Ford Tops Customer Satisfaction with Quality Survey

Ford was recognized in a recent survey as having the best customer satisfaction with vehicle quality among major automakers:

Ford Motor Company now has the highest customer satisfaction with vehicle quality among all major automakers, a new consumer research study shows. 

Eighty-four percent of customers who purchased 2010 model-year Ford, Lincoln and Mercury cars and trucks are satisfied with the quality of their vehicle, a 4 percentage point improvement since the fourth quarter of 2009, according to the first quarter Global Quality Research System (GQRS) study conducted for Ford by RDA Group of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

With the improvement, Ford’s customer satisfaction scores are now significantly higher than all other full-line automotive manufacturers, including Asian and European automakers, according to the study.

Visit Lakewood Fordland to learn more about Ford's quality vehicle options.

Rescheduled: Lakewood Ford BBQ for 6th Avenue Bridge Moving

Since weather caused the cancellation of the 6th Avenue Bridge Moving last weekend, Lakewood Fordland would like to invite you out this Saturday to watch the event, and enjoy a free BBQ!  Event details:

THIS WEEKEND THE GIANT LAKEWOOD FORDLAND LINCOLN-MERCURY WILL PLAY HOST TO ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING THINGS TO HAPPEN IN LAKEWOOD: THE MOVING OF THE LIGHT RAIL BRIDGE OVER 6TH AVENUE! THERE IS NO BETTER PLACE IN LAKEWOOD TO WITNESS THIS HISTORIC EVENT—COME BY THE DEALERSHIP ON SATURDAY TO WATCH THE MOVING OF THE BRIDGE, ENJOY SOME FREE BBQ AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE LATEST AND GREATEST THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS TO OFFER!

Directions to Lakewood Fordland:

FROM EAST 6TH AVENUE: TAKE KIPLING NORTH TO COLFAX, WEST ON COLFAX TO SIMMS, SOUTH ON SIMMS TO LAKEWOOD FORDLAND!

FROM WEST 6TH AVENUE: TAKE 6TH WEST TO UNION/SIMMS, HEAD NORTH ON SIMMS FOR ONE BLOCK TO LAKEWOOD FORDLAND!

Ford Increasing Use of Renewable/ Recyclable Materials

Ford's commitment to eco-friendly vehicles is increasing with the use of more renewable and recyclable materials:

Ford is making its vehicles, which are 85 percent recyclable by weight, more eco-friendly through increased use of renewable and recyclable materials; the 2010 Ford Taurus is the latest model to use eco-friendly bio-based seat cushions

In 2009, Ford reduced the amount of automotive-related plastics to landfills by nearly 30 million pounds and saved approximately $4.5 million by reusing recycled materials

Ford’s “reduce, reuse and recycle” commitments are part of its broader global sustainability strategy to reduce its environmental footprint

Automobiles are among the most recycled consumer products. More than 95 percent of all end-of-life vehicles in the U.S. are processed for recycling – compared to 52 percent of all paper and 31 percent of all plastic soft drink bottles

Read entire article here.

Learn more about Ford's commitment to sustainability by visiting Lakewood Fordland.

2011 Ford Fiesta to Feature Voice Control of Smartphone Apps

Ford is introducting another first on their 2011 Ford Fiesta:  SYNC Applink.

• Ford will first offer SYNC® AppLink, a downloadable software program, on the 2011 Fiesta, allowing owners to access and control AndroidTM and BlackBerry® smartphone apps with voice commands and vehicle controls
• Pandora internet radio, Stitcher “smart radio” and Orangatame’s OpenBeak are the first SYNC-enabled mobile applications
• Ford to create SYNC developer community with launch of new “Mobile Application Developer Network” (www.syncmyride.com/developer), giving developers a pathway to partner with Ford on SYNC-enabled applications
• Ford’s platform approach with SYNC is poised to harness smartphone app development and mobile web access; apps expected to be a $4 billion industry by 2012; analysts predict the mobile device to become the No. 1 source for Internet access by

Read entire article here.

Learn more about the 2011 Ford Fiesta at Lakewood Fordland!

Join Lakewood Fordland for a Bridge Moving and Free BBQ!

THIS WEEKEND THE GIANT LAKEWOOD FORDLAND LINCOLN-MERCURY WILL PLAY HOST TO ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING THINGS TO HAPPEN IN LAKEWOOD: THE MOVING OF THE LIGHT RAIL BRIDGE OVER 6TH AVENUE! THERE IS NO BETTER PLACE IN LAKEWOOD TO WITNESS THIS HISTORIC EVENT—COME BY THE DEALERSHIP ON SATURDAY TO WATCH THE MOVING OF THE BRIDGE, ENJOY SOME FREE BBQ AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE LATEST AND GREATEST THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS TO OFFER!

Directions to Lakewood Fordland:
FROM EAST 6TH AVENUE: TAKE KIPLING NORTH TO COLFAX, WEST ON COLFAX TO SIMMS, SOUTH ON SIMMS TO LAKEWOOD FORDLAND!

FROM WEST 6TH AVENUE: TAKE 6TH WEST TO UNION/SIMMS, HEAD NORTH ON SIMMS FOR ONE BLOCK TO LAKEWOOD FORDLAND!

Ford's New Eco-Route Feature

Ford has instituted yet another fuel-saving measure for some of its vehicles:

The new technology, dubbed “Eco-Route,” works with the MyFord Touch navigation system to calculate the most fuel-efficient route to a destination.

The system works by accessing historical and real-time data, as well as posted speed information, to calculate three navigation options – fastest, shortest and Eco-Route.

The Eco-Route option is not necessarily the fastest or shortest route, but rather the most fuel efficient, Ford says. The system typically charts a course that avoids congested freeways, while maximizing the use of major roads where drivers can maintain an efficient rate of speed.

Read entire article here.

Stop by Lakewood Fordland for more information on Ford's commitment to energy-efficiency.

Lakewood Fordland Welcomes New GM

Lakewood Fordland Lincoln-Mercury is excited to welcome Phil Bonfanti as our new General Manager. Phil brings over three decades of experience in the car business to Fordland, including a 25-year stint with Ford Motor Company. Phil’s passion is customer service, and he knows that a truly successful business is only attained by treating customers as family, firmly believing that honesty is the best policy, and living up to any and all promises—please stop by for a visit to welcome Phil to the Fordland Family!

Triple Play of Savings This Week at Lakewood Fordland

TRIPLE PLAY OF SAVINGS at Lakewood Fordland!

YOUR CHOICE OF NEW F-150, NEW SUPER DUTY OR NEW EDGE—ONLY $19,995! (see dealer for details, WAC)

OR, GET MOTOR TREND’S CAR OF THE YEAR, THE 2010 FORD FUSION, FOR ONLY $15,995!

Ford Customers See Higher Resale Values, Fewer Repairs

• Ford's dramatic gains in quality are contributing to a 23 percent year-over-year improvement in resale value of Ford vehicles with one to five years on the road – outpacing the industry average by 4 percentage points
• On average, the redesigned 2010 Ford Taurus is selling 50 percent higher at auction than the 2009 Taurus after one year in service
• Ford has reduced its warranty repair rates on vehicles in their first three months of service by an average of more than 40 percent in each major business region around the world in the past three years
• Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles' initial quality in the U.S. has improved for five straight years. Ford vehicles now have the fewest number of defects of any full-line manufacturer

Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles with one to five years on the road are fetching significantly higher resale values at auction in the first quarter of this year compared to the first quarter a year ago. Overall, the resale value of Ford's three brands at auction rose 23 percent from a year ago to outpace the industry, which saw resale values increase by 19 percent, according to the latest National Automobile Dealers Association auction data.


"Wholesale price performance was extremely strong throughout 2009, and during this period Ford, Lincoln and Mercury products matched or exceeded the performance of the overall market," said Tom Webb, chief economist, Manheim Consulting, the world's largest provider of automotive remarketing services. "And, in 2010, Ford products have outperformed the overall market, especially in the increasingly important segments of compact cars, midsize cars and crossover vehicles."

For example, on average, the redesigned 2010 Ford Taurus is selling 50 percent higher at auction than the 2009 Taurus after one year in service. Similarly, the 2010 Ford Fusion V-6 commanded 26 percent more at auction than the 2009 model after one year in service.

Read entire article here.

Stop by Lakewood Fordland for more information on purchasing a new Ford vehicle.

Ford to Add 3 More Ecoboost Engines

Ford will add 3 more Ecoboost fuel-saving engines to its line-up by 2013:

• Ford to launch three more EcoBoost™ engines by the end of 2010
• The company remains on track to equip as much as 90 percent of its North American nameplates with EcoBoost, which would deliver worldwide sales of about 1.5 million units – 200,000 more than earlier estimates
• By 2014, nearly 20 percent of Ford’s global vehicle nameplates will be available with a fuel-saving stop/start system

The next three EcoBoost engines include:


1.6-liter four-cylinder that will be offered in the European C-Max people mover.
The 1.6-liter EcoBoost will deliver quick acceleration and class-leading fuel economy.
2.0-liter four-cylinder for the next-generation Ford Explorer SUV and Edge CUV.

This new engine will deliver best-in-class fuel economy and V-6 performance.

3.5-liter V-6 for the F-150. Ford engineers have upgraded the 3.5-liter V-6 for rear-wheel-drive applications. The EcoBoost F-150 is expected to deliver best-in-class fuel economy along with the power and towing capability of a V-8.
 
Read the entire article here.
 
For more information, contact Lakewood Fordland.

Ford Proves Small Cars Can Be Quiet

The 2011 Ford Fiesta has proven that even small cars can offer a quiet, comfortable ride:

• 2011 Ford Fiesta meets the same noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) standards as larger Ford cars, resulting in class-leading small car quiet
• Fiesta is measurably quieter than leading compact and subcompact cars, including the Toyota Yaris and Corolla, and the Honda Fit
• Fiesta body structure was designed with ultra-high-strength steels for rigidity, resulting in a quiet, rattle-free ride

Read the entire article here.

Contact Lakewood Fordland for more information on the 2011 Ford Fiesta.

Ford Edge Named Pet Safe Vehicle of the Year

The 2010 Ford Edge was recently named the Pet Safe Vehicle of the Year by Bark Buckle Up:

This year's Pet Safe winners included the Ford Edge (Vehicle of the Year), BassPro Shops (Retailer of the Year), Sheraton Hotels (Hotel of the Year) and Southwest Airlines (Airline of the Year). 

"Most people don't think about it, but in only a 35 mph accident with a 60-pound pet it becomes a 2,700-pound projectile. This will injure the pet, passengers, driver or the pet may escape the vehicle and cause a second accident or become agitated and bite the first responder that is on scene doing their job," stated Selter.

The registered vehicles are evaluated on a variety of pet-related aspects, including how easily the vehicle accommodates animals and kennels of various sizes, ease of access to pet from within the vehicle, ease of pet entry and exit, ventilation for animals in the rear, as well as whether the vehicle has pet-friendly surfaces, adaptability for third party pet travel or safety gear. Ford received four out of the top ten honors for 2010 Pet Safe Vehicles of Choice List, including the Ford Transit Connect, Edge and Flex and the Lincoln MKT.

Read entire article here.

Contact Lakewood Fordland for more information on the 2010 Ford Edge.

Let the New Ford Transit Connect Be Your Billboard on Wheels

Looking for a way to make your business stand out?  Ford has a new program to help business owners customize their Ford Transit Connect with graphics to help show off their business: 

• 
  
  Ford is launching a new program designed to help business owners customize the graphic wrap on their Ford Transit Connects; vehicle owners can design and order their graphics at http://www.fordtransitconnectgraphics.com/
• 
  
  The Web site is designed to accommodate a variety of designs and budgets
• 
  
  The Ford Transit Connect – 2010 North American Truck of the Year – is a fresh choice for small business owners, offering low operating and ownership costs, a fuel-efficient 2.0-liter engine, ample cargo space and generous payload capacity

Read the entire article here.

Stop by Lakewood Fordland for more information on purchasing a new Ford Transit Connect.

Ford SYNC's Voice Technology Helps Drivers Watch the Road

In a recent study, Ford's SYNCTechnology is shown to help drivers keep their eyes on the road, by reducing the distractions created by manually-controlled electronics.

• A new Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study lends further evidence that voice-controlled Ford’s SYNC® helps drivers minimize electronics-related distractions compared to manually operating hand-held cell phones and music players.
• The researchers found that participants took their eyes off the road an average of 10 times longer while manually selecting a song from their MP3 players compared to using SYNC’s voice commands

The study by VTTI – to be released April 15 in Detroit at the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) World Congress during a panel discussion titled “Human Factors in Driving and Automotive Telematics” – supports the Institute’s growing body of research on driver distraction and as well as a similar Ford study in 2009.

In the new Ford-commissioned VTTI study, 21 drivers – age 19 to 51 who were familiar with SYNC – drove a Mercury Mariner while initiating a call, selecting music tracks and having phone conversations using the hands-free, voice controlled system. For the purpose of comparison, the participants also completed the same tasks manually using their own mobile phones and portable music players in the same vehicle.

The study concluded that drivers were able to dial and complete other tasks more quickly and with less time eyes-off-road time when using SYNC. At the same time, drivers manually operating phones and digital music players steered more erratically and looked away from the roadway for longer periods of time.

Read entire article here.

For more information on Ford vehicles with SYNC Technology, contact Lakewood Fordland.

Ford and Microsoft Work Together on More Effective Recharging

Future owners of Ford's electric vehicles will be able to better manage their energy usage thanks to a new system developed by Ford and Microsoft:

• Ford and Microsoft are teaming up to use Microsoft Hohm as a platform to help future owners of Ford’s electric vehicles optimize the way they recharge their vehicle and better manage their home’s energy use
• Microsoft and Ford also will work with utilities and municipalities to help develop an energy ecosystem that manages energy usage as consumer demand for electric vehicles grows
• Ford’s aggressive electrification plan includes five new vehicles in North America and Europe by 2013; in North America, they include the Transit Connect Electric later this year, Focus Electric in 2011, a plug-in hybrid and two next-generation hybrids in 2012, joining four Ford and Mercury hybrids already on the road and a new Lincoln MKZ Hybrid coming this fall
• The Focus Electric is expected to be the first Ford electric vehicle to use Hohm

Read entire article here.

For more information on Ford's electric and hybrid vehicles, contact Lakewood Fordland.

2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid Unveiled

Lincoln recently unveiled their 2011 MKZ Hybrid at the New York Auto Show.  The MKZ Hybrid will be the ultimate in a fuel-efficient luxury sedan.

• New 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid expected to be most fuel-efficient luxury sedan in America
• Lincoln MKZ Hybrid takes SmartGauge™ with EcoGuide to next level, offering drivers enhanced positive feedback on long-term fuel efficiency and driving performance
• More standard luxury, technologies and segment-exclusive safety features in the new Lincoln MKZ Hybrid help it top its nearest competitor, the 2010 Lexus HS 250h

Read entire article here.

For more information, contact Lakewood Fordland.

Ford Transit Connect: Perfect Addition for Small Businesses

The Ford Transit Connect's versatility makes it an excellent addition to small businesses: 

• 
  
  Small businesses honored today, National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day
• 
  
  With sales of more than 13,000 since its introduction last August, the Ford Transit Connect is becoming the vehicle of choice for a growing number of “mom and pop” business owners
• 
  
  Business owners like the Transit Connect’s fuel economy of 22/25 mpg, its ample cargo space and generous payload capacity
• 
  
  Ford takes the vehicle to businesses with the 2010 Ford Transit Connect Tour, which runs until mid-May; visit www.fordvehicles.com/transitconnect for more information

Awards and accolades for the 2010 Ford Transit Connect include:

2010 North American Truck of the Year
2010 Editors Choice for Vans by CAR and DRIVER magazine
Detroit Free Press 2010 Truck of the Year
The Detroit News 2010 Truck of the Year
2010 Popular Mechanics Automotive Excellence Award for Best Workhorse Vehicle
A Great Car for the Small Business Delivery/Utility Worker by Kelley Blue Book kbb.com.
Heavy Duty Trucking’s Top 20 Product

Read entire article here.

Buy your Ford Transit Connect at Lakewood Fordland.