choose – All about car

2019 Laramie Longhorn 4×4 Crew CabDerek McNaughton Many parents before me, and many parents to come, will make the trip the one where mom and dad pack up son or daughter and ferry him or her off to university, setting the kid up in an overpriced student hovel where, the hope is, these young adults become self sufficient enough to soar on their own. And for a lot of parents, that journey involves a long drive.Last year, we made this very trip from Ottawa to Halifax in an F-150 diesel, discovering the joys of great fuel economy that underlined the value of a diesel underhood, even if it does initially cost more to option a pickup with diesel. This year, having just driven Ram’s new EcoDiesel in the 2020 Ram 1500, it seemed obvious to compare Rams diesel with Fords on our same (and final) odyssey from Ottawa to Halifax and back this year, a distance of roughly 3,000 kilometres to drop the young lad at school.But because the new EcoDiesel is only now coming to market, the diesel was not yet available, so instead we chose to see how much different a long trip like this would be with a gasoline engine designed around fuel efficiency. With Ram promising a 10 per-cent improvement on its 5.7-litre Hemi, and bragging it has the most efficient gasoline V8 in the segment, could a gasoline engine equipped with eTorque, aero mode and cylinder deactivation come remotely close to its EcoDiesel alternative? If so, which engine would be the better choice when buying a new Ram, the EcoDiesel or the Hemi? The truck that FCA supplied was no regular Ram 1500. This was a 2019 Laramie Longhorn 44 Crew Cab equipped with air suspension, 12-inch uconnect system, drivers assistance package, 22-inch wheels, Ramboxes, panoramic roof along, 124-litre tank and a bunch of other options to sticker at $86,500 before fees. In other words, about as loaded as they come, and, yes, expensive, but in line with the many other expensive trucks from Ford and GM. And to be sure, the truck was stunning to look at, positively gorgeous inside, an utterly pleasing and rewarding truck to drive in so many ways (the glitchy navigation system notwithstanding.)So how thirsty was the eTorque gas engine? From full, the range to empty on the big tank (a $445 option) showed 956 km to empty pretty close to the roughly 1,000 km usually afforded by a diesel. On the trip out to Halifax from Ottawa, with a payload of about 400 kilograms consisting of my sons life possessions, including a big, fold-out couch, and with a constant speed ranging from 120 km/h to 125 km/h through New Brunswick and Nova Scotia where the speed limit is a more sensible 110 km/h, we averaged 10.9 to 12.9 L/100 km over 1,459 kilometres that took 13.5 hours to complete. On the way back, without a payload and one less person, we scored 11.6 over the 12 hours and 54 minutes it took to travel 1,451 kilometres. The onboard computer for the entire 3,023-kilometre trip registered 11.5.The diesel certainly costs more up front, but it brings more torque. Last year, in Fords F-150 diesel, we averaged 9.9 L/100 kilometres over the course of that same long, east coast trip to Dalhousie. Rams new EcoDiesel is not yet rated, but promises to be better than the last generation engine that averaged 8.8 L/100 km highway and 10.8 overall.That, therefore, makes the 5.7-litre Hemi only 1.6 L/100 km worse in fuel consumption over the Ford diesel, and 2.7 L/100 km poorer over the old Ram EcoDiesel, but likely to be 3.0 L worse off when the rating becomes official for the new EcoDiesel engine with 480 pound-feet of torque.Thats a fuel margin far closer than we thought possible in a gasoline V8 with 395 horsepower and 410 lb.-ft. of torque. Had we stuck closer to 100 km/h, the results would have been even better, closer to the diesel. Score one for the Hemi. Both there and back, we only stopped once for fuel, with a final fuel bill from full-on-departure to full-on-return totalling $478. Gasoline ranged from $1.11 to $1.20 / litre (but diesel was about 10 cents a litre more in Ontario, and on par in Halifax). In the diesel last year, we spent $450 (with diesel ranging from $1.21 to $1.39 per litre back then.) The Hemis Eco mode, which shuts down four cylinders when all eight are not required, definitely helped to make some of the gains, with Eco able to maintain operation even at 110-120 km/h, as long as the road was flat. The trucks aero mode also helped, lowering the truck slightly via the air suspension to improve aerodynamics. Eco mode does give off a strange exhaust note when the engine is forced to run on half of its cylinders, however, and makes the 5.7 Hemi feel far less smooth when its operating, partly because in normal mode, the 5.7 is fabulously silky. Noise cancelling features have been added to eliminate the gruffness of the four-cylinder Eco mode, but some coarseness is still detectable when the switch occurs, especially so when windows are open. Eco can, however, be
Origin: Hemi V8 or Ecodiesel? Which Ram 1500 engine should you choose?

It’s funny how some car buyers just want something that is funky-looking and on-trend, when really all they need is a hard-working hatchback. Here’s what Ryan said to me: “Hey James, I’m looking for a small and cheap motor to run between local schools for my sports coaching company. I’ve looked at a Smart car and a Toyota iQ. Could you recommend any?” Well, the Smart is quite an old bit of kit now and the Toyota iQ is no longer with us but that doesn’t make them bad choices. The Smart is well proven and the Toyota is a Toyota, so it won’t break down. Both are small and neither is that cheap, although a tidy 2003 Fortwo Passion with 50k miles is around a grand and a proper warranted iQ from 2009 is £2500. That’s not too bad, but if you’re using a small car for work, it can turn out to be not that practical – especially a minimally booted Smart. That’s why an old-school shopping hatch is always going to be a better idea. The Ford Ka won’t be around for that much longer, but I rather like them. I was surprised that a pre-Aston grille example from 2009 is just over £1000. The mileage was 100k, but it had service stamps and was at a dealer, so they had a responsibility if anything was awry. For that money, it would be a three-door 1.2 Zetec. Ryan might find he wants a couple more doors, so let’s think Kia Picanto. They’re mostly privately owned and well looked after. Picantos have tiny wheels and do look a bit toy-town, but a 2004 1.1 SE with lots of MOT and a fresh service for £700 is pretty good going. It would do a spectacular job and keep Ryan running for a year without a worry, proper cheap motoring and high-50s economy. At this point, Ryan came back to me. The Ka seemed to fit his criteria pretty closely and I had mentioned the Toyota Aygo in passing, but he was unaware of the badge engineering which also created the Citroën C1 and Peugeot 107. A 2008 1.0, for instance, is £20 road tax and, with 100,000 miles showing, costs £750. So that’s a contender. Ryan, though, had his head turned by a Volkswagen Up. More style over substance? I like them, but Ryan would struggle to get very much below £3000 and he would be dodging insurance write-offs to do it. But if he wants to Up his budget, then by all means do it. New small cars are going out of fashion, but used ones will be around for some time to come yet. It’s the continuing beauty of buying used. What we almost bought this week Once we’d mastered the name and sampled the eager motor and kart-like handling, the Sporting won a place in our heart. This 1996 car with 36,000 miles, full history and one former keeper brings it all back. It’s just £2295. Best feature? The sporty red seatbelts. Tales from Ruppert’s garage The immediate follow-up to last week’s fat-pin-in-tyre crisis: the Michelin Fit2Go tyre checker said the pressure was dropping fast, and a tyre specialist condemned the rubber. Given that the car belongs to Miss Ruppert, it’s up to her to do the shopping around. She found a 205/55 R16 19W Michelin Energy Saver to match the rest for £76 fitted. At times like these, a good old-fashioned space saver would really help, and my daughter wasn’t keen on using a tin of tyre gunge. The garage, though, took the car in a day early. Reader’s ride Skoda Fabia vRS: Here is part two of Nick’s inspiring tale, which began last week with his Peugeot 206 banger. “My colleague’s granny bought a Skoda Fabia vRS diesel new in 2004 and then passed it on a couple of years back. It’s done 99,000 miles with full history but it isn’t perfect: the bushes need replacing, the fuel cap doesn’t clip shut, the radio maintains a poor grasp on a signal and the bonnet is sun-bleached. But I’m now stopping at the pumps once every seven days rather than every four. It cost me £700 with no increase on my insurance. I put a fresh MOT on the Peugeot 206 and sold it – for £700. I’d call that a free upgrade!” Readers’ questions Question: I’ve seen a oneowner, 2015 BMW i3 Range Extender with 77k miles for £12,950. It would be my first EV. Does it sound like a good buy? Don Shelby, Bristol Answer: The range extender version is no longer made so used ones are sought after. You can expect up to 180 miles of range from the car compared with 100 miles max from the regular i3. If the batteries have always been topped up and the extender never used, the 650cc motor occasionally cuts in to keep itself fresh. Its servicing is condition-based and should be recorded on the key fob. However, the motor was subject to recalls, so check they were actioned. All being well, it sounds good. John Evans Question: I’m planning a driving trip after October, but how will Brexit affect my EU driving entitlement? Simon Fisher, via email Answer: It’s all still a bit uncertain but there’s nothing like being prepared so get an international driving permit, find that old GB sticker in your garage and pack the car’s V5 along with your motor insurance green
Origin: James Ruppert: with small cars, choose substance over style