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2019 Ram 1500 Laramie Drivers' Notes Review | King of the hill

The 2019 Ram 1500 is the newest full-size truck to the market, though the upcoming 2019 Chevy Silverado isn't too far off. We've driven a few models so far, from the base-spec Tradesman up to the kitted-out Limited variant. Modern trucks are expected to do everything from towing a boat, hauling mulch or carrying a family of five on an extended road trip. The days of simple, single-minded trucks have long since passed. Our tester this week is a mid-grade Laramie model. It has quite a few creature comforts — heated and ventilated leather seats, front buckets, a larger Uconnect infotainment screen — along with features like blind-spot monitoring, parking sensors, automatic high beams and a bedliner. There's no moonroof, wireless charging or heated second row seats, but it's still extremely well appointed, especially compared to its forebears. That said, it doesn't come cheap. All in, this truck costs just under $55k. Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore: The 2019 Ram 1500 is simply the best truck in the market. It's powerful, comfortable, brash and the embodiment of what a full-size pickup should be. The Hemi V8 is always the first thing I notice when I test one, and it's smooth and potent in this 4X4 Laramie. Ram has wisely expanded its engine selections in recent years, though the V8 remains my favorite. The Ram's design always grabs me. It's generally the buffest looking truck in the segment, though at times in the last decade or so it has veered into cartoonish proportions. For 2019, it's a clean look with smooth lines and curves that convey a sense of power. I Love the new grille, and Rams always have a good deal of chrome — that's cool with me. Inside, this model was surprising quiet, underscoring the premium vibes. The latest version of Uconnect works well and is intuitive. Plus, there's a nice balance of knobs, buttons and dials. Everything is easy to use and understand. The leather looks and feels upscale, the seats are comfy yet supportive, and the configurable center console is a clever feature. This Ram is fairly loaded up, but even when we tested a more basic Tradesman a few weeks ago, I had similarly favorable impressions. It's an all-star truck. Associate Editor Reese Counts: I really hate to simply parrot what Greg said, but I'm quite enamored with the Ram. It really is the best of the bunch.

2015 Ram ProMaster City Tradesman First Drive [w/video]

From the perspective of a reviewer, there's a refreshing clarity to be hand when approaching a vehicle like a small commercial van. Where the inherent value equation for most vehicles is composed of both objective facts (price, fuel economy), and subjective opinions (looks, emotional response while driving), the reckoning of something like the new Ram ProMaster City is more straightforward. The light commercial van segment in the US has seen a remodel over the last half-decade, moving from paneled-over minivans to the versatile, economical, European-style boxes on wheels you see with increasing frequency today. Ford, Nissan and Chevrolet are all players here (though Chevy's City Express is essentially a rebadged version of Nissan's NV200), and though Ram's entry could be seen as late to the party, it also matches up very nicely in many of those straightforward areas of measure. Kindly, Ram brought along both the Nissan and the Ford for us to test alongside its new product, so we could get firsthand comparative impressions. The 2015 ProMaster City is roomier, more powerful and more maneuverable than its competition, though it trades those advantages for a higher price and a thirstier engine around town. We headed down to Texas where, between breaks for tacos and Topo Chicos, our goal was to see if Ram had created the new best box van in the US. Based on the already successful Fiat Doblo van from Europe, the baby ProMaster's visual transformation after its continental hop isn't radical. Ram has fitted a crosshair grille, new headlights and taillights, but largely the curvaceous, nose-forward styling remains the same. As we mentioned at the top: style is going to be very low on this list of priorities for a buyer of light commercial vans. Still, we'd rate the City as mid-pack for the options in the US; more attractive than the Nissan/Chevy twins and less so than the crisp Ford Transit Connect. (Though the optional five-spoke wheels of our test vehicle make it seem downright sporty in this group). Open the driver's side door and slide into the almost totally flat front seat, and any notion of "style" goes right out the window. Surfaces are almost exclusively black and gray, with workaday textures and frustratingly easy-to-scratch-plastics. This is a functional space though; trays, cubbies, cupholders and bins are far more numerous than you'd expect from a compact, two-seat cabin.

These are the 'Greenest' and 'Meanest' cars in 2015

As has become tradition, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has come up with a ranking of what it refers to as the "greenest" cars of 2015, and, by way of contrast, a list of the so-called "meanest" cars, so those who value eco-friendliness over all else can choose which vehicles they should or should not consider buying. As you may expect, electric cars make up the majority of the greenest cars on the list, but, perhaps surprisingly to many, the Tesla Model S didn't make the cut. It's worth noting, too, that where the electricity an owner uses to charge their electric vehicle has a big impact on its overall environmental impact. "A car that is charged using electricity generated from natural gas or renewables is going to have significantly less impact on the environment than one charged on a coal-heavy grid," says ACEEE lead vehicle analyst Shruti Vaidyanathan. The ACEEE's list for 2015 looks very different than it did in 2014. It's an interesting collection, though – and we're sure this goes without saying, really – we'd recommend doing a bit more research into each vehicle and how it might fit into your daily life before making any purchase decisions. Click here to see the ACEEE's list of the Greenest and Meanest vehicles sold in the United States in 2015. Green Bugatti Chevrolet Fiat GM GMC Mercedes-Benz Nissan RAM smart Toyota greenest greenest cars