Ford Wins Several Best Retained Value Awards

Edmunds.com has named the winners of the 2012 Best Retained Value Awards and Ford has been honored with several:

Coupe ($25,000 - $35,000)--  Ford Mustang
Coupe (Over $45,000)--  Ford Shelby GT500
Convertible (Over $45,000)--  Ford Shelby GT500
Large Light Duty Truck--  Ford F-150
Large Heavy Duty Truck--  Ford F-350 Super Duty

Learn more about these vehicles and the entire line of award-winning Ford vehicles at Lakewood Fordland.

Ford Sets Waste-Cutting Goals

(photo:  courtesy of Ford.com)

From Ford.com:

 

Ford plans to further reduce the amount of waste it sends to landfills by 10 percent per vehicle by the end of the year – building on existing efforts that have cut global waste by 100 million pounds (44 percent) in the last five years.

If successful, that means the company would generate about 20 pounds of waste per vehicle on a global basis – roughly the weight of one tire.

“Reducing waste to landfills is one of our top environmental priorities and we continue to challenge our teams to identify and implement innovative solutions,” said Andy Hobbs, director, Ford’s Environmental Quality Office.

Ford develops such targets as part of its annual environmental business planning process that also recently led to establishment of a global cross-functional team spanning several divisions to review waste generation more holistically.

Between 2007 and 2011, Ford globally cut the amount of waste it sends to landfills by 39 percent per vehicle – from 37 pounds to just under 23 pounds.

In North America, the amount of waste generated per vehicle has been cut even further – by 47 percent.

Read entire article here.

Learn more about Ford's commitment to quality vehicles that are environmentally-friendly at Lakewood Fordland.

Video: 2013 Ford Fusion

For more information on the 2013 Ford Fusion, contact Lakewood Fordland.

Ford Explores New 'Green' Materials

From Ford.com:

• The price of petroleum – used to manufacture plastics – is rising, making a stronger business case for finding new sustainable materials for Ford cars and trucks
• Potential alternatives to petroleum-based products, including old U.S. paper currency retired from service and shredded, could join soybeans, denim, plastic bottles and other materials used in Ford vehicles
• A prime example is soybean-based foam material, used in seat cushions, backs and head restraints, which saves Ford an estimated 5 million pounds of petroleum annually

A wide range of alternatives to products now made with petroleum are under review for potential application in Ford vehicles – from shredded retired currency to cellulose from trees, Indian grass, sugar cane, dandelions, corn and coconuts.

“Ford has a long history of developing green technologies because it’s the right thing to do from an environmental perspective,” said John Viera, Ford’s global director of Sustainability and Vehicle Environmental matters. “Now, finding alternative sources for materials is becoming imperative as petroleum prices continue to rise and traditional, less sustainable materials become more expensive.

“The potential to reuse some of the country’s paper currency once it has been taken out of circulation is a great example of the kind of research we are doing,” Viera added.

Read entire article here.

Learn more about Ford's commitment to 'Green' innovation at Lakewood Fordland.

Ford Promotes Driving Skills for Life

From Ford.com:

During April, Ford Driving Skills for Life will provide more than 1,000 teens with advanced safe-driving skills from some of the nation's top professional driving instructors in free, hands-on driving modules. Ford DSFL is visiting high schools in Spokane and Washington’s Tri-Cities with a full day of multifaceted activities to build skills in four key areas: driver distraction, speed/space management, vehicle handling and hazard recognition.

Ford DSFL also is teaming up with state officials in Illinois to award high school teams that have created winning safety education campaigns the opportunity to learn new skills from professional drivers on a specially equipped course that lets them experience the worst the road has to offer, within a controlled and safe environment.

“Driving is a privilege, not a right, and parents need to set certain limits to ensure their teens stay safe,” added Barbara Harsha, GHSA executive director. “We recommend that parents talk with their teen drivers and together establish rules, including limits for the number of passengers, nighttime driving limits and a commitment not to text and drive. Every state has graduated license requirements and it is critical, especially during this season, that teens and parents are aware of and committed to follow these provisions.”

Also this month, Ford DSFL will award $100,000 in grants to GHSA members to conduct teen driving initiatives incorporating the award-winning Ford DSFLprogram. Highway safety agencies in Minnesota, New York, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin each will receive $20,000.

Read entire article here.

Ford Wins Several kbb.com Brand Image Awards

kbb.com has announced the 2012 Brand Image Awards, and Ford was a big winner.  Ford was named:


2012 Most Family-Friendly Brand
2012 Best Interior Design Brand, Non-luxury
2012 Most Rugged Truck Brand
2012 Best Exterior Design Brand, Non-luxury


Read entire article here.


Stop by Lakewood Fordland to learn more about the award-winning line-up of Ford vehicles.

Ford F-150 FX2 Named Half-ton Truck of the Year

From Ford.com:

Ford knows that full-size truck buyers like to personalize their pickups and so do the experts at Truckin’ magazine. But it takes more than style to win with consumers. After testing four half-ton pickups in a well-rounded set of challenges, the Ford F-150 FX2 SuperCrew is now theTruckin’ half-ton Truck of the Year.

 

“Ford stepped up to the plate and hit a grand slam with the EcoBoost F-150 FX2,” said Truckin’ Feature Editor Maxwell Matthewson. “They gave the consumer everything they wanted in one package: impeccable styling, remarkable performance, and gas mileage that doesn’t punch you in the gut at the fuel pump.”

 

Ford is giving buyers more options to personalize the truck.

 

The new FX Appearance Package is available on both FX2 and FX4 trucks and delivers a unique look with stealthy, flat-black accents. The look is set off with black fender and tailgate badges that feature red lettering, which is carried into the interior with a red-stitched steering wheel.

 

The FX’s interior also features black leather seating surfaces with red perforations and red piping. Unique interior touches include black-painted dash accents, brushed-metal surfaces, and satin shifter knob, door handles and air conditioning vent bezels. The package is available with all seven FX exterior colors.

 

Also new for 2012, the FX Luxury Package now offers cooled front seats, which combine with the previously available heated seats.

Read entire article here.

Learn more about the Ford F-150 line-up at Lakewood Fordland.

Introducing the 2013 Ford Explorer Sport

(photo from Ford.com)

From Ford.com:

The first-ever performance version of the Ford Explorer arrives this year with the highest projected fuel economy among gasoline-engine-powered, high- performance SUVs.

 

With a twin-turbocharged EcoBoost^® V6 engine making at least 350 horsepower and four-wheel drive with a Terrain Management System^™, Explorer Sport delivers enhanced on-road dynamics with sporty design cues inside and out.

 

“Adding an EcoBoost drivetrain to Explorer Sport delivers even more fuel efficiency and performance to the lineup,” said Bill Gubing, Explorer chief engineer. “This is our highest- performance, most capable Ford Explorer ever.”

 

Power, capability, fuel efficiency

Completely new for 2011, the Ford Explorer has been winning over customers with its improved on-road handling, impressive comfort and convenience technologies, and fuel economy never before delivered by an SUV.

 

For the 2013 model year, Explorer Sport brings high-performance SUV power and projected fuel economy of up to 16 mpg in city driving and 22 mpg on the highway – anticipating 3 mpg better in the city and 2 mpg on the highway than the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango R/T 5.7-liter Hemi engines. It scores 3 mpg higher in the city and 4 mpg higher on the highway than the Land Rover Range Rover Sport.

 

Read entire article here.

Find out more about the upcoming 2013 Ford Explorer 

Sport at Lakewood Fordland.

Ford Owners Use Social Media for Customer Service

From Ford.com:

• Ford Customer Service Division is reaching a new audience by expanding its customer service to social media; agents review thousands of comments a week on auto enthusiast forums, message boards, Ford Facebook walls and Twitter

• Ford has eight customer service agents who review customer comments and concerns that come in through multiple social media channels

• Customer service satisfaction in this channel averaged 84 percent positive for 2011

When Steven Yourstone wanted answers about the arrival of his 2011 Explorer, he contacted Ford. But he didn’t pick up the phone or work through any complicated message systems. He simply asked his question on the Ford Explorer Facebook page. He got an answer from the Ford Customer Service Division social media team – along with a lot more.

“They really seemed to reach out and care,” said Yourstone, a department chair at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. “They’re always in the threads, and they’re pretty knowledgeable, too.”

Yourstone is part of an audience that Ford is reaching by expanding its customer service to social media. By proactively monitoring comments, questions and concerns on Facebook, Twitter, auto enthusiast forums and message boards, agents are able to regularly engage with thousands of customers – and potential customers – in real time.

“Being online lets you cater to an audience that is used to instant gratification,” said Mont Wright, Customer Satisfaction manager in the Business Assistance Center.

“Many of these questions and these comments may never come to the phone – or even to e-mail,” Wright said. “In some situations, we can change a negative to a positive. In others, we can reach out to new customers. It’s been a very positive experience for us.”

Read entire article here.