{"id":21739,"date":"2018-01-18T14:25:14","date_gmt":"2018-01-18T18:25:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=21739"},"modified":"2018-01-18T14:25:14","modified_gmt":"2018-01-18T18:25:14","slug":"low-gas-prices-and-big-spaces-draw-americans-to-trucks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2018\/01\/low-gas-prices-and-big-spaces-draw-americans-to-trucks","title":{"rendered":"Low gas prices and big spaces draw Americans to trucks"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/7746a4eba436b6a5a2a3044e6032499cedbc9cba\/c=90-0-1530-1080&amp;r=x404&amp;c=534x401\/local\/-\/media\/2018\/01\/17\/DetroitNews\/B99618758Z.1_20180117180211_000_GI21QQ9GO.1-0.jpg\" alt=\"Chevy-Silverado-HighCountry\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div><p class=\"speakable-p-1 p-text\">Trucks are Detroit\u2019s secret weapon. With low gas prices and big spaces, Americans bought nearly 3 million large and mid-size trucks last year. King F-series, with upper trims pushing $80,000, led the way with nearly 900,000 in sales. Cover the rear box and call \u2019em Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators, and the pickup foundations pull in even more money as mega-utes. Toyota\u2019s Tacoma had the midsize market all to itself until Honda (Ridgeline), Chevy (Colorado) and GMC (Canyon) rediscovered it. Now here comes Ford with a reinvented, mid-size Ranger. Keep on truckin\u2019, America.<\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable-p-2 p-text\"><strong>Chevy Silverado<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><strong>What it is:<\/strong>\u00a0Chevy\u2019s long-awaited response to rival Ford\u2019s turbo-V-6, all-aluminum F-150 is bigger, V-8-driven &#8230; and made of steel. Well, the bed and chassis, anyway. Doors, hood and tailgate are aluminum \u2014 part of mixed-metals approach that puts the Chevy on a 450-pound diet, tipping the scales as lightest in class. The Silverado gets a more-sculpted exterior, bigger interior, three more trims (eight total) and a 3.0-liter, diesel V-6 for its six-engine lineup.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><strong>Payne\u2019s take:<\/strong>\u00a0Expect more anti-aluminum bed TV commercials! Speculation ran rampant after F-150\u2019s revolutionary conversion to aluminum skin that others would follow suit to meet federal mpg standards. Nope. Silverado doubles down on roll-formed, high-strength steel for its biggest-in-class bed. Silverado also out-geeks the F-150 with a segment-first remote-controlled, auto-drop tailgate. One thing the two titans do share \u2014 a co-developed, 10-speed transmission.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><strong>Ram 1500<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-Qk6tXwpN9Aw\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/cb03a16151ad4776542cfa0ed0d18902f291c856\/c=110-0-1890-1335&amp;r=x408&amp;c=540x405\/local\/-\/media\/2018\/01\/17\/DetroitNews\/B99618758Z.1_20180117183255_000_GSR1QQ8O6.1-0.jpg\" alt=\"NAIAS media preview FCA\" width=\"540\" height=\"405\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/media\/2018\/01\/17\/DetroitNews\/B99618758Z.1_20180117183255_000_GSR1QQ8O6.1-0.jpg\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/4044b1e7645488621f157de466cf1a990870caa2\/r=500x333\/local\/-\/media\/2018\/01\/17\/DetroitNews\/B99618758Z.1_20180117183255_000_GSR1QQ8O6.1-0.jpg\" \/><\/aside>\n<\/div><div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><strong>What it is:<\/strong>\u00a0The last visage of Dodge is scrubbed away as the Ram\u2019s grille ditches the signature cross-hair grille. In its place is a more SUV-like grille that integrates the air intake and headlights. Remade from the ground up, the 1500 light-duty retains Ram\u2019s smooth-riding coil-spring rear suspension and side-bed storage bins \u2014 but adds a mild-hybrid, 48-volt battery-system to assist its V-6 and V-8 engine options for better torque (read towing) and fuel efficiency. Inside, RAM augments its best-in-class Uconnect infotainment system with a Tesla-like 12-inch touchscreen.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><strong>Payne\u2019s take:<\/strong>\u00a0Ram has been a style leader in pickups, and the new 1500 forgoes the giant grilles of its competitors for a sleeker look aimed at more efficient aerodynamics. That efficiency runs throughout the truck as the Ram loses 225 pounds (like Silverado, it keeps its steel bed) and adds battery-assist for its engines \u2014 a development also seen on Ram\u2019s corporate cousin, the Jeep Wrangler. Love the big touchscreen \u2014 alas, it\u2019s only an option on the upscale trims.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><strong>Ford F-150 diesel<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-Qk6tXwpds-0\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/d4bac3b4059130181266d0ca288f2ef739005715\/c=406-0-6955-4912&amp;r=x408&amp;c=540x405\/local\/-\/media\/2018\/01\/17\/DetroitNews\/B99618758Z.1_20180117180211_000_GUU1QQ9IJ.1-0.jpg\" alt=\"F-150 Diesel 2\" width=\"540\" height=\"405\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/media\/2018\/01\/17\/DetroitNews\/B99618758Z.1_20180117180211_000_GUU1QQ9IJ.1-0.jpg\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/4044b1e7645488621f157de466cf1a990870caa2\/r=500x333\/local\/-\/media\/2018\/01\/17\/DetroitNews\/B99618758Z.1_20180117180211_000_GUU1QQ9IJ.1-0.jpg\" \/><\/aside>\n<\/div><div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><strong>What it is:\u00a0<\/strong>An oil-burner will be under the F-150\u2019s hood for the first time (Power Stroke diesels have long been a staple of the heavy-duty F-series trucks). The 3.0-liter V-6 comes out of the box with a bigger torque number than the rival Ram diesel (440 pound-feet vs. 420) and will also try and best its rival\u2019s 27-mpg fuel-economy number. Available only in top trims \u2014 Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum \u2014 the diesel will come with at least a $3,000 upcharge.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><strong>Payne\u2019s take:<\/strong>\u00a0The diesel\u2019s grunt and fuel efficiency are worth the engine\u2019s price premium if towing is your thing \u2014 and Ford has long boasted best-in-class towing stats. With Chevy also introducing a diesel into its 2019 Silverado, the Big Three pickups will go head-to-head for stump-pulling supremacy. Ford\u2019s engine is shared with Land Rover and made in England.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><strong>Ford Ranger<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-Qk6tXwolPZE\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/6bb5454d6379e20e09bc0b096b448a73bac2c05d\/c=196-0-3203-2255&amp;r=x408&amp;c=540x405\/local\/-\/media\/2018\/01\/17\/DetroitNews\/B99618758Z.1_20180117183110_000_GSR1QQ8VK.1-0.jpg\" alt=\"2018-0114-rb-ford267\" width=\"540\" height=\"405\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/media\/2018\/01\/17\/DetroitNews\/B99618758Z.1_20180117183110_000_GSR1QQ8VK.1-0.jpg\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/fdd627ebc8544ee42d5b69e375024d827f82f90c\/r=500x331\/local\/-\/media\/2018\/01\/17\/DetroitNews\/B99618758Z.1_20180117183110_000_GSR1QQ8VK.1-0.jpg\" \/><\/aside>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><strong>What it is:<\/strong>\u00a0The Ranger will return to the market as a 2019 model after an eight-year hiatus. The pickup continued to be a top-seller internationally, but the Ranger platform had to be significantly upgraded to meet U.S. crash standards and customer expectations. Such as? A class-exclusive, frame-mounted bumper and 10-speed transmission (mated to same 2.3-liter turbo-4 found in the Mustang). More toughness is available in the FX-4 trim with steel bash-plates and electronic locking differential for serious off-roading.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><strong>Payne\u2019s take:<\/strong>\u00a0Ford comes late to the mid-size market after it bet big on the all-aluminum F-150 to satisfy U.S. fuel economy rules. Ford must play catch-up in the red hot mid-size pickup segment to rivals Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon and will bring tech touches like blind-spot alert system with trailer coverage. Ford\u2019s betting plenty of urban dwellers want a smaller pickup for weekend getaways and the F-150 Jr. should get their attention.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trucks are Detroit\u2019s secret weapon. With low gas prices and big spaces, Americans bought nearly 3 million large and mid-size trucks last year. King F-series, with upper trims pushing $80,000, led the way with nearly 900,000 in sales. Cover the rear box and call \u2019em Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators, and the pickup foundations pull [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21739"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21739"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21739\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21740,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21739\/revisions\/21740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}