2015 Ram 2500 Tradesman 4x4 4dr Crew Cab 6.3 Ft. Sb Pickup on 2040-cars

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2022 Ram 1500 TRX MSRP up another $2,795

We're not sure if we should be more awed by how fast and how high the new batch of super performance trucks can jump, or that consumer prices are jumping just as fast and just as high. When we published our First Drive Review of the 2021 TRX at the end of November 2020, we wrote, "Another pitfall to Ram TRX ownership is the cost. Ram asks a minimum of $71,790 for the TRX (including a $1,695 destination charge)." When we published our review of the 2022 TRX six weeks ago, the base price had risen to $74,085 after destination (optioned out to $91,575). Considering what the world's been up to for the past 15 months, a $2,295 MSRP increase — a mere 3% — couldn't be considered banditry. But the P/L department at Stellantis is done playing nice. As Mopar Insiders discovered, the MSRP for the 2022 Ram 1500 TRX is $76,880, which is before a spendier destination fee of $1,795. Anyone who wants to own a TRX this year will need $78,675 before options.   It's almost comical that Ram advertises the hurt on its configurator. Click to build and price the 2021 TRX, the configurator shows $70,245 before destination. Change that 2021 to 2022, the configurator shows $76,780. There's a bit more sleight-of-hand during the build process, too, as Ram charges $100 for the sole solid color available, which is black, that sum added as an option even though its the least expensive paint choice possible. The two-tone paints cost at least $200, despite a few of them advertising a price of zero. The diabolical cherry on top is when you check the total after options and read the small print, which informs you, "Pricing provided may vary significantly between website and dealer as a result of supply chain constraints. Pricing shown is nonbinding and does not constitute an offer. Contact your dealer for updated vehicle pricing."  Admittedly, the TRX is only up 4% over the last base price we posted, and we don't expect the new price to deter buyers. We don't blame Ram, either; this is the cost of doing business, and a quick trip to Craigslist or eBay will illustrate that everyone is trying to do the same kind of business, getting every hand into every cookie jar. The Ram buyers who really have it bad are the ones after a 2022 Ram 1500 Laramie. That truck went up $7,180 bucks — a gut-punching 16.4% — to $50,845.

Sunday Drive: And now for something completely different

This past week played host to a wide assortment of automotive news, highlighted by our first drive of the 2018 Volvo XC40. The Swedish crossover is targeted at young, successful Millennials, but it offers cool styling, fun dynamics, and all of today's must-have technology, so we think it ought to appeal to a much wider swath of the automotive marketplace. From there we answer the question, "What are hard on the outside and soft on the inside?" as we take a look at the next Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV. We expect the German automaker's flagship luxury SUV to remain boxy on the outside, but the interior is going to be soft, supple, and luxurious. And then there's the Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid, which starts at starts at $34,290 and boasts 212 total system horsepower, 232 pound-feet of torque, 47 miles of electric driving range, and a total range of 340 miles. EPA rates it at 110 MPGe in EV mode, and 44 city/40 highway/42 combined overall. We compare it to other plug-ins like the Chevy Volt and Toyota Prius Prime. And finally we have some more spy photos of the 2019 Ram 1500. It doesn't have a traditional crosshair grille, but it's got plenty of chrome and an attractive upright stance that's sure to tempt future truck buyers looking for some sophistication to go with their work gloves. As always, stay tuned to Autoblog this week to see all the automotive news that's fit to print. 2018 Volvo XC40 First Drive Review | The Masspirational crossover Mercedes-Benz G-Class gets the luxe, high-tech treatment 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid Review | It's what's on the inside that counts 2019 Ram 1500 shows chrome grille and more production parts Green Honda Mercedes-Benz RAM Volvo Technology Truck Crossover SUV Luxury Performance Sedan volvo xc40 sunday drive

Ford F-450 claims best-in-class towing, company abandons practice of removing items to boost payload number

The ongoing heavy-duty truck battle between Ford and Ram is showing no signs of slowing down. The Blue Oval is trying to remove at least one point of contention between the two brands by testing its 2015 F-450 Super Duty using the Society of Automotive Engineers J2807 towing standard, which Ram also uses. In the new evaluation, the F-450 is rated at a max towing capacity of 31,200 pounds. That's an identical amount as under Ford's own, previous test.
"We leave no doubt with customers that the F-450 pickup truck has best-in-class towing of 31,200 pounds - whether tested using our own internal towing standards or SAE J2807," said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president for Global Product Development, in the company's release.
At the same time, Ford is also changing how it calculates the F-450's payload. Instead of using its minimum curb weight as before, the brand is now using the truck's base curb weight. The revision lowers the pickup's rating to 5,300 pounds, compared to 5,450 pounds previously. The company said in its announcement that the reason for this is "aligning its payload rating practices with other manufacturers to make it easier for customers to compare vehicles." General Motors made a similar switch for its pickups in August.