Ford at the top of the food chain?
10/31/2009
Consumer Reports magazine annual survey say's.
"Ford is the only domestic automaker that's producing vehicles with world-class reliability," Rik Paul, Consumer Reports' automotive editor, said. He was in Detroit to announce the magazine's 2009 Annual Car Reliability Survey.
Collectively, Detroit's vehicles ranked close to European-made models. But Asian automakers performed best: 94 percent of their models ranked average or better.
While 90 percent of Ford's models were ranked as above average or better, just 44 percent of General Motors' and 4 percent of Chrysler's were similarly ranked. The magazine recommended 24 Ford and eight GM models.
Chrysler, which had no recommended vehicles last year, has just one, the Dodge Ram 1500 pickup, on the list this year.
"They really need to do a major overhaul," Jake Fisher, senior automotive engineer for Consumer Reports, said of Chrysler.
Despite Ford's strong showing in the annual reliability survey, Asian automakers continue to dominate the top rankings.
Of 48 models with top ratings, 36 are made by Asian manufacturers, Paul said at a luncheon hosted Tuesday by the Automotive Press Association in Detroit to announce the 2009 reliability survey. Consumers often use the magazine as a reference while shopping for new vehicles.
Of the top-rated models, 18 are made by Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp.
Moreover, eight of the top 10 brands are from Asian automakers. Toyota's Scion was ranked as the No. 1 reliable brand for the second year in a row, followed by Honda, Toyota, Nissan's Infiniti and Honda's Acura. The only domestic brand on that list was Ford's Mercury, at No. 10.
But there has been shifting among the Asian brands.
"Hyundai and Kia ... are challenging Honda and Toyota," Paul said. "They now rank among the most reliable manufacturers."
Yet Ford's Fusion and Mercury Milan midsize sedans ranked higher than Honda Accord or Toyota Camry, which are top-selling cars in the U.S. And of 51 Ford, Mercury and Lincoln cars and trucks surveyed, 90 percent ranked average or better.
"A lot of their mainstream products are right up there with the top of the Japanese, and that's very significant," Fisher said.
The findings are based on 1.4 million survey responses from readers and the magazine's performance testing.
By Gazoo
Ford Motor Company has plans to build new auto assembly plants in China. Ford plans to spend $490 million on a third plant in China. The new plant will make the new model Ford Focus, which will be sold all over the world.
This announcement comes one day after Ford unveiled a made-in-India compact car.
Ford shares rose 10 cents to $7.43 in morning trading on Friday 9/26/2009.
The Ford Fusion As Ford's Premier Mid-Size Sedan
By Andy Zain
The Ford Fusion as Ford's premier mid-size sedan is evolving quite nicely. Built at Ford's stamping and assembly plant in Hermosillo, Mexico, the Fusion is Ford's Americas (north and south) model, while it also offers a version of the Fusion in Europe for that market. Making its first appearance in showrooms in 2006, it's been a steadily-improving success since then.
It is also in Hermosillo's plant that the Fusion's sisters (Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ) are assembled, though the Fusion itself is the most popular of the three in the lineup. Making use of the CD3 platform, which is also shared by Mazda's 6 sedan, the Ford was designed to replace the Mondeo in Europe and Latin America, except for Argentina where the Mondeo is still being sold.
What many may not know is that the now-ubiquitous 'three-bar grille' design seen on almost every Ford first began with the Fusion's introduction in late 2005. The car sits in between Ford's smaller compact Focus and the full-size (and completely redesigned) Taurus. Ford must have done something right, as the model has been a hit since its roll out.
Sold in three trims (S, SE and loaded up SEL), the engine packages available in the Fusion are made up of a nicely-powered 4 cylinder engine and a V6 powerplant. The smaller mill still put out a healthy 160 ponies while the V6 delivered adequate power, at 221 horses though that's been improved to 260 for 2010. 5 speed manuals and automatics are available in S and SE while the SEL comes with a six-speed automatic and the V6.
The Fusion continues to evolve. In 2007, Ford made all-wheel drive available with V6 models, which is a popular feature, especially in northern climes. There are a wide variety of options and standard features, with even the S model featuring convenience touches normally found only in higher-line models.
As far as safety and security goes, Ford pumped up the Fusion with the addition of front-seat side and side curtain airbags in the 2007, also. An anti-theft alarm system was also included as standard equipment, both being formerly only available as extra-cost options. DVD navigation and satellite radio also made their debuts in 2007, as options.
Tire pressure monitoring and anti-lock brakes became standard equipment in 2008 to reflect consumer desires for even more safety features. The very popular Microsoft-designed SYNC system was also added to the Fusion's already popular equipment list.
Perhaps the most exciting element to the Fusion is that of its redesign for 2010, which is now hitting showrooms and roads today. Bigger, roomier and more powerful across the line, it is also being offered up as a very fuel efficient gas-electric hybrid that delivers an EPA-rated 41 miles per gallon in the city, which is quite impressive. Horsepower is also impressive, at 155 ponies.
Today's Ford Fusion is quite an improvement in evolution from Ford models of even 10 years ago. Its twin attributes of value and true comfort and convenience are making it a force in the mid-size sedan segment, which has traditionally been dominated by certain foreign automakers.
Andy Zain is the admin of Ford Fusion Forum , a place where fans and owners can get the right information for tuning, customization and general discussions on anything about Ford Fusion.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_Zain
The Ford Fusion as Ford's premier mid-size sedan is evolving quite nicely. Built at Ford's stamping and assembly plant in Hermosillo, Mexico, the Fusion is Ford's Americas (north and south) model, while it also offers a version of the Fusion in Europe for that market. Making its first appearance in showrooms in 2006, it's been a steadily-improving success since then.
It is also in Hermosillo's plant that the Fusion's sisters (Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ) are assembled, though the Fusion itself is the most popular of the three in the lineup. Making use of the CD3 platform, which is also shared by Mazda's 6 sedan, the Ford was designed to replace the Mondeo in Europe and Latin America, except for Argentina where the Mondeo is still being sold.
What many may not know is that the now-ubiquitous 'three-bar grille' design seen on almost every Ford first began with the Fusion's introduction in late 2005. The car sits in between Ford's smaller compact Focus and the full-size (and completely redesigned) Taurus. Ford must have done something right, as the model has been a hit since its roll out.
Sold in three trims (S, SE and loaded up SEL), the engine packages available in the Fusion are made up of a nicely-powered 4 cylinder engine and a V6 powerplant. The smaller mill still put out a healthy 160 ponies while the V6 delivered adequate power, at 221 horses though that's been improved to 260 for 2010. 5 speed manuals and automatics are available in S and SE while the SEL comes with a six-speed automatic and the V6.
The Fusion continues to evolve. In 2007, Ford made all-wheel drive available with V6 models, which is a popular feature, especially in northern climes. There are a wide variety of options and standard features, with even the S model featuring convenience touches normally found only in higher-line models.
As far as safety and security goes, Ford pumped up the Fusion with the addition of front-seat side and side curtain airbags in the 2007, also. An anti-theft alarm system was also included as standard equipment, both being formerly only available as extra-cost options. DVD navigation and satellite radio also made their debuts in 2007, as options.
Tire pressure monitoring and anti-lock brakes became standard equipment in 2008 to reflect consumer desires for even more safety features. The very popular Microsoft-designed SYNC system was also added to the Fusion's already popular equipment list.
Perhaps the most exciting element to the Fusion is that of its redesign for 2010, which is now hitting showrooms and roads today. Bigger, roomier and more powerful across the line, it is also being offered up as a very fuel efficient gas-electric hybrid that delivers an EPA-rated 41 miles per gallon in the city, which is quite impressive. Horsepower is also impressive, at 155 ponies.
Today's Ford Fusion is quite an improvement in evolution from Ford models of even 10 years ago. Its twin attributes of value and true comfort and convenience are making it a force in the mid-size sedan segment, which has traditionally been dominated by certain foreign automakers.
|
Andy Zain is the admin of Ford Fusion Forum , a place where fans and owners can get the right information for tuning, customization and general discussions on anything about Ford Fusion. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_Zain |
Test Drive: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS
From Edmunds.com
Test Drive: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS
A Muscle Car for the New Millennium
| Vehicle Tested: | 2010 Chevrolet Camaro 2SS 2dr Coupe (6.2L 8cyl 6M) |
|---|---|
| Pros: | Serious power, inspired styling inside and out, solid handling, comfortable seats. |
| Cons: | Poor outward visibility, tall gearing, delayed steering response, bizarrely shaped steering wheel. |
Driving the cartoonishly cool 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS is like mowing your lawn naked: passersby will gawk and ask questions, and you'll probably be having too much fun to notice. Either that or you won't see the gawkers in the first place, thanks to the Camaro's extraordinarily high beltline and enormous rear blind spots.
Read the rest of this article at Edmonds.com
