2018 Ram 1500 Lone Star Crew Cab 4x2 5'7" Box on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Chrysler thinking of taking on Ford SVT Raptor?

An argument could be made that Chrysler already offers a competitor to the much-loved Ford Raptor in the form of the Ram Runner pickup. The difference, though, is that Ford builds the Raptor right on the production line, whereas Ram requires the buyer to have modifications made at one of its dealerships after the initial purchase is made.
That distinction may soon be a thing of the past, according to a report from Wards Auto. "If we could see that the volume was significant enough that it makes sense to do it, we'll do it," says Pat Dougherty, vice president of Mopar parts, sales and field operations. "But if we don't, then we'll continue to do it the way we do it."
Additionally, Chrysler would reportedly like to put more emphasis on the fuel efficiency of its off-road-ready lineup, which is spearheaded by the Jeep Wrangler. Says Dougherty, "For a lot of the people who go off-roading (but) actually drive their vehicle as a daily driver, they want to make sure they're getting fuel efficiency while they're driving to work."

Ram Power Wagon Mojave Sand limited edition has true grit

Just last week Ram informed us of the red and blue Harvest Edition chassis cab trucks that match Case IH and New Holland hardware, and now there's a new color theme edition available. We last saw Ram's Mojave Sand hue on the 2017 Ram Rebel truck, shown to the public at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show, but now the color debuts on a Ram Heavy Duty truck for the first time. Ram is introducing a limited, 1,500-unit Mojave Sand edition of the 2018 Power Wagon. The limited edition has contrasting black details and graphics, giving it a nice desert-style look; you won't mistake it with a similarly colored Ram Rebel as the truck proudly proclaims POWER WAGON on the cabin end of the bed — not to mention it rides quite a bit higher. The all-black wheels are also new, shod with 33-inch Goodyears, and the interior is fully black, with features from the Heavy Duty Luxury Group like LED bed lighting and an overhead console. But the Power Wagon is much more than just add-ons: Underneath, it's a 2500 HD 4x4 Crew Cab with the 6.4-liter Hemi V8 providing 410 horsepower. There's a suspension kit offering more than two inches of lift, giving the truck a total of 14.3 inches of ground clearance. As well as an electrically disconnecting front sway bar, there are locking diffs front and rear and a 12,000-pound winch — it's like you're factory-instructed to go deep into Mojave Desert sand and then power your way out of it. The Mojave Sand package is a $795 bump to the standard Power Wagon, meaning the list price starts at over $55,000 including destination fees. The limited edition will be available during the fourth quarter of 2018. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2018 Ram Power Wagon Mojave Sand Edition Image Credit: Ram Trucks RAM Truck Off-Road Vehicles ram power wagon

The 2019 Ram 1500 Classic is new but is also old

If you've been following the interesting strategy that Jeep employed by keeping the old Wrangler on sale alongside the brand new JL Wrangler ( at least until the Scrambler needed the production line), Ram's move here – slapping a "Classic" badge on the end of the old 1500 – shouldn't be all that surprising. And that's what's happening. Not all the trim levels will be available, and the move is targeted at fleet buyers and those on a tight budget. For those cost-conscious buyers, snagging a Classic rather than a new Ram might be a prudent move. After all, while the brand new Ram 1500 is a very nice truck and a decided upgrade from the old one, there's nothing fundamentally wrong with the outgoing truck – particularly if your needs are utilitarian. So, onto the changes. The reduced trim level spread on the 1500 Classic goes like so: Tradesman, Express, Big Horn (or Lone Star if you're in Texas), and SSV (Special Services Vehicle) intended for law enforcement. You'll notice that some trims are missing, and there's nothing fancy here. If you want anything beyond the Big Horn, like a Laramie, Rebel, Longhorn, or Limited, you'll need to step up to the newer truck. There's good news, though. Some stuff from the higher trims that are now out of production can be had on 1500 Classics through some new packages. The Chrome Plus package offers some upgrades to the Tradesman trim, like body-color bumpers, 17-inch wheels, keyless entry, and carpet. The Tradesman SXT gets chrome bumpers, fog lamps, dual exhaust (on V8 models), and 20-inch chrome wheels – some of which is new to the Tradesman trim, even as an option. And the Express Black Accent Package blacks out the badges wheels, and headlight bezels. So while there's less choice overall, you can still add some up-level touches to the 1500 Classic. The powertrain and bed/cab configurations are still robust. You can get the Regular Cab with a regular or long bed, the Quad Cab with the regular bed, or the Crew Cab with the short or regular bed. The 3.6L Pentastar V6 and 5.7 Hemi V8 are both available with 2- or 4WD, and the EcoDiesel will go on sale later. We don't have the all-important pricing information to tell you how good of a deal the Ram 1500 Classic will be, but buyers dragging their feet on buying a lower-trim 2019 Ram 1500 might want to cool their heels until later this year when the 1500 Classic goes on sale to see if it better fits their needs. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party.