Ford Taurus

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Kiplinger's Best, 2012: Ford Focus (Under $20,000), Audi A7 (More than $50,000)

Kiplinger has been published for 90 years and now for the 61st time it's publishing its annual buyer’s guide of best value new cars. Kiplinger’s Best in Class and Best New winners are based on rankings that weigh performance, value and safety. Half the score comes from performance and value and about a third from vehicle safety. The remaining score is based on Kiplinger test drives of the cars, during which we assess design, comfort and dashboard layout. Sedans are ranked within price categories while crossovers, SUVs, minivans and wagons are not broken up by price but scored on a scale that rewards lower prices. The results are presented monetarily in categories and sub-categories, under $20,00 to more than $50,000,

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Pontiac Aztek (again), Ferrari, Aston Martin Among 100 Worst Cars In History

It's not often a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti and Pontiac Aztec get mentioned in the same review. Or, when was the last time you've read a comparison between a Hyundai Excel and a Rolls Royce? How about when all the above are named to the list of 100 worst cars in history? Good or bad, cheap or pricey, fast or slow, underpowered or unsafe, car lists are subjective and fun. Which is why InsideLine.com, the sibling site of Edmunds.com, recently published its choices for the 100 best and worst cars is history. In reverse order on the all-time worst list, the 2006 Pontiac Solstice claimed No. 100 position, the 1955 Dodge La Femme claimed the 50th position and the 2001 Pontiac

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Dodge Charger, 2011: Modern, revatilized, still menacing

By Mary Ellen Ash Pros: Sleek, sexy exterior Uconnect infotainment system Good driver visibility Revamped suspension and drivetrain Better than expected fuel economy Cons: Heavy Sluggish acceleration Outdated 5-speed automatic transmission The original Dodge Charger was a two-door muscle car that debuted in the 1960s and hits its peak popularity in the early 1970s. While the Charger’s appeal faded into the early eighties, the latest models have been revitalized and modernized for more diverse consumer tastes while still retaining aggressive styling from the Charger’s old glory days. The transformation has updated the 2011 Charger into a modern-day sedan while keeping its menacing exterior and powerful engine. The new Charger is ready to tear up the open road. With an American

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Hyundai lands three models on Forbes' best used cars list

Hyundai has three vehicles among the best value used cars available in the U.S. market, according to a new report on Forbes.com. The Hyundai Accent, Hyundai Elantra and Hyundai Sonata all made the list among the 11 best 2008 cars selected. According to Forbes, the supply of used cars has diminished in recent years because car owners are keeping cars longer for economic reasons. Forbes also reports the average price of a 1-to-3 year-old used car has increased from about $15,000 in 2008 to about $23,000 in 2011. As one example, Forbes wrote about the 2008 Hyundai Elantra: "While the previous generation Elantra compact sedan isn’t as expressively styled as the current model, it performs well in most respects and

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Honda, Toyota again top U.S. top 10 most stolen car list

In its yearly report called “Hot Wheels,” the 1994 Honda Accord was the most stolen car in the country in 2010, following by the 1995 Civic and the 1991 Toyota Camry. Hot Wheels is the only report that examines all theft data without regard to a vehicle’s insured status thereby providing a more complete view of the vehicle theft landscape. For example, certain models of older cars and trucks are popular with thieves because of the value of their parts — but many are not insured against theft. Whereas newer, more expensive and insured vehicles are often stolen to be resold intact with counterfeit vehicle identification numbers or shipped out of the country. Overall, vehicle thefts continue their decline. Preliminary

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Ford Taurus, 2013: Improved economy, more technology

The 2013 Ford Taurus, which debuted at the recent New York International Auto Show, delivers better fuel economy, more technology, design refinement, improved craftsmanship and enhanced driving dynamics. The new Taurus is the first car in Ford’s North American lineup to offer the advanced 2.0-liter EcoBoost(TM) engine, combining a turbocharger with gasoline direct injection. It is expected to deliver best-in-class highway fuel economy of at least 31 mpg. Providing plenty of power, the 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine will deliver an estimated 237 horsepower and 250 lb.-ft. of torque. The standard Taurus 3.5-liter V6 is projected to deliver unsurpassed fuel efficiency among V6 segment competitors while still delivering increased performance from an anticipated 290 horsepower. This is accomplished with the addition of

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Hyundai Sonata, Buick Regal among best 'budget luxury' cars

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (113.5KB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreThe once standard belief a luxury car was defined by price is no longer valid. The current average price of a new car in the United States, slightly more than $29,000, is also slightly less than the former $30,000 launching point for a luxury vehicle. More pertinent today for a vehicle to be considered a luxury car are its features, comfortable interior to smooth ride to quality lists of option packages. Which is why CNNMoney.com has listed the Buick Regal, Hyundai Sonata, Ford Taurus, Kia Optima, Subaru Legacy and Chrysler 300 as 2011 cars it calls “budget luxury.” The site describes the Buick Regal (turbo), priced at

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Chrysler 200, Ford Fiesta among safest rental cars

Car buyers likely consider vehicle safety as part of the purchase process. But is the same consideration as important for those renting cars? The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is the auto industry standard for determining vehicle safety, whether it’s for buyers or renters. And among cars readily available in major rental agencies, USA Today, via IIHS rankings, reports there are varying degrees of safety. The newspaper reported, 95 percent of 167 different vehicles in rental fleets are rated “good” in head-on collisions, the most frequent type of fatal crash. However, a half dozen 2011 vehicles and one 2010 vehicle had “poor” side-impact crash ratings: Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Volkswagen‘s New Beetle, two-door Jeep Wrangler, GMC Canyon, Chevrolet Colorado

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Mazda3 2011 awarded IIHS top safety pick rating

The 2011 Mazda 3 sedan/hatchback, after earning the top rating of good for roof strength in rollover crashes, qualifies as a Top Safety Pick among small cars by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS). The Mazda3, which previously earned good ratings for front, side, and rear crash protection, is the manufacturer’s first car designated as a Top Safety Pick since the Institute made the criteria more strict by including a requirement for a good rating in the roof strength test. Two tests were conducted in order to rate the 4-door sedan and hatchback versions. The sedan’s roof withstood a force equal to 5.32 times the car’s weight. The hatchback’s roof withstood a force equal to 5.09 times its weight.

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Chevrolet Corvette, Cadillac Eldorado, Honda Accord iconic 'antiques' at age 25

Twenty-five years ago, “Top Gun,” and “Platoon,” were among the year’s top movies, while “Cheers” and “Murder, She Wrote” were favorites among television audiences. And it also 1986 when the Chevrolet Corvette convertible, Honda Accord and Mercedez-Benz 300D all began new chapters of their enduring legacies. Cars 25 years old are eligible for the Antique Automobile Club of America car show. As such, here’s a list of key eligible cars from 1986: Acura Integra, Acura Legend, Cadillac Eldorado, Chevrolet Corvette (convertible), Ford Aerostar, Ford Taurus, Mercury Sable, Honda Accord, Mazda RX-7, Mercedes-Benz 300E/300D, Toyota Celica. Some of the best-known cars from 1986 are more significant than others. The Chevrolet Corvette convertible, for example, was important because the famed sports car

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Ford Explorer 2011 car review

The Ford Explorer dominated the SUV market in the 1990s, but lost most of its ground by the middle of this decade. The redesigned, carlike 2011 model may make it popular again. The new three-row Explorer is larger, but lighter. It shares underpinnings with the Ford Taurus and Flex and trades its rear-drive layout for front-drive, while its trucklike body-on-frame construction gives way to a unit-body platform. Four-wheel drive continues to be available. The old Explorer’s trucky dynamics are gone. So is the V-8, replaced by a 3.5-liter V-6 that generates 290 horsepower and 255 pound-feet of torque. It works with a responsive six-speed automatic transmission, which can be shifted manually. There are lowered initial gears for better off-the-line acceleration

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Hyundai, VW share top 2011 safety institute honors

Hyundai and Volkswagen combined to earn 18 of 66 Top Safety Picks by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the independent nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to reducing the incidents on American highways. Hyundai and Volkswagen each had nine winning models, the most of any manufacturer. The IIHS introduced more difficult standards for 2010, adding roof strength to its criteria by testing protection in rollover crashes. “In just a year, automakers have more than doubled the number of vehicles that meet the criteria for Top Safety Pick,” said Adrian Lund, the Institute president. “That gives consumers shopping for a safer new car or SUV — from economy to luxury models — plenty of choices to consider in most dealer showrooms.

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Consumers Digest awards 35 ‘best buy’ for 2011 models

Thirty-five 2011 vehicles and seven companion models have been selected from more than 250 models and received Best Buy ratings from Consumers Digest magazine. The ratings, published in the December issue (on sale now), span 12 categories: Subcompacts, Compacts, Family Cars, Luxury Cars, Sporty Cars, Full-size Pickups, Small Pickups, Minivans, Compact SUVs, Midsize SUVs, Full-size/Luxury SUVs and Hybrids. The Best Buys — based on behind-the-wheel assessment, safety ratings, ownership costs, warranty, price, comfort, ergonomics, styling and amenities — reflect the publication’s view the vehicles offering exceptional value. “Value, as we see it, is based on purchase price and ownership costs relative to quality, performance and subjective factors like comfort and design,” says Randy Weber, CD’s publisher. Performance characteristics evaluated include

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Honda tops most stolen car list, but Ford has three models on dubious top-10 list

Here are the top-10 most stolen cars in the U.S. in 2008, the most recently available list: 1. 1994 Honda Accord; 2. 1995 Honda Civic; 3. 1989 Toyota Camry; 4. 1997 Ford F-150 Pickup; 5. 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup; 6. 2000 Dodge Caravan; 7. 1996 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee; 8. 1994 Acura Integra; 9. 1999 Ford Taurus; 10. 2002 Ford Explorer. Esurance.com has suggested tips for avoiding auto theft. 1. Don’t be a dummy— simple common sense will go a long way towards protecting you against theft. Always lock your doors (even in your own driveway), try to avoid parking in risky areas (if you’re not sure, it’s probably risky), and never leave tempting valuables in your car (if you must,

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Best dirt cheap collectible cars, BMW to Ford, Buick to Volkswagen

In conjunction with Hagerty Insurance, which specializes in covering collectible cars, here are 10 vehicles presented as “Collectibles: Best of the Dirt Cheap.” The first on the list, with text written by Peter Valdes-Dapen, a CNNMoney.com senior editor, is the V8-powered Ford Mustang. “With demands for fuel economy rising, performance took a back seat in most late 1970s and early 80s cars,” writes Valdes-Dapen. “That made the 205 horsepower Mustang 5.0 HO a particularly desirable model for performance fans. Starting next year, Ford is bringing out a new 5.0-liter displacement V8 for the Mustang, which will bring more attention to the original.” AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans, Online Car Insurance, Rental Cars, Used

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2011 Ford Explorer: Revamped SUV plans helps manufacturer create 1,200 jobs in Chicago

Providing another key example of the rebounding automotive industry, Ford Motor Company will create 1,200 jobs in its Chicago, Ill., plant to help facilitate the production later this year of the revamped 2011 Ford Explorer. “Tomorrow, in one day, we’re going to get 1,200 new jobs for Illinois,” Illinois Governor Pat Quinn told the Associated Press. According to several news reports, Ford wants the new Explorer to become “greener.” The fuel economy of the Explorer will increase and CO2 emissions should be reduced by as much as 25 percent. The Explorer is an integral part of Ford’s lineup. But it’s no longer the sales magnet of yesteryear. During the SUV boom in 2000, the Explorer had sales of 445,000, and

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