2012 Dodge Ram 3500 Reg Cab Diesel Drw Chassis Cab 5k Texas Direct Auto on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Consumer Reports says Ram 1500 tops fuel economy fight [w/video]

Consumer Reports takes its independent vehicle testing procedures seriously. In an era when we have to question the EPA's official ratings thanks to recent re-evaluations from Ford and Hyundai, an independent voice is important. So, when CR says something is the best, it's worth paying attention to. The Ram 1500 EcoDiesel has "about the same fuel-economy numbers that we typically see in a midsized SUV." – Jake Fisher In this case, CR took a look at the fuel economy of the 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel and found that it came out on top of the fullsize pickup truck pack. The Ram did so with 20 miles per gallon overall and 27 mpg on the highway. CR gave the truck a total road test score of 82. The EPA says that the EcoDiesel 1500 gets 28 mpg on the highway, 20 mpg city and 23 mpg combined. Comparing official EPA numbers, the Ram is also the best among trucks in its class. It's nice when people agree on something. As we know from first-hand, long-distance experience, you can push the 1500 EcoDiesel to 38 mpg. CR found in its own testing that the truck had, "about the same fuel-economy numbers that we typically see in a midsized SUV," said Jake Fisher, CR's director of automotive testing, in a statement. Speaking of midsized SUVs, CR also announced this week that the new Toyota Highlander Hybrid got the top spot in CR's ratings in that category. CR liked pretty much everything about the SUV, saying that the "transitions between electric power and the gas engine are seamless" and that, "the new Highlander also handles better, with a steadier ride and reduced body lean in corners." You can find more at the CR website, in the October print issue of Consumer Reports or in the video and press release below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. RAM ECODIESEL 1500 TOPS CONSUMER REPORTS FULL-SIZE PICKUP TRUCK RATINGS Redesigned Toyota Highlander Hybrid Climbs to Top of Midsized SUV List Yonkers, N.Y.- The Ram 1500 EcoDiesel climbed to the top of Consumer Reports' full-size pickup truck ratings with an impressive performance in the organization's fuel economy tests. The EcoDiesel (82 point overall road test score) turned in a best-in-class fuel economy of 20 mpg overall and 27 mpg on the highway, to help it score better than the previously tested Ram 1500 V8 (81) regular gas version and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT (80).

Dodge Durango Hellcat teased in 'Fast and Furious' spot is real, headed to New York

The Durango Hellcat teased in a Dodge commercial appears to be the real deal, according to a report that surfaced Monday afternoon, and we could see it as soon as the New York International Auto Show in April. The horsepower Gods are smiling upon us.  Motor Authority says that a Dodge insider was able to confirm the existence of a Durango Hellcat, and suggested it will make its public debut at the New York show this spring. "Hellcat all the things" has become a bit of a meme, and it appears Dodge is either in on the joke, non-ironically committed to the concept, or maybe a little bit of both. A commercial FCA debuted to coincide with the release of the trailer of the latest "Fast and Furious" film gave us our first brief glimpse the new supercharged Durango SUV. Credit for the original find goes to the fine (and eagle-eyed) folks at Road & Track, who spotted the fender badge at approximately the 17-second mark in the embedded commercial. The tease left little to the imagination. The badge is shown prominently on the fender of the mystery vehicle, which isn't much of a mystery at all. It's a Dodge and it's not a Charger or Challenger; no need to overthink it.  Immediately after, the camera cuts to what is obviously a Durango silhouette, but we can't see a whole lot in the glare of its headlights.  It also makes sense from a product cycle perspective, as the Durango is well past the point where it has received its AARP card and we're not necessarily expecting a replacement. The three-row slot in FCA's lineup may go exclusively to Jeep once all is said and done.  We know (or have heard rumors) that other variants of the family SUV are in the pipeline, making it clear that FCA plans to milk the aging three-row for all it's worth. The Jeep Grand Cherokee, which rides on the same fundamental platform but with a shortened wheelbase, has already gotten the Hellcat treatment in the Trackhawk, so porting this engine over for three-row duty should be a snap.  More importantly, a mild facelift may accompany other updates to the Durango, which would conveniently explain why Dodge obscured the Durango's front end in the teaser.  If there's any downside to this, it's that FCA is going to run out of vehicles eventually. With the Ram Rebel TRX well underway and now this, there just aren't many vehicles left in FCA's various brand lineups that can physically accommodate a supercharged, 6.2-liter V8.  Hopefully they have Sawzalls. Related Video:    

Watch the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat verify its 204-mph top speed

The industry is producing some ridiculously fast four-doors these days, from the Porsche Panamera and Maserati Quattroporte to the Mercedes E63 AMG and BMW M5. But the fastest of them all doesn't cost six figures. It doesn't even come from Europe. It's made right here in North America, by a US automaker. And it starts at under $64k. We're talking about the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, the Pentastar muscle sedan with the 6.2-liter supercharged V8 and its 707 horsepower. Dodge claims it's the "quickest, fastest, most powerful [production] sedan ever," and they're not just blowing smoke... or smoking tires. During the final stages of development, engineers from Auburn Hills took a bone-stock, Hellcat-powered Charger out to a seven-mile oval for a top speed run and they filmed the occasion for posterity. The result? 206.9 miles per hour with the wind, 202.2 against it, for a two-way average top speed of 204.55 mph. Chew on that, imports.