[Allhandsondeck]

So I was watching the news tonight and they had the reliability rankings for the most reliable and the least reliable either for this year or last year and the least top five reliable is as follows:
Fiat
Land Rover
Jeep
Can't remember
Dodge
Not very comforting.

 

[RDinNHandAZ]

FCA is well represented (or should I say resented?) there. 15 years ago it would have been the same except Fiat was not here. FCA might be Fine Cars of Americas if assembly and engineering were stepping up.

 

[30 Ounce]

I didn't see RAM!? That is actually the truck brand now. So cool your heals...

 

[keeponvaning]

It was actually the Fiat 500 NA models, I believe, not the Promaster. The Ducatto is actually rated at the top in customer satisfaction when it comes to Euro vans. They own the market in Europe for sure and that wouldn't be possible if they weren't reliable.

 

[Kip-on-truckin]

Those consumer report rankings are complete nonsense. They survey their readers, and compile a simple list of problems. So just like the jd power initial problems ranking, engine failure ranks the same as "cant figure out the radio presets",

If consumer reports was accurate, the hihhways would be strewn with the burning carcasses of jeeps and jaguars. Taint so. Yet THIS is whats used to calculate residual values and lease rates. Insanity.

Lexus and buick made the top
Of the list, which is fine. But as far as concerned all the really
Unreliable cars on the road are all german. For years the worst of the worst was mercedes R class, followed by the vw new beetle. But cr has a known bias against american cars, do the hummer was usually worst on their list.

 

[Dwight]

The good news is RAM is number 14 in the ranking. Fiat number 31.

So for FCA, it will be critical they not let the Promaster pull down the lucrative RAM brand ranking.

RAMs pickup truck is their best selling and most profitable vehicle by a wide margin. It sells more than most others combined.

Heads will roll at FCA if the Promaster tarnishes the RAM brand.

BTW it was JD power and consumer reports making headlines in every news outlet over this. It matters, regardless whether we think survey is valid.

 

[Kip-on-truckin]

I would be very surprised if the pm, being ram commercial, was included in either survey. Too bad; if they did that they could have actually done their job and saved all those sprinter buyers massive misery.

 

[GapRunr]

RAMs pickup truck is their best selling and most profitable vehicle by a wide margin. It sells more than most others combined.

Just to clarify, you mean FCA sells more Ram pickups then all other FCA vehicles combined, right? The F150 has been the top selling vehicle in the US for about 15 years. For most of those 15 years it as been F150 followed by the Silverado, the Accord and the Camry, with the last three swapping places on the list from year to year.

The real accomplishment for FCA and the RAM brand though is that in 2014 the Ram outsold the Accord, pushing it down to 5th place. The F150 was first, followed by the Silverado, the Camry the Ram, then the Accord.

I've got a 2009 Ram pickup that I bought new. Short bed, regular cab, 4x4 with vinyl seats, crank windows and rubber floors. It has been absolutely stellar since I have owned it, and is incredibly composed on the road since it has coil springs all around. The coils mean the tow rating is lower than a comparable leaf spring equipped vehicle, but the tow rating is still far more than I need.

I'm lusting after a Promaster though since for my needs having all my stuff enclosed in the van would be better, and then there is the small detail that no matter how I drive my Ram... slow, fast, city, highway, the mpg's are between 13.5 and 15. Towing drops to 10. Going from an average of 14mpg in my Ram to 24+ in a diesel Promaster I'll still be ahead of the game even though Diesel costs more. And yes, I know the gas PM would be an even bigger savings, but I prefer the performance characteristics of the diesel.. low rpm highway driving, maintaining overdrive on the highway even in a head wind and up hills, not hunting for a gear all the time, etc.

 

[Dwight]

Just to clarify, you mean FCA sells more Ram pickups then all other FCA vehicles combined, right?


.........maintaining overdrive on the highway even in a head wind and up hills, not hunting for a gear all the time, etc.

Yes. 2014 sales for the RAM brand is 469,000. Deduct, say 40,000 for promaster and dakota sales, and the truck is somewhere around 429,000 sales.

Massive number. Dwarfs any other FCA model.

Don't dismiss the gas promaster. Unless you've already driven one loaded like you'd use it. Mine is brilliant for my needs. It shifts perfectly.

 

[uncubed]

Headwinds? Just put it in 5th gear and be over with ,simple.
Whats so hard about that?

 

[Vale72]

http://www.gebrauchtwagenreport.com/
Check transporter,fiat ducato,100-150 k km

 

[GapRunr]

Headwinds? Just put it in 5th gear and be over with ,simple.
Whats so hard about that?

Thats not hard at all. It's a really easy way to increase your RPM and lower your gas mileage.

Personally I like a vehicle that revs lower. It's a personal preference, not a declared better way than some other method.

 

[uncubed]

Thats not hard at all. It's a really easy way to increase your RPM and lower your gas mileage.

Personally I like a vehicle that revs lower. It's a personal preference, not a declared better way than some other method.

Rpms are still low and it will get better gas mileage then being in 6th gear in a head
wind.
Diesel will be the best but on reading here there seems to be some issues .

Will still get better mileage than the old E series with a bonus that you can stand
in the back.

 

[Chance]

.....cut.....

Personally I like a vehicle that revs lower. It's a personal preference, not a declared better way than some other method.

Agree it's personal taste.

Last week I rented a VW Golf with turbo direct injection (same characteristics as Ford EcoBoost and others) for four days, and was amazed at how quickly it would upshift to keep revs very low.

Under normal driving, it would shift up around 2000 RPMs which would drop revs to around 1500 RPMs or so. I was so surprised that I had to look up specs to find out max torque comes in around 1600 RPM. That's really slow for such a small gasoline engine (1.8L).

At one point I ran it all the way down to 1200 RPMs in top gear and was able to accelerate very slowly on level road without forcing a downshift.

For me personally, had the engine been naturally aspirated and run up to 3000 RPM instead of 2000 prior to shifting, it would not have bothered me at all. On the other hand I get that the turbo is there to provide both power "and" fuel economy in same vehicle (but not at same time).

It was definitely a fun car to drive, and far better than the typical Focus or equal that I rent in that area. Fuel economy was about the same -- meaning good enough I didn't care to measure. I used about 5 gallons over four days of driving.

 

[Hawkeye]

The Ducatto is actually rated at the top in customer satisfaction when it comes to Euro vans.

Do you have a link to Euro van ratings? I can not locate one.

Thanks.

 

[Dwight]

What Dekra says (Most of this doesn't apply to US version)

DEKRA comments
The third generation Ducato reveals weaknesses in the chassis/steering assembly group even with very low mileages, often in the form of defective tie rod joints. The Ducato also stands out due to an insufficient/uneven parking brake force more often than average and frequently defective exhaust brackets. During inspection it should be checked whether the headlight levelling control works as it is urgently required with high loads but frequently does not work unfortunately.

Typical Faults:
Exhaust emissions too high / defective on-board diagnostic system
Defective headlight levelling control
Insufficient braking force

 

[keeponvaning]

I was referring to camper van conversions in particular but here are a few links I was able to find.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_Ducato

http://www.practicalmotorhome.com/advice/30429-know-your-base-vehicles

http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/Motorhomes/Buyers-Guide/Motorhome-Base-Vehicles/Motorhome-Base-Vehicles-Fiat-Ducato/_bg25_pg1