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Expectations are a powerful thing. A company can make money and its stock will fall if they aren’t met. Expectations have been running high in the Car and Driver office for the electrified Ram 1500 REV ever since Ram CEO Mike Koval got our attention back in 2021 when he made promises about the electric version of the regular half-ton Ram that was then on the way. At the time, Koval announced that although the brand’s EV truck would arrive after the competition, it wouldn’t follow in their footsteps. He claimed a 2024 launch date would be an advantage, allowing Ram to benchmark the EV pickups from Ford and General Motors. Fast forward to last month at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), where we were wowed by the Ram 1500 Revolution BEV concept and our expectations for the production truck rose even higher.The LetdownA month later, while watching the Super Bowl, an innuendo-stuffed ad teased the real Ram 1500 REV and offered several laugh-out-loud moments. However, when we finally got a good look at the production model, we let out a collective “What the?”Admittedly, we don’t have all the technical details, but the most striking part is how little the REV resembles the concept and how much it looks like the current gas-fed model. Now no one expected the production version of the Ram EV to be as wild as the concept. We all know they’re just that, conceptualizations. So the show truck’s exaggerated proportions, pillarless coach doors, and even its electrochromic glass roof weren’t features we expected to reach customers. Obviously, most of this wasn’t making it to production. Michael SimariWhat we did hope for was that the innovative and useful features on the concept might make it to production—the folding midgate to extend the pickup bed into the cabin, for example. The original Chevy Avalanche had a midgate, for Pete’s sake, a feature that will return on the upcoming Chevy Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV. Opening the bed to the cabin also gave Ram’s concept a pass-through to allow long narrow objects to slot through the truck’s cabin and into the front trunk. That appears to have been ditched. Eliminating the concept’s midgate means the intriguing third-row jump seats integrated into it are also missing. As far as the interior, it doesn’t draw too many complaints because Rams have attractive cabins with top-notch materials, but it’s essentially the same design as its gasoline counterparts with the exception of the display for the front-seat passenger, just like the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. That’s neat, but it doesn’t break the mold.Take AdvantageIt’s not just the concept that fueled our dreams for an EV Ram pickup. Ram is late, but the lateness doesn’t appear to have created any competitive advantage or driven any big innovation. Again, range, power, and other specifications remain unknown—prove us wrong, Ram—but converting the gas-powered version into an EV is exactly what Ford has done with its F-150 Lightning. Back in 2021, Koval claimed the electric Ram 1500 would deliver 500 miles of driving range. He also said it would “redefine the full-size segment” and surpass rivals, suggesting it’d exceed the Lightning’s 10,000-pound towing capacity. If the production truck hits those lofty marks, it’ll be enough to beat Ford and GM. Currently, the Lightning has an EPA-rated range as high as 320 miles, the GMC Hummer EV tops out at 329 miles, and GM is targeting up to 400 miles per charge with the electric Silverado and Sierra. However, neither GM truck is on the market yet. Ram’s 500 miles on a single charge would make it a segment leader, if not at the top of the EV class.But that number is likely going to come thanks to a confirmed range-extending version with a gasoline engine. A range extender (as the name implies) will also help raise the battery’s range while towing. Ram’s REV might be able to go farther than pure EV pickups, but a plug-in hybrid isn’t the same thing as a battery electric vehicle (BEV).The Road to Becoming RealWant to tow with an EV pickup? We can think of better things to do, but we’ll talk about towing capacity anyway. The Rivian R1T leads the segment with its up to 11,000-pound rating, more than any other electric pickup. Stay tuned if Ram will be able to beat that bogey, which is what Koval alluded to. Based on how one-upmanship traditionally works in the pickup-truck wars, though, expect the Ram 1500 REV to barely edge its rivals rather than bound over them. A 10,500-pound (or 11,500-pound) max tow rating seems attainable, but it would only make the REV best in class by a thin margin. There’s Still Hope Other than offering a gas-fueled range extender, the production version of the Ram 1500 REV isn’t the game changer we thought it would be.Of course, there’s still hope that the truck will satisfy expectations. More details are coming, and it’s possible a bunch of innovative features aren’t obvious in the handful of photos we’ve seen so far. However, from the looks of it—with the exception of a plug-in-hybrid version—Ram’s EV isn’t a big step forward in tech and design. Mostly, we blame the concept for writing a check the production truck appears unable to cash.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

Over the past year, a number of family-friendly three-row SUVs have picked up major revisions, reinvigorating a hotly contested segment and offering more versatility and creature comfort than ever before. The Honda Pilot, Mazda CX-90, Nissan Pathfinder, and Toyota Grand Highlander all bring something important to the table, so let’s break these SUVs down across a few categories and see how they stack up against one another.A bit of housekeeping before we start: We’ll skip over off-road-oriented models for this comparison, which means we won’t be looking at the Honda Pilot TrailSport, or the Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek, as there are no Mazda or Toyota analogues (yet) to compare them to. Also, the Toyota Grand Highlander is the most recent reveal of the group and thus features the fewest raw numbers.ExteriorBeauty is in the eye of the beholder, and we’re not here to judge your aesthetic, so we’ll focus on the facts. The Grand Highlander is the longest SUV of the group, coming in at 201.4 inches, just ahead of the CX-90 at 200.8, and the Pathfinder plays caboose at 197.7. The Mazda is the wheelbase champ at 122.8 inches, about six inches longer than the Grand Highlander. The Pilot is the tallest of the four at 71.0 inches, while the Mazda keeps it compact at 68.2. Ground-clearance fanatics will dig the CX-90’s 8.0-inch figure, besting the Honda and Nissan by about an inch. All the Details and SpecsInteriorSadly, the Mazda CX-90’s girthy dimensions do not translate to an abundance of cargo space. In fact, the Mazda is the least capacious of this collective, offering just 14.9 cubic feet behind the third row, 40.0 behind the second, and 74.2 with the second and third rows folded down. Its 30.4 inches of third-row legroom is more than the Pathfinder can muster, but the Pilot offers more. The Grand Highlander is the undisputed legroom and cargo king, though, with a whopping 33.5 inches of third-row legroom, 20.6 cubic feet of storage behind the third row and 97.5 cubes with two rows folded. Seven- and eight-passenger configurations are available on all four models.Engine and TransmissionHonda and Nissan keep it simple here, with the Pilot and Pathfinder offering just a single engine. Both utilize a 3.5-liter V6, although Honda’s is marginally more powerful, making 285 horsepower against the Nissan’s 284. The Pilot wields a standard 10-speed automatic transmission, and the Pathfinder makes do with a nine-speed. 2024 Mazda CX-90.Jessica Lynn Walker|Car and DriverThings are a little more complex in the CX-90. Mazda’s lineup offers three powertrain flavors. A 3.3-liter inline-six produces 280 horsepower and 332 pound-feet in Turbo guise, while Turbo S models bump those numbers up to 340 and 369, respectively. There’s also a plug-in hybrid getup that mates a 2.4-liter inline-four to a pair of electric motors to produce 323 horsepower and 369 pound-feet. All three tiers bolt to an eight-speed automatic.2024 Toyota Grand Highlander.Car and DriverToyota hasn’t divulged all the Grand Highlander’s powertrain specs yet, but there’s still plenty to talk about. The gas-only option pairs a 265-hp turbocharged 2.4-liter inline-four to an eight-speed automatic. The 243-hp hybrid uses a 2.5-liter inline-four and a continuously variable automatic transmission. At the top of the lineup is the Hybrid Max, which we believe is the same setup as the Crown’s Hybrid Max trim, pairing a turbocharged 2.4-liter inline-4 with electric motors to produce 362 horsepower and 400 pound-feet, which is sent through a six-speed automatic.Honda offers front- and all-wheel drive on all except the top two trims, which are exclusively AWD. Nissan offers FWD and AWD across its entire Pathfinder lineup. FWD and AWD are offered on the Grand Highlander’s gas and hybrid offerings, while the Hybrid Max is AWD by default. AWD is standard on every CX-90.All the Details and Specs, Cont’dMPG and TowingBased on all currently available information, the Honda Pilot appears to be the least fuel-efficient SUV of this group, achieving an EPA-estimated 19 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined with front-wheel drive (AWD models lose 2 mpg highway and 1 mpg combined). In its thriftiest form, the Pathfinder sneaks ahead of the Honda with 21 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, and 23 mpg combined. Both 3.3-liter Mazdas come out on top at an EPA-estimated 23 or 24 mpg city, 28 mpg highway, and 25 mpg combined. CX-90 PHEV variants have yet to receive official EPA figures. The only Grand Highlander figure we have is Toyota’s own 34-mpg combined estimate for the hybrid; gas and Hybrid Max models have a big, fat “TBA” next to ’em.For maximum tow rating, the Pathfinder stands ahead of the crowd at 6000 pounds. The other three SUVs top out at 5000.2022 Nissan Pathfinder.NissanStandard FeaturesThrow enough money at most SUVs, and you’ll end up with nearly the same equipment, whether it’s ventilated second-row seats, third-row USB ports, panoramic sunroofs, or auto-dimming mirrors. Base-trim standard equipment is arguably more important, because it shows what the skinflint buyers can get their hands on. And with new-car prices on the rise, it’s important for budget-conscious buyers to not feel like they’re only allowed to drive rolling penalty boxes.The Grand Highlander has the highest level of standard equipment of this group, which shouldn’t come as a surprise, because its base model is technically a mid-level trim in the Toyotaverse. Standard equipment includes a 12.3-inch infotainment display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, seven USB ports, heated front seats, blind-spot monitoring, and a suite of active and passive safety systems that includes full-speed adaptive cruise control, traffic-sign recognition, and a trick active distance control that can gently brake the car as needed.2023 Honda Pilot.HondaThe CX-90 has the second largest standard display at 10.3 inches, with the Pathfinder behind it at 8.0 inches; the Pilot plays caboose with its paltry 7.0-incher. All three vehicles include four USB ports, with one Type-C port on the Pilot and two on the Pathfinder. This triumvirate includes heated seats, but they aren’t standard. The CX-90 and Pathfinder have standard blind-spot monitoring, and the Pathfinder kicks it up an extra notch with standard rear parking sensors. While all the cars on this list carry suites of driver aids, the Pathfinder is the only model that doesn’t offer adaptive cruise control on its base trim.PriceWhen it comes to base price, the $36,295 Pathfinder is the value king; the Pilot’s base LX model is $1000 more expensive, and the CX-90 starts at a hair over $40,000. We expect the Grand Highlander to start around $43,000, since its base XLE trim is a mid-tier getup on other Toyota SUVs. The Pathfinder tops out at $51,165, while the Pilot reaches its ceiling at $53,375, and we expect a top-trim Grand Highlander to land somewhere around $56,000. Opting for the most expensive CX-90 may cause some wallet shock, with a 3.3 Turbo S Premium Plus maxing out at an eye-watering $61,325.More Details More

Presidents Day car specials may seem like a recent idea, but they actually date back more than a century.The holiday weekend deals used to be bigger, but the pandemic and production shortages have meant few to no incentives.Although the marketplace is in a period of flux, you can expect Presidents Day weekend deals to be few and far between on a national scale.Long ago, on gloomy February days with the roads a mess, car salespeople in Massachusetts would chain-smoke and complain how few customers came into their showrooms during the coldest, shortest month of the year. But they knew the year’s first holiday weekend would drum up business when there wasn’t any. Their plan: plaster the airwaves and newspapers with car specials exclusively on Presidents Day weekend. For all the revolutionary history steeped into the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, pasting George Washington’s face next to an Oldsmobile and handing out Boston Creams and balloons was a signature moment.”February was a good time to buy a car and a mattress,” said John Paul, AAA Northeast’s “Car Doctor.” “The salespeople were staring at each other playing cards. They said, ‘Let’s make an event.’ ” Comparison ShopHistory, at least how The Boston Globe wrote it in a 1958 obituary on Alvan T. Fuller, attributed the idea of Presidents Day car specials to the Massachusetts governor and Packard dealer. As far back as the early 1900s, Fuller’s tactics of balloons, live bands, and personal invitations turned his dealerships into parties and parties into sales. Decades on, dealers ran an “advertising blitz” across newspapers, radio and television in the frenzy of Black Friday, according to Todd Merriam, a partner at accounting firm Withum. And since you’re reading this on a phone or a 4K monitor, you well know that newspapers, radio, and television aren’t where you look for car listings in 2023.”It used to be the start of the spring sales season,” said Merriam, who works closely with dozens of auto dealerships across New England. “The days of old where manufacturers had to offer deep incentives this time of year, now they don’t have to.”No Steals Are Likely This Year . . . Unfortunately, it’s unlikely you’ll find steals to be had this Presidents Day weekend in a new car market that just ended its worst sales year since 2012. According to Automotive News, car sales didn’t even crack 13.9 million. Dried-up inventories, shipping delays, and parts shortages have dragged the auto industry since the pandemic began. Consumers got caught in the low supply curve and succumbed to paying sticker or accepting four- and five-figure markups on popular models. Dealers, to no one’s surprise, are churning record per-car profits on new and used vehicles. There’ll be no end in sight—and no significant deals—until global car production resumes to pre-pandemic levels.Related Story. . . But a Small Incentive Is Still PossibleUnlike past years, automakers aren’t backing their dealers with the attractive financing and leasing deals that made the weekend famous. For example, Ford dealers in New England are advertising Presidents Day as an enticement to come in, but without the big discounts, Merriam said. Chrysler is running a national campaign, but there’s nothing of note from Honda, Hyundai, and other major brands. Nissan has been very aggressive with cheap 18-month leases on a couple models, but cash on the hood is a rare find. According to data from Automotive News, Ford is offering up to $3000 off last year’s Edge. Audi is happy to take off $1500 on a new Q5, and even Toyota is feeling frisky with its ever-popular Tacoma, which has up to $1000 in rebates. But with the bulk of the lowest factory interest rates between 3 and 7 percent, it’s not exactly cheap to buy. Leasing can be even less of a deal as automakers have restricted customers from trading their leases to non-franchised dealers so they can’t benefit from the equity of the used car market. As such, Certified Pre-Owned cars are more expensive and much older than they were a few years ago.Still, the best universal advice is to shop for models that sit on lots for a while or at least won’t disappear the moment they back off the delivery truck. Keep your eye on 2022 models or unusual specs that many buyers wouldn’t want, look for interest-rate offers on your favored brand, and be prepared on Presidents Day and every day this year to compromise. Plus, you never know with the economy; next year could be a whole different story.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More