Star Tribunes Loves the 2013 Ram 1500

The 2013 Ram 1500 is wasting no time in getting fans behind it. One such fan, a reviewer for the Star Tribune, took the truck for a drive and had plenty of things to love about it.

The opening of the review begins with the advancements that are going into the next generation of trucks, Ram’s included. Fuel economy is a subject on everyone’s lips of late with regards to the economy and rising gas prices. Thanks to new forms of lightweight materials and tech being introduced, pickups are about to see better bang for the buck on gas. The 2013 Ram 1500 is part of that new trend, having excellent fuel economy with the 3.6 Liter V6 engine.

The writer put the truck through the motions by taking it on a trip from Tennessee to Detroit. “The optional air suspension absorbed bumps and kept it securely planted on the highway and curving mountain roads. The steering is responsive, with good on-center feel.”

The interior is said to be very roomy with good seats and plenty of storage. For the dash-board, a dash mounted rotary dial is in the place of the shifter and this makes it so the Ram has more storage space in the center console. This dial is easy to use and very compact, similar in design to what Jaguar uses in their luxury cars.

It’s very clear that in the time he spent with the Ram, he turned into a believer into what the new Ram means. It’s “the first V-6 powered full size pickup that doesn’t sneer “cheapskate” every time you start the engine.”

You can go online and schedule yourself a test drive in a Ram vehicle at Bayside Chrysler Jeep Dodge. The full Ram line-up is available for viewing on Bayside’s online Show-Room. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more Ram news.

Ram Trucks Start September in a Big Way

The month has certainly started out with good news for the Ram brand. To start with, August was another win for the industry, especially where Chrysler is concerned. Their numbers went up, much higher than what was originally expected. The August figures show a 14 percent increase in sales. That makes the question, what helped drive those numbers up?

Ram is a great place to look for the answer, the Ram had the best August they have ever had for the first time in five years. That’s more than 148,000 trucks moved. It’s expected that big discounts helped spur the sales and that many business and drivers are finding themselves with the need to replace old work trucks.

Following that news, Ram also announced the Warren Truck plant has started production of 2013 Ram 1500. The new Ram 1500 has the same basic design that was launched back in 2009 but has many new features. One is a stronger frame along with a new electronics design layout. The best is a new, powerful V-6 that destroys the competition in gas mileage. The Warren Truck plant has been in charge of making trucks since 1938.

Get yourself involved in all the excitement that Ram is experiencing by contacting Bayside Chrysler Jeep Dodge for a test drive. View all the Ram line-up online on the Bayside showroom. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more Ram news.

Ram Wants to Hear Your Stories of Glory

Ram is a brand that is all about excellence, going above and beyond for our customers every day. We work to make our trucks powerful, safer, and more comfortable, and we love to recognize others who go above and beyond. The RAMActs asked our customers to share their stories of random acts of manliness, and with our new Stories of Glory contest, we want to shine the light on unsung sports heroes. (And reward them with some great prizes too!)

“Stories of Glory” are any inspiring sports stories of yourself, your child, or someone you know. They can be the story of a high school coach who changed your life or your child’s first home run. To have your story considered, go to http://blog.ramtrucks.com/stories-of-glory/ and in 800 characters or less, tell your story. You can also include video or pictures if they are available, but they are not required. One winner will receive an all-expense-paid trip to Connecticut and will be interviewed on The Dan Patrick Show. Three runner-ups and thirty-one sweepstakes winners will receive swag bags from The Dan Patrick Show and Ram.

Do you have a Story of Glory to share? The deadline is August 21, so make sure you get in your entry soon! Also, check out the full Ram line-up online here, and keep up with the latest Ram news by liking Bayside on Facebook, following Bayside on Twitter, and subscribing to Bayside on YouTube.

Zac Brown Band Joins Road to Ram Jam

Ram is bring a winning combination in fusing country music and Ram trucks in their “Road to the Ram Jam” concert at the end of the year. Officially joining the ranks along with Kellie Pickler, Brantley Gilbert, Easton Corbin, is the Zac Brown Band.

The Road to Ram Jam is a concert that Ram is putting on that will have 5 of today’s top country music artists. The event will also give fans the chance to win multiple prizes, one of which includes a trip for two to the invitation-only 2012 Ram Jam concert scheduled for December 29th in Nashville, Tenn to see all the artists perform. Other prizes are gifts ranging from collectible posters, vinyl records, and free music downloads. Fans who want to try their luck at winning any of the prizes, including the grand one of getting into the concert, can head over to www.RamTrucks.com/RoadtoRamJam or go on the Ram Trucks Facebook page to enter.

The final artist will be announced sometime in August. All five artists will be given lease on a 2012 Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn truck. The trucks will then be auctioned off in 2013 and the proceeds will be going towards a charity that the artist choose. The proceeds from Zac Brown Band’s will be given to Camp Southern Ground, a passion project of Zac Brown. He donated the 500-acre property to have a camp opened to help children ages 7-17 who have typical and special needs.

Bayside Chrysler Jeep Dodge has the full line-up available online for all Ram Trucks. Be sure to also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to see news as it happens.

Cummins Preparing Next Generation Engine?

Change seems to be coming for the engine inside of Ram trucks.

According to Pickuptrucks.com, Ram is rumored to be introducing a new generation of Cummins turbo-diesel engine for their 2014 models. In order to deal with the emission regulations, the engine maker may be looking to no longer use the metal catalyst strategy of the past. Instead, they could be using urea-injection technology.

EPA regulations are different for commercial chassis-cab trucks. That means the Ram 3500, 4500, and the 5500 already have a diesel exhaust fluid to take care of the nitrous oxide emissions. The HD trucks that Ram has, the 2500 HD and the 3500 HD have the problem that the current catalytic-converter like filters they use is that the price is increasing.

The article states they believe the reason why Cummins is steering away from the the precious metal catalyst is due to such a steep increase in cost and that switching to another technology could help lower costs. That and with the emissions regulations starting to get stricter meaning that new ideas need to happen so Ram trucks meet them. Everything right now is still mainly speculation, but it definitely seems like a good idea to fix a problem that is coming soon. Only time will tell how close this prediction is.

Bayside has the full Ram truck line-up online at their Showroom. Make sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to be the first to know what announcements that Ram has.

Ram Considering the Future of Mid-Sized Trucks?

The sales numbers are out for the month of June and they have a very interesting story to tell. It’s a continuing story, showing that the sales increase trend of late is still going strong. It also has a lot to say about the current state of affairs in the auto industry. Specifically about the state of trucks.

Automobilemag.com talks about how the years have not been kind to fans of mid-sized pickup trucks, lamenting the demise of the Dodge Dakota. The sales were up just over 15 percent in 2011. While it’s a very solid offering from the vehicle group, it wasn’t on the same level as full sized pickups. To compare, the numbers of the top six mid-sized trucks sold a combined total of 286,009 units. In the same amount of time, the Ford F-Series sold 886,058 units.

That hasn’t stopped Chrysler from considering a comeback for a mid-size truck. Joe Veltri, Chrysler’s VP, told Detriot News that market research indicates young men coming into the market are looking for pick-up truck conveniences without having to spent big bucks on the purchasing price and with the gas bills. There’s also desire from the baby boomers wanting to downsize their trucks as they get older.

It’s all still in the rumor stage with no confirmation on anything. The article indicates the possibility that the new truck would most definitely be in the Ram brand and may even have a unibody, not a body-on-frame architecture. At this point, anything is possible.

For a full line-up on Ram trucks, visit the Bayside showroom online to take a look around. For more news on Ram news, like us up on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

High School Grad Stands Out with Ram

On graduation day, it is easy to blend into the masses of robed figures and mortarboards, but a high school grad in Virginia found a way to stand out and proclaim his love for Ram trucks.

Robby Lyons has been a fan of Ram trucks for years. His family owns a 2004 Ram 2500 HD, and he drives a 1989 Power Ram W100 Series. When asked about his love of Rams, he says, “I sit in [my] truck and I get chills. The power and durability combined with handling – it just blows me away.” Besides owning a Ram truck, he also ran his own junior dragster up until 2009, and he plans to continue drag racing with his father and uncle, serving as the team’s mechanic.

It is only appropriate then that Robby bolted a Ram head hood ornament to his graduation cap. While most people found the hood ornament amusing, some teachers raised objections to the hat. Robby was eventually given approval to wear his souped-up mortarboard to the ceremony, and since then, he has received local and national news coverage including a feature on the RamZone blog.

Do you love Ram? Check out Bayside’s online inventory here, including the full line-up of Ram trucks, and keep up with the latest Ram truck news by liking Bayside on Facebook and following Bayside on Twitter!

Ram Crowned Champion in Desert Duel!

Cue up the theme to The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly for this story. There was a duel in the desert. While a tad old-fashioned, the time for the showdown was even at sunrise, it seemed appropriate considering the contestants. On one end, there was the Mopar Ram Runner and on the other, there was the Ford SVT Raptor. What was this fight all about? It was all about which truck was better.

The place was the Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area and both trucks were brought there by PickupTrucks.com for the purpose of crowning a champion on that day. They wanted to push both to the limit on a 4.73-mile loop on a desert course. When the dust settled, they were proud to announced that the Ram Runner was the winner!

“I was impressed with the Ram Runner’s extreme off-road capability,” said Chad Ragland, SCORE International Off-Road Racing Series Trophy Truck driver. “We jumped, slammed into mounds, cut through deep sand and it came out like a pro, rarely getting into the bumpstops or touching the skid plates.”

The Ram Runner finished a full 33 seconds faster than the Raptor. The President and CEO of Ram, Fred Diaz, chimed in on the victory, “We’re proud that – under the most punishing real-world test conditions possible – the Mopar Ram Runner takes PickupTrucks.com’s top off-road honors over the Ford Raptor. Whether you’re into desert racing, rock crawling, hunting, and fishing or just need a hard-working dependable work truck, there’s truly a Ram truck for everyone.”

No matter how you choose to use it, Bayside Chrysler Jeep Dodge has all the popular Ram vehicles available to view and purchase. Like us on Facebook and follow on Twitter and you’ll see all the latest news and updates as they happen.

Win at the Pump with Ram!

With gas prices up and down daily, drivers are dreading their trips to the gas station this summer. New car buyers are looking for more fuel-efficient cars, and surveys show that fuel economy is the most important factor to American car shoppers.

Ram wants to ease that worry at the gas pump by giving away free gallons of gas all summer. One lucky winner will receive 500 gallons of gas, and one hundred weekly winners will receive 32 gallons.

The contest kicked off April 5 and goes through September 1, 2012, so there is still plenty of time to enter and win. You can fill out the contest entry form here, and make sure to only enter once. Multiple entries or entries under the same e-mail address will be disqualified.

Imagine how far 500 gallons of gas could take you this summer. Those trips to the pool, the park, and the grocery store add up quickly, and instead of paying for pricy airline tickets, you could take the family on a road trip for vacation. No matter how you would use it, Ram’s Gallon Guarantee contest should not be missed.

Check out the full Ram line-up on Bayside’s online inventory here, and keep up with the latest news from Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, and Ram by liking Bayside on Facebook and following Bayside on Twitter.

Hispanic Scholarship Fund Gets A Boost From Ram

Ram knows that higher education is important, and that’s why they are giving back and encouraging Latino students to go to college.

According to Hispanic Business, Ram Truck brand and the Chrysler Foundation have awarded a $50,000 grant to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. The HSF is the largest provider of financial aid for Latino college students. The program supports outstanding Latino undergraduates or graduate students looking for a career in the auto industry.

Fred Diaz, the president and CEO of Ram Truck Brand and Chrysler de Mexico, announced the grant during the International Hispanic Network’s gala and award ceremony. “I believe what has anchored me through the ups and downs at Chrysler are my roots. Despite being somewhat underprivileged in my younger years, I have very fond memories of growing up in a warm, close-knit, densely populated Hispanic community where everyone looked out for each other, respected one another, and where humility was and continues to be a cherished value.”

Diaz continued about his growing up in San Antonio and spoke of how much he appreciated Chrysler’s support of the Latino community. “As a Latino, I am doubly proud that my company has a strong commitment to diversity and multiculturalism.”

Chrysler has a long history of being one of the most diverse companies around. Last year, Chrysler was given a perfect score by the Human Rights Campaign and Hispanic Business magazine included the company on their Diversity Elite 60 list. If you’re still not convinced, Chrysler is on the 2011 list of “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” according to Diversity Inc magazine.

For more on Ram, check out the entire Ram line-up online on the Bayside website. Be sure to like the Bayside Facebook page as well, and follow Bayside on Twitter so you won’t miss out on any Ram Truck news!