2012 Ram 1500 4x4 Quadcab Tradesman With Rambox Built In Tool Boxes on 2040-cars

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Ram 1500 EcoDiesel HFE ekes out another mpg, creeps toward 30

The idea of a fullsize pickup knocking on 30-miles-per-gallon highway was impressive last year when Ram announced its 28-mpg figure for the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel. For 2015, the company has figured out how to nudge that number up slightly higher for a new HFE version of the diesel model. The mileage tops the segment and beats the nearest competitor by 12 percent, according to the truckmaker. The 1500 EcoDiesel HFE bumps up the standard version's economy numbers by one mpg across the board for an impressive EPA rating of 29 mpg highway, 21 mpg city and 24 mpg combined. The special model is based around the Quad Cab body with rear-wheel drive and a six-foot, four-inch bed and mixes features from the Trademan and Express trims, including optional body-color bumpers. The right combination of 20-inch wheels, side steps and a tri-fold tonneau cover provides the formula to improve the aerodynamics and increase mileage. Mechanically, the truck has been left alone with the 3.0-liter diesel V6 still making 240 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque and routing through an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Like gasoline, diesel fuel prices have been on the decline in recent weeks, though the fuel still runs significantly more per gallon than gas. It's intriguing to see Ram going after buyers who hope to eke the best economy from their trucks. The EcoDiesel HFE will go on sale late in the first quarter of 2015, and brand spokesperson Nick Cappa tells Autoblog pricing will be announced soon. Check out a video of Ram CEO Robert Hegbloom unveiling the this fuel-sipping pickup at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show and read the official announcement below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Ram Has "Turned Up the Eco" on Fullsize Truck MPGs ... to 29 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel HFE increases highway MPG rating to 29 EcoDiesel tops next nearest competitor by 12 percent 21 MPG City and 24 MPG Combined are highest EPA ratings for any pickup EcoDiesel HFE will be first diesel powertrain offered in Ram 1500 Express model January 13, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - The Ram Truck brand today announced that it will add a new, more fuel-efficient model to its half-ton truck lineup and further extend its claim on the industry's highest fuel efficiency rating. The 2015 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel HFE will deliver the highest fuel economy among all fullsize truck competitors -- 12 percent higher than the next-closest competitor.

2014 Ram ProMaster 2500

Front-wheel drive is what sets the all-new Ram ProMaster full-size commercial van apart from its competition. In a segment still choked with thirsty, rear-wheel-drive, ladder frame, pickup truck-based cargo vans, the American automaker is introducing something entirely new - well, new to our domestic market, as Europeans will recognize Ram's fresh entrant as a made-for-USA Fiat Ducato.
While the big ProMaster doesn't have a traditional body-on-frame chassis, it isn't a pure unibody either. Consider it a hybrid of both, with a unibody cab up front and a reinforced high-strength steel subframe in the rear. The platform employs double A-arms and MacPherson struts on the front axle, while the rear uses a simple tubular beam axle. Tires are 225/75R16 at all four corners. The steering is hydraulic rack-and-pinion (allowing an impressive 36-foot turning radius) and there are disc brakes with two-piston calipers all around. It is a solid, if unsophisticated, setup.
This game-changing van, which has already arrived in showrooms with a starting price of $28,630, is propelled by either a gasoline-powered 3.6-liter Pentastar six-cylinder (280 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque) or a new turbocharged 3.0-liter four-cylinder diesel (174 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque). Ram will offer a traditional six-speed automatic or a new six-speed automated single-clutch manual transmission that drops the hydraulic linkage to improve fuel economy - details are still emerging on this unique gearbox.

Auto journo learns hard way that new vehicles burn differently than old ones

Terry Box, a writer for the Dallas Morning News, was tootling down the Dallas North Tollway in a Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn pickup after work and enjoying the ride. Box thought the $53,335, option-filled press loaner had been "flawless - very serious competition for anything built by Ford or Chevy." And then, for reasons that still aren't clear, something in the engine compartment caught fire and the Ram cremated itself on the shoulder of an off-ramp.
Box tells the story and it isn't an indictment of the truck, but a cautionary tale about how new vehicles don't burn like the old ones did - and why not to go back for your gym bag. It could also be a kind reminder about what kind of safety gear everyone should keep in their cars. Click the link to read the whole piece.