YOUR AUTOMOTIVE SOURCE FOR WEST CENTRAL NEBRASKA | THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH | FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2014 | C1
By Derek Price CARGAZING.COM
With its aluminum body and all-new platform, the 2015 Ford F-150 is widely expected to dominate the truck world's headlines in the coming weeks. That doesn't mean its big brother, the built-for-work Super Duty, is being ignored by the folks at Ford. A stronger diesel engine and revised King Ranch trim package are among the biggest changes to Ford's heavy-duty lineup, and I got to sample them both in a brawny 2015 F-350 this week.
The verdict? They're nice improvements but still leave me longing for a more refined Super Duty, something buyers should anticipate now that the new, thoroughly modern F-150 will be hitting the light-duty market. I have zero gripes about the new 6.7-liter Power Stroke turbo diesel V8 engine, which makes more horsepower and more torque while gaining efficiency at the same time. A compacted graphite iron engine block, unusual exhaust layout and larger turbocharger combine to make it tougher than before - tough enough, in fact, to work in Ford's bigger F-650 and F-750 commercial trucks. It's also an impressively quiet engine for this class. If you're used to driving diesels that pierce your ears with their clackety-clack
racket, this one is so silent at least from inside the nicely insulated cabin - that it doesn't sound much more harsh than a gasoline V8 does. The new King Ranch trim package is also a sumptuous upgrade for people who like the luxurious, cowboythemed cabin style. It has thick brown leather that would feel at home on a fivestar Western resort. Unfortunately, the spectacular King Ranch bits feel
out of place in a cabin that is otherwise showing its age. Compared to the more recently redesigned heavyduty models from Ram and General Motors, the hard plastics on the dash and overall fit and finish just don't stand out. Another slight drawback is the F-350's driving feel, at least when unloaded. When driving around town with an empty bed, the Super Duty's suspension is rougher and noisier than
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the Ram and GM competitors. When pulling a trailer, though, the Ford's suspension feels right at home and inspires confidence from the driver's seat. It's clear that this truck is designed for work. That's when it feels happiest. While I haven't driven it, Ford also made some changes to beef up its F-450 model for 2015. With commercial-grade, 19.5-inch wheels, new leaf springs, upgraded U-joints and bigger brakes, the F-450 now has a gooseneck tow rating of 31,200 pounds, which Ford says is the best in its class. Pricing starts at $31,045 for the F-250, $31,940 for the F-350 and $51,720 for the F450, which comes standard with the 6.7-liter diesel engine. The diesel is an $8,480 upgrade in the F-250 and F-350.
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off-road, including Electronic Range Select when using Selec-Speed Control in extreme off-road situations.
BY RAY MAGLIOZZI
Dear Car Talk: I am teaching my nephew to drive. I have seen, over the years, that a number of teenagers have died from speeding in excess of 90 mph. I know that commercial trucks have speed inhibitors on them so they can't go over 65 mph. The companies also save on gas and speeding tickets, and get insurance breaks with these. For the life of me, I can't find something like that for my car (a Honda Civic). I don't want my nephew to drive in a car that can go over 65 mph. Where can I find such a device for my car? -- John Newer Fords have a feature called MyKey that allows the owner of the car to program a specific key. When that key is used, limits are set on the car's performance. So if you're in the market for a new car, that would be one solution. But unfortunately, kids can, and do, kill themselves going a lot slower than 65 mph. An all-too-common tragedy involves a car full of kids, late at night, driving 50 mph on a curvy, dark road where the speed limit is 30, and there are sharp turns with speed limits of even less than that. Typically, the driver misjudges a turn at too high a speed and wraps the car around a tree. Then you have to watch weeping former classmates on TV the next day. So instead, I think you need to get your nephew a nanny. Not a cute 17-year-old female nanny -- an electronic nanny. There are a number of devices on
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Some require you to take the device inside and plug it into your computer. Others will send you an email report once a day or once a week. Some will even text you when a set speed limit is exceeded. The idea is not to spy on the kid secretly, but to let him know upfront that you're keeping a close eye on how he drives. Unless he's a complete dummy, if he knows that you'll find out if he goes 80 miles an hour or slams on the gas from a stoplight, he should be less likely to do those things. If you search online for "teen driving monitors," you'll find a bunch of products, including those by MOTOsafety, CarCheckup, InTouch MVC and others. But check with your car-insurance company first. Several insurers, including Travelers and Progressive, offer such devices, and they even offer discounts for people who use them. And the fact that the insurance companies -- which we know hate to part with a penny -- will pay people to use these things is the best argument that they probably are effective. Good luck, John.
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the market these days that plug into the on-board diagnostic (OBD II) port of pretty much any car. They read data from the car's computer and record vehicle speed, hard acceleration, panic braking and other parameters that indicate that your kid has been driving like a knucklehead.
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INTERIOR
The agile 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee is designed to be both capable and comfortable.
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The 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee completely redefines the premium SUV, delivering consumers an unprecedented driving range, a choice of leading powertrain options, available cleandiesel technology, legendary benchmark capability, world-class craftsmanship, premium on-road driving dynamics, and a host of advanced user-friendly technology and safety features.
POWER Producing a class-leading 240 horsepower and a massive 420 lb.-ft. of torque, Jeep's award-winning 24-valve dualoverhead cam 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 delivers clean-diesel technology with low CO2 emissions. Capable of towing a best-in-class 7,400 pounds, the EcoDiesel-powered Jeep Grand Cherokee delivers 22 mpg city / 30 mpg highway in 4x2 models, resulting in a best-in-class driving range of more than 730 miles. The 4x4 models deliver 21 mpg city / 28 mpg highway. Fuel economy is 43 percent more than competitive gasoline-powered V-8 SUVs in the segment. All of Jeep Grand Cherokee's engines are mated to Chrysler Group's eightspeed automatic transmission. In addition to enhancing fuel economy, the robust and durable eight-speed transmission delivers quick acceleration and precise, smooth shifting, enhancing ride quality to luxury car levels. An additional benefit is a low crawl ratio of 44.1:1 to aid in climbing over - or through - tough obstacles, when equipped with a two-speed transfer case. Steering wheel paddle shifters offer improved driver control both on- and
Inside the Grand Cherokee, immediately noticeable is the Uconnect 5-inch or 8.4-inch touchscreen. Controls for radio and climate are found below the screen. Following the center stack down onto the center console reveals a leather-wrapped E-shifter for the eightspeed transmission. Wrapped in leather, the three-spoke steering wheel features sections of wood on Overland and Summit models. All Grand Cherokee models include standard paddle shifters mounted on the back of the steering wheel. Laredo and Limited models feature dark wood trim on the dash and doors. Overland models have several touches like standard stitched-leather instrument panel and available open-pore wood, which add a distinct touch of modern luxury. Grand Cherokee Summit models continue to carry the torch for premium interiors in the SUV segment. Premium Natura-Plus leather seating with heated, ventilated and memory front seats, open-pore wood trim and copper accents are available. Another impressive feature found on Summit models is a 19-speaker, 825-watt high-performance Harman Kardon surround sound audio system.
TECHNOLOGY The 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee delivers customers an array of innovative advanced technologies for driver safety and passenger enjoyment. Available Uconnect Access, a new Uconnect 8.4inch touchscreen, one-shot voice command navigation and a customer customizable multiview cluster display highlight the state-of-the-art features. Grand Cherokee's unique Uconnect Access system is based on powerful embedded cellular technology that leverages Chrysler Group's strategic partnership with Sprint. A dual-screen Blu-ray DVD rear-seat entertainment system has a 9-inch screen on each front seat back. The rear seat entertainment system also features two wireless headsets and a remote control.
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