Ford Automotive Reviews
By Jim Bray
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.
Ford Transit Connect DeliversBy Jim Bray
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.
Ford Flex Gets an Eco-Boost for 2010By Jim Bray
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.
Ford F-150 Raptor a Real Attention GetterBy Jim Bray
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.
Ford’s Hot Taurus Sedan – It’s SHO Time!By Jim Bray
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.
Ford Flex Gets an Eco-Boost for 2010By Jim Bray
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.
Ford F-150 Vs. Dodge Ram – Head to Head HaulersBy Jim Bray
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.
Lincoln MKS – Sedan in SyncBy Jim Bray
Lincoln’s new full size sedan is packed with all kinds of nifty features and offers good performance. But is it enough to bring in new customers to the famous brand?
Ford Flexes its Marketing Muscles with New CrossoverBy Jim Bray
It’s big, it’s boxy, it’s flexible! It’s the new Flex, Ford’s latest entry into the increasingly crowded crossover market
Pickin’ and Grinnin’? How about Truckin’ and Vannin’By Jim Bray
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.
Car Enthusiasts Converge for Classic Ford FiestaBy Jim Bray
They called it a “T Party,” and that description suited the event to, well, a T.
Ford Sharpens its FocusBy Jim Bray
It has just about everything you could ask for, including the kitschy Sync.
Ford Escape Hybrid – Cheap on Gas, With Room to HaulBy Jim Bray
The unit I drove may have been a pretty “Light Ice Blue Metallic” color, but to Ford its Escape Hybrid is all green.
Ford’s New Taurus is No BullBy Jim Bray
What’s in a name? Well, if you’re Ford it could be a lot.
After the company announced that last year’s Five Hundred would be this year’s Taurus, a name hearkening back to what they undoubtedly thought were better days of the 1980s and 1990s, I had to chuckle.
