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Consumer Reports says Ram 1500 tops fuel economy fight [w/video]

Consumer Reports takes its independent vehicle testing procedures seriously. In an era when we have to question the EPA's official ratings thanks to recent re-evaluations from Ford and Hyundai, an independent voice is important. So, when CR says something is the best, it's worth paying attention to. The Ram 1500 EcoDiesel has "about the same fuel-economy numbers that we typically see in a midsized SUV." – Jake Fisher In this case, CR took a look at the fuel economy of the 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel and found that it came out on top of the fullsize pickup truck pack. The Ram did so with 20 miles per gallon overall and 27 mpg on the highway. CR gave the truck a total road test score of 82. The EPA says that the EcoDiesel 1500 gets 28 mpg on the highway, 20 mpg city and 23 mpg combined. Comparing official EPA numbers, the Ram is also the best among trucks in its class. It's nice when people agree on something. As we know from first-hand, long-distance experience, you can push the 1500 EcoDiesel to 38 mpg. CR found in its own testing that the truck had, "about the same fuel-economy numbers that we typically see in a midsized SUV," said Jake Fisher, CR's director of automotive testing, in a statement. Speaking of midsized SUVs, CR also announced this week that the new Toyota Highlander Hybrid got the top spot in CR's ratings in that category. CR liked pretty much everything about the SUV, saying that the "transitions between electric power and the gas engine are seamless" and that, "the new Highlander also handles better, with a steadier ride and reduced body lean in corners." You can find more at the CR website, in the October print issue of Consumer Reports or in the video and press release below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. RAM ECODIESEL 1500 TOPS CONSUMER REPORTS FULL-SIZE PICKUP TRUCK RATINGS Redesigned Toyota Highlander Hybrid Climbs to Top of Midsized SUV List Yonkers, N.Y.- The Ram 1500 EcoDiesel climbed to the top of Consumer Reports' full-size pickup truck ratings with an impressive performance in the organization's fuel economy tests. The EcoDiesel (82 point overall road test score) turned in a best-in-class fuel economy of 20 mpg overall and 27 mpg on the highway, to help it score better than the previously tested Ram 1500 V8 (81) regular gas version and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT (80).

Chrysler gets presidential in ads for 200 and 300

Many people are already tired of the candidates in the 2016 presidential race, but Chrysler's new spokesmen are two former Commanders-in-Chief that just about everyone can support – Martin Sheen and Bill Pullman. Sheen had Aaron Sorkin's writing to guarantee he always knew the right thing to say as President Josiah Bartlet on The West Wing, and Pullman fought an alien invasion from a fighter jet as president in Independence Day. Now, these former on-screen presidents help Chrysler sell the 300 and 200 in two new ads. American-est (above) lets Sheen go wild spouting meaningless patriotic aphorisms while slipping in references to the cars' features. Swerve (below) gets a little more directly political by joking about pandering to "nuts" on the fringe during the primary, but the actors still slide in a mention of the vehicles' safety tech. These spots might help Chrysler move a few more units of the 200 before the company impeaches the sedan from the lineup, and the automaker also promises more commercials with Sheen and Pullman in the coming months. We hope Pullman jokes about his fight against aliens in one of the future commercials. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. CHRYSLER PUTS ELECTION YEAR TWIST ON ITS NEW "PRESIDENTIAL" MARKETING CAMPAIGN FEATURING MARTIN SHEEN AND BILL PULLMAN Martin Sheen and Bill Pullman reprise presidential roles in series of television spots "Premium to the People" marketing campaign debuts just in time for President's Day Additional television spots in campaign series with Martin Sheen and Bill Pullman will be introduced in coming months Campaign's first two spots, "American-est" and "Swerve" feature both the Chrysler 200 and Chrysler 300 360-degree campaign to feature television, print, online, social and digital extensions February 15, 2016 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - The Chrysler brand is launching a new campaign, "Premium to the People," featuring actors Martin Sheen and Bill Pullman. The campaign will launch with two commercials – "American-est" and "Swerve" – both featuring the Chrysler 200 and Chrysler 300. A :60-second "American-est" will launch across online, in addition to the :30-second "Swerve" across both television and online, today, February 15 (President's Day). Additional television spots will roll out in the coming weeks and months. A :30-second version of "American-est" debuted across television on Sunday, February 14.

Sergio rethinks FCA-GM merger idea, dismisses critics

After many public overtures, Fiat Chrysler Automotive CEO Sergio Marchionne has claimed his company won't be making a hostile takeover bid for General Motors. This is despite widespread speculation that FCA's desire to merge was motivated by its allegedly dire situation. As one unnamed GM exec who spoke to Automotive News earlier this year put it, "Why should [GM] bail out FCA?" "We are not choking. We are in relatively decent shape," Marchionne told journalists attending an FCA shareholder meeting in Amsterdam, AN reports. "We have been publicly rebuffed, we have been rejected and you cannot force these things. I don't want to. At the moment, we have no intention to do anything hostile." Instead of focusing on merging with GM, or any other partners for that matter, FCA will refocus on implementing its ambitious five-year investment plan, which would see it dump $52 billion into its various brands, with a particular focus on Alfa Romeo, Maserati, and Jeep. So far the attempt has largely been unsuccessful, especially as it relates to the Italian brands. Earlier this week, additional reports emerged that claimed Alfa was pushing back the Giulia and an unnamed CUV while reassigning resources to updated versions of the Giulietta and MiTo hatchbacks. This is not the first time we've heard about trouble for the Giulia, of course. For Masearti, though, it was the first we'd heard of delays for Alfieri sports car, which allegedly won't appear in 2016, as promised. We can expect a proper breakdown of FCA's adjusted plans when Marchionne and Company reveal an updated product slate next month. Related Video: The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Paul Sancya / AP Alfa Romeo Chrysler Fiat GM Jeep Maserati Sergio Marchionne FCA