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Thank you for encapsulating what 2023 meant in global terms and for the automotive scene. Yes, cheers to the new Envista. I will have to test sit or even rent one when possible. It brings around a Buick at an entry-level price point that's not a jellybean-like Encore, although a very different Buick. Having driven a Citroën C3, I had assumed there were 4 cylinders under the hood. There were 3, as with the Envista! That shaves off mechanical hardware and weight. It did what it was supposed to do without much fuss and 3 cylinders under one cylinder head can be made to feel balanced "enough." And cheers to it for being made available with a simple enough geared automatic transmission. Yes, jeers to Subaru most of the time ... for me, anyway. I had to take a look at this Forester. If not badged, I might question what it is. It looks less Subaru because of trim that says Nissan and volumes that say Fiat, specifically the Panda, and Toyota. The new front end is mostly clumsy. The dash loses the cubby with information at the top of the center stack that I like - which the Ford Focus and Fiesta also used - in favor of larger and more vertical touch screen. Many jeers for world events and situations. Some megalomaniacs put their needs above human lives and seem to sleep easy despite how many lives have been lost. Dysfunctional is an appropriate word for people, things, and processes that seem to be gaining acceptance as being status quo. Thanks for the well wishes, too.

Ram 1500s are getting many changes for the 2025 model year. Pricing for the base model is up by $855 compared to last year. A basic Tradesman with the 3.6-liter V6 starts at $42,270. The bigger news includes a fully loaded-trim level called Tungsten and an optional twin-turbo inline-six engine replacing the V8. Carried over into the 2025 is Ram's 3.6-liter V6 with a 48-volt eTorque hybrid system. You'll find this in the Tradesman, HFE, Lone Star, and Big Bend trim levels. The new "Hurricane" twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six costs an additional $2,695 and comes with 420 horsepower. This engine is standard on the $62,025 Laramie and $66,190 Rebel trim levels. If you opt for a crew-cab configuration and six-foot-four-inch bed, the inline-six is the only option. In addition to the regular inline-six, there is a high-output version. This produces 540 horsepower and is standard on the $77,150 Limited and $77,645 Longhorn trim levels. The high-output inline-six comes with four-wheel drive, while V6 and normal-output engines come with standard rear-wheel-drive on all but the off-roading Rebel trim level. At the top of the 2025 Ram 1500's range is the Tungsten. Pricing starts at $89,150 and Tungsten models come with a high-output engine and four-wheel drive. It only comes in crew-cab configuration with a five-foot-seven-inch bed. The Tungsten has an assortment of features including 24-way power front seats with a massage function, power tailgate, upgraded interior materials, and a 23-speak sound system. Fuel-powered versions of the 2025 Ram 1500 are set to go on sale this quarter. There is no pricing for the Ramcharger, the plug-in hybrid with a combined 663 horsepower. Ram's first EV, the 1500 REV, is set to go on sale by the end of the year. Currently, there is no pricing information for the Ramcharger or REV. View full article

This is to be expected with a whole new assortment of EVs. This is no different than with the long decades of ICE autos and as they added tech to the autos they ended up with problems. Just look at the 1980's of engines trying to use computer chips then to manage how many cylinders would run at a moment to optimize fuel efficiency and the horror that GM had with the V8/6/4 engine. Today's EVs are cutting edge but can understandably have issues since this is cutting edge and early for the tech. Here the auto companies will need to really test and make sure the EV is ready for prime time as unlike Tesla who was able to take years to figure out their software and their quality concerns, that they are still struggling with, as more Auto Companies go EV, the competition will become more fierce and people will not forgive poor quality in the early release much anymore. GM problems with launching hopefully will be figured out before they get everything going in 2024, but I do think that the Koreans are going to dominate the next few years as they truly will challenge Tesla.