Friday, November 1, 2013
Richmond Review · Page 13
the richmond
REVIEW drivewayBC.ca |
Welcome to the driver’s seat
…they can be rugged on a work site and luxurious for all occupants.
Visit the RAM trucks photo gallery at drivewayBC.ca
A big part of the RAM brand success has been built on the sturdy and macho exterior styling.
ZACK SPENCER
Rounding up and riding the RAM range 2014 RAM Roundup The full-size truck market is big business for automakers and a big deal for the businesses and people who depend on them. For almost five decades the Ford F-150 has been the best selling truck, with little chance they will lose that crown in the near future. What has been happening, over the last few years, is a strong shift from General Motors to RAM in terms of establishing the second best selling truck brand. The rise in RAM popularity can be traced back to a few key changes over the last several years, from muscular styling to class-leading interiors, a refined ride, plus engine and
transmission advancements. While GM was selling the same trucks year after year, RAM moved forward and has been rewarded handsomely. GM too has recently released all-new Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks but the initial sales response has been rather lacklustre. I drove the 2014 RAM model range recently, on a beautiful fall day, just outside of Toronto. The “RAM Roundup” was a great opportunity to get my hands on these new trucks well before they arrive at BC dealerships. Looks A big part of the RAM brand success has been built on the sturdy
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welcome to the driver’s seat.
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air suspension that can and macho exterior stylbe lowered for easier ing. Front and centre is a entry into the RAM or grille that was enlarged, loading into the bed. but better integrated, Plus this system autofor the 2013 model year. matically lowers over Depending on the trim 100km/h to also reduce the grille finish can be drag. At chrome, painted or with It takes dynamite aerodynamic lower speeds and for offa different insert. This road duties, the air susfeature is one RAM own- to get a loyal truck pension can be raised for ers love so, in this case, owner to change better ground clearance. larger is better. Behind brands but RAM Having had a chance to the grille are “active has done a good drive several RAM trucks shutters” that close at with this feature I notice higher speeds to help job of blasting the the already smooth ride send the wind around competition. is even better and the the vehicle to improve Zack Spencer cabin is further insulated aerodynamic efficiency. from vibration. The same idea was also The RAM heavy duty can behind the longer side also be equipped with an step, which helps reduce air suspension but this is buffeting down the side limited to the rear. This helps level the of the trucks. load in the bed for better handling and While RAM does not have the clever towing. tailgate stepladder that Ford introduced Inside In the past trucks were typiseveral years ago, they did update cally used for work. Today, trucks have the bed of this truck slightly. The sides grown in popularity because they can of the bed can be equipped with an be rugged on a work site and luxurious integrated RAMBox storage system. for all occupants. Having driven the For 2013 this feature was integrated, Ford and new GM trucks recently, I can along with the tailgate to lock and easily say that RAM still has the lead unlock with the vehicles key fob. This is in interior design and finish with the especially handy for tradespeople that Chevrolet and GMC right behind. need to lock tools in their bed. One option that I find fascinating, and would seriously consider, is the $1500 continued on next page
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Question OF THE WEEK: What’s your dream car or truck? What is it that appeals to you about the car? Go to drivewayBC.ca to submit your answer and enter to win a $100 Safeway gift card. Feel free to post a photo if you have one.
Safety Tip: As we set our clocks back an hour this Saturday night for the end of Daylight Savings Time, please take extra care as the time change can affect the quality of our driving – poorer concentration, alertness behind the wheel and slower reaction time.
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RAM is rugged for work and luxurious for play continued from page 13
(Ford is looking dated but look for an all-new F-150 in 2015). The centre console
can be equipped with an 8.3-inch Uconnect communications and entertainment screen. In addition, there is a large 7-inch screen
behind the steering wheel for fully customizable instant information readouts. The dash and seats can be trimmed in leather typically
Look for the new EcoDiesel RAMs arriving in January of 2014. ZACK SPENCER
found in luxury cars not long ago. What many RAM buyers might find different is the rotary dial on the dash that changes the 8-speed automatic transmission, 6-speed automatics still get the centre console shifter. This is something that started recently in high-end cars like Jaguar and Range Rover but is now found in RAM. It takes about a day to adjust to the new shift position but after a while the driver forgets. Drive The biggest change for 2014 includes the first diesel engine found in a light duty 1500 pickup truck. This is an Italian designed engine that has
been used extensively in Europe in Jeep products like the Grand Cherokee. With 420 lb.-ft. or torque, this new “EcoDiesel” has the same output as Ford’s Ecoboost but not the same towing capacity. Rated at 9200 lbs. this truck will be perfect for buyers who want impressive fuel economy and good towing capacity; a balance of usability and thriftiness. This engine has not been rated yet for fuel economy but thanks to a standard 8-speed automatic transmission; this new EcoDiesel is going to get better numbers than the already class-leading gasoline V6 RAM. Look for the new EcoDiesel RAMs arriving
in January of 2014. On the heavy duty side there is also an all-new engine in the form of a 6.4L Hemi V8. The old 5.7L was not a perfect match for gasoline truck buyers but RAM hopes this 429 lb.-ft. engine will attract more buyers. Verdict As competitive as the car business is, the truck side is nuclear. Truck buyers take their trucks very seriously and the people building them do too. It takes dynamite to get a loyal truck owner to change brands but RAM has done a good job of blasting the competition. Most of this success
has been thanks to constant improvements instead of waiting years to update their rigs. With a new diesel engine in the 1500 to an all-new gasoline engine in the heavy-duty trucks, matched to sophisticated transmissions, improved suspensions and cabins, it is no wonder why RAM is on an upward swing. The Lowdown Power: 3.6L V6, 3.0L V6 turbo diesel, 5.7L V8. 6.4L V8 and 6.7L diesel Price range: $19,995$36,495 base prices. The diesel option adds around $4,500 zack.spencer@ddrivewayBC.ca
Disappearing cars: The threatened, endangered and extinct List by Rob Sass Several years ago, there was a large reward posted for evidence that the Ivory Billed Woodpecker was not
extinct as was previously thought. Strangely, the classic car world has yet to respond in like fashion for evidence that
breeding pairs of Plymouth Crickets or Mercury Bobcats are still out there. We’re not offering a reward but for what it’s worth, here’s
The Richmond Chamber of Commerce and the City of Richmond proudly present the
36TH ANNUAL BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS Honouring excellence in 9 categories, nominees and winners will celebrate on:
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013 RIVER ROCK THEATRE
the Hagerty Insurance list of some of our favourite threatened, endangered and extinct cars: 1. 1975-80 Chevrolet Monza: The Monza, based on the infamous Chevy Vega, might well have been the most attractive GM car of the mid-1970s. More than 300,000 were built, and although the styling was a high-quality job, build quality wasn’t any better than anything else of the era, which may explain the extreme scarcity of survivors. Status: Threatened 2. 1971-76 Mercury Capri: The Capri was Ford of Europe’s answer to the Mustang. Like the Mustang, it
was built on rather ordinary sedan underpinnings but the result was handsome, well made and, in the case of the V-6 powered cars, fast. It was quite popular in the early 1970s, selling more than 100,000 units in its first two years. Where they all went is anyone’s guess. Status: Endangered 3. 1984 Plymouth Voyager (Dodge Caravan): Introduced in 1983, Chrysler’s original was powered by a carbureted 2.2-liter fourcylinder engine making just 96 horsepower. Chrysler’s reinvention of the station wagon relegated that very category to “endangered” within a decade. Despite its massive sales, we’re not sure
if a single collector-grade example exists outside of Chrysler’s own museum. Status: Extinct 4. 1984-1985 Ford EXP Turbo: The basic idea was simple: Take an Escort coupe, rip out the back seats to make it a “sporty” two-seater. The problem was that the EXP weighed 200 pounds more than the already pathetically slow Escort. It took two years to remedy the issue by giving the EXP an optional turbocharged 1.6-liter that made 120 horsepower. But the car was priced at nearly $10,000, making it more expensive than a Mustang GT 5.0 Status: Endangered
5. 1975-81 Volkswagen Scirocco: The VW Scirocco was a replacement for the popular VW Karmann-Ghia. The VW Rabbit-based, frontwheel drive, water-cooled car had angular styling, courtesy of Italdesign and Giorgetto Giugiaro. As rustprone as anything of the era, the first-generation has thinned almost to extinction, particularly those first-year cars with pretty chrome bumpers and funky plaid seats. Status: Threatened Rob Sass is the vice-president of content for Hagerty Insurance. Hagerty is the world’s leading specialist provider of classic car and boat insurance. Learn more at hagerty.ca
TICKETS: $11500 + GST OR TABLE OF 10 $115000 + GST
WHY SHOULD YOU PLAN ON ATTENDING? Businesses today face enormous challenges at every level. The coveted BE Award acknowledges the perseverance, dedication, and good old fashioned hard work necessary to succeed.
HOW CAN YOU PARTICIPATE? Tickets are $115 each or $1150 for a table of 10. Reserve your table by calling 604.278.2822 or visit the Richmond Chamber of Commerce website at: www.richmondchamber.ca
We’re moving to serve you better. The finalists in all categories for the 36th Annual Business Excellence Awards being held on Thursday, November 21, 2013 at the River Rock Theatre. Outstanding Customer Service • Vancouver Whale Watch • M&M Meat Shops – Francis Rd Outstanding Workplace • Christopher Stewart Wines • Village Books & Coffee House Association • ALS Society of BC • Richmond Caring Place • S.U.C.C.E.S.S. - Richmond Innovation • Harvest Power Canada • Prevue HR Systems Inc. • Tourism Richmond
TITLE SPONSOR
Business Leadership • Heather Joosten-Fair & Annette Jakuboski, Richmond Academy of Dance • Quentin & Spencer Smith, Pacific Coastal Airlines • Brent Wallace, Lock-Block Ltd. Young Entrepreneur • Min Ju Chiang - Crux Fitness • Robert Boscacci & Cameron Fleming of Healthlinc Medical Equipment Ltd. • Tessa Patko - Mojo Mobile Spa • John Jiang - Wingsum International Trading Inc.
Business of the Year 1 – 25 • Astone Fitness • Kwong Fung Foods • Siu & Sons International Trading • Qoola Frozen Yogurt Bar Business of the Year 26 – 75 • Cogent Industrial Technologies Ltd. • Pelesys Learning Systems Inc. • Premier Envelope Business of the Year 76+ • 7 Seas Fish Co. Ltd. • Clevest Solutions Inc. • The Layfield Group
Our Minoru Blvd and Ironwood Plaza Driver Licensing Offices are joining services at a new location. We look forward to serving you there, starting at noon on November 4th, 2013.
New ICBC Driver Licensing Office Lansdowne Centre Mall 5300 No. 3 Road, Richmond Hours of operation: Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 5:30 pm Saturday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Sunday closed The Minoru Blvd branch will be closing at 4pm, October 31st. The Ironwood Plaza location will be closing at 6pm, November 1st
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REVIEW
Friday, November 1, 2013
Richmond Review · Page 15
drivewayBC.ca
Shooting for the Perfect Drive I keep hearing TV F1 commentary teams talking about the perfect race in relation to the now four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel. As I watched the German driver for Infiniti-Red Bull race team take the chequered flag in India on Sunday, the repeated reference to his perfect race reminded me of another open-wheel racer. Back in the early 1990s, Vancouver Indy racer Ross Bentley strived for what he called the ‘Perfect Drive’, not on the track but on the roads of B.C. Ross, now coaching race drivers and street drivers in Washington state, always told me that he found the racetrack a safer place to drive. On the track he pretty much knew what other drivers were going to do, whereas drivers on the street
were very unpredictable. And I was reminded of that the other morning when a young driver whizzed by me in the curb lane, then cut in front and crossed two more lanes to turn left at an intersection just a block ahead. Of course, he didn’t signal when he got there either! Ross devised a little game that he played every day while travelling to and from work across town. The Perfect Drive Concept was designed to help drivers concentrate and I can’t help it would a great game for us all to play some 20 years on from when he first outlined the idea to me. “The idea is to drive smoothly at a constant speed with minimal braking,” explains Ross, who tells me he still tries to achieve the Perfect Drive daily.
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Keeping a healthy distance between your car and the one you are following is key.
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Keith Morgan
“To do so, you must anticipate light changes and ease off when you approach a stale green. You have to slow in such a way that if your passengers had their eyes closed they wouldn’t be aware of the exact point you stopped.” Keeping a healthy distance between your car and the one you are
following is key. Others do cut into the space but they disappear as fast as they arrive. And even if you ease off to open it up the gap again, Ross figured if even 10 cars did that to you and stayed during the average trip you might lose a minute in travel time. “The Perfect Drive can be ruined by others so I try to figure out what crazy things they might do and adjust accordingly. If I have to brake jerkily in anticipation of the other driver’s move, I don’t deduct any points!” However, if you hold up traffic or disrupt the flow then you deduct points. If you can let somebody in smoothly or provide an opportunity for somebody else to turn then you’re assisting the flow so he figured that was worth a few bonus points.”
Ross Bentley coaching upcoming young US racer Colin Braun. “The Perfect Drive can be different for everybody and you can work out your own scoring technique. I keep it simple and figure if I drop four points
then that was nowhere near the Perfect Drive. I love his final comment: “Oh, and if you drop a point halfway through, you don’t give up and
drive the rest of the way like a jerk.” Give it a try, it’s fun. keith.morgan@drivewaybc. ca ChangeGears/twitter. com
The car that conquered the world By Bob McHugh Toyota Corolla 2010 to 2012 More than 30 million Corollas had already been produced when an all-new a tenth-generation 2009 Toyota Corolla hit the streets with a new body and chassis, increased interior space, more power and a revised suspension system. It isn’t about what a Corolla does, it’s about what a Corolla doesn’t do – stop working. In fact, Corolla could be a substitute for the word ‘durable’ in the dictionary. While the competition has certainly made great strides to improved product quality, Corolla is still the benchmark and consumer confidence in this compact car is reflected in used prices. Ironically, from a used car buyer perspective, it may also be its biggest drawback ... good luck with finding a good used Toyota Corolla at a bargain price. The 2009 Corolla came in CE, S, LE and XRS trim levels. The highline Corolla LE (originally $21,495) added power windows and locks, climate control air conditioning, a 4-speed automatic transmission, a wood-grain interior trim package, a push-button keyless start system and more. Most Corolla models come with a 1.8-litre (132-horse-
power) engine and the base versions came with a smooth-shifting five-speed manual with a light, easy to operate clutch. A four speed automatic was the optional transmission and fuel economy is excellent, with a 7.5/5.6 L/100 km city/ highway rating. The sporty Corolla XRS (originally $21,925) offered a bigger engine, better brakes and tires plus other stuff. Powered by a 2.4-litre (158-horsepower) engine it came with 17-inch tires on alloy wheels, electronic stability control, traction control, rear disc brakes and a strut tower brace. It was also the only version with a 5-speed automatic option. On the inside, this Corolla is roomier than the previous generation, with more shoulder room, legroom and trunk storage space. A tilt/ telescoping steering column was standard on all trim levels and it came with two glove boxes, as seemingly past owners had complained about a lack of cabin storage space. Almost all Corolla models come with the same safety features, which includes six airbags and the front seats come with active head restraints. An anti-lock brake system is also standard, but only the XRS trim has electronic stability control and traction control.
Good luck with finding a good used Toyota Corolla at a bargain price. Stability control was included as standard on S and LE trim levels and optional on CE, in 2010. In 2011, stability control was made a standard feature on all Corolla trim levels. It also got a minor styling revamp, which included new headlights, grille, front and rear bumpers, taillights and trunk lid. No significant changes in 2012, other than some re-packaging of options offered. The Toyota Corolla has a loyal consumer following who appreciate the finer virtue
of this car – outstanding product quality. bob.mchugh@drivewaybc.ca Price Check on the 2009 to 2012 Toyota Corolla (October 2013) Year Edition Expect to Pay Today 2009 LE $10,000 to $13,000 2010 LE $11,000 to $14,000 2011 LE $12,500 to $15,500 2012 LE
$14,500 to $17,500 Prices vary depending on a used vehicle’s condition, mileage, usage and history. A complete mechanical check should always be performed by a reliable auto technician prior to purchase. Recalls: 2009 - Due to improperly applied grease, the driver’s side power window master switch may stick or become inoperative. Dealers will replace the master switch
circuit board, if necessary. 2009/2010 – The trunk lid may begin to close after it has been opened. Owners who are dissatisfied with the performance of their vehicle’s trunk lid may have the trunk springs replaced under special warranty coverage. 2009/2010 - Accelerator pedal movement may become rough, slow to return, or the pedal may stick in a depressed position. Dealers will install a steel reinforcement bar to the accelerator pedal assembly.
2009/2010 - The accelerator pedal may become stuck in the wide open position due to an unsecured or incompatible driver’s floor mat. Dealers will reconfigure the shape of the accelerator pedal. 2009/2010 - In extremely low ambient temperatures, the intake manifold suction port for the brake vacuum can become blocked due to freezing of condensation. Dealers will install a newly designed intake air connector, which will relocate the brake system vacuum port.