Ford Taurus

Nissan Versa (2009), Ford Escape (2005) Among Cars.com Best Used Cars For About $10,000

In the writers’ words: “Whether it’s a weekday commuter or a Saturday grocery-getter, drivers need their set of wheels, but the average price of a new car — $28,929 including financing, according to Comerica Bank’s latest Auto Affordability Index — is awfully high for many people. “Not to worry; we’ve singled out some good buys for you. With reliability, safety and bottom-dollar value in mind, we looked at new and late-model used cars whose retail values hover around $10,000. We crunched reliability and crash-test scores. We considered standard and optional safety features and looked at how easy it is to find cars with those options. Finally, we considered gas mileage along with our own qualitative impressions — things such as

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Edmunds.com unveils recommended cars, trucks for 2010

The guide contains Edmunds.com’s Top Recommended Vehicles — shopping lists for consumers interested in any market segment. Another section of the guide, What You Should Know before Buying, provides valuable segment-specific guidance no car shopper should miss. “You’re ready to buy a new vehicle, but how do you go about narrowing down the choices?” Karl Brauer, Editor in Chief of Edmunds.com asked. “Consumers can really use a friend in this overwhelming process; our buying guides give them the benefit of our extensive experience testing and researching every car on the market.” Here are Edmunds.com top recommended vehicles for 2010: Sedans Under $15,000 —- Honda Fit, Hyundai Elantra Under $20,000 —- Mazda MAZDA3, Suzuki Kizashi, Ford Fusion Under $25,000 —- Honda

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Ford Fusion selected Motor Trend's Car of the Year

After tallying the judges’ feedback, the redesigned Ford Fusion came out on top. The 2010 Ford Fusion range demonstrates impressive bandwidth, from a fun-to-drive entry-level model with a four cylinder engine and six speed manual transmission, to a high-tech, highly fuel efficient hybrid, to a sporty version with a 3.5-liter V-6 and all-wheel drive. According to Motor Trend’s editors the 2010 Ford Fusion offers a “sweep across one of the market’s more hotly contested segments.” The extensively revised and redesigned 2010 Fusion is a better, smarter, nicer, comfier and greener car than its predecessor. “It looked, felt and drove like an entirely new machine,” the magazine’s editor noted. The For Fusion took top honors from a field of 23 diverse

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Subaru tops all manufacturers in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety 2010 ratings

The other car manufacturers to do well in 2010 include: Ford and its subsidiary, Volvo, Volkswagen and Audi with five top picks, and Chrysler with four cars in the top categories. “With the addition of our new roof strength evaluation, our crash test results now cover all 4 of the most common kinds of crashes,” said Institute president Adrian Lund. “Consumers can use this list to zero in on the vehicles that are on the top rung for safety.” Toyota and its Lexus and Scion subsidiaries had a strong showing in 2009 with 11 winners but were shut out for 2010. Four other manufacturers whose vehicles have earned Top Safety Pick in the past didn’t have a qualifying vehicle for

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Tesla debuts prototype of Model S, its new, all-electric sedan

Founded in 2003, Tesla‘s debut vehicle is the $109,000 Roadster sports car. The 300th Roadster was recently delivered to its owner and the waiting list includes more than 1,000 wannabe owners. The Model S, which Tesla touts as the first mass-manufactured all-electric car, will cost $57,400, or $49,900 after tax credits. Elon Musk, Tesla Motors’ chief executive, and chief designer, Franz von Holzhausen, debuted the Model S to a gathering and industry analysts and the media March 26 in Hawthorne, Calif. According to a report in the New York Times, Musk said, “When gas savings are taken into account, buying a Model S will be comparable to buying a $35,000 Ford sedan. Would you rather have this car (the Tesla)

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Ford Taurus, 2008: Weidel on Wheels

Of course, the new name should be recognizable. The Taurus enjoyed an auspicious debut in 1985 as an innovatively designed sedan. It immediately attracted the car-buying public and by 1992 was the top-selling American car. But instead of improving the Taurus, Ford aggressively went after the truck segment. That was successful, but the Taurus died a slow death. It eventually left the Ford lineup and emerged in 2006 as the Five Hundred. The name might not represent the number of vehicles sold, yet the Five Hundred never caught on. When Roger Mulally became Ford’s CEO last September he wanted the recognizable Taurus name revitalized, hence the Taurus X unveiling and elimination of the Five Hundred. While the Freestyle was criticized

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Ford, Volvo, Honda, Acura dominate Institute For Highway Safety's 34 Vehicles Top Pick

Winners also have to be equipped with electronic stability control (ESC), which research shows can significantly reduce the risk of crashing. At the beginning of the 2007 model year, 13 models qualified, but as manufacturers have made changes and introduced new and safer vehicle designs, 10 additional vehicles qualified during the year. Now another 11 vehicles are being added to the list for 2008. Designating winners based on the tests makes it easier for consumers to identify vehicles that afford the best overall protection without sifting through multiple sets of comparative crash test results. Eight vehicles from Ford and its subsidiary, Volvo, make the list of winners for 2008. Seven winners are from Honda and its subsidiary, Acura. For first

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