2014 Ram 2500 Slt on 2040-cars

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Ram 1500 bests new F-150 in MT pickup shootout

Ford's 2015 Ford F-150 is a technological tour-de-force, what with its aluminum-intensive construction and its powerful and efficient new 2.7-liter EcoBoost engine option. But now that it's hit the market, it's time to get down to brass tacks and find out how just the latest F-150 actually stands up to its rivals in the hyper-competitive fullsize segment. Motor Trend is among the first to round up the Ford (in Lariat 2.7-liter 4X4 guise here) and put it up against the Ram 1500 Outdoorsman EcoDiesel 4x4 and 5.3-liter-equipped Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71 to find out how Dearborn's new-think truck measures up. The test put the trio through over 1,000 miles of tough driving in California and Arizona in a variety of conditions from just cruising around unladen to hauling a trailer. MT found all three trucks to be competent, but the most praise got heaped on the Ram and the Ford, with the Chevrolet falling a step behind its competitors in many tests. Among the Ford's most-liked features was its 2.7-liter, twin-turbo V6 that helped make the F-150 easily the quickest of the group, with some editors saying the engine felt about the same whether driving around with cargo in the bed or not. There was some minor turbo lag during acceleration while trailering, but that issue affected the Ram, too. The Ram's powertrain was lauded, as well. The EcoDiesel was torquey around town, and the 1500's combination of an eight-speed automatic and air suspension was judged to be the best of the lot. It was the most difficult to get into the bed, though. The Ram also won the fuel economy award by netting 20-miles-per-gallon city and 28-mpg highway in the test to beat its Environmental Protection Agency ratings of 19/27. The Ford's EcoBoost managed 17/22, one mpg off each from the EPA numbers, and using a lot of throttle really depleted its efficiency. As MT notes, however, it would take time for the diesel's mileage savings to pay off at the pump for these two trucks. In the end, the Ram just barely eked out the win, with the title partially earned because of "the Ford's unknown maintenance and aluminum repair costs," according to MT. Go check out the full comparison to read all of the details, then let us know what you think in Comments.

Stellantis ready to kill brands and fix U.S. problems, CEO Tavares says

  MILAN — Stellantis is taking steps to fix weak margins and high inventory at its U.S. operations and will not hesitate to axe underperforming brands in its sprawling portfolio, its chief executive Carlos Tavares said on Thursday. The warning for lossmaking brands is a turnaround for Tavares, who has maintained since Stellantis was created in 2021 from the merger of Italian-American automaker Fiat Chrysler and France's PSA that all of its 14 brands including Maserati, Fiat, Peugeot and Jeep have a future. "If they don't make money, we'll shut them down," Carlos Tavares told reporters after the world's No. 4 automaker delivered worse-than-expected first-half results, sending its shares down as much as 10%. "We cannot afford to have brands that do not make money." The automaker now also considers China's Leapmotor as its 15th brand, after it agreed to a broad cooperation with the group. Stellantis does not release figures for individual brands, except for Maserati which reported an 82 million euro adjusted operating loss in the first half. Some analysts say Maserati could possibly be a target for a sale by Stellantis, while other brands such as Lancia or DS might be at risk of being scrapped given their marginal contribution to the group's overall sales. Stellantis' Milan-listed shares were down as much as 12.5% on Thursday, hitting their lowest since August 2023. That brings the loss for the year so far to 22%, making them the worst performer among the major European automakers. Few automotive brands have been killed off since General Motors ditched the unprofitable Saturn and Pontiac during a U.S. government-led bankruptcy in the global financial crisis in 2008. Tavares is under pressure to revive flagging margins and sales and cut inventory in the United States as Stellantis bets on the launch of 20 new models this year which it hopes will boost profitability. Recent poor results from global carmakers have heightened worries about a weakening outlook for sales across major markets such as the U.S., whilst they also juggle an expensive transition to electric vehicles and growing competition from cheaper Chinese rivals. Japan's Nissan Motor saw first-quarter profit almost completely wiped out on Thursday and slashed its annual outlook, as deep discounting in the United States shredded its margins. Tavares said he would be working through the summer with his U.S. team on how to improve performance and cut inventory.

FCA recalls 2 million Ram trucks over airbag issues

Airbag issues have prompted Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to issue another pair of recalls. The two separate issues both affect Ram pickups, one campaign stemming from oversensitive sensors, the other from a wiring harness. Between them, the problems affect an estimated combined total of some 2 million units. The first recall affects 2013-15 Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks, specifically four-door models, manufactured between June 20, 2012, and January 26, 2015. The calibration of the side impact sensor in those affected units may to be too sensitive. As a result, if the door is slammed too hard, the side-curtain airbag and seatbelt pre-tensioner may inadvertently activate. FCA reports that this issue affects an estimated 667,406 units in the United States, plus 153,011 in Canada, a further 8,272 in Mexico, and another 14,847 in markets outside of North America, amounting (in Chrysler's estimation) to less than 0.005 percent of those vehicles produced. The automaker says it is aware of two minor injuries (but no accidents) that may have resulted from the glitch, and is taking action to have the Occupant Restraint Control module recalibrated in the affected units. The second issue also affects Ram pickups, including 1500, 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500-series models from the 2012 to 2014 model years, built between January 18, 2011, and October 7, 2014, and fitted with the optional Electronic Vehicle Information Center. The problem here stems from a wiring harness in the steering wheel that may rub against a retainer spring in the air bag control module, which in turn could cause an electrical short and deploy the driver's side air bag unexpectedly. In the United States alone, the issue is estimated to affect 1,060,531 units, which will need to be inspected and, where necessary, have their steering wheel wiring harnesses secured, with protective caps added to the ends of the airbag retainer spring. These do not represent the first issues we've seen from Fiat Chrysler in recent days. The automaker recently issued a recall for approximately 1.4 million vehicles to have their Uconnect software updated to prevent hacking. A few days ago it also announced a recall for 350,000 Dodge Journey (and Fiat Freemont) crossovers to secure loose engine covers. And the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is expected to issue Fiat Chrysler Automobiles a $105-million fine for mishandling other recent recalls and safety issues.