2014 Ram 2500 Tradesman on 2040-cars

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Hero gets his truck back better than new thanks to community support [w/video]

You ever hear a story and start cringing before you hear the end because you know how it's going to turn out? That could very well have been the case with the story from a few weeks ago in West Valley City, Utah, where a 14-year-old kid stole his grandfather's Hyundai Veloster and took it for a joyride - through a park full of children. But instead it turned into a heart-warming tale of heroism and a community banding together to do what's right... and then some.
Bryson Rowley was that hero who identified the danger and, rather than sit idly by and watch the joyrider potentially run over a child, got into his truck and drove it into the menacing runaway hatchback. The collision caused some $7,500 to his 2008 Dodge Ram 2500, but instead of getting stuck with the bill - one which his insurance may very well have refused to pay since the crash was, technically speaking, intentional - his community pitched in a helping hand.
Bryan Ellison, who owns West Valley Carstar with his brother, saw the news on television and wanted to help. So he brought Rowley a rental car, picked up his truck and brought it back to his auto repair shop. People from around the community donated parts, and when all was said and done, some $15,000 of work and upgrades were performed on the Ram that was returned to an overwhelmed Bryson Rowley better than new. Watch the video below for the full story.

2022 Ram 1500, HD lineup and ProMaster all updated with Uconnect 5 infotainment

Uconnect 5 is making its way through the Stellantis portfolio, and today it’s RamÂ’s turn to get the redesigned infotainment system. ItÂ’s coming to all 2022 Ram products, including the Ram 1500, Ram HD lineup and even the ProMaster. The most important of the above products getting Uconnect 5 is the 2022 Ram 1500, though. Ram has adapted its system to run on the vertical 12-inch touchscreen that debuted in that truck. WeÂ’ve enjoyed using the previous version of Uconnect with that screen layout, and given our pleasant experiences with Uconnect 5 already, we have a feeling this update will only make things better. You can check out some of the systemÂ’s nitty gritty details in our Uconnect 5 reveal post, but Ram also spelled out some of the important — and even truck-specific — details for us with its announcement today. For one, the Ram version of Uconnect 5 allows specific customization of the home screen to display a bevy of powertrain gauges during heavy towing scenarios. It also features RamÂ’s “Off-Road Pages” (similar to SRTÂ’s Performance Pages) to give you detailed off-road data for your truck. Fleets should enjoy newly-available telematics data, which is one reason Ram added this new system to the ProMaster (shown just above). Uconnect 5 allows third-party companies to collect data on vehiclesÂ’ status through the cloud in order to better monitor them. Ram suggests this will increase efficiency when it comes to reporting accidents, getting vehicles in for maintenance and making decisions about routes and vehicle appropriation. Of course, added efficiencies ultimately mean less money out of pocket for the folks running the fleet. Just like other Stellantis models with Uconnect 5, the Rams will enjoy wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto (now capable of going full screen on the 12-inch display), an updated navigation system with more capabilities, Amazon Alexa integration for voice services and the ability to be updated via over-the-air updates. Ram did not specify when Uconnect 5 would start appearing in 2022 models, but we suspect itÂ’ll be soon for all of them. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Best car infotainment systems of 2022

Declaring one infotainment system the best over any other is an inherently subjective matter. You can look at quantitative testing for things like input response time and various screen load times, but ask a room full of people that have tried them all what their favorite is, and you’re likely to get a lot of different responses. Some prefer systems that are exclusively touch-based with a simplistic user interface. Others may prefer a non-touch system that is navigable via a scroll wheel. You can compare it to the phone operating system wars. Just like some folks prefer Android phones over iPhones, we all have our own opinions for what makes up the best infotainment interface. All that said, our combined experience tells us that a number of infotainment systems are at least better than the rest. WeÂ’ve narrowed it down to five total systems in their own subcategories that stand out to us. Read on below to see our picks, and feel free to make your own arguments in the comments. Best overall: UConnect — Various Stellantis products If thereÂ’s one infotainment system that all of us agree is excellent, itÂ’s UConnect. Both UConnect 4 and the latest UConnect 5 software are included in this praise, too. It has numerous qualities that make it great, but above all else, UConnect is simple and straightforward to use. Ease of operation is one of the most (if not the single most) vital parts of any infotainment system interface. If youÂ’re expected to be able to tap away on a touchscreen while driving and still pay attention to the road, a complex infotainment system is going to remove your attention from the number one task at hand: driving. UConnect uses a simple interface that puts all of your key functions in a clearly-represented row on the bottom of the screen. Tap any of them, and it instantly pulls up that menu. We like the radio/media interface — itÂ’s super easy to swap stations or sources. The menu structure is easy to grasp, and of course both Apple CarPlay/Android Auto are available if you want them. UConnect 5 is a big visual improvement over UConnect 4, but thankfully it retains the same ease of use as the outgoing system. WeÂ’ll also point out that Stellantis is able to adapt UConnect to different screen shapes and sizes with great success — it works stunningly well in the vertical 12-inch screen of the Ram.