Ford Sharpens its Focus for 2012
Ford's newly designed Focus takes a previously dumpy-looking but otherwise good car and brings it more in line with the competitive models the company hopes buyers won't choose.
And judging by the number of new Foci I've seen on my local roads already, in the short time it's been available, the new model appears to be doing the job. Why not? It's a good car, modern, equipped very well and – as a bonus – it's even fun to drive. more...
Ford Hones its Edge for 2011
Talk about living on the Edge!
Ford's popular midsize SUV enters the 2011 model year with upgraded features and technology, including enough high tech gewgaws to be the stuff of geek dreams. As with so many things technological, however, the gadgetry proved it could be a tad problematic.
The front Edge, er, end of the vehicle also sports a new nose, one that gives it a more aggressive look than before. I don't like it as much as the old one, but no one asked me. more...
Ford Fusion Hybrid Seductive Temptation for the Hybrid-averse
Ford's Fusion Hybrid manages to toe the line between green and "GO!" extremely well. It's a high mileage-achieving mid-size sedan that still manages to be a compelling vehicle to drive, something that can't be said for most hybrids I've driven.
All of which led me to be very pleasantly surprised by the 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid with which I spent a week recently. Not only is it a very nice car to be in, and to drive, I even got what I would consider excellent gas mileage considering my lead footed driving style. more...
TechnoFile updates the Ford Explorer
I also got to spend a week in the new Ford Explorer, a welcome test since I'd driven it at the Canadian model introduction a month or so earlier and was looking forward to some quality seat time on my own.
The new Explorer takes the vehicle's traditional body-on-frame construction – which means it was basically truck-like but with no bed – and replaces it with the unibody construction that's become so popular with cars and crossovers in today's marketplace. I never drove the old version, but I liked the new one a lot.
My sample wore the Limited trim, which included three rows of seats and plenty of technology. That technology included the MyFord Touch interface the company ballyhoos so much, which gave me a second look at the system. more...
New Engines Power Ford's Line of F-150 Trucks
Calgary, Alberta - Ford's iconic F-150 pickup truck enters the second decade of the second millennium bristling with new power choices and features the company hopes will keep it at the top end of the best selling truck list.
And if the demonstration they set up for us holds true in the real world, they probably will.
We gathered at Race City Motorsports Park in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on a chilly and snowy supposedly-spring day to put the F-150 and two of its chief competitors through their paces under a variety of conditions, from heavy (well, heavy to me!) hauling to acceleration and handling tests on a tight, twisty road course. more...
Explorer Covers New Territory for Ford
Quebec, Canada – It bristles with high tech new features, and Ford is hoping its new Explorer will be discovered by armies of consumers searching for just the right big SUV.
Ford introduced the all-new 2011 Explorer to a group of media folk at a "Winter Adventure" in the ultra-frosty climes of Quebec City and environs, an event that also proved the value of a good heating system for that time of year when the temperature drops to near Absolute Zero.
Fortunately, the Explorer's heater works well! Even better, there's a lot more about it that works well, including the MyFord Touch interface and a bunch of safety and driving aid features that can help keep the Explorer planted wheels down regardless of the terrain. more...
Ford Mustang V6 Convertible – Ponying Up Topless Fun
When it comes to having fun in a Mustang, you don't absolutely need a V8 engine.
Okay, an "eight banger" does up the oomph ante substantially, but with today's six cylinder engines now putting out power that was once reserved for eight or more cylinders, it's amazing to see just how quickly you can go from zero to "Oops, sorry Officer" in a V6.
Six cylinders also offer the advantage of generally using less gasoline than eight, so there's not only the initial savings you can achieve by buying the more "entry level" engine, but the ongoing costs at the pump. more...
Ford Fiesta Meets Scion xD
One's a Canadian Car of the Year contender, the other's a boxy hauler. But which one's a better car?
Well, if you believe the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada members, it would have to be the Ford Fiesta, the company's new-to-North-America entry level car that scored top marks in its class at the recent Canadian Car of the Year TestFest. Fiesta bested the Scion xD compared here, as well as three other entrants for the title of Best Small Car under $21,000 (Canadian dollars). But it really depends on what you need. more...
Ford Transit Connect Delivers
Ford's new little delivery van really does "deliver the goods", as it were.
Depending on the type of business you own, the Transit Connect might be just what the doctor ordered. It's small for such a vehicle and the fact that it doesn't offer a huge amount of power may limit its practicality, but for what it is, it's very good. more...
Ford Flex Gets an Eco-Boost for 2010
Ford's Flex has a new heart this year, new motivation for both the vehicle and perhaps for those interested in buying it.
It's Ford's Ecoboost technology, which includes the company's new twin turbo 3.5 liter V6 that Ford says delivers V8 power with V6 fuel economy. It's a peach of a system and it produces 355 horsepower, which Ford says is 35 percent more than that of the base Flex's V6, and 350 ft.-lb. of torque, up 41 percent.
The engine is connected to a six speed "SelectShift" automatic transmission with a manual mode that includes paddle shifters that let you take control over the shifting, even to it providing rev-matching downshifts – which comes in handy, both when the open road beckons and in more mundane circumstances such as going down hills where you want to take advantage of engine braking. more...
Ford F-150 Raptor a Real Attention Getter
Judging by the reception I got during my week with Ford's outrageous SVT pickup truck, the company is causing much lust among truckophiles.
I kid you not; of all the vehicles I've driven over the past decade or so, none got as much attention from neighbors, strangers and passersby as the Molten Orange (which looks like red to me) Raptor. Not Porsche, not Mercedes Benz, not Lexus; none of them had people gather in front of my house or in parking lots or on the streets, peeking into the Raptor like kids pressing their faces against a candy store window.
I have to hand it to Ford. They've certainly created a show stopper. more...
Ford's Hot Taurus Sedan – It's SHO Time!
Ford's new Taurus SHO is another welcome sign the company may be making a comeback, product-wise at least, avoiding the government takeover to which its domestic competitors succumbed.
It deserves to sell. I spent a week in a loaded SHO (as opposed to "loaded in an SHO") and liked it a lot – much more than I thought I would. Even its exterior, which had seemed bland, even frumpy, in my brief glances previously, grew on me.
While the exterior may be the car's weakest link, the interior is top notch and, at least in its upgraded SHO configuration, the car's performance is exhilarating. more...
Ford Previews Small Car at Vancouver Fiesta
Europe has it already, and now Ford's terrific little Fiesta subcompact is getting ready to tackle the North American market.
The Fiesta is meant to go head to head with competitors such as the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris and Nissan Versa, and Ford is so excited about its potential that it flew a group of writers to Vancouver, British Columbia, to sample the version on sale currently in Europe and, undoubtedly, whet our appetites for the car. And whet it they did. more...
2010 Mustang Freshened, but Still Packs Muscle
The original muscle car finds itself facing serious competition from the government-controlled domestic car industry as the Dodge Challenger and Chevy Camaro vie for a slice of the Pony car market the Mustang once had to itself.
Perhaps that's why, for 2010, the Mustang has been freshened somewhat, though not enough to be considered a major redesign. more...
Lincoln MKZ and Ford Fusion – Variations on a Theme
Whether you want your car luxurious or mainstream, the Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ sedans are nice pieces of work.
I spent nearly back-to-back weeks with the four cylinder Fusion and the V6 MKZ, both of which were new 2010 models, and came away more impressed than I had expected to be. more...
Focusing on a Ford and a Honda you Really "Odyssey"
"Fun to drive" may not be everyone's priority, but if an everyday vehicle also has some of that factor built in it can certainly make life with it more pleasant. Such is the case with a couple of 2009 vehicles I drove recently that, while nowhere near "all new" or "all fun" are still worth a look if you're shopping for a compact sedan or minivan.
The sedan, the Ford Focus, is a pleasant and well-equipped, if "style-challenged" vehicle that performs better than you might expect considering its niche near the lower end of the market. And the minivan, the 2009 Honda Odyssey, is about as nice a way to haul people and their stuff as you can get. more....
Ford F-150 Vs. Dodge Ram – Head to Head Haulers
Big and brawny, with plenty of towing and hauling capability, the latest generations of full size pickup trucks are the most capable and sophisticated yet. But what are they like to drive?
That's the question I asked when going into back-to-back weeks with the 2009 Dodge Ram and Ford F-150, two of the most popular examples of the big beasties. more....
Ford Flexes its Marketing Muscles with New Crossover
It's big, it's boxy, it's flexible! It's the new Flex, Ford's latest entry into the increasingly crowded crossover market
I took a brand new Flex on a trip across Vancouver Island and the lower mainland of British Columbia, Canada, and it performed well, better, in fact, than I thought it would. more....
Pickin' and Grinnin'? How about Truckin' and Vannin'
There are utility vehicles and there are utility vehicles. Some, like the Ford Explorer Sport Trac are part pickup truck and part SUV. Others, like Ford's Taurus X, are part SUV and part minivan.
Such vehicles are called crossovers today for the most part, undoubtedly because SUV's and pickup trucks have been deemed evil by a gang of vocal busybodies who'd rather see us walk than transport our families and stuff in the manner of our own choosing. But while the term "Crossover" fits well with the Taurus X, the Explorer Sport Trac is at heart an SUV converted into a pickup truck, and it looks and acts like one, too. more....
Car Enthusiasts Converge for Classic Ford Fiesta
They called it a "T Party," and that description suited the event to, well, a T.
It was the celebration of the Ford Model T's 100th anniversary, a week-long bash in and around Richmond, Indiana put on by the Model T Ford Club of America, with Ford offering support. The event saw literally hundreds of Ford Model T's of varying age, state of restoration, and configuration take over the Wayne County Fairgrounds for a gigantic group hug and hat tip to the vehicle that sold more than 15 million copies during its reign and helped change the world as we know it. more....
Ford Sharpens its Focus
Ford's Focus isn't all new, but it's freshened and, according to Ford, features an all-new interior and improved driving dynamics.
Updating the car is probably a good idea, because it sits in one of the most competitive niches in the marketplace, going head to head with vehicles such as the Toyota Corolla, Volkswagen Jetta, Hyundai Elantra, Honda Civic and others. more....
Ford Escape Hybrid – Cheap on Gas, With Room to Haul
The test unit may have been a pretty "Light Ice Blue Metallic" color, but to Ford the Escape Hybrid is all green.
And why not? Ford claims the Escape Hybrid is "the cleanest and most fuel-efficient SUV in the world," getting up to 41 U.S. mpg (5.7 liters/100 km in Canadian parlance) in city driving, which they say is 14 per cent better than the 2007 model and 80 per cent better in city driving than the V6 gasoline burning Escape. That's pretty good no matter how you slice it, especially in a time of high gas prices. more....
Ford Taurus is no Bull...
Ford says there have been more than 500 changes made to the Taurus (not including the names), to make it "more distinctive, quieter, faster and safer." Highlights include "new exterior styling, a new powertrain, a new all-wheel-drive system, more standard safety features and structural upgrades to further enhance crash protection." more....
Ford unveils plug-in hybrid vehicle (AP)
Ford Motor Co. is joining the list of automakers working on a plug-in
hybrid - with a twist. It combines the convenience of plugging in
your car with a zero-emissions hydrogen fuel cell. more....
Ford Fusion
Let there be no confusion: Ford is hoping
for a profusion of its new Fusion on roads around North America,
and judging by the Fusions that are starting to appear on
the roads in my neck of the woods they may not be wishing
in vain.
The Fusion, new for 2006 and the replacement for the aged
Taurus, shares the same basic platform as the terrific Mazda
6 sedan, a car I like a lot. But it doesn't look much like
a 6 inside or out; instead, it sports its own skin and demeanor
and that's not a bad thing. more...
Ford Escape Vs. Toyota Highlander Hybrids
It’s the battle of the hybrid SUV’s!
In the green corner, the Ford Escape, a nice if somewhat
bland vehicle that’s pretty good for hauling, if pretty
boring to drive. In the other green corner, the Toyota Highlander,
a Camry-based SUV that feels more like a car than a truck,
and which is not quite as boring to drive.
So which is the winner? more...
Ford Ponies Up the Fun in Retro Mustang
It was just like having a midlife crisis, then being able
to get back to reality again without having ruined my life
in the meantime.
“It” was a week with Ford’s new Mustang
GT, the latest and possibly greatest version (not including
the various Shelbys, Machs and the like, perhaps) of the
car that changed the business back in the 1960’s.
I took my Drivers’ Ed (kind of like Mister Ed, but
featuring horsepower instead of a horse) in a 1969 Mustang
convertible back longer ago than I’d care to admit,
though as a hint I’ll admit that the car was new at
the time. Three students and one instructor poured ourselves
into the pony during the dead of winter and learned our stuff,
including such cold weather exercises as parking lot donuts,
though I’m not sure that was really part of the curriculum.
more...
When you think tough, and you think wheels, you think truck.
Trucks are vehicles for when you have things to do, stuff
to haul, lousy terrain to cover. A full size truck is big,
brawny and loaded for bear. And they’re extremely popular,
for the above reasons and others.
Alas, I’m more of a SNAG (sensitive new age guy, though
I’m sure my wife disagrees about the sensitive and new
age parts) with a healthier dose of couch potatoness than
optimal. So a lot of the benefits of a serious truck are
lost on me, at least until it’s time to get firewood.
That doesn’t mean I don’t want to drive one if
the opportunity comes along, though; the broader cross section
of vehicles I experience the better my perspective about
things automotive and, hopefully, the more relevant these
ramblings are. more...
|
Home
