Automotive News, Car Reviews, and Podcast
The 2013 Ford Escape, the first complete redesign of the iconic Sport Utility Vehicle, has debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show featuring a sleeker design, two new engine options and a host of outrageously titlet exterior colors, Ginger Ale to Frosted Glass Metallic.
Read moreFord Motor Company is liable for an April 2004 van accident and is required to pay the family of a man killed, and a surivor in the mishap, $50 million, according to a report on sacbee.com, the website of the Sacramento Bee newspaper. The ruling, via a Sacramento Superior Court jury, detailed Ford must pay the punitive damages to the family of Tony Mauro, 41, who was killed in the crash, which occurred on Interstate 5, and to Marlene Shirley, who suffered abdominal injuries in the accident. The full article will appear in the Bee's print and online editions on Nov. 11. The abbreviated post on www.sacbee.com, details Plaintiffs lawyer Roger Dreyer argued Ford was liable because it had information
Read moreWorld debuts of 20 cars from Chevrolet to Honda and more than 30 North American auto unveilings will comprise a chunky dose of the anticipated start November 16 of the Los Angeles Auto Show. In addition to the 1,000 new vehicles on display at the Los Angeles Convention Center, several manufacturers have upgraded exhibit spaces and added enhanced features with more interactive content and experiences. There will also be more than a half-dozen test drives that put consumers in the seats and on the streets in some new vehicles on select days. Notable this year will be a significant increase in fuel efficiency across the board in all categories. Nearly 20 highly-efficient, 40-mpg-plus vehicles, using internal combustion engines-such as the
Read moreAndy Rooney, age 92, and part of 60 Minutes on CBS since 1978, offered his latest rant on the second week of the new season of the longstanding program on Oct. 3. The essay was about his dislike of gadgets, particularly in the automobile industry and including Ford's latest smartphone application. Here's the transcript and video of the segment: "I have a lot of gadgets here in my office. I don't really like gadgets. I don't even like the word 'gadget.' " "I read though where automakers have plans to install even more electronic gadgets in their cars soon. Do we really need more of them? I knew I'm out of the loop when I read recently that the Ford
Read moreCharlie Sheen has a new television role and apparently a renewed appreciation for charity. His restored 1966 Ford Mustang is being auctioned by the celebrity charitable outfit charitybuzz.com to raise fund for C5LA. The auction will continue through Nov. 17 Sheen restored the Mustang to complete Nascar specifications in 2006 and added his signature on the dashboard. This one-of-a-kind vehicle would cost approximately $300,000 to duplicate. Net proceeds benefit C5LA, a five-year youth leadership development program that begins with eighth graders and is designed to inspire high-potential, at-risk youth from under-resources environments in Los Angeles to obtain higher education and personal success. Charlie Sheen's 1966 Mustang Facts & Figures: Facts • Currently approved for street use in California; • Only
Read moreScion lead the dominance of nine Japanese car manufacturers among the top 10, while Ford dramatically stumbled in the annual most reliable survey conducted by Consumer Reports magazine. The best and worst-performing brands is based on feedback from 1.3 million subscribers to the United States-based publication. The Scion xD was identified as the best model, followed by Lexus (CT 200h) as the next highest-rated model. Acura came in third place, followed by Mazda, Honda, Toyota, Infiniti, Subaru and Nissan. Volvo was the best-performing non-Japanese brand in 10th place. Hyundai and Kia, both of South Korea, took the next two spots, with Jeep in 13th place, was the top U.S. brand. Ford fell from 10th to 20th place. Among 27 brands
Read moreThe Ford F-150, perennially the top-selling vehicle in the United States, will take its owners farther in 2012 — up to 756 miles on one tank of gas. The Ford F-150 EcoBoost 4×4 now comes standard with a 36-gallon fuel tank. With an EPA rating of 21 mpg in highway driving for the four-wheel-drive model, the F-150 can now be driven nearly the length — and perhaps even the entire length — of California between fill-ups. The length of California in 770 miles. "We know the majority of our customers use their F-150s daily for work or play. It’s an essential tool that enhances their productivity," said Doug Scott, Ford Truck Group Marketing manager. "Reducing downtime for fuel stops can
Read moreIn perhaps the most overt example of the ever-changing automotive industry, Toyota and Ford Motor will collaborate to develop hybrid trucks and sport utility vehicles that will be available to the public by the end of the decade. Two companies announced Aub. 22 they will manufacture rear-wheel drive hybrids as well as telephone, Internet and entertainment systems for the vehicles. Developing the hybrids will help each automaker meet stringent U.S. fuel economy standards, said Takeshi Uchiyamada, vice president for Toyota research and development, and Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s product development chief. There are no plans for collaboration beyond rear-wheel drive hybrids and on-board phone, navigation and entertainment systems. Toyota has been the world leader in hybrids (3.3 million) since it introduced
Read moreAfter Ford CEO Alan Mulally revealed the new Ford Focus Electric car on The Late Show with David Letterman last week, new reports state the American automaker has postponed the release of its electric car to early 2012. The much awaited battery-electric vehicle (BEV) was expected to make its debut before 2012 in 19 US markets (Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, San Diego, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Phoenix, New York, Orlando, Portland, Raleigh Durham, Richmond, San Francisco, Seattle, Tucson and Washington, D.C.), but will now launch it only in the New York and California markets by the end of 2011. Reports state the delay in the launch is probably due to the fact that Ford wants to prevent any problems
Read moreFord has taken direct financial aim at the quickly expanding Indian auto market dominated Maruti Suzuki by announcing plans to build a $900 million production plant in Sanand, the same city in which the Tata Nano is built. Maruti Suzuki currently leads India car sales with about 45 percent followed by Hyundai (18 percent), Tata (13 percent) and Mahindra & Mahindra (6 percent). Ford‘s planned factory in Sanand, in the business-friendly western state of Gujarat, will be operational by 2014 and employ 5,000 people, according to Ford. With initial annual capacity of 240,000 vehicles, the plant will bring Ford‘s total capacity in India to 600,000. It will reduce the cost of getting vehicles to domestic market and give the company
Read moreFord and Volkswagen are cooperating with safety regulators conducting preliminary investigations into issues with two of the manufacturers’ most popular vehicles, the Mustang and Jetta. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is examining the Ford Mustang for possible manual transmissions for possible shifting problems and diesel Volkswagen Jetta sedans for possible fuel leaks. Spokesmen for both automakers said they were not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the issues. A preliminary investigation is the first step in a process that could lead to a recall if regulators determine a manufacturer needs to address a safety issue. The NHTSA reported it opened a preliminary investigation into an estimated 26,000 Ford Mustangs from model years 2011-2012 over potential problems with
Read moreFord, whose line-up of pickups includes the perennially largest-selling vehicle in the United States, is recalling 1.1 million trucks in 21 states and Washington, D.C. because their gas tanks can fall off and cause fires. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the recall includes the Ford F-150 (1997-2004), the country’s best-selling vehicle, F-250 (1997-’99) and Lincoln Blackwood (2002-’03). The recall affects trucks sold or now registered in cold-weather states: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C. “Prolonged exposure to road de-icing chemicals may cause severe corrosion of the fuel tank straps which secure the tank
Read moreHyundai keeps reaping praise. Edmunds.com, the respected California-based automotive web site, has selected two Hyundai models on its list of the top-15 recommended used cars since 2004. Hyundai, Ford, Honda and Toyota all had two models on the list, with the Hyundai Elantra selected as the best used sub-compact and the Hyundai Azera chosen as the best used large sedan. “With used car prices still soaring, it’s important for consumers to have expert guidance to get the best value,” said Scott Oldham, editor in chief of Edmunds.com. “By taking into consideration a range of factors from consumer ratings to NHTSA crash safety tests, to True Cost to Own metrics, these cars are the most attractive options in the used car
Read moreThe 2011 Hyundai Elantra has won a unique best value honor when matched among five compact cars that seat five, get more than 35 mpg and are priced at less than $20,000. The evaluation, conducted by the website Cars.com, revealed the Elantra earned the honors, according to the site’s editors, for its exterior and interior design as well as its smooth ride. “With unrelenting gas prices and continued economic uncertainty, our shootout couldn’t be timelier in terms of what car shoppers are looking for,” said Patrick Olsen, Cars.com editor-in-chief. “In fact, four of the five models that competed have been among dealer’s best sellers in April and May. To determine the winner of the shootout, experts from Cars.com and USA
Read moreIn its seemingly endless quest to present car lists, CNNMoney.com’s lastest automotive tabulation is its top-10 most disappointing cars of 2011. The list includes some surprising choices, BMW to Honda, Acura to Mercedes-Benz — manufacturers often on top-10 best car lists. Here’s what Alex Taylor III, a senior editor-at-large for the website, wrote about the 2011 BMW X6 — the surprisingly poor seller: “The X6 is marketed as a ‘sports activity coupe’ that combines the attributes of an SUV (high ground clearance, all wheel drive large wheels and tires) with the stance of a coupé (bold styling, dramatic sloping roof).” “BMW sales are hot, but buyers are apparently confused by the concept, put off by the chunky styling, or deterred
Read moreThe 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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