2007 Dodge Ram 2500 5.9l Diesel In Great Shape on 2040-cars

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Consumer Reports no longer recommends Honda Civic

Consumer Reports annual Car Reliability Survey is out, and yes, there are some big surprises. First and foremost? The venerable publication no longer recommends the Honda Civic. In fact, aside from the walking-dead CR-Z and limited-release Clarity fuel-cell car, the Civic is the only Honda to miss out on CR's prestigious nod. At the opposite end there's a surprise as well – Toyota and Lexus remain the most reliable brands on the market, but Buick cracked the top three. That's up from seventh last year, and the first time for an American brand to stand on the Consumer Reports podium. Mazda's entire lineup earned Recommended checks as well. Consumer Reports dinged the Civic for its "infuriating" touch-screen radio, lack of driver lumbar adjustability, the limited selection of cars on dealer lots fitted with Honda's popular Sensing system, and the company's decision to offer LaneWatch instead of a full-tilt blind-spot monitoring system. Its score? A lowly 58. The Civic isn't the only surprise drop from CR's Recommended ranks. The Audi A3, Ford F-150, Subaru WRX/STI, and Volkswagen Jetta, GTI, and Passat all lost the Consumer Reports' checkmark. On the flipside, a number of popular vehicles graduated to the Recommended ranks, including the BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, and Cruze, Hyundai Santa Fe, Porsche Macan, and Tesla Model S. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the hilariously recall-prone Ford Escape getting a Recommended check – considering the popularity of Ford's small crossover, this is likely a coup for the brand, as it puts the Escape on a level playing field with the Recommended Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rogue. While Ford is probably happy to see CR promote the Escape, the list wasn't as kind for every brand. For example, of the entire Fiat Chrysler Automobiles catalog, the ancient Chrysler 300 was the only car to score a check – there wasn't a single Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, or Ram on the list. That hurts. FCA isn't alone at the low end, either. GMC, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini, and Mitsubishi don't have a vehicle on CR's list between them, while brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Lincoln, Infiniti, and Cadillac only have a few models each. You can check out Consumer Reports entire reliability roundup, even without a subscription, here.

Chrysler's Woodward Dream Cruise festivities include Ram concept truck debut

The streets will be crowded next weekend along Woodward Avenue in Royal Oak, Michigan for the 19th Annual Woodward Dream Cruise. As part of the run-up to the festivities, Chrysler has announced that all of its brands - Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Fiat, SRT and Mopar - will bring along their latest vehicles. Also included will be a collection of classic American cars and various activities for attendees at the official Chrysler location on the corner of Woodward and 13 Mile Road.
Special to this year, Ram brand director Bob Hegbloom and head of design John Dehner will unveil a Ram concept truck on Saturday. Chrysler will also bring Ryan Friedlinghaus of West Coast Customs fame along to show off a few custom Chrysler-made vehicles of his own. Fans of the brand on Facebook will get the chance to virtually customize a vehicle from the automaker's portfolio, with the winner getting their dream car built for them by Chrysler. Pretty cool stuff, no?
As in past years, Ford and General Motors will have an official presence at the event as well, and you can expect to see plenty of cars of all makes and models from all parts of the globe. The madness starts this Friday, August 16, from 4:30 PM to 10 PM, with the main event taking place on Saturday, from 9 AM to 9 PM. For more details on the show, including events and their times, check out the press release below.

2016 Ram 3500 Heavy Duty now offers 900 lb-ft of torque

After last year's bump to a massive 865 lb-ft of torque for its 2015 3500 Heavy Duty pickup, Ram certainly isn't taking a rest. The model already offers the best towing capacity and most torque in its class, but both figures are growing even higher for the 2016 model year. Now, customers that really need some grunt can order the Cummins 6.7-liter inline-six diesel in the 3500 with a staggering 900 pound-feet of torque and 385 horsepower. Ram claims that this huge figure is the most torque ever available in a mass production vehicle, and it tops the 2015 model by a healthy 35 lb-ft. The added grunt comes thanks to adjustments to the fuel delivery and the turbo's boost, and to better handle things, the rear axle gear now is held with 16 bolts, rather than 12. The tweaks also push the tow rating to an SAE J2807-certified 31,210 pounds, which is absolutely monumental. While not available with the 900 lb-ft version of the Cummins, the Ram 2500 also sees a tiny boost in its max tow rating. The trucks are now capable of hauling up to 17,980 lbs, versus 17,970 lbs last year. The 2016 Ram Heavy Duty trucks go into production in the third quarter and should start arriving at dealers during the fourth quarter of 2015. Prices for the 3500 start at $33,185 and $32,680 for the 2500, after the $1,195 destination charged, respectively. The company hasn't yet announced the cost for the 3500 with the 900 lb-ft Cummins diesel. 2016 Ram Heavy Duty Widens its Leadership Gap With a Triple-decker Presence: Best-in-class Power, Towing Capacity and Payload Capacity • 2016 Cummins 6.7-liter calibration hits a best-in-class 900 lb.-ft. of torque. The most torque ever offered in a mass-production vehicle • 2016 Ram 3500 crushes the competition with up to 31,210 pounds of SAE J2807-spec.