Wednesday, we discussed three ways to save money when buying a certified Ford or other used vehicle. Here are a few more tips to help you get a great deal.

• Look for a Demo Model
Many dealers have used cars on their lots that have served as demos.  This means that the car has been taken for several test drives or maybe one of the sales associates used it for company errands. Either way, these cars typically have low mileage, but too much to be considered new. Beware of shady dealers, though. Some of them may try to pass off returned vehicles as demo models. Ask for a vehicle history report just to be safe.

• Go through a Broker
You’ve probably heard of ticket brokers who can get cheap tickets. A vehicle broker can do the same thing. For a small fee, they can find the best bargain by searching their networks of local dealers. They can also take care of the hassles of negotiation and many more stresses that go along with car buying. And because their business thrives on customer satisfaction and referrals, brokers will do their best to please you each time.

• Consider a Used Military Vehicle
Some dealers have trucks and other vehicles that the military used for various purposes. If you’re looking for something unusual yet inexpensive, purchasing one of these vehicles is the best way to get both these qualities.

When looking for a bargain on a new or used car, it’s always best to remember that the price should be fair for both parties. Dealers aren’t in the business to give cars away “at cost,” and they have to make a living, too. Keep this in mind and you can negotiate a price that satisfies both of you.

World pollution is increasing, and so are the gas prices.  Many consumers are worrying about their wallets and their environment. But Ford has the perfect solution.

The 2009 Ford Escape hybrid is the ideal way to stop worrying about gas prices and air pollution. It’s one of the “greenest” Ford vehicles the automaker has to offer. As a bonus, it’s also one of the most efficient vehicles on the market today. Here are some facts about this popular product that will undoubtedly make you want to take another look at this option if you’re considering a new car.

• The new Ford Escape hybrid has eco-friendly seats made from recycled materials and post-industrial waste. That means the products used to make the seats would have ended up in a landfill had Ford not remanufactured them into usable materials.

• Have you ever experienced the frustration of trying to  scrape the ice off those small side mirrors on your vehicle? With the new Ford Escape, that’s a thing of the past. With heated side mirrors, simply flip a switch and watch the ice melt away–from the comfort of your heated seats.

• Parents definitely appreciate the Personal Safety System included with the Escape hybrid. With a network of sensors designed to protect the driver and passengers, you can concentrate more on the road. Impact control and alerts that detect when seat belts aren’t in use are just two of the main safety features that allow you to drive with greater security.

The 2009 Escape hybrid is just one of the many Ford cars available with new technologies and features. Try one out today and experience the future of the auto industry.

When you’re searching for a great deal on a certified Ford, there are several ways to find a bargain. You don’t need just to haggle with the salesman or settle for a lesser car. Follow today’s and Friday’s tips and you might be able to upgrade to a vehicle you never dreamed you could afford.

• Consider the Seasons
Price-wise, springtime is the best time to buy an SUV. Many car buyers are looking for SUVs for the winter months, not for the warmer months. Therefore, they are in lower demand during the spring. Conversely, you might get a better price on a convertible if you purchase it during the months of November, December, January or February.

• TaKe Advantage of Timing 
If you wait until a month or two before the automakers release their new models, you can often save thousands off sticker prices. Most companies release the following year’s models during the summer. For instance, many 2009 models arrive during the summer of 2008. Dealers need to make room for new vehicles and are more willing to negotiate during this time.

• Look for Rentals and Company Cars
Rental car companies often upgrade their fleets with newer models. Although the cars might have more mileage than non-commercial vehicles, they’ve also benefitted from much better maintenance. You might be able to find these at your local dealership, too.

Even if the word “haggle” makes butterflies flutter in your stomach, you can still use these tips to get a great price. You might just be surprised at how much you can save without even negotiating.

If you just answered “not me” to that question, then join the crowd. According to the Ford Motor Company, minivan sales are at their lowest point since 1985. Could that have something to do with the rising gas prices? I would guess that’s part of the problem, because truck sales are also down.

But this story hits close to home for me. According to George Pipas, a sales analyst for Ford vehicles, minivans were “America’s family car” during the 1980s. I can attest to that fact. The first vehicle that my dad handed down to me was a minivan. I loved that thing, too.

It was a dark blue color with a couple of silver stripes that went around it. My folks bought it in 1988 when it was two years old. I didn’t get it until 1993, just before my senior year in high school. I learned how to do everything in that van. I learned how to drive in that minivan. I went on several road trips in that van. I even went away to college in South Carolina with that minivan.

When I received it, I named her Abby. She became my best friend. I kept her for four years until it was time to let her go. That was a sad day, too. My friends and I took pictures inside the van and had a ceremony before selling it. I still miss it.

Luckily, sales analysts feel the sales will rebound in 2009 when consumer confidence hopefully increases. If you have a chance, I suggest getting a minivan for your family. The memories you’ll make will be priceless!

The Ford Motor Company is planning on delivering an entirely new type of engine for many of its upcoming models. The new EcoBoost engine promises to have many improvements that will increase fuel economy for millions of customers worldwide. But this isn’t just a dream. Engineers plan on doing this within the next five years.

The new technology, introduced to the masses earlier this year at the Detroit Auto Show, comprises “smaller displacement engines with direct fuel injection and turbocharging (GDTI) to provide a fuel economy boost without any loss of performance.” That description is according to Autoblog.com.
If you’ve been following Ford’s dedication to better fuel economy, you might recognize the EcoBoost by another name: the Twin Force. But some of the automaker’s team thought this sounded too “gas thirsty” for today’s concerns over gas prices and the environment. As a result, they changed the name to EcoBoost because it sounds more efficient for today’s consumer.

The first of the Ford vehicles that will have the EcoBoost engine is the Lincoln MKS models in 2009. It will take the place of the current V8 engine. After the MKS, Ford hopes to introduce the new engine in the Flex models and the Explorer brand. The automaker’s main goal is to make the EcoBoost a mainstream feature in many more vehicles in the next few years.

I say bring it on. I’m paying about $3.89 a gallon for fuel where I live. Anything that relieves that strain on my wallet is welcome!

How many times have you been backing up in your vehicle and wondered if there was an abandoned tricycle or, worse yet, an occupied tricycle behind you? If you’re like me, that’s happened more times than you care to remember.
But the Ford Motor Company has recognized this problem and its engineers have worked to address it. Many Ford vehicles will soon have two new pieces of technology designed to help drivers back up safer. The modified “blind spot mirror” will soon be a standard feature on the Mercury and Lincoln brand vehicles. These new mirrors give drivers a better view of what they couldn’t see before.

But that’s not all.

Also available is the new “blind spot-checking radar” that uses a 24GHz spectrum to alert drivers when something enters their blind spots. Amber lights mounted on the wing mirrors blink and beep when there is something in an area the driver can’t typically see. This feature isn’t standard, though. Starting with the 2009 models, it will be an option that many drivers will likely choose.
Studies have found that more than 75 percent of the drivers who used this blind spot-checking technology drove with more confidence. They also felt less pain in their necks because they didn’t need to stretch them as much to check their blind spots. The mirrors and the radar system did it for them.

I’m not a big fan of smoking. I don’t like the smell, the effect it has on your health or the cost of a pack of cigarettes. But I’m also not a fan of telling people when and where they can’t smoke. And I’m definitely against telling people that they can’t smoke in their cars.

But when they’re smoking in cars with their kids, it poses a dilemma. On the one hand, we’re talking about people’s own kids, and it’s their decision to smoke in the cars with them. I mean, you can’t really tell parents how to raise their children. And once you ban smoking in cars because of children, where do the bans stop?

But in Australia, they’re doing just that. The Tobacco Control Officers from the Health Department are fining people who smoke in cars that also have kids in them. Some fines can cost well over $100.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining about the message they’re trying to send. You really shouldn’t smoke in your vehicle if your kids are also in the car. But what’s next? Will they start issuing fines to parents who swear in front of their children? Or will they start imposing fines on parents who eat Twinkies in front of their children? After all, you could argue that both habits are just as bad for kids as secondhand smoke.

I’m assuming that new law will be coming to North America soon, too. That is, if it hasn’t already sneaked its way into some states. So if you drive your certified Ford around with your kids, be sure to put that cigarette out. Don’t do it out of fear of being fined.  Do it because it’s the right thing to do for your child’s health and your health.

I don’t know if Al Gore had anything to do with this, but the Ford Motor Company and some of its biggest environmentalist critics are forging a friendship.

Environmentalists have been pressuring the major auto manufacturers to clean up their proverbial acts for several years. But did you know that Ford’s chairman is actually a self-described environmentalist, too?

Maybe that’s why the automaker is taking such great strides to be friends with others who love the environment. Last week, officials announced that Ford would work even harder to curb greenhouse-gas emissions from Ford vehicles and factories.

Neither group released any specifics of the agreement, but Ford has had plans in the works for months to improve the efficiency and cleanliness of its vehicles in the near future. Creating lighter vehicles and offering cleaner engines are only two things in the works.

If you ask me, it seems like much ado about nothing. Just last week, the Environmental Protection Agency gave the Ford Motor Company an award in recognition of its dedication to the environment. Ford reduced the greenhouse-gas emissions in its factories by nearly five percent in 2007 alone. And this is the third year in a row in which Ford received the prestigious honor for “cleaning up its act.” How much more do the environmentalists want?

Maybe they should focus on the companies that aren’t doing anything to help the environment instead of concentrating on the ones who are actively searching for more ways to be part of the solution. But that’s just my opinion. What do you think?

With rumors circulating that Knight Rider might be added as a regular series to NBC’s fall schedule, I felt I should do some research. As a kid, I enjoyed KITT’s voice. Today, many of us know it better as the voice of the teacher on the corny 1990s sitcom Boy Meets World. As KITT, he had a smarmy tone of voice and even had some sarcastic comments.

But the new KITT seemed different. It might be because it’s new and the voice hasn’t found its own personality yet. So I wanted to find out who does the voice for the new iconic car.

Do you know who it is?

It’s Val Kilmer! I couldn’t believe it when I read it, either. Apparently, the network originally expected Will Arnett from Arrested Development to voice the role.  He even recorded the part for the made-for-TV-movie. But his longstanding relationship with a competing automaker would be in jeopardy if his voice issued through the speakers of any Ford vehicles, let alone the iconic Mustang brand. So he had to “respectfully” withdraw his voice two weeks before the premiere. Methinks the competitor had something to say about his decision, which is why it was so sudden and close to the premiere.

Luckily, Val Kilmer saw the Mustang symbol in the sky and came to save the day. He re-recorded the voice for KITT and signed on to do the voice if the network picked up the show.  And because it looks like we’ll be seeing a lot more of Michael Knight’s son, it also looks like we’ll be hearing a lot more of Val Kilmer’s voice.

If you’ve been thinking about taking one of the faster Ford vehicles for an exhilarating spin on Germany’s Autobahn, think again.

The environmentalists have dealt a blow to fun-lovers all over the world. Until now, thousands of race car enthusiasts and all-around speed-lovers could take their fastest cars to this famous roadway and push them to the limits. With no speed limit, they didn’t need to worry about getting tickets or losing their licenses. You might even be surprised to know that the Autobahn has one of the lowest rates of car accidents, too. See what happens when you give people a sense of personal responsibility?

But all of that is about to change. Due to concerns about the environment, global warming and the latest disaster of the week, officials are putting a speed limit on the once-limitless roadway throughout Bremen. They set the  limit, 120 km/h, to create a cleaner environment.

I would probably never go to Germany just to get on the Autobahn and see how fast my car can go. But the story still distresses me. What’s next? Are the police going to issue two tickets when you get caught speeding, one for the actual traffic violation and one for adding to air pollution? Or are they going to give you a ticket for taking the “scenic route” instead of finding the quickest route to your destination? I know these possibilities might sound crazy, but who would have ever thought Germany would impose a speed limit on the Autobahn?