2014 Ram 3500 Tradesman on 2040-cars

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2019 Ram 1500 North Edition is bundled up for winter

The 2019 Ram 1500 North Edition combines a host of features into a special edition meant to keep the abominable winter at bay. Based on the Big Horn trim, which sits just above the base Tradesman, Ram says the North Edition is "geared toward truck owners who need more capability and warmth on their frozen drive." The means 4x4 only, with your choice of crew cab or quad cab, 5'7" bed or 6'4" bed, and either the 3.6-liter Pentastar eTorque or or the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 with or without eTorque. To that canvas, Ram adds some of the features from the Off-Road package, including heavy duty shocks with a one-inch lift, locking rear axle, and tow hooks. Weapons against the cold include an engine block heater, and Level 2 Package options like heated seats and steering wheel, heated and folding mirrors, and remote start for pre-warming the cabin. There are individual extras, like the 12-way power driver's seat with four-way lumbar support, instead of the eight-way seat normally part of the Level 2 package. Snow service-rated, three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) Falken LT tires toil outside to keep the rubber on the road; the standard Off-Road package uses Falken All-Terrains (AT3WA). Mopar floor mats toil inside to keep slush and grime from spoiling a good time. A monochromatic appearance package paints all the exterior trim pieces one hue. One splash of contrast comes with the 4x4 decal along the flanks, the other is what looks like a set of 20-inch, six-spoke wheels. The Ram press release didn't mention the special rims, but on the configurator, when we clicked the 20-Inch x 9.0 Aluminum Chrome-Clad Wheels, we were forced to add the North Edition package. As of writing, the configurator pricing appears to be at odds with the MSRP stated in the press release. Start with the $41,490 Ram 1500 Big Horn 4x4 on the build site, add the North Edition package, and the price shows as $45,285 before a $1,695 destination charge. Ram says the truck is available at dealers now, but lists an MSRP of $45,890 before destination. There's a $605 difference between the two numbers. The build site doesn't pre-select the 20-inch wheels with the North Edition package, though. Normally a $1,595 option, adding the wheels to the build raises the price by $200, to $45,285, leaving a $405 difference. Point being, assume the dealer will start the bargaining with the $45,890 price.

Mopar updates owner apps to make car ownership easier

Owners of any Fiat Chrysler vehicle will want to head to the Apple App or Google Play store to download the latest version of their brand-specific smartphone app. Developed by Mopar, the new suite of FCA Owner apps specific to each brand pack a number of valuable features. For starters, the apps let owners access information like maintenance schedules, service history and recall notices. The apps also include an array of how-to information and instructional videos, offer push notification for important updates like maintenance offers and recall alerts, and allow customers to schedule test drives and receive quotes from their local dealers for new vehicles. But that's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. The FCA Owner apps also feature an augmented reality function that helps drivers identify instrument-panel icons. There's a Parking Reminder feature that helps drivers remember where they parked their car, guides them back to their parking spot and tracks the time left on the meter. Finally, there's an Accident Assistant feature that helps drivers record the specifics of an accident, upload insurance information and take photos of the scene. It'll even help find the closest certified collision repair facility, schedule an appointment and access roadside assistance. The apps are available for any Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, Jeep, Fiat or Alfa Romeo built from 2011 till today, and are available for either iOS or Android. If you've got more than one FCA vehicle in your garage, you needn't download multiple versions of the app as they'll work on any model the Italian-American automaker offers. Mopar Enhances FCA Owner Apps - Redesigned FCA Owner apps offer a wide range of VIN-specific information - Owners can access maintenance schedules, service history, recall notices and more - "Augmented reality" function, beginning with 2015 models, allows owners to use camera feature on mobile devices to scan and identify instrument panel icons - Industry-first Accident Assistant feature helps owners easily document important accident information and quickly locate a certified repair facility - Individual brand versions of the app support all FCA brand vehicles - FCA Owner apps are free to download for both iOS and Android mobile devices May 29, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - The Mopar brand has redesigned and enhanced its suite of FCA Owner apps, putting more resources than ever at owners' fingertips with easier access to vehicle and lifestyle information.

Ram Laramie Longhorn's interior is a crass cacophony of cowboy cues

When we think of quality luxurious interiors, some of the first brands that come to mind are Audi and Volvo. They have elegant, simple interiors constructed from high-quality materials that are beautiful to see and to touch, and that's what makes them feel special and genuinely premium. The 2017 Ram 2500 Laramie Longhorn in our short-term fleet didn't get that message. What the Laramie Longhorn does is yell at you. It yells at you at that it's LUXURIOUS, and it's WESTERN. Open the door, and you're confronted with loads of saddle tan leather with contrasting black leather on the doors, armrest, and seat piping. This is reasonably modest, but if you pick a different color scheme than our Ram, that leather will have tooled filigree patterns, raising the volume of the interior's message. Right on the center console and on the seat backs there are huge brown embossed logos stitched into them proclaiming the trim level of the truck. It's all meant to evoke high-quality leather goods like saddles. But it's the same thin leather you've found in almost every other automobile on the market. The cushy cowboy theme continues on the dash. The satin-finish wood trim would normally be a nice touch, but it's overshadowed by the glitzy and chintzy rose-gold colored fake metal accents all over the dashboard, and even the instrument cluster. Perhaps it's meant to be more warm and down-to-earth than the cold aluminum-look panels usually in cars, but it's an odd color, and it looks more fake than faux-aluminum. It gets even worse when you discover that Ram stuck leather tooling design stickers all over that rose-gold plastic trim. And then you see them on the chrome plastic rings surrounding the gauges. Not only that, but those rings have some sort of stud shape molded into them. Is this Western enough yet? No! Of course not! Hop in the back seat, and you'll discover that the map pockets aren't just simple slots. They have a full flap with metal belt buckles like saddlebags (though the flap actually closes with magnets). And naturally, those buckles have fancy filigree designs in them. Then take a look at the floor, and the rubber floor mats have barbed-wire fence designs molded into them. Get it? Because there are barbed-wire fences on ranches out West where cowboys work! Yet, for all our complaining about cheap materials and a complete lack of subtlety, we're sure this sort of thing appeals to many truck buyers.