Ford

Ford Escape, 2009: Weidel on Wheels

When Ford unveiled the Escape eight years ago it offered an extremely functional compact sport utility vehicle, and it was an instant hit. The Escape had impressive sales for the next several years, but Ford made a giant tactical error. It didn’t offer any major improvements, and competition grew and gained ground. Realizing significant changes were overdue, Ford authorized a redesign in 2008. There were plenty of positives, including a tougher-looking exterior, enhanced performance and improved ride capability. While the Escape’s changes are good, more consumers are turning to less expensive and more gas-friendly SUVs. And the choices are many, including the Toyota RAV4, Saturn Vue, Honda CR-V, Volkswagen Tiguan and Suzuki Grand Vitara. Put the Escape in top tier

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CarMax, Young Drivers Non-Profit Pick Safest Cars For Teenagers

Each vehicle on this list is rated on affordability, style, and has at least a four-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in each of the past three years. The list, in alphabetical order by manufacturer, includes: Chevrolet Malibu (2008 only), Dodge Caliber (models with optional side airbags and ABS), Ford Fusion, Honda Civic, Hyundai Sonata, Nissan Altima, Pontiac G6, Subaru Legacy, Toyota Corolla, Volkswagen Jetta. Not a bad list, not at all. 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

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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 F-150 Again Tops Cars.com "Most-American" Index

For the fifth consecutive in succession, Ford‘s F-150 has claimed the top spot on the Cars.com American-Made Index. The index is a semiannual ranking of vehicles deemed most American based on American production, percentage of domestic parts and American sales volume. Domestic-parts content is based on data that appears alongside the window sticker of new cars as a result of the American Automobile Labeling Act, enacted in 1994. The AALA mandates that virtually every new car display the percentage, by cost, of its parts that originated in the U.S. and Canada. Only those vehicles with a domestic-parts content rating of 75 percent or higher are eligible for the American-Made Index. In addition to holding the top spot on Cars.com’s American-Made

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Hybrids Rule: 2008's Top Five, Chevy Malibu to Ford Escape (Part 1)

Depending upon one’s perspective, either a lot or not much changed in hybrid cars until 1997. That’s when Toyota debuted the Prius only to car buyers in Japan. A decade later, the automotive industry is fully engrossed in the world of hybrid and other alternatively powered cars. The Prius remains at the forefront of the industry, accounting for about half of 350,000 hybrids sold in the United States in 2007. But while the high-mileage Toyota dominates the market, an ever-expanding array of manufacturers know there’s plenty of room for everyone. Less than three percent of new cars sold in the country last year were hybrids. As such, economy to luxury, sedans to pickup trucks, more than 65 hybrid choices will

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Ford Mustang Tops List Of Young Drivers' Most Wanted Cars

ForbesAuto.com, in its long article written by John Adams, is quick to explain vehicles purchased by car buyers under age 21 represent only 1.2 percent of all new car sales. Nevertheless, it’s interesting]]> to examine young car buyers’ habits, particularly considering 3.2 million kids in the United States have or will graduate from high school this year. Nine of out the top-10 (and ties) favorites among young car buyers are automobiles priced under $20,000. Ford has three cars on the list, Volkswagen, Toyota and Honda are represented twice. Jeep, Dodge and Chevrolet have one selection each. 10. Volkswagen Jetta; 9. Dodge Charger; 8 (tie) Jeep Wrangler, Ford F-150; 7. (tie) Ford Focus, Chevrolet Impala; 6. Toyota Corolla; 5. 2009 Toyota

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Ford Mustang (Convertible), 2008: Weidel on Wheels

With no responsibilities on a recent sun-drenched Saturday afternoon, the candy-apple red sports car seemingly recognized my surprising block of free time and the 2008 Mustang Convertible and was beckoning for some action. Given my week with this vintage version of this 1960s dream car was coming to an end, I decided it would be a shame not to enjoy a carefree drive. So the top came down for the first time and off I went in search of some adventure, choosing bucolic Highway 193 as my stretch of pavement to explore. Despite living in and around Placer County for nearly 20 years, I had never ventured very far along Highway 193. It extends from Lincoln to Auburn and involves

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Tata Motors Of India Buys Jaguar, Land Rover From Ford Motor Co.

The price is about one-third of what Ford paid for the two brands. According to the Associated Press, the transaction will “expand the Indian carmaker’s reach around the globe and give Jaguar and Land Rover capital to update and expand their product lines.” The sale had been in the works for months as Ford sought money to fund its turnaround plan. Tata will pay $2.3 billion for the British brands, but Ford will pay about $600 million into the Jaguar-Land Rover pension fund when the deal closes, Tata’s statement said. Ford bought Jaguar for $2.5 billion in 1989 and Land Rover for $2.7 billion in 2000. Tata said it expects no significant changes in the terms of employment for Jaguar

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What's In A Car Name? For The Thunderbird, Try A New Suit

AOL reports a great new name for a car nowadays may cost a c manufacturer $50,000. Those in the business of thinking up car names can earn $5,000 to $10,000 per letter — a hefty sum in any writing world. Known as “naming consultants,” the current-day car namers of add a letter or two to proposed names like XT, XL or ZZ, into the deal. “In their extreme form, the results can look like untidy snippets of mutant gene code or meaningless debris from some Martian game of Scrabble,” writes the AOL author. Examples: Cadillac STS, the Pontiac G6, the Honda Civic Si Coupe, the BMW X3 SAV, Taurus X, Nissan Xterra. It’s as though consumers “are going to go

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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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Ford Mustang, Bugatti Share Daily Telegraph's Most Beautiful Car list (No. 60-41)

Several years ago, a friend bought two handmade Bugatti replicas. They’re Bugatti blue, beautiful and pristine miniatures of the real deal. But by their craftsmanship, they’re also a real deal unto themselves and great collectors’ items. Another friend is a Ford Mustang fancier. He bought a new Mustang a few years ago and treasured it. But he sold the car within its first year of purchase because he just wasn’t driving it often enough to justify the joy of ownership. It’s not often the Bugatti and Ford Mustang are discussed in the same automotive conversation. My friends’ tales provide one example. Another mixing of the two diverse cars occurred among readers of the Daily Telegraph, the London-based daily newspaper. Its

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VW Beetle To Ford Model T: The Top-5 Best-Selling Cars In History

Personally, I liked to see more Model-Ts. But according to the automotive news web site, Automoportal.com, the Model T and the Corolla have a lot in common. Both are among the top-five best-selling cars in history. Here’s the list of the top-five best-selling cars in history and a comment on each vehicle: AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans, Online Car Insurance, Rental Cars, Used Cars 1. Toyota Corolla. It’s now more than 40 years and it’s been manufactured in nine generations and more than 35 million have sold.  It’s topped the all-time bestseller list since 1997. 2.  Ford F Series Pickup. So far, 25 million have been sold. At a rate of 1 million

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Ford Edge, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

A crossover is an automobile with a sports utility vehicle appearance but built upon a more economical and fuel-efficient unibody construction. But what is the Edge — a mini mini-van, a newfangled wagon or a SUV? Like other crossover SUVs, the Edge is hard to pinpoint. The Edge is categorized as a mid-sized crossover SUV and it shares the same platform with the Lincoln MKX and Mazda CX-9 crossovers, the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ sedans. And the Edge bridges the gap between minivans like the now discontinued Freestar, and truck-based sport utility vehicles such as the Explorer. The Edge is priced just below the Taurus X in Ford‘s crossover SUV lineup. The Edge debuted at the 2006

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Ford Edge, 2008: Weidel on Wheels

Looking for answers, Ford did a couple of things right last year, introducing a two solid crossover sport utility vehicles that were well received. Neither the Ford Edge or its Lincoln cousin, the MKX, could halt the overall slide, but they made a difference at a time when a success story or two were desperately needed. And I must admit, a first glance at the 2008 Edge drew an appealing nod of approval and driving this car-like SUV was a pleasure as well. Keep in mind my week was spent with the all-wheel drive Edge Limited. Unveiled as a 2008 model, is is most expensive of the three available models at $32,070. The SE version, the base model, goes for

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Ford Escape, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Ford debuted a smaller, less expensive alternative to The Explorer, its vastly popular sports utility vehicle, in 2001. In North America, it was called The Escape and in Europe it was called The Maverick. The new compact SUV was developed in conjunction with Mazda, which in turn is owned in principle by Ford. Thus, the Escape, the Mazda Tribute and Ford’s Mercury division SUV, the Mariner, are not surprisingly quite similar. A hybrid version of the Escape was introduced in 2004 and this year with the 2008 model, the Escape and its SUV siblings have all been redesigned. Why? The SUV market has expanded so dramatically in recent years, even industry leaders have had to adjust to retain their share

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Ford Debuts Mustang (Again) To Honor Steve McQueen's Driving Legend

Approaching three decades since his death, Steve McQueen remains the “King of Cool,” most notably when it involves cars, motorcycles and high speeds. The latest homage to McQueen will occur Nov. 16-25 when Ford Motor Company introduces  a special edition Mustang to honor the 1968 vehicle McQueen drove in the movie Bullitt. The new vehicle will be available in black and in dark highland green, similar to the color of the Mustang used in the movie. Seven years ago, Ford manufactured its first McQueen commemorative Mustang. In the film, McQueen played Lt. Frank Bullitt and he often drove around the hilly streets of San Francisco in the Mustang and at excessive speeds. The climactic chase scene in the film is

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