Choosing a New Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep or Ram in Maine, Aroostook to Down East

Aroostook County sits at the top of the state, and its winters are a different category from Portland's. Snow arrives early, stays late, and the farm roads around Presque Isle and Caribou are plowed for trucks first and commuters second. Growers there lean on pickups through harvest, when equipment, seed and crates all need hauling.

For that kind of use, the Ram 1500 is the practical entry point. Ram lists a starting MSRP of $42,575, a payload up to 2,340 pounds and towing up to 11,530 pounds, with a choice of 5 ft 7 in or 6 ft 4 in bed. If the work is heavier, the Ram 2500 starts at $48,040 and Ram rates it up to 4,580 pounds of payload and 20,000 pounds of towing, with ground clearance up to 14.2 inches that helps in drifts and on frozen ruts.

Families who do not haul can look at the Jeep Grand Cherokee, which Jeep lists with towing up to 6,200 pounds and clearance up to 11.4 inches. Whatever you choose, think about distance: Presque Isle to Bangor is a long drive, so fuel economy and a comfortable seat count for more than a spec sheet suggests.

From Rockland and Camden up through Ellsworth, Machias and Eastport, Maine's coast is a string of small harbor towns built on steep lanes that drop to the water. Winter ice on those lanes, and fog and salt air on the rest, matter more than any horsepower figure. Lobstermen, boatbuilders and seasonal innkeepers share the same roads as summer visitors, and parking behind a shop or at a wharf is often tight.

Compact crossovers fit this setting well. The Jeep Compass starts at $29,990 MSRP before destination, with a 200-hp turbo four, four-wheel drive on every trim and 8.6 inches of clearance. It parks in a tight harbor lot and still handles a snowy lane. The Jeep Cherokee, from $35,130, uses a hybrid system rated at 210 hp combined and up to 39 mpg city by Jeep's estimate, which suits the long, steady runs along Route 1 between towns.

If you tow a skiff or a small work trailer to a mooring, the Cherokee's 3,500-pound rating covers most light loads. For heavier hulls, step up to a Grand Cherokee or a Ram 1500 and confirm the trailer weight first. Wash the underbody often in a coastal climate; the salt does its work year-round.

A great many Mainers keep a camp, and the camp road is its own driving category. It might be a mile of washboard gravel, a seasonal town way with a gate, or a track that turns to mud each April. Frost heaves, washouts and low-hanging branches show up quickly, and the nearest tow can be far away.

For that, ground clearance and tire choice come first. The Jeep Wrangler lists clearance up to 12.9 inches and starts at $36,635, which is more than most buyers will use on a camp road but a comfortable margin when the road is soft. The Jeep Gladiator, from $43,895, gives the same clearance up to 12.9 inches plus a bed and a payload up to 1,720 pounds, which is handy for hauling firewood, a generator or lumber for the dock.

A full-size truck also works, but long wheelbases and wide turning circles can make tight camp turnarounds frustrating. Before you buy, check the road itself: whether it is public or private, who maintains it, and whether the town or landowner restricts vehicles in spring. Those answers come from the town office or landowner, not from a spec sheet.

Bangor and Augusta anchor the middle of the state, and many people drive in from a surprising distance each day. The commute along I-95, Route 3 or the Kennebec River towns is usually dry highway with a layer of winter in the shoulder months, so efficiency and steady cruising matter. A mile saved at the pump adds up over a long year.

The Jeep Compass is rated at 21 city and 29 highway mpg, which makes it the efficient pick of the gasoline lineup. The Cherokee hybrid offers more room, with up to 62.2 cubic feet of cargo space according to Jeep, and no plug is required, which matters in a state where charging stations thin out quickly north of Bangor.

Families who carry kids, hockey bags and a dog should look at the Chrysler Pacifica, which Chrysler lists with up to 140.5 cubic feet of cargo space and 28 mpg highway. It is front-wheel drive with 5.1 inches of ground clearance, so it suits plowed city streets better than deep rural snow. If your road is unplowed for long stretches, the Jeep models are the safer choice.