Category Archives: Ford

GM and Ford locked in high-tech battle

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Ford

The two largest American car companies, GM and Ford, are both attempting to one-up each other when it comes to the digital features now included in their cars.

GM announced last month that it will partner with Google to offer the company’s Android operating system on its OnStar system. The company plans to debut the feature on the Chevy Volt. Using smartphone apps, drivers will be able to locate their vehicle and get directions on-the-fly.

Ford has also partnered with the technology giant for its Sync feature. Google Maps will soon display a “send to Sync” button that will allow users to send maps and directions directly to their car.

“Printing paper directions from a website is a relic in our digital age,” said Doug VanDagens, head of Ford Connected Services Solutions Organization.

Ford’s Sync, debuted in 2007, has a leg up on GM, having already been installed on 2 million Fords, Mercurys, and Lincolns. Some of these cars have already entered the used car market.

Although these features are convenient, they can also add to the price of a vehicle. Smart shoppers can easily find late-model used Fords by heading to dealers and auto auctions.

Searching for efficiency with the midsize crossover

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Posted in Chevrolet, Ford, Honda - DO NOT USE, Nissan, Toyota

SUVs are a handy way to transport cars full of kids or luggage quickly and easily. For those who don’t need off-roading capabilities, a midsize crossover is the perfect fit.

When purchasing an SUV, one important consideration is fuel economy. SUVs have a reputation for being gas guzzlers, but new technology and the smaller size of crossovers has improved efficiency, according to Edmunds.

In this class, the Ford Edge and Honda Crosstour lead the way with 18 city/27 highway miles per gallon. City drivers may consider the Toyota Venza, which trades one mpg on the highway (26) for one in the city (19). The Nissan Murano gets 18 in the city with 23 on the highway, while the Chevy Equinox posts 17/25, although they are a bit roomier than the others. All of the cars feature 6-cylinder engines.

Car buyers should balance their desire for efficiency with their need for space and features. The Ford Edge has a slight, well, edge, over the competition, as it has just undergone a complete redesign for 2011, according to the Detroit Free Press.

With the new Ford Edges being introduced, drivers can search the used car market for any 2010 Edges that dealers were unable to sell. They can also find deals on all the cars mentioned above.

Big Three post big gains in May

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Chrysler - DO NOT USE, Ford, Nissan, Toyota

As a further sign that the economy is beginning to recover, Detroit’s Big Three automakers: GM, Chrysler, and Ford, all posted big gains in the month of May over the same time last year. With consumer confidence returning and Americans making car purchases that they may have held off on in the wake of the economic downturn, consumers should remember that they can purchase many of these cars for considerably less at used car dealerships or auctions.

Ford gained the most, with a 20 percent increase over previous years’ totals. Ford is in good shape, as the only one of the Big Three not to accept federal bailout money and thus not have to pay it off, according to the Washington Post

GM sales increased 16.6 percent, and Chrysler sold 100,000 vehicles for only the second time in two years.

Among Japanese automakers, Nissan jumped 24.1 percent while Toyota sales slowed amid recall problems.

Although the industry itself may still be recovering, the country is not yet out of the woods. Consumers who need to save money can look at these brands’ ample offerings on the used car market.

Mustang and Camaro battle it out

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Posted in Chevrolet, Ford

Ford and GM have recently engaged in a war of words over the sales figures of two of their models, the Mustang and Chevy Camaro.

The current iterations of these classic cars are close competitors, and sales between the two have been close. The companies proved they weren’t above a little mudslinging in marketing these new vehicles.

Press were invited to test drive the new 2011 Mustang, but not before Ford brought out a brand-new Camaro in order to point out all the ways the Mustang improved over Camaro’s design. When the May sales figures were released, Ford appeared to have gained the upper hand by outselling Chevy 10,225 to 8,931.

Some analysts were quick to point out, however, that Ford was offering steep discounts on 2010 Mustangs in order to make way for the new models. And Chevy released a press release detailing that it had outsold the Mustang by nearly 7,777 units over the first five months.

Those who like a little muscle in their car would do well to check out the used car market. As the two giant automakers trade blows, savvy consumers can find great deals on used Ford Mustangs and Camaros.

Consumers can find deals as brands end

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Ford, Mercury - DO NOT USE

The economic downturn has meant that some automakers are ending brands with a long history. Pontiac and Saturn bit the dust last year, the last Hummer rolled off the line a few weeks ago, and Ford recently announced the demise of Mercury.

Consumers who are fans of these models can turn to the used car market in order to find deals on these cars. As new car dealers were forced to liquidate their stock, some have sold cars to used auto dealers at a reduced rate. Those dealers can then pass savings on to the consumer.

For brands like Hummer, the used car market will be the only place to find the discontinued models. Soon, that will be the same case for Mercury.

Mercury, owned by Ford, was the victim of a crowded market. Sandwiched uncomfortably between Ford’s luxury Lincoln brand and regular Ford brand, it never quite found an identity and commanded less than 1 percent of the market share.

Ford has promised to roll out additions to the Lincoln brand to replace the loss of Mercury. In the meantime, consumers may want to shop for deals on the used market for these once-storied brands.

Ford looks to digital future

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Posted in Ford, General Auto News

Ford CEO Alan Mulally recently took to the stage at the AllThingsDigital conference in Southern California to explain Ford’s upcoming high-tech packages that the automaker plans to roll out on a number of models.

The company has already introduced Sync as an optional feature on many of its models. The digital entertainment console allows users to integrate their phone or other USB-device, like an iPod, and control the devices with voice-recognition software. Mulally believes that integrating technology is the future of the auto industry, according to CNET.

Mulally also spoke about bringing third-party-developed applications to Ford’s in-car console, much like a smartphone. For example, rather than listen to the radio, users could launch their own custom Pandora station right from the car.

The CEO cautioned that the company didn’t want drivers to become distracted on the road, which is why Ford is making sure the applications can be voice-controlled and don’t require constant attention.

Drivers who want to try Sync without paying the dealer-inflated prices would do well to look at recent late-model Ford vehicles on the used car market.

Prices of used car rise, Ford fleet tops the list

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Ford

Prices for new, used and certified pre-owned (CPO) cars have continued to rise in recent months as the economy continues to ride out the recession and consumers start to toy the idea of purchasing a car again.

AutoTrader.com reported in its Trend Engine Report for May that used and CPO car prices have increased substantially, with many of them picking up double-digit increases in recent months.

The Ford F-150 and the Ford Fusion racked up 35 percent and 31 percent increases, respectively, in the certified pre-owned car category when compared to their market prices in April last year, a news release said.

In the used car category, the Ford F-150 also led the pack and was tied with Jeep Wranglers with 18 percent price increase in the same period. Other car brands that saw double-digit price increase since April 2009 were Chevrolet, Toyota, Volkswagen, Honda, GMC and Dodge.

AutoTrader.com President and CEO Chip Perry said more consumers are looking online for new, used and CPO vehicles. In an analysis of AutoTrader’s web traffic, car shoppers used the site to compare vehicles, check prices and see car inventory.

“Car shoppers today, coming off two years of a tough economy, want to know that they’ve made the right purchase when they finally do decide to buy a new or used car,” Perry said.

Used Ford cars command higher prices than other brands

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Ford

Higher resale value of Ford cars, which has increased by about $3,000 over the prior year, will take center stage in the automaker’s summer marketing campaign.

This comes after the American carmaker received the largest increase in quality score in a recent survey conducted by the Automotive Lease Guide, which measures the perception of quality in car brands as a way of determining resale value.

“We have made huge strides in vehicle quality in recent years but customer perceptions don’t change overnight – so it is gratifying to see our real-world improvements begin to fully register with consumers,” Jim Farley, Ford’s group vice president of global marketing, said in a news release.

Ford showed a 7.6 percent improvement on the Spring 2010 results compared with Fall 2009 in ALG’s annual Perceived Quality Score survey, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

The news provider added that while Ford posted the biggest gain, it ranked third in overall quality score at 70.5 percent from front runners Honda Motor, which scored 83.2 percent and Nissan Motor, which received 70.6 percent.

Honda and Ford move to top of auto market in U.S.

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Posted in Ford, Honda - DO NOT USE

Once the premier automaker in the U.S. market, Toyota has recently dropped two spots and made room for Honda and Ford in the top two positions.

According to an April survey by the nonprofit publication Consumer Reports, 57 percent of current Toyota owners would “most likely” purchase a new Toyota vehicle, says Reuters. This figure is down dramatically from December, when 70 percent said they would buy another vehicle from the Japanese automaker.

More than half respondents said that the reputation of a brand was the most compelling factor in their choice of a new car, a factor which could have contributed to the negative approval rating because of Toyota’s recent negative publicity due to recall issues.

Though the brand’s reputation has suffered a blow, the sales of used Toyotas may not be as drastically affected.

In comparison to the opinions of Toyota owners, 68 percent of Honda owners and 61 percent of Ford owners said they would return to their brand.

As a result of dropping two spots in Consumer Reports’ ranking, Toyota may continue to extend sales incentives aimed at attracting more drivers in the U.S.

Ford reports rise in resale value, fewer repairs

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Posted in Auto Loans & Financing News, Ford

Ford vehicles with one to five years on the road are fetching higher resale values during the first quarter of 2010 compared to the same period last year, according to the latest North American Dealers Association auction data.

In a news release, the Dearborn, Michigan-based carmaker reported that its car fleet gained 23 percent year-over-year improvement in resale value, outpacing the industry average by 4 percentage points.

“Ford products have outperformed the overall market, especially in the increasingly important segments of compact cars, midsize cars and crossover vehicles,” said Tom Webb, chief economist at Manheim Consulting. Webb cited the 2010 Ford Taurus, which he said sells 50 percent higher at auction than the 2009 Taurus after one year in service.

Meanwhile, Ford also reported that warranty repair rates have declined by 40 percent globally in the past three years, claiming that Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles now have the “fewest number of defects of any full-line manufacturer.”

Ford reported Tuesday its best quarterly performance in six years with a profit of $2.1 billion. According to the New York Times, the last time Ford earned a quarterly operating profit of $2 billion was in 2004, when it sold nearly 17 million cars in the U.S. Ford expects to sell less than 12 million this year.