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New auto loans could soon extend out to 84 months

Cars and trucks are more expensive than ever before. In order to boost sales and help consumers afford new vehicles, automakers are offering longer and longer terms for auto loans. This past week, Bloomberg reported that FCA's Ram Trucks division is currently offering the longest loans. Some stretch to 73 months. Jeep, Fiat and Chevy aren't far behind. More noteworthy is that we'll likely soon see lenders moving from 73-month to 84-month loans. That's seven years worth of interest. More than two-thirds of US auto sales come from light trucks like the Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado and Ram 1500. The average transaction price of a new vehicle is well over $30,000. It's not difficult to spec out a heavily-optioned truck up to $60,000. Vehicles depreciate from the moment they roll off a dealer lot, and these six or seven-year loans could hurt consumers and lenders both in the long run. The U.S. Senate voted last week to kill rules that would prevent discriminatory auto lending. These Obama-era guidelines were meant to curtail lenders who offered higher loans based on race, religion, sex or national origin. Related Video: News Source: Bloomberg Chevrolet Fiat RAM Car Buying car loan car values

Ram 1500 custom trucks for SEMA go high and low

For SEMA, Mopar only created two in-house custom 2019 Ram 1500 trucks, and they're fairly mild in terms of modifications, many of which are existing Mopar accessories. But at the very least they show two extremely different ways to upgrade a Ram, with one being an off-road-oriented Ram Rebel, and the other being a lowered, street-oriented truck. The latter mod has become a bit unusual in a world dominated by Raptors and ZR2s. We'll start by talking about the street truck, which is the only one of the two with its own unique name: Low Down. Its defining characteristic: It sits two inches lower than a standard Ram 1500. This was done with a concept lowering kit that Mopar does not offer. Another part not yet available is the hood, which features an aggressive scoop. Finally, inside are some concept aluminum pedals. There aren't plans for any of these to come to production yet, but you can be sure Mopar will be paying attention to the public's reaction, and if things go well, they could show up at a dealer near you. The other defining feature of the Low Down is its paint scheme, which is black over silver, with a stripe separating them painted in the same Brass Monkey bronze hue available on some of FCA's wheels. The factory Ram wheels also get a custom paint scheme. Aside from the special parts and custom paint, almost everything else is right out of the Mopar catalog, including the fender flares, bed cover, spray-in bedliner, 5-inch exhaust tips and cold-air intake. The Mopar-customized Ram Rebel doesn't get a fancy name, but it still gets plenty of tweaks. It uses the factory Ram lift kit, so it sits two inches higher than a stock Rebel. It also features 35-inch tires. Up front, there's the concept hood found on the Low Down. At the back of the bed, there's a new flashy matte black decal that will be available for Ram Rebels in the near future. The bed also has an available "Rambar" sport bar, with some Mopar auxiliary lights. The bed has a spray-in bedliner and a concept spare tire carrier. Out the back are the same 5-inch exhaust tips as on the Low Down. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

The AEV Recruit is a tough and capable Ram 1500, for a price

American Expedition Vehicles, or AEV, has been doing some wonderful things with Jeep and Ram trucks for the past 20 years. It's been the best source for the long-desired Jeep Wrangler pickup and for beefy overlanders like the Ram Prospector. The company's latest package, the Recruit, turns the already tough Ram 1500 into something that looks particularly fierce. Since it is an AEV product, you can be assured that it has the capabilities to back up the appearance. The Recruit package comes with a whole host of goodies like upgraded suspension and a huge snorkel. The AEV DualSport SE suspension uses Bilstein parts to increase wheel travel and adjust the suspension to balance on and off-road capabilities. The suspension, combined with the 35-inch tires, greatly increase the Recruit's ground clearance. A 4mm thick skid plate helps keep the engine from spilling its black, oily guts in the case that the increased height just isn't enough. A new hood provides better heat ventilation while a big, black filtered snorkel allows the Recruit to breathe easy, even if it's going for a swim. The AEV front bumper comes with Vision X fog lights and is capable of handling up to a 10,000 lbs winch. An optional Vision X LED light bar can provide even better visibility. Other optional features include a leather interior upgrade, a tonneau cover, retractable running boards, and a rear bumper step. All that kit doesn't come cheap. The Recruit starts at $14,950, and that doesn't include the price of the Ram 1500 that provides the canvas for AEV's artisans. Options can easily push the price to nearly $30,000. The good news is that AEV provides a 12 month, 12,000 mile warranty on their builds, so you're paying for quality from a company that stands behind its products. If you want a truck that's willing to go anywhere you want to push it, the new AEV Recruit is hard to beat. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.