Ford

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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Chicago Auto Show, 2010: New models, concept cars from Ford, Chevy, Honda, Toyota, Kia

The new Ford Edge, Honda Odyssey, Toyota Avalon, Silverado HD and of futuristic KIA Ray, were all also included. The show continues through Feb. 21. Check out Mica’s highlights from the Chicago Auto Show in the video below: James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004. In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida. An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver

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Ford reveals Fusion Hybrid, Milan Hybrid join Prius with braking issues

In the aftermath of Toyota’s floor mat and braking issues in nine of its models, including top-selling Camry, Corolla and Prius, Ford has also discovered potential problems with the braking system in the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid and 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid. Unlike the Prius, the Fusion and Milan hybrids don’t lose braking power while the driver steps on the brake pedal, bit it can feel that way. The cars have two separate braking systems – a regenerative system that gently slows the car by reversing the spin of its electric motor, which also recharges its batteries, and conventional brakes at the wheels. The brake pedal operates these systems electronically. But if something interferes with the electronics, it presses the

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Toyota tumbles, Ford F-150 leads January U.S. auto sales

Sales figures the first month of 2010 reflect the industry’s turbulent times. Ford, the only carmaker among the American top-three that did not received federal funding in 2009, led sales with its popular F-150 series. It also led sales in 2009. Toyota, shattered by the recall of its best-selling Camry and Corolla, fell 16 percent. Lexus, the upscale Toyota line, had a 12 percent increase. Here are the top-10 sales totals for the United Sates in January, 2010, according to Cars.com 1. Ford F-Series: 27,630; 2. Chevy Silverado: 22,772; 3. Honda Accord: 20,759 (1,737 Accord Crosstours included); 4. Nissan Altima: 18,636; 5. Toyota Corolla: 17,121; 6. Chevy Malibu: 16,439; 7. Toyota Camry: 15,792; 8. Honda Civic: 14,693; 9. Chevy Cobalt:

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Consumer Reports to Sean P. Diddy Combs: Cars for young drivers

Sean P. Diddy Combs recently attracted a lot of attention when he gave his son a new Lamborghini valued at $360,000 for his 16th birthday. The presentation was held in front of MTV cameras and a celebrity crowd gathered in New York in part for a Haiti relief fundraiser. Consumer Reports didn’t pass judgment on Combs’ actions. Instead, it compiled a list of cars it has determined as “appropriate for young drivers.” In part of story detailing its selection, the Consumer Reports’ reporter wrote: “We did not consider cars with 0-to-60-mph acceleration times faster than 8 seconds or slower than 11 seconds, those with braking distances longer than 145 ft. in dry conditions, or those with mediocre emergency-handling scores. Many

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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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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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China zooms past U.S. in yearly auto sales in 2009, an industry first

China’s target sales for 2009 was 1o million units. The 2009 annual sales in United States was 10.4 million cars and light trucks. It was in lowest level in the U.S. in 27 years. The Chinese tally also included 650,000 in large trucks sales. According to automotive analysts in China, demand is so high, many buyers having to wait at least several weeks to get their purchases. The top-10 selling cars in China in 2009: 1. Buick Excelle; 2. New Hyundai Elantra; 3. Volkswagen Jetta; 4. BYD F3; 5. Volkswagen Santana; 6. Old Hyundia Elantra; 7. Chery QQ; 8. Xia Li; 9. Honda Accord; 10. Toyota Camry. Top-10 selling in the United States in 2009: 1. Ford F-Series; 2. Toyota

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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 will join BMW, Chrysler, GM with improved WiFi in 2010 models

That will be the case this year. The manufacturer has announced some of Ford‘s 2010 models will have WiFi capability. Passengers will be able to browse the Internet, read emails, talk with friends and family and even shop. Chrysler, BMW and GM have already announced Internet connectivity in some vehicles, but the Ford system seems to be innovative. Ford is extending SYNC features to include WiFi. SYNC, an integrated communication system found only in Ford cars, allows the operation of MP3 players, blue-tooth enabled phones and USB drives via voice command. With the new added feature, you can plug in your USB mobile modem to connect to Verizon or Sprint and the entire car will have WiFi. Current Autonet WiFi

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Ford sweeps Detroit Auto Show honors with Ford Fusion Hybrid and Transit Connect

The double victory for Ford on Monday marked only the third time in the history of the award an automaker swept the competition. The honors are voted on by a panel of about 50 U.S. and Canadian automotive journalists. The Ford Fusion Hybrid, the gasoline-electric hybrid that debuted in the U.S. market in March 2009, has gas mileage ratings of 41 mpg in the city and 36 mpg highway. It was honored over the Buick LaCrosse and the Volkswagen Golf/GTI. A utilitarian truck shorter than the Fusion, the Transit Connect defeated the Chevrolet Equinox and Subaru Outback for the truck title. Introduced in 2002, the Transit Connect is a leisure activity vehicle that replaced the Ford Escort van line. “A

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Yaris, Touareg, Probe among Cars.com worst named cars

The author writes: “Below are 10 vehicles from the past 30 years with names so awful and awkward that we’re sometimes surprised consumers gave them a shot.” No. 8 on the list, for example, is the Toyota Yaris. The author details: “There was a girl in my dorm freshman year who organized her shoes alphabetically by mood. She majored in dead languages and responded to every single question with ‘no worries.’ She once set the dorm microwave on fire by overcooking a ham-and-cheese Hot Pocket. Yes, that story is ridiculous and nonsensical … sort of like naming a car Yaris.” AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans, Online Car Insurance, Rental Cars, Used Cars Here’s

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Ford Escape Hybrid, 2010: The Weekly Driver Car Review

A hybrid sport utility vehicle? About six years ago, the idea still seemed outrageous. But then the Ford Escape hybrid debuted. Skeptics sneered. But now SUV hybrids are plentiful from several manufacturers. In other words, there’s competition for the Ford Escape, even if some of the competition remains from Ford via the very similar Mercury Mariner and Mazda Tribute. The Escape hybrid is a “full” hybrid electric system, meaning the system can switch automatically between pure electric power, pure gasoline engine power or a combination of electric battery and gasoline engine operating together. That means  maximum performance and efficiency. The Weekly Driver Test Drive Inclement weather or off-road treks are always good ways to test an SUV. I didn’t do

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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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Popular Mechanics picks diverse group, Chevy Camaro to Kia Soul, Toyota Prius to Ford F150 for Automotive Excellence Awards

Performance: Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Design: Chevrolet Camaro Value: Kia Soul Fuel Efficiency: Toyota Prius Versatility: Subaru Outback Fun to Drive: Hyundai Genesis Coupe Off-Road Ability: Ford F-150 Raptor Technical Innovation: Lexus Remote Touch Luxury: BMW 335d Workhorse: Ford Transit Connect Each year, to determine the winners of the Popular Mechanics Automotive Excellence Awards, PM’s editors drive more than 100 of the newest cars, trucks and sport-utility vehicles, amassing more than 100,000 miles in the process. Through their experiences on extended test drives around the world, instrumented comparison tests and longer-term evaluations, the auto team nominates a list of vehicles in each category. Those selections are put to a vote and the top vote-getters in each category win an Automotive

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Ford expands massive recall by 4.5 million, says National Highway Safety Administration

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has alerted owners of more than a half-dozen truck and van models sold in the U.S. of potential fire hazards linked to the flawed part manufactured by Texas Instruments. Safety officials investigating the switches said leaking hydraulic fluid can overheat and potentially cause vehicle fires even when the ignition is off. Toyota  recalled several brands last week because of numerous accidents involving unhinged floor mats causing stuck accelerator pedals. Previous recalls over the past several years related to the faulty cruise control problem covered nearly 12 million Ford vehicles. Models included in the newest action: * 1995-2003 Ford Windstars. * 2000-2003 Ford Excursion diesels. * 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 Ford F-Super Duty diesels. *

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