Ford 2009

2009 Ford Escape XLS

2009-03-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

The base 2009 Ford Escape XLS starts at $21,160, including a $725 destination charge. The 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid starts at $30,370, including a $725 destination charge.
Ford said the 2010 Escape and Escape Hybrid will get five new safety and driver-aid technologies, including a standard integrated spotter mirror to help with the driver's blind spot. Certain 2010 Escape models will also get MyKey, which allows owners to program a key that can limit the vehicle's top speed and audio volume. MyKey will be standard on models with the message center cluster, including the XLT trim level and above.
Other optional features include a rearview camera system and active park assist, which helps to position the vehicle for parallel parking.

Ford F 150 Review

2009-03-09T19:03:00.000-07:00

Talk about a love-hate relationship.

Hate: In 2008, sales of the Ford F-series pickup truck, the nation's most popular vehicle, plunged by more than 175,000 units in the worst year for vehicle sales in 16 years.

Love: Even at that, sales totaled 515,513, maintaining it as the nation's most popular vehicle and something any manufacturer would envy. It's an old story. The F-series, led by the F-150, has been the top seller for 27 straight years. Now there's an all-new F-150, which aims to continue the record march.The sales decline came about because of the economic recession and customers' stampede away from big gas-guzzlers when gasoline prices went to more than $4 a gallon.But that doesn't mean full-size pickup trucks are in any danger of extinction. Despite the steep drop overall in vehicle sales from nearly 16.2 million in 2007 to slightly more than 13.2 million in 2008, big pickups built by the three U.S. and two Japanese manufacturers still held onto more than 1.5 million customers.What's happening, in the view of professionals who track such matters, is that many casual customers who bought full-size pickups as family cars or cultural statements were scared away.That leaves people who love pickups because they need to tow trailers and haul cargo, along with a host of ranchers, farmers, contractors, maintenance and service workers who use their trucks to earn a living. Although many likely could get along with something smaller, they have been seduced by the size, towing capability and load capacity of the big pickup.Even in the down year of 2008, full-size pickups accounted for 11.8 percent of the vehicle market. That was down from 13.2 percent in 2007, but still constituted a vital organ in the body of the marketplace.So regardless of whether you're classified as a truck person or a car person, you have to love the big pickups for their contributions to the economy and the earnings of the vehicle manufacturers. But you can still hate them for their ponderous profiles and profligate way with finite resources.Onto this conflicted stage rolls the 2009 Ford F-150 pickup with a complicated mission. On the one hand, it has been designed to provide fresh appeal as a work truck. On the other, it features some of the most luxurious touches ever offered on a pickup.Consider the range of choices: the base truck with two-wheel drive, a 248-horsepower V8 engine, four-speed automatic transmission and air conditioning has a sticker price of $22,070. But you also can order the four-door, four-wheel drive Platinum model that, with options, can top $50,000.The test F-150 was the Lariat model with four-wheel drive and a 320-horsepower, 5.4-liter V8 engine linked to a six-speed automatic transmission. City/highway fuel consumption is rated by the government at 14/18 miles per gallon. The price started at $38,965 and, with options that included a navigation system and backup camera, topped out at $46,745. It's obviously tilted toward the luxury end of the spectrum.With a 5.5-foot box on the back, the tester had a payload of 1,520 pounds and could tow up to 9,700 pounds, all of which placed it in the useful and practical category. However, the test truck lacked two of the new F-150's innovative options: fold-down steps to help load from the sides and a fold-down step and assist handle in the tailgate.It's easy to see why someone who bought this truck to use as a family car could love it but might quickly abandon it. On the plus side, it has limousine-like seating for five, with big, deep and comfortable bucket seats up front, 30 interior storage cubbies, a center console that can hold two laptop computers, and enough elbow and leg-stretching space in the back seat for three NBA basketball players.The back seats don't recline, but the seatback has a reasonably comfortable angle. If you need to haul something out of the weather, the seat bottoms flip up to expose a huge cargo area -- enough, says Ford, to accommodate a flat-screen TV set nearly 4 feet tall and more than 5 feet wide. But it's a ponderous beast, 6 feet 4 inches tall and way more than 19 feet long with a giant turning radius. You need running boards to climb up into the cab and don't even think about squeezing into a tight shopping center parking lot. Just park it way out in right field and walk to the store. Other negatives include weak headlights and a nearly invisible indicator for the shift lever.Once settled in, the F-150 rides and handles well considering its size, delivers more than ample power and smooth shifting, and is as quiet as a luxury sedan. With adjustable pedals and power seats, drivers of all sizes can find a comfortable driving position. Visibility is good in all directions, making backing up relatively easy. If you need to hook up a trailer, the backup camera helps out.

Ford Performance Vehicles F6 E

2009-03-09T18:56:00.000-07:00

MELBOURNE, Australia — On the eve of the 2009 Melbourne Auto Show, Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) has released a few details about its F6 E concept that will be unveiled there.
The F6E appears targeted to people who want the power and performance of the F6 but in a more subtle and conservatively styled package. It has a turbocharged 4.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine that makes 416 horsepower and 417 pound-feet of torque, mated to a ZF six-speed automatic transmission with Sequential Sports Shift. Cross-drilled and vented brakes with Brembo calipers are fitted.
Although FPV says the F6E is just a "concept" right now, it looks like a safe bet to go into production soon.
FPV's general manager, Rod Barrett said, "The F6 E has been designed to satisfy calls from the market for more performance-based executive vehicles." He said FPV is testing market reaction before making a final decision on producing it.
Target pricing for the F6 E is expected to be the equivalent of $50,370.

Ford 2010 Fusion

2009-03-09T18:44:00.000-07:00

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — Ford Motor said Monday it will charge a base price of $19,270 for its revamped Fusion midsize car and $27,270 for a hybrid gas-electric version.
The 2010 Fusion is due in showrooms this month. The company is hoping it will take market share from the Toyota Camry, which is the top-selling car in the U.S.

But the Fusion will be priced slightly higher than the 2009 versions of Toyota's base model and hybrid.Toyota Motor says on its website the Camry has a base sticker of $19,145. The hybrid costs $26,150.

The hybrid Fusion is expected to get 41 miles per gallon in the city and 36 on the freeway. The Camry hybrid gets an estimated 33 in the city and 34 on the highway

Ford launched its hard-working 2010 Transit Connect

2009-03-09T18:29:00.000-07:00

Ford launched its hard-working 2010 Transit Connect European workhorse to the American market. It's a Duratec 2.0-litre DOHC four-cylinder that produces 136hp and 128 ft-lb of torque.
All this power will drive the front wheels and will have a four-speed auto transmission, the estimated fuel econ will be an EPA rating of 20mpg city and 24mpg highway.
The commercial van offers 135 cubic feet of cargo volume, split-rear cargo doors that open at 180 degrees (optional doors can be opened to 255 degrees), 52.1 inches of load height, a load width of 47.8 inches, and a 1,600-pound payload capacity.
A variety of different set-ups can be ordered including a panel van that features no rear glass and a wagon version that offers a folding second-row bench seat which can seat two or three rear passengers. Ford will also offer its extensive work solutions series of business-inspired options that include items such as an in-dash computer with Internet access, tool link for keeping inventory of what cargo and equipment are in the vehicle, and crew chief which is a tracking tool for fleet managers.