Refreshed 2024 Jeep Gladiator Hitting Dealerships Now

2024 Jeep® Gladiator Mojave X (left) and 2024 Jeep® Gladiator Rubicon X

Production of the refreshed 2024 Jeep Gladiator pickup began earlier this month;  the first Trail Rated pickups with the new-ish face and new interior tech are reaching dealerships around the country now. According to a contact within the brand, the 2024 Gladiator is “starting to trickle” to dealerships, so your local Jeep store may not … Read more

Jeep defrosters and many competitors’ recalls

2024 Jeep Wrangler Willys

The 2022-24 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2021-24 Jeep Wrangler are being recalled for broken defrosters/defoggers. Around 200,000 vehicles sold in the US, and others sold elsewhere, have software errors which can prevent the defroster/defogger from running, in recall 24V111000. The software upgrade has to be done by the dealer.Software updates were also the subject of … Read more

Hydrogen cars took a hit this week

cummins propane-diesel-hydrogen engines

While truck stops continue to install hydrogen facilities for future fuel-cell and adapted-Cummins-diesel big rigs, regular hydrogen cars in the US were dealt a heavy blow as Shell stopped selling the gas in its California stations. Only seven stations were affected, but these are seven out of a mere 59 stations in the entire country.Ram … Read more

2025 Ram 1500 Limited Night Edition: Sporty Look, Premium Power

2025 Ram 1500 Limited Night Edition

Earlier this week, I traveled to Austin, Texas to drive the 2025 Ram 1500 lineup. We cannot share any driving impressions until next week, but we can share images. We saw the 2025 Ram 1500 in a wide variety of trim levels—the Tradesman, Big Horn/Long Horn, Laramie, Limited Longhorn, Limited, Tungsten, and Rebel, with differing options among the trim levels. One of the trucks was a Limited with the Night Edition package, the first time we have seen this on the 2025 model year trucks.

Honda had a bad recall week; Mopar had none

2022 Chevrolet Silverado

Honda is going to be having a rough time replacing airbags, as a wide variety of Acuras and Hondas are being recalled because the airbag may deploy unintentionally during a class. The recall covers 2020-22 cars including the Acura MDX, RDX, and TLX; and the Honda Accord, Civic, CR-V, Fit, HR-V, Insight, Odyssey, Passport, Pilot, … Read more

Muscle-bound: Can Dodge and Ram jettison the Hemi and live?

Dodge Challenger Demon 170

For three decades—since the Viper—Dodge has increasingly conjured images of fire-breathing Hellcats, tire-shredding Demons, and rumbling Hemi V8s that could soundtrack an earthquake. It’s a brand built on brawn—on excess, not dependability (a word Dodge invented), safety, value, or efficiency. Yet, data shows time after time that dependability, safety, value, and efficiency are the biggest … Read more

Ram 1500 “premium controversy” is a nothing-burger

Hurricane Twin Turbo 510 Engine

Recently, another site came out with criticism that the 2025 Ram 1500’s high output Hurricane six will require premium fuel. This was their second headline; originally they didn’t mention that it was only the high output engine requiring premium. This was followed by predictable comments from readers of gloom, doom, and the inferiority of new engines.There … Read more

Chrysler Halcyon Concept Showcases High-Tech Future Plans

Chrysler Halcyon Concept

Over the past few weeks, Chrysler’s social media channels have been sharing teaser images; today the full story has been revealed. The new vehicle is the Chrysler Halcyon concept, created to showcase futuristic technology under development from advanced self-driving to a glass augmented-reality ceiling.No model year has been given to the Chrysler Halcyon concept, but … Read more

Chrysler parent adds to EV parts production

Ram and Jeep Electric Drive Module

Stellantis, parent company of the former Chrysler, is adding to its production of electric drive modules (EDMs) due to increasing in battery-electric vehicle (BEV) sales.The expansion will be in Szentgotthard, Hungary, with production starting in late 2026. The drive modules are also being made in Kokomo, Indiana, and Tremery-Metz, France while Mirafiori, Italy will be increasing production … Read more

Electric Mopars to use new J3400 connector; charging network named

2025 Dodge Charger Daytona ”spy shot” (reveal)

Stellantis was the final member of the former Big Three to announce its use of the SAE J3400 connector for high-speed charging. This connector essentially uses the physical form of Tesla’s design with the protocols of the Combined Charging System (CCS). Drivers will presumably be able to use Tesla chargers as well as those from other makers, including Ionna, the new charging network announced by six major global automakers. Ionna, whose name and chief executive were just released last week, plans to have 30,000 high-rate charging points in North America by 2030. 

Two Mopar marques fare well in JD Power Dependability (Toyota, GM on top)

2024 J.D. Power dependability study

The good news: Two Mopar marques were rated as above average in the J.D. Power 2024 Dependability Study, which looks at problems per vehicle after three years of ownership. It is a better test of quality than the initial quality study, which only looks at around 90 days and is more heavily influenced by dealer and factory preparation.

The bad news: Chrysler was the absolute worst brand on the list, coming in even below Land Rover and Tesla; though the study covers the first year of the Pacifica PHEV, which had a rough launch. Ram came in below average, but still beat fellow truck sellers GMC and Ford.

We all missed Chrysler’s centennial

1924 Chrysler car

A century ago, Chrysler officially launched its first car, the Model B-70. It had an advanced, high-compression straight six engine boasting 68-70 horsepower, depending on the source; only one American car had a higher top speed than the Chrysler B-70’s 70 mph, and that was a luxurious straight-eight Packard. … There are still nearly eleven months for Stellantis to acknowledge the centennial of Chrysler as a marque, but it’s too late to celebrate its actual production start date on time.

Chrysler concept car hint, with small-print text

2024 chrysler concept car

Chrysler posted a hint as to their next concept car, due to be revealed on February 13, 2024, with one cryptic word barely visible—indeed, not recognizable as lettering until the image is lightened considerably and blown up. Chrysler, which currently has just one vehicle, a minivan, on sale, will be revealing two more teaser images before showing the full concept car, as well.

BurgerCuda: Plymouth touring the country for McDonald’s

Burgercuda front (Barracuda)

McDonald’s made a brave choice when they adopted a Plymouth Barracuda, rather than the default choice of a Mustang, for the Hamburglar to drive across America.

The relatively rare Barracuda, with a Shaker hood and cheeseburger-themed spare tire, was worked over by Sean Smith Designs much more tastefully than most custom jobs. As a getaway car, it’s probably not quite as useful as a Plymouth Road Runner would have been, but it’s also far more muscular-looking than a Mustang.