2014 Ram 1500 Tradesman on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Ford, Stellantis workers join those at GM in ratifying contract that ended UAW strikes

DETROIT — The United Auto Workers union overwhelmingly ratified new contracts with Ford and Stellantis, that along with a similar deal with General Motors will raise pay across the industry, force automakers to absorb higher costs and help reshape the auto business as it shifts away from gasoline-fueled vehicles. Workers at Stellantis, the maker of Jeep, Dodge and Ram vehicles, voted 68.8% in favor of the deal. Their approval brought to a close a contentious labor dispute that included name-calling and a series of punishing strikes that imposed high costs on the companies and led to significant gains in pay and benefits for UAW workers. The deal at Stellantis passed by a roughly 10,000 vote margin, with ballot counts ending Saturday afternoon. Workers at Ford voted 69.3% in favor of the pact, which passed with nearly a 15,000-vote margin in balloting that ended early Saturday. Earlier this week, GM workers narrowly approved a similar contract. The agreements, which run through April 2028, will end contentious talks that began last summer and led to six-week-long strikes at all three automakers. Shawn Fain, the pugnacious new UAW leader, had branded the companies enemies of the UAW who were led by overpaid CEOs, declaring the days of union cooperation with the automakers were over. After summerlong negotiations failed to produce a deal, Fain kicked off strikes on Sept. 15 at one assembly plant at each company. The union later extended the strike to parts warehouses and other factories to try to intensify pressure on the automakers until tentative agreements were reached late in October. The new contract agreements were widely seen as a victory for the UAW. The companies agreed to dramatically raise pay for top-scale assembly plant workers, with increases and cost-of-living adjustments that would translate into 33% wage gains. Top assembly plant workers are to receive immediate 11% raises and will earn roughly $42 an hour when the contracts expire in April of 2028. Under the agreements, the automakers also ended many of the multiple tiers of wages they had used to pay different workers. They also agreed in principle to bring new electric-vehicle battery plants into the national union contract. This provision will give the UAW an opportunity to unionize the EV battery plants plants, which will represent a rising share of industry jobs in the years ahead.

2017 Ram Rebel Mojave Sand preaches subtlety, revived 1500 Ignition Orange Sport doesn't

The traditionally green Los Angeles Auto Show isn't normally the place for pickup trucks, but that's not stopping Ram from bringing a pair of limited-edition trims for its popular 1500 pickup to sunny SoCal. First up, we have the 1500 Rebel Mojave Sand. Limited to just 1,500 units, this truck gets its name from its Mojave Sand exterior paint, which looks nothing like the identically named color Jeep sells on the Renegade. The cute ute's shade has a lot more tan than the almost-white color coming to the Ram Rebel. Of course, the Renegade doesn't get the Rebel's neat black graphics on the performance hood. Inside, the special-edition Rebel replaces the Radar Red seatbacks with all-black thrones, while Light Slate Gray stitching covers the IP, doors, and seats. Black anodized touches round out the cabin changes, and contribute to what is quite frankly a very business-like cabin. It feels out of place for a vehicle like the Rebel, but that doesn't mean it looks bad. If you think the Rebel Mojave Sand looks too muted, the new 1500 Ignition Orange Sport is anything but. A revival of a previous limited-edition package from 2015, the new truck brings back the bright orange exterior color, body color grille surround, black hood decals – which are identical to the Mojave Sand – and black badges. The main exterior difference between 2015 and 2017 are the wheels. Presumably 20-inchers, the five-spoke design is black for 2017 rather than silver. The cabin gets "Copperhead" accents and stitching throughout the cabin, with anodized orange trim pieces on the door panels and trim rings. Prices for the Rebel Mojave Sand start at $46,910 including $1,320 in destination charges. Deliveries should start in December. The Ignition Orange Sport, meanwhile, is only available on the 5.7-liter, V8-powered Crew Cab and kicks off at $45,060, also sans destination. The Jack-O-Lantern-themed trucks are hitting dealers now. Related Video:

Four Wheeler crowns Ultimate Factory 4x4... who wins?

Nearly every automaker doing business in the SUV or pickup truck segments offers a package designed to improve the off-road capabilities of its wares. But, of course, not all such factory kits are created equal. How, then, to separate the wheat from the chaff? Gather each of them up and put them through their paces, naturally.
The folks from Four Wheeler and PickupTrucks.com joined forces to run just such a comparison test, with the winner named the Ultimate Factory 4x4. A total of seven vehicles showed up to the fight: the 2012 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, 2013 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2012 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X and Xterra PRO-4X, 2012 Ram Power Wagon, and 2012 Toyota 4Runner Trail and Tacoma TRD T|X Baja Series.
With the contestants in place, the whole crew put each vehicle through a battery of tests that included skidpad and acceleration measurements, a hillclimb, a rocky stairstep course and a rock garden. Considering the nature of the beasts, on-road ride and comfort were not part of the routine.