2024 Ram 1500 Big Horn on 2040-cars

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The best Super Bowl car commercials from the last 5 years

If you've been dipping into the Autoblog feed over the past days and weeks, you wouldn't even have to be a sports fan to know the Super Bowl is coming up. Automakers have been teasing their spots for the big game, dropping them days early, fully-formed onto the Internet and otherwise trying to amp up the multi-million-dollar outlays that they've made for air time on the biggest advertising day of the year. And, we're into it. The lead up to the Super Bowl is almost akin to a mini auto show around these parts; with automakers being amongst the most prolific advertisers on these special Sundays. The crop of ads from 2015 looks as strong as ever, but we thought we'd take a quick look back at some of our favorite spots from the last five years. Take a look at our picks – created from a very informal polling of Autoblog editors and presented in no particular order – and then tell us about your recent faves, in Comments. Chrysler, Imported From Detroit Chrysler, Eminem and a lingering pan shot of "The Fist" – it doesn't get much more Motown than 2011's Imported From Detroit. With the weight of our staffers hailing from in and around The D, it's no wonder that our memories still favor this epic Super Bowl commercial (even though the car it was shilling was crap). Imported really set the tone for later Chrysler ads, too, repeated the formula: celebrity endorsement + dramatic copy + dash of jingoism = pulled car-guy heartstrings. Mercedes-Benz, Soul teaser with Kate Upton One of our favorite Super Bowl commercials (and yours, based on the insane number of views you logged) didn't even technically air during the game. Mercedes-Benz teased its eventual spot Soul with 90-seconds worth of Kate Upton threatening to do her best Joy Harmon impression. (Teaser indeed.) It doesn't win points for cleverness, use of music, acting, or any compelling carness, but it proved that Mercedes' advertisers knew how to make a splash in the Internet Age. And, hey, it's still classier than every GoDaddy commercial. Kia, A Dream Car. For Real Life Like the Mercedes video above, the initial draw here is a pretty lady; in this case the always stunning Adriana Lima. But this Kia commercial really delivers the extra effort we expect while scarfing crabby snacks and homemades, too. First of all, Motley Crue. Second, a cowboy on a bucking rhino. Enjoy yet again.

UPDATE: 8 Ram 1500s stolen, 2 recovered in Warren factory heist

UPDATE: Police and FCA report that the correct number of stolen Ram trucks was eight. Two of them were later recovered — a red truck that apparently ran out of gas, and a white truck that was discovered behind an abandoned building in Detroit. Neither of those trucks showed damage from breaking through the factory gate. Police are now investigating the raid as a possible inside job by current or former employees. "We do believe there was a good possibility that there was inside information given to the persons responsible for the thefts," Warren Police Commissioner Bill Dwyer told the Detroit Free Press. "That would include possibly a former or current employee. Obviously they knew where they were going, what they were looking for, what area to cut the fence and get into the lot where vehicles were parked. This was not a random, all-of-a-sudden thought or idea. It was well-planned for probably several weeks." Previous story appears below: Thursday morning, a group of thieves broke into the grounds of Fiat-Chrysler's truck assembly plant in Warren, Mich., where the Ram 1500 is built, and stole roughly 10 brand-new trucks, according to the Detroit Free Press. The newspaper reports that the thieves drove to up a fence in a pickup truck and cut through to get on the property. They then gathered up trucks and drove right out through the main gates. With a starting price of just over $33,000 for a base Ram 1500, the thieves got away with at least $300,000 worth of trucks. The trucks have yet to be found, and it might still be a while. Warren Police Department Commissioner Bill Dwyer told Detroit Free Press that they haven't received any tips on the vehicles. "We have absolutely nothing," said Dwyer. "Why aren't they calling me? We can't do an investigation if they're not working with us." They're still waiting on FCA to give them a list of the trucks' VINs and colors, as well as an exact number instead of the current estimate of 9 to 11. It's not clear if the keys were in the trucks, but an FCA spokesperson told the Free Press, "The company will be assessing security measures at the location and implementing any necessary changes to prevent future incidents." Dwyer said that the heist "was well-planned," and that the vehicles have probably been taken to a pre-arranged location such as a warehouse. It was likely part of an order for stolen trucks, but it's not clear if a crime ring or syndicate is involved.

2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel fuel economy numbers are right in the zone

Every new truck spec gets it own awards show nowadays. In this next envelope we have EPA fuel economy ratings for the 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel — drumroll, please: 22 miles per gallon in the city, 32 mpg highway, 26 mpg combined for the 4x2 trim; 21 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, 24 mpg combined for the 4x4. As one would expect, the numbers plop the EcoDiesel in the middle of the pot with light-duty diesel versions of the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2019 Ford F-150. In 4x2 guise, city mileage for the EcoDiesel ties the F-150 and is one mpg short of the Silverado, highway mileage rates two mpg more than the F-150 and one mpg short of the Silverado. In 4x4 trim, EcoDiesel city mpg is one mpg more than the F-150 and two mpg short of the Silverado, EcoDiesel highway number is four mpg more than the F-150 and ties the Silverado.    Of course, Ram would also like you to know that when it comes to output and carrying, the third-generation oil-burner tops the half-ton trio with 480 pound-feet of torque, 20 lb-ft more than the Silverado, and posts the highest tow rating at 12,560 pounds. Buyers who opt for the 4x2 diesel Ram and the 33-gallon tank will be able to travel the furthest, too, going beyond 1,000 miles before the fumes give out. Every trim gets the new EcoDiesel option for 2020, including the Ram Rebel for the first time. The 3.0-liter V6 is a $4,995 option, making it either $3,000 or $3,300 more than the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 eTorque trim depending. The EcoDiesel price ladder starts with the Tradesman Quad Cab at $36,890 plus a $1,695 destination charge, for $38,585 total. The 2019 Ram 1500 Classic will continue offering the second-generation 3.0-liter EcoDiesel, starting at the unchanged price of $40,835 for the Tradesman Crew Cab 4x2.