We were focused fully on covering the new 2025 Ram 1500 RHO yesterday, so we didn’t mention that the company had another announcement for the half-ton lineup with the introduction of the Rebel X. For the 2025 model year, the off-road-ready Rebel package turns 10 years old, so to celebrate the trim level’s first decade, … Read more
The first quarter was a real winner for General Motors, but the story was mixed for Ford, which had higher revenue but a 24% drop in profits, largely due to its commercial vehicle unit. Total adjusted earnings before interest and taxes was $2.8 billion.The EV unit, which is still in a capital-expenses, development-costs mode with … Read more
This morning, all of the information on the 2025 Ram 1500 RHO was released and while we will take a look at the specifics, here are the key points. The new Ram RHO is not a replacement for the Ram 1500 TRX but rather, a direct competitor to the V6-powered Ford F150 Raptor. When compared … Read more
Following a controversy over sharing customer data with third parties, GM announced in March that it would stop sharing location and other information with two data brokers. Many were skeptical of GM’s announcement, partly because it was quite specific about dropping LexisNexis and Verisk, which meant the company could simply switch to other brokers….
Stellantis appears to have adopted a strategy of keeping list prices on its cars high, but offering large discounts to clear out cars when sales lag. There are some advantages to this strategy…
Over the course of the past two weeks, the Ram brand has been sharing short videos on social media teasing a new truck that is set to debut on April 25. Frankly, we know what it is and are not allowed to talk about it just yet, but these short teaser videos should at least … Read more
General Motors had a high profit for the first quarter—enough to raise its guidance for the full year. While other executives were blaming unions, greens, global issues, and so on (and playing the M&A game), GM CEO Mary Barra seemed to have been taking care of business…
According to original reporting by Automotive News, Stellantis has cut 199 jobs from the Sterling Heights plant that makes the Ram 1500. The article cited a company statement crediting “ongoing operational reviews” and predicting “indefinite layoffs across [our] U.S. footprint over the coming months.”The cuts come shortly after CEO Carlos Tavares was given a hefty … Read more
Ford had two recalls this week—one because the battery can lose so much power the engine stops working, without the computer noticing (2021-24 Bronco Sport, 2022-23 Maverick); and one because it stuck the wrong labels into 2024 Mavericks. Neither was as embarrassing as Tesla’s problem with the rubber brake coverings slipping off the stainless steel … Read more
Yesterday, Dodge introduced the Complete Performance Vehicle Protection Package for buyers who want to pay more up front to avoid having to deal with any of the most common headaches of vehicle ownership. This elaborate warranty program is offered through the Mopar Vehicle Protection Plan Program and it starts by adding 6 years/75,000 miles of … Read more
The Jeep Wagoneer may be a high-end, full-size truck, but its main competition remains the big Ford, GM, and Toyota wagons. The class leader remains the Chevy/GMC Tahoe, Suburban, and Yukon/Yukon XL, which have dominated full size SUV sales since, well, the original “SJ” Wagoneer was still in production. The GM SUVs are not just stalwarts due to age or old reputation; they have remained quite reliable and durable through the past decades, with no major failures and gaffes. Beating them is likely impossible—it would take help from GM, which GM is not likely to give. Sales of these in Q1 2024 were…
FCA Canada, the Stellantis North American “Great White North” division, is showing off its cars at the upcoming Montréal Electric Vehicle Show after FCA US skipped attending the rather larger New York Auto Show. The reasons become clear after reading through the press release.
Chrysler sold 33,114 minivans in the first quarter of 2024—up quite a bit from its 28,910 sales in Q1 2023. But how does that compare across the industry?
The Honda Odyssey, which was briefly the sales champ despite fast-grenading transmissions, lost some ground, dropping from 19,902 to 17,393 sales.
Automotive News reported in an exclusive story that Wrangler and Gladiator production was temporarily stopped as Kamax refused to ship fasteners until they got an inflation adjustment to their prices. Since Kanax failed to have inflation adjustments in their contract, Stellantis was able to get a judge to order them to keep sending parts. The … Read more
When the modern Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer were introduced for the 2022 model year, a Hemi V8 was standard in all versions of both big SUVs. When the 2023 model year came out, the 5.7L Hemi was only available in the base trim Wagoneer while Series 1, 2 and 3 all coming standard with … Read more
Stellantis did not have any U.S. recalls last week, but Ford entered yet another fire-risk recall on the 2022 Escape and the related 2022-23 Bronco Sport. A cracked fuel injector may leak and cause a fire in these vehicles, when equipped with 1.5 liter engines. The “solution” is to add a leak detection system and … Read more
