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Ward's Automotive Ten Best Engines of 2014 dominated by diesels, turbos

With the Car and Driver Ten Best decided, the North American Car and Truck of the Year finalists announced and Cadillac, Ram and Subaru chalking up wins with Motor Trend, it's fair to say that the automotive awards season is in full swing. The next set of trophies to be handed out will be from Ward's Automotive, which has announced the winners of its 2014 10 Best Engines.
The latest contest was marked by the widespread emergence of diesel power and the continued success of turbocharged engines. There was even an electric motor on this year's list. In fact, only three of the ten winners were naturally aspirated and only two winners returned from last year.
"We weren't looking to throw the bums out, as they might say about an election. We were just really impressed with the flood of new powertrains," said Ward's Automotive Editor-in-Chief Drew Winter. Those new powertrains include the 83-kilowatt electric motor from the Fiat 500e, the 1.0-liter, EcoBoost three-cylinder from the Ford Fiesta and the 2.0-liter turbodiesel from the Chevrolet Cruze.

2020 Ram 1500 and heavy-duty trucks get Night and Black Edition packages

Ram traveled to the Texas State Fair to introduce a pair of pickups you might not be able to see in the dark. The murdered-out trucks are called Black Edition and Night Edition, respectively. The Black Edition is based on the range-topping Limited variant of the 2020 Ram 1500. It receives -- you guessed it -- a wide panoply of black accents on the grille, tow hooks, bumpers, door handles, and door mirrors. Ram also added black 22-inch alloy wheels and a tonneau cover. The Limited is only offered with a 5-foot-7 cargo box and four doors, but Black Edition buyers can choose two- or four-wheel drive. Engine options include the base gasoline-burning 3.6-liter V6, 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6, and the mighty 5.7-liter Hemi V8. Rest assured if you plan to work on your own truck, none of the engines receive a coat of black paint, so you'll be able to see what you're doing.  Note that the 2019 Ram 1500 Big Horn and Laramie trim levels is already available with a Black Appearance package, which we reviewed this year. Effectively, the Black Edition extends that darkened courtesy to the range-topping Limited.  The Night Edition package is for the Heavy Duty line of trucks, but it looks a lot like the aforementioned Black Edition trim. It adds a black grille with a body-colored frame, black emblems, and black bezels around the lights, and black wheels. Single-axle trucks get 20-inch wheels, while dually models ride on 17-inch alloys with machined pockets.  The Night Edition package is available on the Big Horn and Laramie variants of the 2500 and 3500 models. Ram noted it can only be paired with a Crew Cab or a Mega Cab. Engine options include the 6.4-liter Hemi V8 and the 6.7-liter Cummins straight-six turbodiesel with 1,000 pound-feet of torque. FCA says the Ram 1500 Limited Black Edition will be reaching dealers late third quarter 2019, which would be any day now. Buyers who want the Heavy Duty-based model will need to wait until "later fourth quarter." The Black Edition starts at $55,385, including destination, a figure that represents a modest $75 premium over the more colorful model. The Night Edition model carries a base price of $39,690, including destination. Pricing for the standard 2020 Heavy Duty hasn't been announced yet, so we don't know how much the package adds to the truck's bottom line.

2021 Ram 1500 TRX Back Seat Driveway Test | Jump that gorge with the kids!

The TRX is the newest and sexiest 2021 Ram 1500. It's also the most powerful by a few hundred horsepower and its eye-popping suspension makes it capable of truly eye-popping things off road. As in both "off the paved road" as well as "we've jumped off the road and will eventually land back down upon it." Thing is, though, that suspension makes the TRX shockingly comfortable when you're back on terra firma. It's downright plush, the result of its four-wheel coil springs with extra-long initial travel. In other words, this is one high-performance vehicle you can get without fear of sneering from the significant other about buying some firm-riding sports thing that makes long journeys miserable. Just don't tell them about the fuel bill.  Besides the ride, though, the TRX shares the same crew cab as any other 2021 Ram 1500. Besides having the same sort of palatial legroom as the crew cabs of any full-size truck, the Ram's goes above and beyond in a number of ways, especially in an upper trim level like the TRX.  First off, it reclines. Though not the only truck to do so (hello Tundra!), this is nevertheless a great feature that fully takes advantage of the immense legroom the crew cab affords. Note that the front seats are as far back as they can go in this picture.  One tidbit: The seatback doesn't just tilt backward. There's no room for that. Instead, the top of the seat basically stays put while the bottom slides forward along with the seat bottom. Airplane seats and the reclining chair in my office work in a similar manner. And, since you're basically pulling the seat forward, the reclining mechanism is located between your legs under the seat bottom.  Lots of power available back here, too. There's a proper house-style outlet so you can plug in a toaster or whatever, along with both USB-A and USB-C ports. Note that there aren't four ports, just two with a choice of port type.  Also, check out those seat controls. Not only do the back seats recline, not only are they heated, but they're also ventilated. That's really cool. Literally! Besides the little shelf you can store a phone while it charges, the center console cupholder unit doubles as a tablet holder. Thoughtful touch. Admittedly, that trim piece is a bit wonky. Only noticing that now in the picture. Didn't see it in person.  Here's another thoughtful touch I'm quite certain is specific to the TRX: Molle straps on the front seatbacks to attach whatever you want.