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Thursday, March 24, 2011
I am helping to create more birthdays
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Can Your Truck Haul This Much Stuff?
From: Mike Levine
Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2011 11:53 AM
Subject: Can Your Truck Haul This Much Stuff?
Photo by Robby DeGraff
Former PUTC intern Robby DeGraff is studying overseas and caught up with this overworked and overloaded Toyota Hilux Mighty-X in Cambodia. It appears to be a mid to late 1990s model with a 2.8-liter four-cylinder diesel.
Robby calls this the Phnom Penh heavy-duty payload torture test. We agree and we're wondering if the new Ford Ranger and Chevy Colorado will be able to do the same.
JD Power's 2011 Vehicle Dependability Study names Lincoln best brand, Toyota wins most segments
From: Jeremy Korzeniewski
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2011 5:55 PM
Subject: JD Power's 2011 Vehicle Dependability Study names Lincoln best brand, Toyota wins most segments
Filed under: Car Buying
J.D. Power and Associates has released its annual Vehicle Dependability Study for 2011, and there are a few surprises in store for those who religiously keep track of who outperforms who on the automotive reliability front. For the first time ever, Lincoln, with 101 problems per 100 vehicles, leads the chart, followed by Lexus with a score of 109.
Number three on the list is also something of a surprise: Jaguar, who's score of 112 problems per 100 vehicles seemingly proves not all leaping kitties leave unwanted presents outside the confines of their litter boxes. Porsche (114) and Toyota (122) round out the top five. The industry average comes in at 151 problems per 100 vehicles, which of course means that some brands perform rather poorly in J.D. Power's rankings.
Bringing up the rear in this year's study is Mini, with 221 problems per 100 vehicles. That's not good. BMW's smallest brand is followed by Jeep (214), Land Rover (212), Dodge (206) and Chrysler (202). The study also ranks individual models in each category, and Toyota's seven individual segment victories gives the Japanese automaker more individual victories than any other brand.
A brief explanation of how this particular study is compiled: J.D. Power polled 43,700 original owners on problems experienced during the past 12 months on 2008 model-year vehicles after three years of ownership. As such, this study is not ranking the latest vehicles by any given manufacturer, but is instead intended to help consumers predict the durability of a potential automobile purchase.
There's lots more detail in the press release and graphs found after the break, so click here and put your number-crunching hats on.
[Source: J.D. Power and Associates]
JD Power's 2011 Vehicle Dependability Study names Lincoln best brand, Toyota wins most segments originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsRoad Test Review: 2011 Ram 1500 Outdoorsman
From: Mike Levine
Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2011 1:14 PM
Subject: Road Test Review: 2011 Ram 1500 Outdoorsman
Words by Mark Williams for PickupTrucks.com, Photos by Mike Levine
At a time when the big truck makers are doing everything they can to separate themselves from the pack, only a few are making enough noise to get above the din.
For now, Ford is probably doing the best job with low-volume packages like the Raptor, King Ranch and FX2. But recently, Ram has made a strong push. Names like Longhorn, Ram Runner and Outdoorsman are getting a lot of truck enthusiasts talking. The latter, which we first saw at the 2010 State Fair of Texas, seems to be aimed right at us.
Ram said the Outdoorsman package would be designed meet the discriminating needs of boating, camping, hunting and fishing enthusiasts. We like to do all those things, so we couldn't wait to get our hands on one.
This new package will be offered in all three light-duty and heavy-duty Ram flavors — 1500, 2500, and 3500. It replaces the TRX4 package going forward.
For those who may not know, other Ram trim levels include the ST, SLT, Big Horn/Lone Star, Sport (1500 only), Laramie (which includes the new Longhorn edition) and Power Wagon (2500 Hemi only). Other packages, such as the Tradesman and Adventurer packages, will be coming as well.
Outdoorsman models start at $28,625 (regular cab, including $975 destination). Our crew cab was priced at $41,785.
As soon as the 2011 Ram 1500 Outdoorsman hit our driveway, we immediately started planning a trip to the closest U.S. national park from PickupTrucks.com headquarters: Joshua Tree National Park, which covers more than 800,000 acres.
We packed our test truck with all the camping and cold-weather gear we could find. The park, which is celebrating its 75th birthday this year, is split between two extremes: the lower-elevation (below 3,000 feet) Colorado Desert on one side and the much cooler, higher-elevation (as high as 4,000 and 5,000 feet) Mojave Desert zone. Exploring as much of the park as possible means being prepared for anything, especially if we wanted to get some serious stargazing in as well.
The style and features of the truck are well done, as Ram made every effort to include every off-road, towing, and four-wheel-drive option available to the platform. Likewise, all Outdoorsman models get the biggest fuel tank available (32 gallons for the 1500 and 34 or 35 gallons on the Ram HDs, depending on the bed length); at least a class IV hitch with both four- and seven-pin plugs; a limited-slip differential; and the heavy-duty cooling package. Our 1500 Outdoorsman had Goodyear Wrangler AT/S 275/70R17 tires that filled the fat-lipped wheel wells quite well and helped give the package a more rugged stance.
All Outdoorsman packages get two-tone paint with a Mineral Gray lower color that starts in the bumpers then wraps around to the fender flares to the lower door valances. As you might expect with any rugged 4x4 package, all Outdoorsmans include front and transfer case skid plates for serious protection when exploring rougher backcountry terrain.
Although most national parks do not allow exploration off designated roads, Joshua Tree offers many miles of well-maintained dirt roads, giving visitors access to the more remote — and scenic — areas of the park. Our Outdoorsman provided adequate ground clearance and solid four-wheel-drive capability as we navigated through the Queen Valley, past Skull Rock and around Sheep Pass campground. Since our vehicle came equipped with the electronic 4x4 transfer case, shifting from rear-wheel drive to high-range four-wheel drive was an easy turn of the dial.
It's worth noting that once the 4x4 high-range is engaged, the center differential in the transfer case is locked, so this mode should be engaged only on low-traction surfaces like gravel roads, snow-covered pavement or loose sand. Combined with the aggressive treads of the all-terrain tires and smooth ride from the rear-coil suspension, the Outdoorsman never came close to getting stuck or finding an obstacle it couldn't overcome.
Because of the great weather during on our trip, our only drivetrain changes were from two-wheel drive to high-range four-wheel drive. (But given how the weather can change in an instant, we were glad to have the extra gearing if we needed it.) We especially liked the well-sorted steering ratio that gave the Ram package a smooth and predictable feel whether on loose dirt roads, tight parking lots or higher-speed highway cruising. The steering ratios are perfectly matched for this type of vehicle.
We also liked the Outdoorsman's unique look, especially when compared with other late-model Rams on the road. The blacked-out grille, two-tone color scheme and the pronounced rear-quarter "Outdoorsman" stickers give the pickup a strong personality.
We really liked the RamBox option ($1,895, available only on 1500 Crew Cab models), which included several Mopar accessories specifically designed with this package in mind. These storage brackets install into each side of the RamBox's lockable storage units and provide a secure slot for your favorite rifles, shotguns, fishing rods, tools or whatever else you might want to store. These specially fitted brackets — Ram wants us to call them "holsters" — conveniently cradle your valuables securely with heavy-duty rubber retention straps. These "holsters" cost $205 per side and seem to make sense only if you regularly need them. For us, we used the non-holstered storage bin to hold most of our camping gear because the only shooting allowed in Joshua Tree National Park was with cameras. Now, if Mopar made a nifty holster for all the lenses and camera bodies we typically use, that could be interesting.
During our fuel economy testing, there were no surprises. Our 1500's 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 had cylinder-deactivating capability and gave us an average of 16.1 mpg to 18.1 mpg. The best mileage numbers were collected during no-traffic freeway runs, where we regularly got around 18 mpg as the engine cycled in and out of Eco mode. It seems strange that a tiny green light turning on and off on the information screen is supposed to catch your attention. It's too bad Ram doesn't make a bigger deal about this for the driver. The true potential here is how that information can change the way the driver drives. Ford does a better job here in both the F-150 and Super Dutys.
Beyond that minor grievance, we liked the rest of the Outdoorsman's interior, with its premium cloth 40/20/40-split front bench seat, 10-way adjustable driver's seat and plenty of rear storage with two floor-mounted cubbies, as well as two flat compartments under the rear seat. Also of note is the Ram's steering wheel, which now offers both front and rear fingertip controls on a leather-wrapped wheel. But probably our favorite feature on Outdoorsman package is the dash-mounted 115-volt power outlet plug and inverter (as long as it does not need a three-prong plug). This was especially handy for recharging our flashlight and camera batteries.
Much of our road test through Joshua Tree was done at night, to get far away from any city lights and see as many stars as possible. And as odd as it might sound, the Outdoorsman has a few interesting exterior lighting options that came in handy. For setting up camping gear in the dark and navigating around the campground, the center high-mounted bed light and the individual lights inside the RamBox compartments were a huge help, especially when loading and unloading the vehicle. We also appreciated the lighting mounted underneath the towing mirrors that spread tons of light on either side of our Ram and underneath the tires. And finally, after popping the hood to check on a faulty sensor, an engine-compartment light turned on. Thankfully, we didn't need to do any night repairs, but it's nice to know we could have if we needed to.
After a few hours in the dark, watching the softening sunset glow die off in the west, we counted hundreds of stars in the night sky. Unfortunately, a half-moon watched over us most of the night, providing a surprising amount of light, but that didn't seem to affect the number of stars we could see. In fact, with a relatively small amount of indirect LED lighting, we were able to capture numerous photos of the truck and stars in the sky.
It all seemed to make sense to us that we were out in the desert with a Ram Outdoorsman while looking into the night sky at one of the ultimate outdoorsmen of Greek mythology, Orion. The three stars that make up his belt were big and bright, looking almost as if we could grab it and toss it into one of the RamBox bins. In the end, we reused the bins for camping gear after breaking camp, with a pair of plugged-barrel rifles on the other side that Ram loaded for us for any photo purposes we might need. How thoughtful of them. Thankfully, none of the howling coyotes we heard through the night tried to attack.
We know some will say the Ram Outdoorsman is just a sticker package, without any real substantive assets you couldn't order off a factory checklist. Maybe there is some truth to that, but there is enough distinction and individuality to the package that will please those who tow and use their light- or heavy-duty trucks for serious recreation. Sure, the Outdoorsman could use a little more ground clearance up front, possibly a bigger tire, maybe even a few unique interior styling details (how about an Outdoorsman compass holder or special nav screen saver?) but the attempt here, along with the Tradesman and Adventurer, has us thinking Ram has a pretty clear idea about where it needs to be (and should be) headed. For us, we'll keep our fingers crossed for the Outdoorsman Power Wagon with the new high-output Cummins.
First Look: Next-Generation Chevrolet Colorado Show Truck
From: Mike Levine
Sent: Monday, March 21, 2011 10:12 AM
Subject: First Look: Next-Generation Chevrolet Colorado Show Truck
GM takes the covers off the Chevrolet Colorado Show Truck at the Bangkok International Auto Show in Thailand, and the rugged concept previews the next-generation Colorado midsize pickup that officially goes on sale in Thailand later this year -- and eventually will arrive in North America, our sources say.
The Colorado Show Truck is a body-on-frame, all-wheel drive extended cab that sports sleeker styling than the current 2004-2011 Colorado sold in the U.S., Asia and Australia. The front end shares a strong family resemblance with other recent bowtie-badged vehicles, like the Chevrolet Equinox and the upcoming Orlando. There's a two-tier grille with wraparound headlights, LED running lamps and a heat extractor on the hood. An aerodynamic "cab collar" ties the cab and bed together. Integrated steps in the cargo box make accessing the business end of the truck easy and for security and improved fuel economy there's a hard tonneau cover. Twenty-inch aluminum wheels are paired with Cooper 285/50R20 Zeon LTZ all-terrain tires.
Inside, the Colorado Show Truck features a twin cockpit design that's more stylish and sculpted than the Colorado's current, basic cabin. The instrument panel and dash flows into the doors and motorcycle-inspired three-dimensional gauges use ice blue lighting for sporty effect. Dark wood trim with chrome highlights provides an upscale feel with plenty of soft touch surfaces instead of hard plastic. There's also plenty of storage space and cubbies inside to keep items secure at night on the street or while bouncing around off-road. High tech features include a 7-inch flat screen displace for audio, navigation, hands-free phone and web access. There's also a dual-zone climate control system to keep the driver and front passenger comfortable.
"Although this is a show vehicle, the basic proportions and form convey the vision for the next-generation Colorado that we will bring to market," Brad Merkel, GM's Global Vehicle Line Executive said in a statement. "It reflects a stylized version of the new truck, one that takes into account rugged dependable truck capabilities for commercial use as well as sophisticated refinement for personal-use needs."
While the Colorado Show Truck provides a robust look at the production pickup's exterior and interior design direction, GM is keeping other key details under wraps. Chevy isn't saying much about the new Colorado's powertrain other than the concept has a 2.8-liter diesel.
Chevrolet spokesman Mike Albano told PickupTrucks.com that the inline four-cylinder compression ignition powerplant is all-new and was developed in-house by GM. Horsepower and torque ratings haven't been released.
"This is a show vehicle, so all of the technical data will be available closer to production stage," Albano said.
It's unlikely that a North American version of the Chevrolet Colorado would offer a diesel engine because of strict U.S. emissions regulations, even though there is demand from truck enthusiasts for a fuel efficient oil burner. With a gas engine for the U.S. and Canada and diesels overseas, it's possible that second-generation Colorado sales would exceed 100,000 units of production annually, exceeding worldwide sales goals for one of its major competitors, the recently introduced Volkswagen Amarok.
The Chevy Colorado will also compete other world trucks not available domestically, including the all-new global Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux, Mazda BT-50 and Mitsubishi Triton.
GM will also compete against a former manufacturing partner. The 2004-2011 Chevy Colorado was code-named GMT355 when it was co-developed with commercial truck and diesel engine manufacturer Isuzu. Isuzu sold the first-gen Colorado as the i-Series in the U.S. and as the D-Max in foreign markets until GM and Isuzu parted ways in 2008. The all-new Chevy Colorado, code-named GMI700, was developed in-house by GM while Isuzu is developing an all-new midsize D-Max for overseas markets that shares nothing with the Colorado.
Isuzu remains a minority partner in the production of Duramax diesel engines used in GM's Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Heavy Duty pickup trucks.
Why is Chevrolet unveiling the second-gen Colorado in Thailand? Globally, Thailand is the second biggest market for pickups, after the U.S. Last year, pickup truck sales were more than 40 percent of the Thailand's auto sales and midsize and compact trucks sold in Thailand outnumber those sold in the U.S.
"Thailand's 2010 [auto] industry volume ended at 800 thousand units [in 2010]," said Albano. "Trucks are about 57 percent or 454 thousand units."
The country is called the "Detroit of Asia" because strong government tax incentives encourage both manufacturing and sales of pickup trucks to the country's population of 65 million people. The Southeast Asian country also offers convenient access to more than 600 million people in that region.
Colorado production is expected to start by October and more details about its capabilities will be released later in the year.
What about the U.S.?
"We are not naming any specific markets outside of Thailand at this time, but we can say that this truck will be sold in several global markets," said Albano. "It will be the first truly global truck offering by GM. I can say, aside from Thailand we have plans to sell the truck in other key [Southeast Asian] markets like Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines."
We also expect the Colorado will be sold in Brazil under the S-10 badge.
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