Renewed Ram comparisons

With both Chevrolet Colorado and Ford F-150 boasting of their fuel economy— the latter without actually releasing it yet — Ram has done the footwork to provide comparisons of their mileage versus every competitor.

Of note, the Ram 1500 V6 is no longer the most efficient full-sized gasoline-powered pickup, though it is tied for best with the Chevrolet Silverado. The Ram 1500 diesel does retain the title of most efficient full or midsized pickup, arguably, with Tacoma coming in at the same rounded combined mileage (1 mpg better city, 3 mpg worse highway). Tacoma is smaller, and comes with a four cylinder engine coupled to a manual transmission.

The new Ford F-150’s gas mileage has yet to be revealed; the company has already said that it will be the highest-mileage F-150 ever,  but has not said it will be the best in the full size segment.

Ram wrote that their 1500 achieved strong mileage through its low drag (0.36 cD compared with mode of around 0.40, resulting in a gain of around 0.4 mpg on the highway); eight-speed automatic and parasitic loss prevention systems (around 2 mpg gain); and diesel engine (around 6 mpg gain). A Ram press release claimed that a 500 pound weight reduction results in around a 2% increase in fuel economy, or around 0.5 mpg.

Ford continues to enjoy a reputation for fuel economy, though F-150 is near the bottom of the class, ironically only beating a pair of Japanese trucks. The top two trucks in fuel economy come from two companies whose reputation among the general public is, also ironically, for inefficient powertrains: Chrysler/Ram and GM/Chevrolet.

As read on: http://www.allpar.com/news/index.php/2014/11/renewed-ram-comparisons

2015 Dodge Challenger V-6 8-Speed Automatic

With a turbo four-cylinder Ford Mustang now a real thing, we’re moved to reexamine the genre of the entry-level muscle car, long associated with secretarial pools and rental-car lots. Under discussion today: the V-6–powered Dodge Challenger SXT, sporting a new eight-speed transmission and a redesigned interior. Is it still more show than go?

It’s certainly still got “show.” For 2015, Dodge adds 1971 cues to the basic 1970 styling theme, including its split-port grille inserts and quad taillamp treatment. Other updates include headlamps with stern-looking LED halo rings and smoother front and rear fascias.

If the Challenger’s body changes only a little, an utter transformation occurs inside. Stylists placed a 1971 Challenger dashboard in the studio during the design process, and its influence can be found in the sweet, conical gauges with hidden needles and classic fonts. But, overall, this is a modern space, with strong forms, soft-touch panels, and real aluminum trim.

The 3.6-liter V-6 is unchanged, but the new ZF eight-speed automatic is a massive improvement, exploiting all of the engine’s 305 horsepower and 268 pound-feet of torque while helping to raise fuel economy from 18 mpg city/27 mpg highway to 19/30. Zero-to-60 acceleration drops a bit from 6.4 seconds to a respectable, if not-quite-muscle-car-worthy 6.2. The weighty Challenger trails its V-6–powered competitors by about a second.

So the eight-speed auto doesn’t bring much in the way of performance improvements, but it is a nice piece with smooth, decisive shifts and predictive downshifting in sport mode. Steering-wheel paddles come with the Super Track Pak option ($695), which also brings 20-inch wheels, a more buttoned-down suspension, revised steering, dual-piston front brake calipers around larger 13.6-inch front rotors, and Dodge Performance apps.

Hustling around Portland International Raceway, the SXT with the Super Track Pak could easily hang with the 485-hp Challenger SRT 392 in the kinkier sections thanks to communicative steering, Goodyear summer tires, strong brakes, and roughly 300 less pounds, most of them coming off the front axle. With the power­train settings in sport, the eight-speed always found the power band’s sweet spot, allowing us to simply leave it in drive and still post impressive lap times.

On the road, the V-6 proves competent and unobtrusive, though the handling never lets you forget that the Challenger is essentially a Charger sedan with a few less inches in the middle. Dive into a tight corner and the car lists at turn-in, finds its legs, then stabilizes with some throttle. The grip is there, but it drives big. Classic muscle-car stuff.

And yet, the Challenger SXT needs to be a bit quicker—and sound meaner—for us to consider it a true muscle car. That would help justify our loaded SXT Plus test car’s $37,255 price tag. But, especially with the Super Track Pak option, the V-6 Challenger is getting closer.

As read on: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2015-dodge-challenger-v-6-8-speed-test-review

Our 7th Annual Toys for Tots Drive is Going on Now!

We are excited to announce our 7th Annual Toys for Tots Drive has Begun!

Our last six years have all been a huge success and we have been able to donate MULTIPLE
TRUCK LOADS of Toys to kids in need! We are again collecting NEW, UNWRAPPED toys this year and are looking forward to another great year!

As our economy has changed over the past years families continue to stuggle to make ends meet. Now with the Holiday Season upon us there are additional expenses that just cannot be met. Toys for Tots makes it possible for families to still celebrate the little things with each other this time of year and we are proud to support such a great cause year after year!

Thank you to all our generous Community Members, Customers and Employee’s who help make our Toys for Tots Drive such a success year after year!!

PLEASE NOTE: Toys for Tots is always in need of gifts for 9 to 12 year olds, both boys and girls. Craft or hobby kits, makeup kits, electronics and CD’s, are always great choices!
(Please no stuffed animals as they can no longer be distributed because they can harbor germs.)

You may drop your unwrapped Toys off at ANY
Dick Scott Location:

Dick Scott Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram
684 W Ann Arbor Rd
Plymouth, MI 48170
(734) 451-2110
http://www.DickScottDodge.com

Dick Scott Nissan
42175 Michigan Avenue
Canton, MI 48188
(734) 495-1000
http://www.dickscottnissan.com

Dick Scott Motormall
3030 Fowlerville Rd
Fowlerville, MI 48836
(517) 223-3721
http://www.dickscottmotormall.com

Dick Scott Classic Motorcycles
36534 Plymouth Rd
Livonia, MI 48150
(734) 542-8000
http://www.dickscottclassicmotorcycles.com

Dick Scott Collision – Plymouth
1035 S Mill Street
Plymouth, MI 48170
734-451-2555
http://www.DickScottCollision.com

Dick Scott Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Pre-Owned Center
200 W Ann Arbor Rd
Plymouth, MI 48170
734-656-1166
http://www.DickScottUsedCars.com

Dick Scott Collision – Fowlerville
3030 Fowlerville Rd
Fowlerville, MI 48836
517-223-3721
http://www.DickScottCollision.com

Did you know? Obscure rules of the road…

I have had the great privilege of living in several of our country’s great states. And the even greater privilege of driving in many cities around the country – Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, and most recently Seattle, to name a few.

Typically, being cognizant of the “big” traffic rules (don’t text and drive, use the left lane for passing only, etc.), you can be fairly sure to remain out of the spotlight. There are some lesser-known laws, however, that while entertaining, could keep residents and non-residents alike on their toes.

For example, it is illegal to run out of gas in Youngstown, Ohio.

Using your vehicle on an Oregon highway to prove your physical endurance could result in a Class A traffic violation. The mere fact that someone felt the need to put this on the books puzzles me profusely. But just in CASE you were planning to compete against your vehicle in some sort of foot race, you may not want to do so in the state of Oregon.

If you need a taxi in New Mexico, you absolutely MUST hail them yourself. It is completely illegal for cab drivers to reach out and pull potential customers into vehicles.

In Alabama, it’s illegal to drive while blindfolded. Hmm. Who’d a thunk?

While residents of the great state of New Jersey are required to honk their horn prior to passing a fellow traveler, be wary of when and where you share a friendly “toot” in Arkansas. If you are near an establishment serving cold beverages or sandwiches and it is after 9 p.m., your quick little honk is illegal. And just a little bit north, when you cross the Missouri state line, it’s illegal to honk someone else’s horn.

In addition to the previously mentioned honking thing, keep smiling while driving through New Jersey. It’s against the law to frown at a police officer.

To register your vehicle in Texas, you absolutely must have windshield wipers. Whether or not you choose to have a windshield, however, is completely up to you.

Road ragers beware – in Rockville, Maryland it is illegal to swear from your vehicle. (Boy, do I know some folks who would be in trouble if they lived there!)

Animals are a particularly interesting topic when it comes to traffic laws. Just in case you were wondering, riding a camel on the highway in Nevada is against the law. And in order to protect livestock that may be wandering the Pennsylvania country roads, you must stop every mile to set off warning signals. The signals must then be followed by a 10-minute waiting period, allowing said livestock to clear the road.

In Utah, birds always have the right of way.

Make sure you have plenty of change when you tie your elephant, goat or alligator to a parking meter in Florida. You will be expected to feed the meter. (Wouldn’t you just love to be that parking enforcement officer?)

If I’ve missed your state here, rest assured it is not because the lawmakers of your state have failed to place some kind of equally bizarre statement in the rulebooks. I have simply exhausted my time for today.

So, until next time, safe driving. And remember, it’s illegal to play in the street in North Carolina.

As read on: http://chryslercapital.com/blog/did-you-know-obscure-rules-of-the-road?utm_source=Chrysler+Capital&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Obscure+rules&utm_campaign=CC-CUST-NEWS_BestofBlog_Nov%201%20B

2015 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Review

I fell into a common trap with the last few Jeep Wranglers I’ve tested by focusing on their continued refinement and improved on-road manners instead of their go-anywhere capability.

Not this time.

I’m not going to discuss the Wrangler’s wobbly steering, excessive wind noise or dive bar mechanical-bull-riding suspension. It’s time to take the Jeep where it’s meant to be: the mud.

When I told the folks at Jeep my plan, they asked me repeatedly to get it dirty. And instead of giving me an off-road special like the short-wheelbase Wrangler Rubicon, I got a long-wheelbase four-door 2015 Wrangler Unlimited Sahara to prove just how capable any Wrangler can be.

More spacious than a regular Wrangler, the monstrous Unlimited measures 173.4 inches in length, an increase of over 20 inches compared to the two-door model. Starting at a base price of $27,390 after destination charges the price jumps to $33,785 in Sahara trim. But my tester goes further.


After adding items like the Connectivity Group, Max Tow Package, heated front seats, automatic climate control, colored hardtop, Alpine sound system with navigation and a remote starter, the price jumped to $41,665. What do all these options have to do with off-roading? Not much, but it does make the Wrangler more comfortable when tackling the trails and the tow package does include shorter ratio 3.73 front and rear gears.

Starting Small


I had a seriously sketchy road in mind, but before I decide to start small and test the Wrangler’s basics before jumping knee-deep into the muck.

First I went bombing through a grassy field. That’s almost an insult to the Jeep because any vehicle could probably make it across, but not like this thing can.


There’s a difference between surviving an excursion and relishing it. Fields can look smooth and flat, but they rarely are. Hidden in the green ground covering are pits, bumps and rocks.

Most vehicles will make it across a big open field, but the ride is unpleasant as the car bump stops, bottoms out and crashes over uneven surfaces. The Wrangler just laughs it off. As I cruise at 30 MPH over a dry unmaintained field, the Jeep’s suspension delivers a smooth, controlled ride. In fact, the drive here is more pleasant than some of the surrounding broken pavement roads.
Time for a Workout

Next I took the Wrangler to a man-made moderate off-road course. Short in duration, the course is carved out of deep brush and is designed to test off-road prowess. First is a set of rollers set on a slight incline. Rollers are a series of metal tubes that freely roll within a frame. Think of them as industrialized versions of the bottle return rollers found at a local liquor stores or parcel rollers at shipping depots.

By placing both wheels from one side of the vehicle on these rollers, the side-to-side power distribution can be tested. If the vehicle lacks locking differentials or some form of a limited slip differential (LSD), the two wheels on the rollers will spin and the vehicle won’t move. My Sahara did not feature the optional rear LSD or the locking differentials found in the Rubicon and Willys Wheeler models.

But thanks to modern traction control systems, by using the Jeep’s brakes the Wrangler is able to send power to the wheels not on the rollers and advance forward. It’s not the best off-road setup by any means, but it works in a pinch.
Ground Clearance and Suspension Travel

Next on the trail is a series of logs and man-made dirt mounds set strategically to test ground clearance and suspension travel. With the largest mounds measuring just over eight inches high, the Wrangler Sahara’s 10.2-inch ground clearance is never really put to the test, but the suspension did get a thorough workout. The mound placement from side to side are perfectly located to try and upset the Jeep’s suspension. Although the Wrangler was bouncing around on the course, it never slipped a tire, hesitated or tried to bump steer off the course.
Putting it all Together

There is a road that I’ve been meaning to test for years, but I’ve never had the right vehicle to do it. It’s a dead-end with a posted warning that the surface is clay, the road is unmaintained and to use it at your own risk. Perfect.

I picked a day with steady rain that transformed the clay road into a greasy muck. Puddles are I can see puddles ahead, but have no idea how deep they are. Sliding the 4X4 transfer case into four-wheel high, I ease onto the throttle and begin. At best I’m a novice off-roader with minimal experience and little coaching. With a steady throttle at all times, I recall what I’ve been taught and react appropriately as the Wrangler slides back and forth through the goo.

I used all 10.2 inches of ground clearance at certain points because some of the ruts were roughly a foot deep. The Wrangler’s differentials dragged through the sludge as the Bridgestone Dueler A/T tires clawed for traction. Mud flew everywhere and the road behind me looked like dual backhoes dug trenches, but the Wrangler soldiered on. Best of all, the Jeep is ready and willing to do it again and again.

The Verdict

Even if the Wrangler is more civilized than it used to be and now features a 285 HP 3.6-liter V6 that is shared with a family sedan and a minivan, it’s still a purpose-built off-roader. Once you experience its go anywhere capability experienced, the urge to drive over everything is irresistible. Thankfully, it’s more than willing to oblige.

Read more at:http://www.autoguide.com/manufacturer/jeep/2015-jeep-wrangler-unlimited-review-4193.html