Happy New Year from the whole team!

I certainly got a lot of flak when I named Layla the dog as the MVP of the SUVs team in last week's Holiday blog entry. Most of the flak came from fans of Truman the Standard Poodle, pictured here. Truman is the latest addition to the testing squad. We adopted the three year-old dog from Standard Poodle Rescue in May of this year, and he's become a vital part of the household. Several pairs of chewed shoes and a demolished chair cushion separated Truman and Layla in MVP voting -- hopefully Truman can control himself better next year. Thanks for all your help, Truman. You've made this a great year.

I'd also like to thank all of my colleagues at About.com for their support and collaboration, especially Aaron Gold, About.com's Guide to Cars, Basem Wasef, About.com's Guide to Motorcycles, Dale Wickell, About.com's Guide to Trucks and of course our editor, Bob Schulties. The give-and-take, and true camaraderie on the Autos Channel has made a tough year for SUVs and the auto industry in general a pleasant place to spend my days. Thanks, guys.

And thanks to all of you who have stopped by to read about SUVs and crossovers this year. I look forward to providing you with more great information, imagery and thought-provoking articles in the coming year. Health, happiness and prosperity to all of you!

Photo © Jason Fogelson