The all-new 2019 RAM 1500 was released at the NAIAS (North American International Auto Show) January 15. The redesigned pickup truck which will be assembled in Michigan will be available in dealerships later this year. So What does it have?
Photo: FCA
There aren’t too many diesel SUV offerings from domestic brands at the moment. Diesel’s are becoming more popular in smaller vehicles such as the half-ton trucks and compact trucks. No surprises it’s rolling down the line to the SUV’s. New for 2018 is the diesel-powered GMC Terrain. The second generation of the Terrain gets the all-new 1.6 liter turbocharged DOHC diesel engine.
2018 GMC Terrain
There isn’t much difference at all in fuel economy between the front wheel drive (FWD) model and the all-wheel-drive diesel models (AWD). The GMC Terrain 1.6 L diesel FWD gets an EPA fuel economy rating of 28 mpg in the city and 39 mpg on the highway. The AWD version gets an estimated 28 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway. That is 10 miles per gallon more than the AWD 1.5 L turbo gas engined Terrain. The vehicle can run on B20 bio-diesel fuel.
The diesel Terrain is not available in all of the trim levels offered with the gas engine. It is currently available in the middle two trims which are the SLE and SLT. Both trim levels are available in FWD and AWD.
The SLE trim level included standard features such as heated front seats, power liftgate, power driver seat, dual-zone climate and remote start. Auto stop-start is also a fuel saving feature included. HID headlamps for brighter illumination, and active aero shutters. The shutters open and close to assist aerodynamics, which also aids in better fuel consumption.
2018 All-New GMC Terrain SLT Interior Photo: GMC Media
The higher of the two trim levels has leather seats, a heated steering wheel, memory driver’s seat and exterior mirrors as well as a universal home remote. The SLT has an 8″ Infotainment screen as opposed to the 7″ in the SLE. A 6-way power passenger seat with lumbar is also standard. A Bose® sound system is available as an upgrade as well as HD radio. On the outside, the SLT has fog lamps, heated body-colored exterior mirrors and 18″ aluminum wheels with grey accents.
New on the redesigned Terrain is a button shift transmission. This allows for more space in the center console.
Photo: GMC Media
The turbo diesel Terrain is available in showrooms now starting at $34,335 MSRP for the SLE in AWD. The SLT diesel in AWD starts at $36,910 MSRP.
For more information on the new Terrain, you can contact the Fremont GMC dealership in Riverton, WY or call 307 240-3110
Photo: Ford Media
America’s best selling vehicle and Motor Trend ‘Truck of the year‘, the Ford F-150 pickup gets a little makeover for 2018. The biggest news aside from the styling differences though is the addition of new engines, one of which is diesel. The diesel engine that’s coming as an option for the half-ton truck will be available to order December 2017 with shipment arriving in dealerships around April 2018. A new gas engine is also available, a 3.3-liter Ti-VCT V63. All engines will have Auto Start-Stop technology ie. the engine will shut off when the vehicle is stopped at traffic lights or in traffic. Speaking of engines, the second generation 2.7 liter twin turbo EcoBoost engine will now have advanced dual port and direct-injection.
Still available will be the 3.5 liter EcoBoost engine and the 5.0 V-8 engine which now has spray-on bore liner technology. 10-Speed SelecShift® automatic transmission (with selectable drive modes) is still available except with the 3.3L engine.
The entire model range of the 2018 F-150 gets new bumpers (steel) front an back, new grilles, lighting, tailgate outer, wheels, and appliques.
Adaptive Cruise Control now available with stop and go function. Pre-Collision Assist and Pedestrian Detection also now available.
Standard safety features include;
The 2018 F-150 gets material and color changes for the seats, instrument panel and console trim on the XLT Sport, XLT Special Edition, Lariat, King Ranch, Platinum and the Limited (top of the line). The King Ranch changes to Kingsville (dark and light brown), the Platinum to Dark Marsala (brownish red). The Limited gets Navy Pier interior.
B&O PLAY® premium audio system now available. SYNC® Connect is available on XLT and Lariat models as an option and standard on King Ranch, Platinum and Limited models which includes a Wi-Fi hotspot (connect up to 10 devices).
Photo: Ford Media
Aside from all the new features for 2018, the F-150 already has some pretty great tech. The SyncPass smartphone app lets you start your truck remotely (from your phone), lock and unlock doors, check fuel levels and more. Aluminum body for lightweight strength, best in class towing and payload. A fully flat loading floor in the back of the cab. Heated and vented seats are available depending on trim levels. Power outlets in the front and back capable of charging laptops and power tools. If you tow a lot then the trailer package is a must. Using a knob you can direct the trailer easier as the truck assists and the 360° camera should make it even easier. Not only is there blind spot monitoring for the pickup, but there’s blin monitoring for the trailer also available.
Apple CarPlay Demo Ford Edge by Justin Mancini, Sheridan, WY
Ford F-350 Wins ‘Best 2017 One-Ton Pickup- Was it a Fair Test
For more information, contact your Ford dealer.
Record low temperatures were set over the Christmas break in Wyoming. Let’s face it, nobody really loves getting in a vehicle that’s frozen over, unless you’re maybe a snow queen. Reader Juliet, from central Wyoming, asked us, “how do I get my car to heat up faster”. A valid question that can have controversial answers. Juliet drives a 2010 GMC Acadia which has remote start.
Driving with frozen feet is probably not recommended so how do we get heat faster?
If you have an auto setting in your climate control, set your temperature to the hottest and your good to go. Otherwise, the quickest way to get hot air from your vents is;
Yes, that may seem backward but that’s how a cars heating/cooling system works. Then, after driving for a bit, turn it to hot and turn on the fan. It’ll get hotter faster this way, than if you were to get in and turn it to hot with fans on full. For more info on how the system check out this link.
Remote start such as on the vehicles key fob or through a smartphone app will let you start your vehicle from inside. The vehicle will run for around 10 minutes before automatically shutting off (unless you get in the vehicle before that). The time it runs for may vary depending on the manufacturer or remote start system that is fitted to your vehicle. Some vehicle remote start systems (such as in RAM trucks) even automatically turn on the drivers heated seat and heated steering wheel if the temperature is below 40°F.
How to remote start a Fiat, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM
If your vehicle is parked in a garage, don’t forget to open the garage door before remote starting to avoid deadly carbon monoxide poisoning.
Whilst remote start will help a little….
With advances in technology and synthetic oil, modern vehicles usually only need about 30 seconds to warm up (without damaging the engine). Modern diesel vehicles will give a signal when the glow plug light on the dash goes out it’s good to start. Some push button diesel vehicles will display a message telling you that pre-heating is in progress. It will then start automatically when ready or via remote start.
Truck plugged into block heater Photo: tuchodi (Flickr)
Don’t have a block heater fitter? These can be purchased aftermarket or from your local dealer. They range in price from about $45 to a few hundred. There are block heaters that warm the engine oil and block heaters that warm the coolant. So you can plug your vehicle in overnight or have it set on a timer. This means you can start warming up the engine a few hours before you plan to leave. There are even thermal heat blankets available for engine bays too!
Thawing your windshield faster by parking facing east. You could also use an external windshield cover that makes it easy to remove snow. This means you can be on your way sooner. Driving your car will heat it up faster than idling will.
According to to the EPA, Rawlins Municipal Code, Section 10.03.070:
“The person owning or in charge of a vehicle shall have five minutes from the time of the police arrival to shut off or move the vehicle. A misdemeanor citation may be issued after that. No vehicle, even attended, shall remain idling while parked for more than 20 minutes”.
If you find yourself on a rig site with a heavy-duty diesel pickup, you may also be required to shut off your truck, unless it has a certified clean idle sticker.
Do you have any other tips for warming up a vehicle? Let us know or comment below.
Upton, Chad. “Warm Your Car Up Faster.” Broken Secrets, 25 Feb. 2010
Compilation of State, County, and Local Anti-Idling Regulations. Transportation and Regional Programs Division, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2006,
You really hope that you’ll never have to contact 9-1-1 emergency services, but accidents happen and it happened to me.
The ASSIST and 9-1-1 button on the rear view mirror
In modern vehicles, you’ll likely have noticed some buttons either on the rearview mirror, on the roof or through the infotainment screen. General Motors vehicles such as Chevrolet, Buick’s, GMC’s, and Cadillac’s it’ll be OnStar buttons. On Ford’s it’s called 911 Assist and is through the SYNC system. In Fiat, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM’s it’ll be through Uconnect and the buttons will say ASSIST and 9-1-1 or SOS. Pushing the 9-1-1 button will connect you to emergency services dispatch. With the UConnect system, after the button is pushed there is a 10-second delay in case the button is pushed by accident it allows the user to quickly cancel before being connected. However, if you need help just stay on the line and that’s what I did.
It was late in the evening and I was with my friend in the mountains of Wyoming. We were only about 40 miles away from Casper, however, we were in some rugged backcountry territory. It’s early evening and we decide to hike into the ridges to look for some deer.
As we start walking in, my friend turns to me and she says, “so we know there is a bear in here, but it’s a black bear and normally runs away”. My heart suddenly skipped a beat and with shaky hands, I used a monocular (she used her camera’s zoom lens to check out some dark spots feeding in the distance). A sigh of relief as we realize they are just cows.
We continued our search for pretty photographs of the sunset and some deer.
The sun is down and it’s getting dark so we hike back to the truck. Disappointed we didn’t see any deer, we get in the pickup, start heading home and making plans for another trip.
We’re driving along the dirt road and my friend says, “take it easy on these sections, it’s pretty steep”. I have my foot gently keeping pressure on the brake as we begin to descend.
Just as the hill starts to flatten out, I feel a jerking on the steering wheel, I apply the brakes, but much to my surprise, there wasn’t any brakes. All I got was a heavy vibration on the brake pedal, but I keep trying anyway until I was able to jam my foot on the emergency brake.
Figuring I’d probably gotten a flat tire when I eventually came to a stop, I got out and looked. I look at the back wheel and there’s the hub…sitting on the dirt road cutting into the sand and gravel. I look up the hill, and there shining in the red tail lights of the pickup is the wheel.
The wheel had fallen completely off!
Upon closer inspection of the hub, I noticed that one of the studs has sheared. It’s broken apart and sitting flush with the hub. The rest of the studs were not so round anymore, putting another wheel on was probably not going to be a viable option. We were at least 10 miles from a paved road.
We both checked our cell phones, and lone behold, no service.
Knowing that the truck was around a year old and UConnect provides a years worth of services I thought I’d try the ASSIST button. Was the service still active? A message comes up on the 8.4″ Nav screen, the subscription was inactive, log on to Uconnect to activate. I’d have loved to have done that at that moment, however, no service makes it tricky.
Our options were narrowed. Get out and walk in the dark and hope we get cell service on top of a hill, or try the 9-1-1 button.
It did work even when we didn’t have cell service.
I pushed the 9-1-1 button on the rearview mirror, waited the 10 seconds and was greeted by a dispatcher. She asked my location to which I could not answer, other than the middle of nowhere, near Casper, Wyoming. I then asked her if she could use the GPS coordinates from the truck to find my location. She was able to bring them right up.
Another sigh of relief followed by me thinking, “wow, this is a cool feature and I’m so glad my truck has it”. She was able to get the Sheriff out to us so we could make contact with someone to come rescue us. Also really cool, is that using the trucks system, the Sheriff was able to call us back and let us know he was on the way.
Roadside Assistance is provided on Mopar vehicles from new usually for the length of manufacturer warranty term. If we had had signal, I could have pressed the ASSIST button and FCA would have organized a tow truck to be sent out. Because we didn’t have signal though I arranged this the next day. The service was impeccable. I received text message updates with ETA’s and everything went smoothly. The truck was towed to the nearest dealer, Fremont Motors in Casper. Roadside assistance offers features such as fuel delivery, flat tire changes, towing, and lockouts. Coverage varies depending on the vehicle and year.
The following links will let you know what kind of roadside assistance is offered by brand;
To check out coverage on Fiat, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM’s, click here.
To check out coverage on Ford’s click here.
Coverage on Lincoln’s can be found here.
Toyota roadside assistance is here.
For Chevrolet, Buick and GMC roadside assistance click here.
Volkswagen coverage info is here.
Used vehicles purchased from Fremont Motors have roadside assistance for 1 year from the date of purchase, click here for more info.
Thankfully no-one was hurt during this, and I did ponder as to whether we should use 9-1-1. Even though no one was hurt, the situation had the potential to turn nasty.
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