2014 Ram 1500 Tradesman/express on 2040-cars

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Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn could become Limited Longhorn for 2021

Residents of Laramie, Wyoming, will soon lose one of their claims to fame, according to a recent report. Ram's upmarket 1500 Laramie Longhorn will allegedly become the Limited Longhorn for the 2021 model year. Without citing sources, enthusiast website Mopar Insiders reported the name change, and explained it brings the truck closer to the range-topping Limited trim in the minds of consumers. As the publication pointed out, the Laramie Longhorn and the Limited both offer a generous serving of chrome trim, LED headlights, and fender flares, among other features. And, while the Laramie Longhorn isn't the range's flagship, it coddles buyers with a luxury-car-like cabin that features soft leather upholstery and real wood trim on the dashboard. 2021 will also bring more in-car technology, still according to the Mopar Insiders report, including an Enhanced Trailer Tow Package that bundles an integrated trailer brake controller, trailer reverse steering controls, a tire pressure monitoring system for the trailer, and a trailer light check function. Motorists will also benefit from a customizable head-up display, a digital rear-view mirror, and Off-Road Pages for the Uconnect infotainment system. It's reasonable to assume that these features will be offered on other trims, too. What remains to be seen is how the updates will affect the truck's pricing. As of writing, the 2020 1500 carries a base price of $33,840 for a rear-wheel drive Tradesman model, and tops out at $59,110 when buyers select a four-wheel drive Limited. The Laramie Longhorn that is allegedly being replaced costs $53,335 with rear-wheel drive. Note all of the aforementioned figures include the mandatory $1,695 destination charge. The spokesperson Autoblog contacted wouldn't confirm or deny the rumor. All we learned is that Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) will announce its 2021 updates on September 1, 2020. Stay tuned for more, then. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 2020 Ram 2500 Power Wagon POV drive

Ram 1500 to get Pentastar V6 option in top-shelf models

Ram has seen such positive customer feedback from its 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 and TorqueFlight eight-speed automatic transmission in the Ram 1500 that it's bringing the powertrain upmarket, and it's now going to be available in truck's Laramie trim level (Laramie Limited pictured above). The new choice means better fuel economy and lower pricing in one of the 1500's higher-end models.
A Ram 1500 Laramie Quad Cab 4x2 with the 3.6-liter Pentastar and eight-speed automatic will retail for $38,775, plus a $1,195 destination charge. It's a savings of over $1,000 over the trim's current starting price.
Ram says the decision to offer the V6 option was customer driven. "Today's V6 engine is a lot stronger than yesterday," said Nick Cappa of Ram Truck media relations to Autoblog. Cappa notes that dealers have reported buyers returning from test drives who can't believe there are only six cylinders operating underhood.

Should heavy-duty pickup trucks have window stickers with fuel mileage estimates?

If you were to stroll into your nearest Chevrolet, Ford, GMC, Nissan, or Ram dealership, you'd find a bunch of pickup trucks. Most of those would have proper window stickers labeled with things like base prices, options prices, location of manufacture, and, crucially, fuel economy estimates. But you'd also run across a number of heavy-duty trucks with no such fuel mileage data from the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA doesn't require automakers to publish the valuable miles-per-gallon measurement for vehicles with gross weight ratings that exceed 8,500 pounds. That makes it difficult for consumers to compare behemoths powered by turbocharged diesel engines – between one another, and between smaller, gasoline-fueled trucks. Consumer Reports doesn't think it should be this way, and it's spearheading an effort (PDF link) to get the government to require manufacturers to publish fuel economy estimates. In its own testing, CR found that heavy-duty pickups powered by Ford's Power Stroke, GM's Duramax, and FCA's Cummins diesel engines (which doesn't include the Ram's EcoDiesel) get worse fuel mileage than their lighter-duty gas-powered siblings. We're not so sure HD-truck buyers are unaware of this fact – big diesels don't really come into their own until big loads are placed in their beds or attached to their trailer hitches. Under heavy workloads, the diesel trucks will almost certainly return greater efficiency than a similar gas-powered truck. What's more, HD trucks with lumbering diesels in general make the driver feel more confident while towing due to greater torque at low engine RPM than gas trucks. They also offer greater max-weight limits. Still, we agree EPA fuel mileage estimates should be offered for heavy-duty pickups. And we think the comparisons provided by Consumer Reports might be interesting to potential buyers. Click here to see the results of CR's tests, and let us know what you think using the poll below. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Ford F-Series Super Duty: First Drive View 22 Photos News Source: Consumer Reports Government/Legal Green Read This Chevrolet Ford GMC Nissan RAM Fuel Efficiency Truck Commercial Vehicles Diesel Vehicles poll gmc sierra hd chevy silverado hd