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The Free Press drivewayBC.ca |
Welcome to the driver’s seat
…they can be rugged on a work site and luxurious for all occupants.
Visit the RAM trucks photo gallery at drivewayBC.ca
A big part of the RAM brand success has been built on the sturdy and macho exterior styling.
ZACK SPENCER
Question
Rounding up and riding the RAM range 2014 RAM Roundup The full-size truck market is big business for automakers and a big deal for the businesses and people who depend on them. For almost five decades the Ford F-150 has been the best selling truck, with little chance they will lose that crown in the near future. What has been happening, over the last few years, is a strong shift from General Motors to RAM in terms of establishing the second best selling truck brand. The rise in RAM popularity can be traced back to a few key changes over the last several years, from muscular styling to class-leading interiors, a refined ride, plus engine and
transmission advancements. While GM was selling the same trucks year after year, RAM moved forward and has been rewarded handsomely. GM too has recently released all-new Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks but the initial sales response has been rather lacklustre. I drove the 2014 RAM model range recently, on a beautiful fall day, just outside of Toronto. The “RAM Roundup” was a great opportunity to get my hands on these new trucks well before they arrive at BC dealerships. Looks A big part of the RAM brand success has been built on the sturdy
air suspension that can and macho exterior stylbe lowered for easier ing. Front and centre is a entry into the RAM or grille that was enlarged, loading into the bed. but better integrated, Plus this system autofor the 2013 model year. matically lowers over Depending on the trim 100km/h to also reduce the grille finish can be drag. At chrome, painted or with It takes dynamite aerodynamic lower speeds and for offa different insert. This road duties, the air susfeature is one RAM own- to get a loyal truck pension can be raised for ers love so, in this case, owner to change better ground clearance. larger is better. Behind brands but RAM Having had a chance to the grille are “active has done a good drive several RAM trucks shutters” that close at with this feature I notice higher speeds to help job of blasting the the already smooth ride send the wind around competition. is even better and the the vehicle to improve Zack Spencer cabin is further insulated aerodynamic efficiency. from vibration. The same idea was also The RAM heavy duty can behind the longer side also be equipped with an step, which helps reduce air suspension but this is buffeting down the side limited to the rear. This helps level the of the trucks. load in the bed for better handling and While RAM does not have the clever towing. tailgate stepladder that Ford introduced Inside In the past trucks were typiseveral years ago, they did update cally used for work. Today, trucks have the bed of this truck slightly. The sides grown in popularity because they can of the bed can be equipped with an be rugged on a work site and luxurious integrated RAMBox storage system. for all occupants. Having driven the For 2013 this feature was integrated, Ford and new GM trucks recently, I can along with the tailgate to lock and easily say that RAM still has the lead unlock with the vehicles key fob. This is in interior design and finish with the especially handy for tradespeople that Chevrolet and GMC right behind. need to lock tools in their bed. One option that I find fascinating, and would seriously consider, is the $1500 continued on next page
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OF THE WEEK:
What’s your dream car or truck? What is it that appeals to you about the car? Go to drivewayBC.ca to submit your answer and enter to win a $100 Safeway gift card Feel free to post a photo if you have one.
Safety Tip: As we set our clocks back an hour this Saturday night for the end of Daylight Savings Time, please take extra care as the time change can affect the quality of our driving – poorer concentration, alertness behind the wheel and slower reaction time.
Find more online at
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RAM is rugged for work and luxurious for play continued from page 13
(Ford is looking dated but look for an all-new F-150 in 2015). The centre console
can be equipped with an 8.3-inch Uconnect communications and entertainment screen. In addition, there is a large 7-inch screen
behind the steering wheel for fully customizable instant information readouts. The dash and seats can be trimmed in leather typically
Look for the new EcoDiesel RAMs arriving in January of 2014.
found in luxury cars not long ago. What many RAM buyers might find different is the rotary dial on the dash that changes the 8-speed automatic transmission, 6-speed automatics still get the centre console shifter. This is something that started recently in high-end cars like Jaguar and Range Rover but is now found in RAM. It takes about a day to adjust to the new shift position but after a while the driver forgets. Drive The biggest change for 2014 includes the first diesel engine found in a light duty 1500 pickup truck. This is an Italian designed engine that has
ZACK SPENCER
been used extensively in Europe in Jeep products like the Grand Cherokee. With 420 lb.-ft. or torque, this new “EcoDiesel” has the same output as Ford’s Ecoboost but not the same towing capacity. Rated at 9200 lbs. this truck will be perfect for buyers who want impressive fuel economy and good towing capacity; a balance of usability and thriftiness. This engine has not been rated yet for fuel economy but thanks to a standard 8-speed automatic transmission; this new EcoDiesel is going to get better numbers than the already class-leading gasoline V6 RAM. Look for the new EcoDiesel RAMs arriving
in January of 2014. On the heavy duty side there is also an all-new engine in the form of a 6.4L Hemi V8. The old 5.7L was not a perfect match for gasoline truck buyers but RAM hopes this 429 lb.-ft. engine will attract more buyers. Verdict As competitive as the car business is, the truck side is nuclear. Truck buyers take their trucks very seriously and the people building them do too. It takes dynamite to get a loyal truck owner to change brands but RAM has done a good job of blasting the competition. Most of this success has
been thanks to constant improvements instead of waiting years to update their rigs. With a new diesel engine in the 1500 to an all-new gasoline engine in the heavy-duty trucks, matched to sophisticated transmissions, improved suspensions and cabins, it is no wonder why RAM is on an upward swing. The Lowdown Power: 3.6L V6, 3.0L V6 turbo diesel, 5.7L V8. 6.4L V8 and 6.7L diesel Price range: $19,995$36,495 base prices. The diesel option adds around $4,500 zack.spencer@ddrivewayBC.ca
TestFest Quest to find the Canadian Car of the Year Driving 30 vehicles in three days does leave one exhausted and a numb bum! But that’s what 80 auto journalists, including yours truly, endured last week at the annual Canadian Car of the Year event, which is often referred to as TestFest. I’ve attended every one of the gatherings staged by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) for the past 26 years and witnessed many changes the auto industry, dramatic changes in the cars we drive there. To start with, Niagara Falls was the new location for TestFest and it was hosted by the Niagara Parks Commission. The beautifully landscaped and serene Legends on the Niagara Golf Course was the staging location. The age demographic of those AJAC members attending was also noticeably lower and the enthusiasm level was noticeably higher – great to see. All undertook back-to-back vehicle assessments, on specially prepared evaluation courses and on public roads. Awaiting their critical approval were 174 vehicles (representing 57 all-new 2014 model year vehicles), and they were arranged into 12 voting categories. The range of vehicles included everything from a highly fuel-efficient Mitsubishi Mirage with its little 3-cylinder/74 horsepower engine to a big and blindingly fast Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG with a biturbo V8 that can generate 577 horsepower. A flood of full-electric vehicles entered last year – none this year. That said, there was the Ford CMAX plug-in hybrid and there were some very interesting new full-hybrids like the brilliantly engineered Honda Accord Hybrid, VW Jetta Hybrid, Infiniti Q50, Lincoln MKZ Hybrid and the Porsche Panamera S e-Hybrid. The performance level of this new breed of hybrid vehicles is much closer to, or can even exceed, gas engine counterparts. While I don‘t know which vehicle will win each category, the following vehicles were the top performers in acceleration and braking exercises performed at TestFest or claimed best fuel economy:
SUV - CUV (under $35K). • Acceleration 0 to 100 km/hour: MercedesBenz E63 AMG S 4Matic (4.1 seconds) • Acceleration 80 to 120 km/hour: Corvette Stingray (3.2 seconds) • Braking 100 to 0 km/ Styling, occupant hour: Corvette Stingray environment, (34.4 metres) performance, vehicle • Fuel economy city: Ford CMAX (1.9 L/100 dynamics, price/value, km) market significance, • Fuel economy highway: Honda Accord emotional appeal Hybrid (4.0 L/100 km) and off-road capbility • Back-to-back testing, are all incorporated on the same roads, on the same day, under the in an exhaustive same conditions, is a and detailed voting fundamental principal procedure. of TestFest, to ensure Bob McHugh fair and comparable evaluations. The best vehicle in each of the twelve categories will be announced on December 3 and from that group the overall 2014 Canadian Car of the Year and 2014 Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year will then be picked. Styling, occupant environment, performance, vehicle dynamics, price/value, market significance, emotional appeal and off-road capability (where applicable) are all incorporated in an exhaustive and detailed voting procedure. Ballots are tabulated by the international accounting firm KPMG and the results are kept confidential -- even from AJAC -- until the following awards press conferences: More online information on Canadian Car of the Year and TestFest is available on the AJAC web site: www.ajac.ca
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bob.mchugh@ddrivewayBC.ca
Entries for 2014 Canadian Car of the Year : SMALL CAR (under $21k) Mazda3 Mitsubishi Mirage Nissan Versa Note Toyota Corolla SMALL CAR (over $21k) Chevrolet Cruze (Diesel) Kia Forte 5-Door Kia Forte Sedan Mazda3 Sport FAMILY CAR (under $30k) Fiat 500L Kia Rondo Kia Soul FAMILY CAR (over $30k) Chevrolet Impala Ford CMAX Energi Honda Accord Hybrid Mazda6 Volkswagen Jetta Turbocharged Hybrid LUXURY CAR (under $50k) Buick Regal AWD Kia Cadenza Lexus IS Lincoln MKZ Hybrid Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 LUXURY CAR (over $50k) Acura RLX Cadillac CTS Hyundai Equus Infiniti Q50 Jaguar XF AWD Lincoln MKZ Mercedes-Benz E 250 SPORTS - PERFORMANCE (under $50k) Ford Fiesta ST Chevrolet Camaro 1LE Kia Forte Koup
Subaru Forester XT SPORTS - PERFORMANCE (over $50k) BMW 4 Series Coupé Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Jaguar F-Type Porsche Cayman PRESTIGE (over $75k) Cadillac XTS Jaguar XJ Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG Porsche Panamera S e-Hybrid Range Rover
Entries for 2014 Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year are as follows: SUV - CUV (under $35k) Buick Encore Jeep Cherokee Mitsubishi Outlander Subaru Forester Toyota RAV4 SUV - CUV ($35k-$60k) GMC Acadia (Denali) Hyundai Santa Fe XL Kia Sorento Mercedes-Benz GLK 250 SUV - CUV (over $60k) Acura MDX BMW X5 Buick Enclave Jeep Grand Cherokee Mercedes-Benz GL 350 Porsche Cayenne (Diesel) Range Rover Sport PICKUP Chevrolet Silverado Ram 1500 GMC Sierra
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The Car Girl’s Garage What women want when car shopping
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Looks great but it is the safety featurs women are after. Alexandra Straub
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Women are a huge driving force (pardon the pun) in the car-buying world. Studies show that around 60 per cent of new vehicles purchases are made by women. Further to that, matriarchs heavily influence decisions on car buying within the family, too – perhaps as much as 85 percent of all purchases. While many hubbies would love a hot, little sports car, perhaps it’s not always ideal for, you know, life. Buying a vehicle is considered to be the second biggest purchase someone can make. The first is your home. So when someone says it’s not that big of a deal, it kind of is. Not only is it a long-term decision, but a financially significant one as well. It can also bring up
many emotions: excitement, stress, anxiety and more. Leading up to the 2013 Vancouver International Auto Show, I had the privilege of assisting six women with their new car purchases. They gave me a budget and a list of “needs and wants” and then we went to the drawing board. The experience opened my eyes to a few things. Though each of the women were looking for something different from each other, there were common threads that presented themselves. Here are a few of the top things I observed. Price Budgets are very important to everyone. And sticking to it was even more important for the women I worked with. Yes, there are always temptations to get a few extra bells and whistles, and if you can work it into your bottom line, that’s ideal. But the navigation package or premium sound system wasn’t a must-have. Warranties Additional warranties were paramount. For those not leasing and swapping vehicles every four years, having the extra bit of protection from wear and tear was something they wanted
to accommodate in their budgets, especially those who drive frequently. Safety Looks are great but it is the safety features women are after. There’s a lot of technology out there. Sometimes it is even overwhelming. But things like airbags, ABS, traction control and even backup cameras (for the larger vehicles) were high on the priority list. Interior capacity/hatch Cargo volume is subjective in the sense where not everyone needs as much as the other. But when it was in the top three of “needs” sometimes thinking outside of the box was necessary. Sacrificing looks for functionality, again, is something that often happens. That said, it is not always the case, and with designs of vehicles these days, it is getting easier to have your cake and eat it too. Comfort in the car buying process The dealership experience plays a huge role in having that brand new vehicle sparkling on your driveway. In fact, you can’t really avoid it unless you’re buying through a private sale. There’s still a stigma associated with car salespeople. Some say that as a woman, walk-
Maureen McCall looks up the specs on various vehicles at the Vancouver International Auto Show. PHOTO Alexandra Straub
ing into a dealership has an automatic disadvantage. That’s changing. Most dealerships have female sales staff on the floor in case you’re more comfortable in that environment. No matter how good the product, if there’s discomfort or pressure in the buying process, can sour the sale. If that’s the case, there are always other options. The product is the same regardless of where you buy it from, it’s really the human element that can make or break the deal. Though, the women
Spot the Chevrolet
I worked with all had wonderful experiences. Ladies, if you’re looking at buying a new vehicle and would like some suggestions/ assistance, email the Car Girl’s Garage and
you could potentially be featured in Driveway. Include your name, email address where best to be reached, a little bit about yourself, what you’re
Drives-U-Crazy… Non-signallers I want to scream when I am stuck behind a car that fails to signal an intent to turn left until the traffic light turns green. It has to be one of the most inconsiderate acts, especially in congested areas. It’s also an offence, which carries a $121 fine and two-point penalty. Considerate drivers would realize their error and drive on. Ha! They don’t exist. What drives-u-crazy. kmorgan@blackpress.ca
Drives
U
Crazy!
Soccer and cars may appear to be a strange mix but Juraj Holcek of the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava managed to bring them together for a piece of winning art. His picture of a wall in which the shape of a Chevrolet is marked by the impressions of a soccer ball took first place in the Young Creative Chevrolet art and design contest. The picture was featured in Manchester United’s game program for the team’s English Premier League game against Stoke City last weekend.
looking for and what price range you need to work with. thecargirlsgarage@ gmail.com Twitter.com/cargirlsgarage
?
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AUTO DEALERS
16
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