Lift Kit 14 Ram Ecodiesel Diesel Lifted 6in Pro Comp Toyo Tires Lone Star 4x4 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Ward's reveals annual 10 Best Engines list for 2013

Ward's Auto has released its annual 10 Best Engines award winners. The 2013 list covers the full width and breadth of the internal combustion spectrum, from a spate of efficient four-cylinders to the most powerful production V8 on the planet. As always, the entries must be available in a production vehicle in the first quarter of 2013 with an MSRP of less than $55,000. The supercharged 3.0-liter V6 from the Audi S5 held on for the fourth consecutive year, and BMW earned two spots on the list with its turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder and turbo 3.0-liter inline-six.
Ford pulled in two awards for its 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder and and the supercharged 5.8-liter V8 from the Shelby GT500. Honda matched BMW and Ford with two wins of its own. Wards awarded the 2.4-liter four-cylinder from the Honda Accord Sport as well as the 3.5-liter V6 from the Honda Accord. Chrysler, General Motors and Subaru each garnered a spot on the list as well for the 3.6-liter V6 in the Ram 1500, the turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder in the Cadillac ATS and the 2.0-liter four-cylinder the Subaru BRZ, respectively. You can read the full press release below for more information.

2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Limited Drivers' Notes | Black gold

Ram didn’t have fuel economy numbers for us when we first drove the 1500 EcoDiesel, and because of that, a verdict could not be rendered. Today, thatÂ’s no longer the case. In maximum hypermiling 4x2 form, the EcoDiesel is rated at 22 mpg city, 32 mpg highway and 26 mpg combined. That puts it merely 1 mpg away from the Chevy Silverado Duramax, which achieves 33 mpg on the highway. In our testerÂ’s crew cab 4x4 configuration, it was rated at 24 mpg combined. The impressive efficiency can be attributed to the fully reworked 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 under the hood. It makes 260 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque, with the full brunt of that torque being realized at a low 1,600 rpm. ItÂ’s a good thing, too, because the EcoDiesel redlines at 5,800 rpm. Towing maxes out at 12,560 pounds, and it has a payload rating of 2,040 pounds. ThereÂ’s a whole lot of truck to pull around, too. The crew cab backseat leaves enough space for even the tallest of riders to sprawl out, and the front seat is just as expansive and intimidating. As tested, our Ram 1500 was easily one of the most luxurious, expensive configurations one could possibly spec. It was done up in the highest Limited trim, which means every last premium material and feature is along for the ride. The base price was $58,660, but that doesnÂ’t mean Ram didnÂ’t find plenty of room for options. The most expensive of options happened to be the EcoDiesel engine itself, which comes in at $4,995. Yowza. Our truck also had the $3,995 Black Appearance Package, which adds an array of extras like 22-inch black wheels, a 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system and black accents throughout the exterior. However, the 22-inch wheels were superseded by our truck's $795 Off-Road Group package that added 20-inch wheels with meatier tires, an electronic locking rear axle, multiple underbody skid plates and hill descent control. A $2,295 driver assistance package added adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, a parking assistant, 360-degree camera and ventilated rear seats among other less notable features. Lesser charges like the $1,495 panoramic sunroof, $995 Multi-Function tailgate and $995 RamBox system all contributed to this truck's $75,610 final price. Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder: The interior in this Limited is busy.

Recharge Wrap-up: Child Tesla driver hits baby in Chinese mall, Ram adds new CNG offering

A five-year-old child in a China shopping mall started a Tesla Model S at a display and hit a baby in a stroller. The baby fell out of the stroller and was unhurt, according to the report. A reporter from a local newspaper arrived at the scene to find the other Model S on display still powered on, this one with another child in the driver's seat. The cars had wooden blocks under the brake pedals and stickers warning the public not to touch the touchscreen. Police have opened an investigation into the incident. Read more and see all the photos at Car News China. Ram will add a new compressed natural gas pickup truck to its lineup. The new offering, which is smaller and less expensive than the current CNG pickup (pictured), will be available as a regular cab two-door with two-wheel drive and a long bed. Ram has sold 1,000 of the current 2500 CNG four-door 4x4 offering since going on sale in 2012. Ram believes the new offering will expand sales to fleet operators looking for a less-expensive truck. Read more at Automotive News. New methods of harvesting energy are being explored for automobiles. By now we're all familiar with regenerative braking, but thermoelectric harvesting from the motor, range extender or possibly even the exhaust could come to cars soon. Energy harvesting shock absorbers and exhaust turbines are also viable. Wind turbines could generate electricity while the car is parked, and piezoelectric energy harvesting could run minor electrical systems while the car is in motion. Enough energy harvesting could allow cars to use much smaller engines, and could extend the range of electric vehicles. Read more at Energy Harvesting Journal.