Abbotsford News Thursday, October 31, 2013 A23

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A big part of the RAM brand success has been built on the sturdy and macho exterior styling. ZACK SPENCER

Rounding up and riding the RAM range2014 RAM Roundup

The full-size truck market is big busi-ness 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 advance-ments. I drove the 2014 RAM model range recently, on a beautiful fall day, just outside of Toronto. The “RAM Round-up” 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 and macho exterior styling. Front and centre is a grille that was enlarged, but better integrated, for the 2013 model year. Depending on the trim the grille finish can be chrome, painted or with a different insert. This feature is one RAM owners love so, in this case, larger

is better. Behind the grille are “active shutters” that close at higher speeds to help send the wind around the vehicle to improve aerodynamic efficiency. The same idea was also behind the longer side step, which helps reduce buffeting down the side of the trucks. One option that I find fascinating, and would seriously consider, is the $1500 air suspension that can be lowered for easier entry into the RAM or loading into the bed. Plus this system auto-matically lowers over 100km/h to also reduce aerodynamic drag. At lower speeds and for off-road duties, the air suspension can be raised for better ground clearance. Having had a chance to drive several RAM trucks with this feature I notice the already smooth ride is even better and the cabin is further insulated from vibration.

Inside In the past trucks were typi-cally used for work. Today, trucks have grown in popularity because they can be rugged on a work site and luxurious for all occupants. Having driven the Ford and new GM trucks recently, I can easily say that RAM still has the lead in interior design and finish with the Chevrolet and GMC right behind. (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 infor-mation readouts. The dash and seats can be trimmed in leather typically found in luxury cars not long ago.

Drive The biggest change for 2014 includes the first diesel engine found in a light duty 1500 pickup truck. This is an Ital-ian designed engine that has 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 automat-ic 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 competi-tive 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 that 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 dieselPrice range: $19,995-$36,495 base prices. The diesel option adds around $4,500

zack.spencer@drivewaybc.ca

Find more online at

drivewayBC.ca

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.

QuestionOF 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 cardFeel free to post a photo if you have one.‘‘It takes dynamite

to get a loyal truck owner to change brands but RAM has done a good job of blasting the competition.’’Zack Spencer

…they can be rugged on a work site and

luxurious for all occupants.

Visit the RAM trucks photo gallery at drivewayBC.ca

drivewayBC.ca | Welcome to the driver’s seat

A24 Abbotsford News Thursday, October 31, 2013

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What women want while car shopping

driveway

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 – per-haps 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 con-sidered 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.

PRICEBudgets 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 navigatio-

package or premium sound system wasn’t a must-have.

WARRANTIESAdditional 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.

‘‘Looks are great but it is the safety features women are after.’’Alexandra Straub

SAFETYLooks 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 vehi-cles) were high on the priority list.

INTERIOR CAPACITYCargo volume is subjective in the sense where not everyone needs asmuch as the other. But when it was in the top three of “needs” sometimes thinking outside of the box was necessary.Sacrificing looks for functional-

ity, 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.

CAR BUYING COMFORTThe 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. No matter how good the product, if there’s discomfort or pressure in the buying process, can sour the sale. 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 I worked with all had wonderful experiences.Ladies, if you’re looking at buying a new vehicle and would like some suggestions/assistance, email me and you could be featured in Driveway.Include your name, your name, email address best to be reached, a little bit about yourself, what you’re looking for and in what price range you need to work.

alexandra.straub@drivewaybc.ca

Shooting for the perfect drive

driveway

Ross Bentley coaching upcoming young US racer Colin Braun.

on Sunday, the repeated reference to his perfect race reminded me of another open-wheel racer.Back in the early 1990s, Vancouver Indy racer Ross Bentley strived for what he called the ‘Perfect Drive’, not on the track but on the roads

of B.C.Ross, now coaching race drivers and street drivers in Washington state, always told me that he found the racetrack a safer place to drive. On the track he pretty much knew what other drivers were going to do, whereas drivers on the street were very unpredictable.And I was reminded of that the other morning when a young driver whizzed by me in the curb lane, then cut in front and crossed two more lanes to turn left at an inter-section just a block ahead. Of course, he didn’t signal when he got there either!Ross devised a little game that he played every day while travelling to and from work across town. The Perfect Drive Concept was designed to help drivers concentrate and I can’t help it would a great game for us all to play some 20 years on from when he first outlined the idea to me.“The idea is to drive smooth-ly at a constant speed with minimal braking,” explains Ross, who tells me he still tries to achieve the Perfect Drive daily.“To do so, you must antici-pate light changes and ease off when you approach a stale green. You have to slow in such a way that if your passengers had their eyes closed they wouldn’t be aware of the exact point you stopped.”Keeping a healthy distance between your car and the one you are following is key. Others do cut into the space but they disappear as fast as they arrive. And even if you ease off to open up the gap again, Ross figured if even 10 cars did that to you and stayed during the average trip you might lose a minute in travel time.“The Perfect Drive can be

‘‘The Perfect Drive Concept was designed to help drivers concentrate.’’Keith Morgan

continued on page 27

I keep hearing TV F1 com-mentary teams talking about the perfect race in relation to the now four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel.As I watched the German driver for Infiniti-Red Bull race team take the chequered flag in India

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ruined by others so I try to figure out what crazy things they might do and adjust accordingly. If I have to brake jerkily in anticipation of the other driver’s move, I don’t deduct any points!”However, if you hold up traffic or disrupt the flow then you deduct points. “The Perfect Drive can be different for everybody and you can work out your own scoring technique. I keep it simple and figure if I drop four points then that was nowhere near the Perfect Drive.I love his final comment: “Oh, and if you drop a point halfway through, you don’t give up and drive the rest of the way like a jerk.”Give it a try, it’s fun.

keith.morgan@drivewaybc.caTwitter.com/ChangeGears

continued from page 26

Mean MowerHonda’s ‘Mean Mower’ is set for a special appearance next week in front of 60,000 trade visitors at the world’s premier automotive speciality trade show, SEMA in Las Vegas.

The 1000cc, 109hp lawn tractor will appear on Honda’s stand within the Las Vegas Convention Centre alongside the 2014 Civic coupe, which makes its world debut at the show, as well as an array of personalised Honda cars and motorcycles.Commissioned by Honda (UK) and built by its British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) partner, Team Dynamics, Mean Mower is set-up and geared to achieve a top speed of 133mph, weighing just 140kgm, producing 96Nm of torque and an incredible power-to-weight ratio of 532bhp/tonne. The project saw Team Dynamics re-engineer a Honda HF2620 Lawn Tractor from the ground-up, adding a cus-tom-made fabricated chassis, a 1000cc engine from a Hon-da VTR Firestorm, a bespoke suspension and wheels from an ATV. It features a custom-made paddle shift six-speed gear system, a bespoke sports seat, a Scorpion exhaust system and a steering rack taken from a Morris Minor.Every effort has been made to retain as much of the look of the original mower as possible. The cutter deck was custom-made in fi bre-glass, to reduce weight, while, in a stroke of pure genius, the grass bag provides a happy home for the fuel tank, a high capacity oil cooler and a secondary water cooling radiator. Mean Mower can also still cut grass, at up to 25 km/h, thanks to two electric motors on the cutter deck, spinning 3 mm steel cutting cable at an incredi-ble 4,000rpm.

kmorgan@blackpress.ca

Don’t drive like a jerk

driveway