Category Archives: Ford

Ford goes green with recycled carpets

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Posted in Ford, General Auto News

Drivers who want to go green may consider purchasing a hybrid, or a fuel-efficient hatchback that gets good gas mileage. Or they might just look for a company that uses environmentally-friendly practices when building their vehicles.

Ford recently revealed an innovative idea that has helped them cut down on the carbon footprint that normally comes with building a vehicle. The automaker has revealed that in 2010, they used nearly 4.1 million pounds of recycled carpet – 154 football fields – to make the cylinder heads for vehicles such as the Escape, Fusion and Mustang.

Perhaps best for Ford, the automaker reportedly didn't incur any abnormal costs in using the material.

"We didn’t have to make compromises for this application," said engine sealing supervisor Roy Ford. "With a fixed raw material cost that delivers cost savings compared to oil, along with the green benefit, this application adds to the ways Ford is minimizing our impact on the environment."

The carpet recycling program wasn't the first green practice for Ford, which also uses soy foam seat cushions and recycled blue jeans for sound dampening material.

Drivers interested in a used Ford or any other vehicle may want to consider New Jersey State Auto Auction, which offers a wide range of cars for sale.

Car rivalries heating up in early months of 2011

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Chevrolet, Ford

It's baseball season again, but the biggest rivalry in the country may not be between the Yankees and Red Sox. If the early sales numbers are any indication, the real competition people should be watching is between the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro.

The rivalry dates all the way back to the sixties, and the current incarnations of the vehicles are so close in price and statistics that it's easy to say General Motors and Ford take the competition very seriously. March was a good month for Ford, as the automaker was able to outsell GM for just the second time since 1998. Yet it couldn't surpass the Camaro, according to USA Today, which sold 8,964 units to the Mustang's 8,557. Chevrolet also easily won January and February thanks to some nice incentives, making the overall score so far 19,972 to 15,419.

In more modern rivalries, Ford is doing a bit better. Its Fiesta subcompact is thrashing the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris, selling 9,787 vehicles in March alone. Of the two other cars, the Fit was closest, with 6,955 cars sold.

The closest race, however, is between minivans. The Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna are very similar cars, and Honda only eked out the win by about 100 vehicles, selling 10,586 compared to Toyota's 10,449.

Drivers interested in any of these vehicles should consider New Jersey State Auto Auction, which offers both new and used versions of these popular models.
 

Ford officially outsells GM

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Ford

Many analysts predicted it in the middle of March, but the final sales totals for the month are in and Ford has officially outsold its crosstown rival, General Motors.

This marks only the second time since 1998 that Ford has been able to accomplish this feat. The previous time was in February of 2010, when Ford was momentarily the top brand in the country after Toyota's sales fell due to a recall and GM stumbled after the economic collapse. Even then, Ford only eked out a win by 470 units.

This time the difference was much larger, with Ford beating GM by 5,675 cars sold. Ford improved over the same period in 2010 by more than 16 percent. The key factors for the jump included record sales for the Fusion and Escape, a 56 percent increase in Fiesta sales compared to February, and a 21 percent jump in truck sales – which surprised analysts, given the high gas prices.

Still, General Motors has little to complain about. Sales increased by 17 percent year-on-year for the automaker, and the company absolutely cleaned up in January and February due to major incentives offered on its vehicles. In fact, many attribute the stumble in March due to the fact that GM retracted these offers on vehicles, rather than any type of quality flaw.

Whether you're interested in a Ford or a Chevrolet, New Jersey State Auto Auction has a wide range of cars for sale at affordable prices.

Ford, Nissan announce production changes

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Ford

As part of the continuing fallout from the Japanese earthquake, both Ford and Nissan have announced changes to production at some of their major plants

Ford has announced that it will be halting production at its Louisville, Kentucky, manufacturing plant, which primarily builds "Super Duty" pickup trucks, as well as the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator. The automaker said it was partially tied to supply chain issues due to the earthquake in Japan, but it declined to state which parts it was waiting on. A sales analyst for Ford told Reuters that the decision wasn't solely tied to the disaster, however. With rising gas prices, large SUVs and pickup trucks are in less demand and Ford anticipates that it won't need as many as originally thought.

Nissan, meanwhile, is addressing the issue by adjusting its schedule. The automaker assigns "non-production" days to factories every year. Rather than take those days later on in the year, they have been moved into the present. This way, Nissan can make up the production at a later date if need be.

With less new vehicles out on the market, demand could spike in the coming month. Fortunately, the used car market is unaffected by these developments, so those who shop New Jersey State Auto Auction will still be able to find great deals as always.

Top cars for the month of March

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Ford

The month of March is in the books, and most of the major automakers have reported their sales totals. So which cars were the best sellers throughout the month?

Despite all the talk of drivers switching to smaller and more fuel-efficient vehicles thanks to the higher gas prices, Americans still love their pickup trucks. The Ford F-Series was easily the best seller for a month that also saw Ford as the best selling brand. In fact, the F-Series outpaced the second-place vehicle, the Honda Accord, by nearly 20,000 units. Sales for the pickup were up 23 percent year-on-year. Although it is a truck, Ford's new powertrains for the vehicle give it a significant boost in fuel economy, which may have helped it outsell the Chevrolet Silverado, the third best-selling car for March.

The Hyundai Sonata was able to get on the list in the tenth spot, selling a whopping 64 percent more than the previous year. Mainstays like the Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry and Honda Civic took up most of the middle slots.

In many cases, these are vehicles that have not seen significant improvements in recent years. That means drivers can essentially be getting the same vehicle for a lot less money by shopping used car dealerships like New Jersey State Auto Auction.

Japanese earthquake leading to widespread shortages

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Posted in Ford

The Japanese earthquake has had widespread effects on the automotive industry, even causing some American manufacturers to stop production due to a lack of parts.

Prices on some popular Japan-only models, like the Toyota Prius, have spiked in recent weeks. Meanwhile, automakers have told dealers and shoppers not to panic and remain optimistic about resuming production. However, several analysts told The Associated Press that the effects of the quake were just beginning.

"This is the biggest impact ever in the history of the automobile industry," Koji Endo, managing director at Advanced Research Japan, told the news source.

The problem isn't so much the major factories – those are almost all back online. It is the parts manufacturers that supply everyone from Toyota to GM are still in question. Some have yet to be contacted. Without key parts, production can't continue.

According to the news source, prices will likely spike over the next few weeks as dealers face an inventory shortage. Dealers may also end up running low on certain trim levels or colors. For example, Ford has put the brakes on black versions of its Expedition, Navigator and F-150 models, taking no further orders on those.

The lack of supply could mean some high prices for vehicles over the next few months. Those who were considering purchasing a new or used car may want to head over to New Jersey State Auto Auction before prices skyrocket. 

Edmunds predicts Ford could overtake GM in March

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Ford

The official sales total for March aren't actually in yet, but analysts are predicting Ford will end up the big winner when all is said and done.

General Motors has long been the king of U.S. auto sales, and its crosstown rival Ford has only been able to surpass GM once since 1998. The big moment for Ford came in February 2010, when both GM and Toyota, which occupied the top two spots for many years, were left reeling by a government bailout and recalls, respectively. Ford only held the title for a month before GM regained its footing.

Now, Edmunds.com reports that Ford may once again end up in the top spot. The company believes that GM's recent scaling back of incentives offered in January and February will allow Ford to slip by.

"GM seems to have pulled back on incentives in March and could suffer a sales hangover through the next few months, given that the company’s earlier offers have been quite generous and may have pulled ahead future sales," said Edmunds.com Senior Analyst Jessica Caldwell.

The website estimates that Ford's sales will grow by approximately 34 percent compared to February, while GM's will remain nearly even.

Drivers interested in a Ford or any other vehicle may want to visit New Jersey State Auto Auction, which offers a wide range of cars for sale at affordable prices.
 

2013 Shelby Mustang could top 600 hp

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Posted in Ford, General Auto News

There's a reason the Ford Mustang is named after a horse: it's packing plenty of ponies under the hood.

Whether its the Mustang or its chief rival the Chevrolet Camaro, drivers can bet that they'll be getting lots of horsepower out of the massive engines that these cars pack. That goes double for the special editions – with the recently revealed Camaro ZL1 producing a reported 550 horsepower.

Not to be outdone, Ford's next version of the Mustang's Shelby GT500 special edition may be upping the ante even more, according to unidentified insider sources that spoke to Car and Driver. The entire Mustang line is due for an overhaul for the 2013 model year, and the new Shelby will reportedly be coming with a 5.8-liter turbocharged V8 engine that could go as high as 620 horsepower.

The news source believes the price will approach the $60,000 mark, which would make it one expensive Mustang, considering that the V6 editions currently retail for less than $30,000. In addition, the bodywork will likely be restyled to be less retro and more modern.

Drivers interested in a Mustang may want to check out New Jersey State Auto Auction, where they can find an affordable used model. They'll likely need to start saving some green now if they plan on upgrading to the new Shelby in a few years. 

Ford regains top spot on Kelley’s “most considered” list

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Ford

The latest data from Kelley Blue Book's quarterly "most considered" study has revealed that Ford is currently on the highest percentage of buyer's shopping lists when in the market for a new vehicle.

Kelley Blue Book runs a poll every quarter in which they ask new car buyers for a list of brands they're currently considering, with the title of "most considered" being highly coveted among automakers. Ford took first place by a wide margin, appearing on 29 percent of the lists. Chevrolet and Toyota were tied for second with 22 percent apiece.

Toyota dominated the list for many years, but the economic downturn coupled with the recall scandal meant that Ford usurped the top spot for the period between the fourth quarter of 2009 and the second quarter of 2010. The Japanese automaker regained the lead in the third quarter, but the most recent data shows that Ford was once again on top.

"Ford's revamped product offering, strong business strategy and clever marketing have helped to lead it back to a position of prominence in the minds of new-car shoppers," said Jack Nerad, executive market analyst for Kelley.

Drivers in the market for a Ford or any other vehicle may want to consider New Jersey State Auto Auction, which offers a wide range of cars for sale at well below their Kelley Blue Book value.

AAA highlights top technological upgrades

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Posted in Ford, General Auto News

AAA has announced its biennial picks for the best new technologies in the auto industry, highlighting some of the improvements that manufacturers have made over the past two years.

"Every model year, automakers find new ways to employ technology in their vehicles to enhance the driving experience," said John Nielsen, AAA National Director of Auto Repair and Buying Services. "While many of the innovations continue to focus on safety and performance, we're also seeing more new technologies that address the environmental impact of the vehicles we drive, which is evident in this year's list."

Some of the top models that the company highlighted on the environmental front included all-electric vehicles like the Nissan Leaf and plug-in hybrids like the Chevrolet Volt. Other companies making strides in envrionmental technology included Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz' clean diesel engines and Mazda's start-stop technology.

In terms of safety, the group praised the inflatable rear seatbelts soon to debut on Ford and Mercedes vehicles. It also liked the new "curve control" on the Ford Explorer, which can sense when the SUV is about to rollover and limit the damage.

Although new technology can make driving safer and more enjoyable, it can carry a hefty price tag. Budget-conscious drivers may want to wait till the new features hit the used car market, then snag them for a discount at New Jersey State Auto Auction.