the power testing, especially the towing. The F-150 lugged up the hill, finishing a disappointing fifth, between the Ram and Titan, despite having the ability to tow more than any other truck. However, the Ford felt the best when cruising down the hill after the test. The tow-haul mode downshifts better than the competition and holds gears longer to provide excellent engine braking. Taking your time up the hill is fine as long you take your time going down. A second towing test measured how far the back of the truck dropped when a 6,500-pound trailer was attached to it. The Tundra fell the least, a mere 2.8 inches. The Ram, with its coil spring rear suspension dropped the most, 3.6 inches. Performance testsThe difference between the best braking and worst stopping truck from 60 mph proves to be about 25 feet. The Tundra, which comes with the biggest brakes, performed the best stopping in 150 feet, while the GMC Sierra took 174 feet. The F-150 finished fifth, while the Titan finished second, but only 9 feet separated those vehicles and three others finished between them. The F-150 excelled in the auto cross, a cone-lined parking lot course to test higher speed handling, and off road. It also placed first in the max wheel travel category -- testing how much the wheel articulates. Meanwhile, the Titan was the most fun on the auto cross course, but it had the worst time. Its back end would slide out on fast turns, making it super fun in a closed course. However, that may not be the same if there is traffic on the road. The Ram with its coil spring suspension offered the best ride and the five-speed transmission seemed well tuned for the auto cross. The final performance test was fuel economy. The Sierra offers the best EPA highway mileage but ties for worst city mileage, not surprising given its bigger engine. On the road, which included 180 miles of driving, towing a 6,500 pound trailer half of the time, the F-150 performed the best, averaging 16.8 mpg, while using the smallest engine. The Tundra came in a close second while the Silverado did the worst, averaging only 14.8 mpg. Two miles per gallon is a 14 percent difference and means for every eight gallons of fuel the Ford uses, the Silverado uses nine to cover the same distance. Which has best features?The subjective scoring in the evaluation came with determining which truck had the best features. While the performance differences are notable in some areas, in other areas it's not. For many pickup owners, performance is important, but it's not everything. And really, that's what I walked away with. If you want pure performance and don't care about styling, there's a truck for you. If you want the best mix of both, there's another truck in the 2009 lineup that can fit your needs. If you prefer style or towing capabilities, there's even another truck. I viewed the testing results as a decathlon score sheet, where my winner rarely finished first, but placed high in the categories important to me. Fuel economy was not important to me, but interior styling was. Towing abilities and pure power is important, fast times on auto cross were not. My winner in the 2008 half-ton shootout was the 2009 GMC Sierra, which came in fifth overall for pickup.com. For me, it offers the complete package. A powerful engine, with the best note coming out of the pipes compared to anyone else; great power, strong off-roading abilities but still a lower riding body, making it easier to get in and out of the cab and bed. It can tow nearly 10,000 pounds and its interior is simple but complete. There are just as many valid arguments to the Silverado, Ram, Titan, F-150 or Tundra. This was not a simple popularity contest or presidential election, it was a look at the 2009 full-size truck lineup. The testing only proves that the biggest winner is the consumer. Scott Burgess is auto critic for The Detroit News.