The heavy duty truck market is one of the most cut throat out of all vehicle categories. Chrysler, Ford and General Motors have all been in the ring, throwing their punches, and doing whatever they can to come out on top. You can see it through their commercials that blatantly put the other trucks down, and of course you can benefit because part of being the Top Dog in this category is by delivering the goods for drivers. The 2013 Ram 3500 HD has those goods and more. Will it be enough to stay up to par with the new F-150 or Chevy Silverado? That’s probably a matter of opinion, but no one can say this truck slouches in any details.

For starters the hauling capacity for the 2013 Ram 3500 HD is 30,000 pounds and while most drivers will never have to worry about that huge of a haul, it’s nice to know its available if you do need it. As you can imagine, the engine makes a big part of how you are able to pull that kind of load around. If you choose the 6.7 liter Cummins turbo diesel inline six cylinder you can expect 385 horsepower and amazing 850 pound feet of torque. That’s an increase of 50 more pound feet than last year’s model and still gets better gas mileage.

The interior of the 2013 Ram 3500 HD has been completely overhauled and what you’ll find is higher grade materials a smarter layout and new colors to pick and choose through. Better yet, there are convenient knobs for audio and climate control so you don’t have to use the touchscreen unless you really want to. This helps a lot when you have your work gloves on. The luxury is a bit unusual with leather trimmed seats, but no one is complaining, it’s still a workhorse no matter how you dress it up.

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The Chevy Impala had its heyday back in the later 50’s through the 60’s and sort of become an “old foagy” mobile from that point on. Not anymore though! The 2014 Chevy Impala has gotten a makeover in some big ways and now puts the fresh back in the large sedan category. It’s moved up significantly in terms of styling, both inside and out along with becoming more technically advanced as well. It is definitely slated to be a top contender in the large car category. It’s competitors, namely the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Ford Taurus, Hyundai Azera, Nissan Maxima, Toyota Avalon and Volkswagen Passat should watch out for this one.

The 2014 Chevy Impala has a couple engine choices starting with a 2.5 liter four cylinder that offers up 196 horsepower, a 3.6 liter V6 that offers up 302 horsepower and a mild hybrid that gives 182 horses. The V6 offers the most assertive feeling drive, but the other choices aren’t totally miserable if you have a higher patience level for how long it takes to get from 0 to 60. All of these choices come with front wheel drive and are mated to a six speed automatic transmission. Pricing hasn’t been released for the hybrid version yet, but the LS model with the 2.5 liter four cylinder starts at $27,725 and the LT model with the V6 starts at $29,950. If you want to up the ante and get upgraded features, you’ll want the LTZ that starts at $35,770.

The Standard Features for each 2014 Chevy Impala model are:

• Antilock brakes
• Sstability control
• Curtain air bags
• Front and rear seat-mounted side air bags
• Driver and front passenger knee air bags
• Front seat belt pretensioners
• Six months of OnStar service with automatic crash notification and turn-by-turn navigation
• LED daytime running lights
• Automatic headlights
• Forward collision alert
• Blind spot alert
• Rear cross traffic alert
• Lane departure warning
• Rear vision camera with park assist
• Power sun roof
• Power mirrors, windows and locks
• Heated outside mirrors
• Pushbutton start
• Passive entry system
• Leather seats
• Power front seats
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Steering wheel controls
• Dual zone automatic climate control
• JD radio
• Three months of XM satellite radio
• Voice recognition for phone, audio and navigation
• Touch screen
• Storage compartment behind touch screen
• Bluetooth audio and phone compatible; USB input
  Remote start; two 12-volt outlets
• Floor mats
• 60/40 folding rear seat

2014 Chevy Impala options include:

• 20-inch alloy wheels
• Memory for driver’s seat
• Mirrors
• Steering wheel
• Carpeted trunk mat
• Auto-dimming rearview mirror
• Ventilated front seats
• Power tilt and telescoping steering column
• Universal garage door opener
• Heated steering wheel
• Navigation system
• 11-speaker Bose audio
• Crystal red paint

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Connected World Magazine has named the 2013 Ford Fusion Energi as their Connected Car of the Year for this year due to its advanced technology and most advance driver assist features that help drivers keep their eyes on the road, hands on the wheel, and still stay connected to their smartphones at the same time through the Ford SYNC.

Paul Mascarenas, chief technical officer and vice president, Ford Research and Innovation, shares, “SYNC has helped us evolve as an automaker, to think and act more like a technology company, with a new level of openness and access that has forever changed how we look at our business and respond to our customers. Ultimately, SYNC embodies one of the many things Ford is all about: going further to transform innovative ideas into products that are affordable, attainable and valuable for millions of people.”

The recent Ford press release states that anyone with an internet connection and a Ford Fusion Energi, C-Max Energi and Focus Electric can download an app that allows them to:

• Find current and projected state of charge information including estimated range and the amount of charge time necessary for additional travel distances
• Program vehicle charging with utility input, allowing the car to start charging immediately or when electricity prices are lowest with the value charging feature, powered by Microsoft
• Using features powered by MapQuest®:
• Locate charging stations and get the destination sent to the vehicle
• Know if the vehicle can reach a specific charge station from its current location with the current charge level
• Create a journey with multiple stops, and determine the likelihood the car has adequate charge for the full journey
• Find the car by creating a route from a mobile phone to the vehicle
• Receive alerts if the vehicle isn’t charging when it’s scheduled to, or if charging stops unexpectedly due to a power outage, plug removal or other event
• Receive alerts during recharge when the vehicle has reached a particular preset charge level or has the ability to reach a particular destination
• Engage remote vehicle preconditioning, using grid power to heat or cool the battery and vehicle interior
• Remotely lock/unlock doors
• Use the built-in GPS system to locate the car
• Download performance and system data
• Earn various achievements for driving and ownership milestones that can then be posted to your Facebook or Twitter account
• Fun ways of understanding your driver behavior, with ratings from “Zen” to “zippy”
• Receive information personalized, depending on which key used

This app is available for either Apple iOS users or Google Android Users. The available driver assist technologies also helped the 2013 Ford Fusion Energi win this award. The technologies included are a land keeping system, driver alert system, blind spot information system, active park assist, collision warning, rear view camera and adaptive cruise control.

This past Tuesday we published news that reflects traffic fatalities are at all time high and one way the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) wants to try to lower those is by focusing on tougher laws for driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. The most debated piece in this focus is the recommendation to lower the legal blood alcohol level. Currently, all states have a limit of 0.08, but the National Safety Board wants to see that lowered to 0.05.

Chairman of NTSB, Deborah A.P. Hersman said, “Most Americans think that we’ve solved the problem of impaired driving, but in fact, it’s still a national epidemic. NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman said. “On average, every hour one person is killed and 20 more are injured.”

The NTSB estimates that about 1,000 lives would be saved per year if the legal blood alcohol limit were lowered. There current press release states:

“Each year in the United States, nearly 10,000 people are killed in crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers and more than 173,000 are injured, with 27,000 suffer incapacitating injuries. Since the mid-1990s, even as total highway fatalities have fallen, the proportion of deaths from accidents involving an alcohol-impaired driver has remained constant at around 30 percent. In the last 30 years, nearly 440,000 people have died in alcohol related crashes.

Today, investigators cited research that showed that although impairment begins with the first drink, by 0.05 BAC, most drivers experience a decline in both cognitive and visual functions, which significantly increases the risk of a serious crash. Currently, over 100 countries on six continents have BAC limits set at 0.05 or lower. The NTSB has asked all 50 states to do the same.”

Along with lowering the blood alcohol limit, they would also like to toughen the laws for violators. These laws include using passive alcohol sensors designed to detect alcohol vapor in the ambient environment, giving authorities the power to immediately suspend or revoke driver’s licenses at the time of DWI and improvements in interlock compliance.

The 2014 Subaru Forester XT is set to be the perfect vehicle for those who are too cool for a minivan, want to drive in a variety of road conditions, but also want to watch their budget. The XT is the top of the line model for the Forester and still comes in below $40,000. In fact, you are able to pick one up at around $36,220 which is almost a steal when you consider all the features that come along with it.

Speaking of features, the 2014 Subaru Forester XT has ten way power leather seats, navigation, a Harmon Kardon sound system that includes HD radio, Bluetooth and more features to make sure drivers and passengers are kept comfy and well entertained for their road trips. The XT Touring also throws in keyless access, HID headlights and Subaru’s EyeSight system (That includes adaptive cruise, lane departure warning and pre-collision braking).

It also has spunk! There is a turbocharged, direct injection 2.0 liter boxer four cylinder resting under the hood of the 2014 Subaru Forester XT. That will give you 250 horsepower and 258 pound feet of torque that powers an all wheel drive system. While it’s not the most powerful engine around, it is definitely assertive and will let you zip around the highways and byways without feeling as if you are lagging behind.

You have to know, the 2014 Subaru Forester XT isn’t a luxury class vehicle by any means. If you are looking for luxury, you will want to scope out the much higher priced competition such as the Volvo XC60, Acura RDX or Audi Q5. But if you want a reasonable CUV that will get you where you need to go and without worrying if the kids are spilling their milkshakes in the backseat, then the Forester might be the best bet.

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