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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

2013 Ram 1500 tows away Motor Trend Truck of the Year laurels

Motor Trend has named their 2013 Truck of the Year, and this time, the coveted honor goes to Chrysler's 2013 Ram 1500. The Ram unseats the Ford F-150 pickup from Truck of the Year with a package that the magazine argues fulfills owners' needs for everyday usability as much as worksite utility.
MT points out that the 1500's available air suspension is a quantum leap in the light-duty pickup segment. This system can raise for more ground clearance or lower for highway driving. Chrysler has been pushing for friendly daily-driver manners for some time now - you'll recall it debuted coils in place of rear leaf springs in the 2009 Ram 1500, back when it the truck was sold under the Dodge nameplate. The new optional air setup is another step towards more comfortable everyday driving.
The Ram 1500 can also be paired with the company's 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 in place of the loveless 3.7-liter unit, in the process getting some pretty surprising fuel economy figures. MT also notes that the interior update - complete with available Uconnect 8.3-inch screen and new rotary shifter - is a welcome upgrade. These attributes have conspired to yield a deserving award for Team Ram, which MT says has nailed the motivations of light-duty truck buyers - comfort and capability in one package.

2020 Ram 2500 in minimal camouflage reveals lights, grille

The folks at FCA have kept the next-generation Ram Heavy Duty trucks well-covered up to now. Now, we finally get to see an example of the truck with minimal vinyl wrap camouflage, giving us our best look yet at the 2020 Ram 2500. It has a number of design cues taken from Ram 1500, but it has a number of distinct differences. At the front, we have a pretty clear look at the 2500's fascia. The grille shares the same non-crosshair design of the 1500. It's flanked by wide headlights, and there's a chrome line that runs along the tops of the headlights and wraps around the top of the grille. Unlike the 1500, the 2500's grille is much taller, sticking way up above the headlights. It also retains the slightly trapezoidal shape. The headlights also have turn signals that protrude from below. The rest of the truck is still relatively well-covered. One key detail we can make out is the taillights, which appear to be the same as those used on the 2019 Ram 1500 Tradesman. As such, the bed will likely share cues with the 1500, such as the molded belt line low on the bedsides. Past spy photos have also revealed that the 2500 will also share the 1500's sharp interior. We're expecting to hear more about the heavy duty Ram in the next few months. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2020 Ram 2500 View 24 Photos Image Credit: SpiedBilde Spy Photos RAM Truck