Sunset Ford Dealer Blog

Ford has a long history of making strong pickup trucks, and the new Ford F-150 lives up to that reputation. Not for the faint of heart, the 2008 Ford F-150 is the most recent in a long line of tough trucks.

Let’s face it, if you are buying a truck you probably need to tow something. The Ford F-150 has the best towing capacity in its class, with a max capacity of 11,000 pounds. The available 5.4 Litre Triton V-8 engine has two intake valves per cylinder, and has variable valve timing. This means that the engine can tailor its performance based on engine speed and payload. It provides more low-speed torque to ensure you can get underway with all your gear, and more high-speed power to allow you to overtake another vehicle and to provide efficient highway cruising.

Because your loads may not always be of a nice uniform shape, telescoping side mirrors are an option that allows the driver to extend the mirrors further out from the body of the truck to see around whatever they are towing. Drivers will not have to worry about the safety of what they are towing as an optional Reverse Camera System is also available. Not only does this system provide you with a clear picture of what is behind you, it also provides a view of the trailer hitch — a handy thing to have when you’ve got a bed full of stuff.

As a light duty pickup the Ford F-150 also has best in class payload capacity, and is able to carry an amazing 3080 lb load. Combine that with a huge 65.5 cubic feet of cargo volume and it translates to fewer trips, saving you time and money.

Closed loop tow hooks are easily accessible and will not pull out or break unlike other tow hook designs. An extremely strong frame gives meaning to the term “Ford tough”.

Perhaps most interesting is the no-cost Flex Fuel option that comes with the 5.4 litre engine. Flex fuel means that your Ford F-150 can run on gasoline, ethanol, or E85 - a fuel mixture that contains 85% ethanol and gasoline. The engine is intelligent enough to detect what type of fuel you are using and to ensure that the engine is running at optimal levels for that specific type of fuel.

While hybrid engines are not technologically advanced enough to handle the power requirements of a pickup truck, Ford is doing it’s part for the environment by making E85 fuel an option for your Ford F-150 truck.

For your new Ford F-150, stop by your Waterloo area Ford dealers or our Ford dealers in St. Louis, MO.

While most of the world is in a frenzy of hybrid and electric car love, some areas are quite happily buying Ford trucks like they’ve been doing all along. Many rural areas in Canada have more Ford trucks on their roads than cars, and Prince Albert, Saskatchewan is one of them.

Dean Lato, the vehicle sales manager for a Prince Albert Ford dealership, says “We’ve definitely not seen a decrease in truck sales.” He calls hybrid versions impractical for people who need serious towing capacity. “In hybrid mode they tow nothing.”

This just goes to show that no matter what’s popular, people will always buy what they need. No matter how expensive the gas gets, if you need a truck, you need a truck. And if you need a truck in Saskatchewan, Canada, you’re getting a Ford F-series.

At the same time, other area residents are moving in the direction of hybrid vehicles. Lato says that he can’t even get hybrids for the showroom store, let alone keep them there. The local Checker Taxi service has 17 vehicles in its fleet, three of which are hybrids. To a taxi owner or driver, the savings in fuel costs definitely outweighs the initial outlay of extra money to cover the cost of hybrid technology.

Russ McCloy, the owner of the taxi service and a hybrid owner himself, says that by 300,000 kilometers (about ***** miles) he will have recouped his costs. Considering how much driving he and his employees do, that 300,000 kilometers is going to come a lot faster than it will for most ordinary drivers.

If you’re looking for a new Ford truck, or even a smaller hybrid vehicle, make sure to come and see us at our Ford dealership in Missouri or our Ford dealership in Waterloo Illinois. You can test drive a vehicle, check out the specials, or just come and drool over a new Mustang convertible.

Much has been written about the phenomenon of hybrid cars these days, especially as the cost of gas continues to increase and people become more concerned about their environment. For a lot of customers in the market for a new Ford vehicle hybrids are fast becoming a serious option. But is it really a good idea to purchase a hybrid car?

How Does a Hybrid Car Work?

For those who are new to the idea of a hybrid car, a brief explanation of how they work is probably required. A hybrid vehicle has two different types of propulsion, usually gas and electric power from a battery. The idea is that under certain conditions the vehicle can make use of its electric power and shut off the gas engine, therefore saving gas and carbon emissions. This is obviously very good for our planet, and the environmental impact of gas powered vehicles should certainly be considered when making your purchase.

Ford Hybrid Cars: What’s The Fuel Efficiency Difference?

It is important to note that while hybrid model of a particular vehicle will always be more fuel efficient than it’s gas powered counterpart, the fact that a vehicle is a hybrid does not always mean excellent fuel efficiency. A hybrid SUV might only get 30 mpg, which can be beaten by many traditional gas vehicles. However, there can be a big difference in fuel efficiency between the same types of vehicle. For example, a new Ford Escape gets 22 mpg in the city whereas the hybrid Ford Escape gets a whopping 34 mpg.

The actual fuel efficiency you get from your new Ford vehicle will depend on the type of driving you do most. Unlike traditional gas only vehicles, city driving in a hybrid is actually more efficient than highway driving. This is because the hybrid relies on braking to recharge the battery so the gas engine can be switched off. In highway driving where you are braking less frequently, the battery will not get recharged and you will be using the gas engine most of the time.

Whether you’re looking for a new Ford hybrid or a traditional gas powered vehicle, come and see us today at our Ford dealers in Waterloo, Illinois or our Ford dealer - Missouri.

Do you ever feel “the need for speed”? Do you enjoy reading about some of the best performance Ford vehicles that your local dealer has to offer? If so, Ford has a new website for you.

At FordPerformance.com, vehicle lovers of all kinds can find something they enjoy. The main purpose of the website, though, is to connect Ford owners and enthusiasts with the clubs that meet their interests.
Right now, one of the most popular enthusiast clubs on the site is the International Mustang Bullitt Owner’s Club (IMBOC). This is where fans of the movie Bullitt can go to learn all about the classic car used in the movie and the re-release of a new and improved Bullitt Mustang. This particular club for Bullitt car devotees has more members than any other Mustang enthusiast club in the world. Members pay only $37 each year, but that gives them the following benefits:

• IMBOC window sticker, custom-cut and color-coordinated to match your vehicle
• IMBOC T-Shirt with double-sided screen printing, available in sizes up to XXXL
• IMBOC memberships cards with full-color design. Members get a card for the wallet or purse and another one to display on their cars at car shows or anywhere else they choose.
• Special access to IMBOC.com, which includes a “members only” forum, uploading privileges and other features
• Unexpected IMBOC freebies
• Priority Mail Shipping
• . . . and much, much more!

Don’t wait. Join the club today and see what the other Bullitt Mustang lovers are talking about.

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!

Yesterday, we discussed three tips for saving money on car insurance for your certified Ford. As promised, here are three more tips to drive down those prices even further.

1. Don’t be rude.  Agents can pull some strings, make some phone calls and even do some extra work to get you a better price. But they won’t do that if you’re rude or unfriendly. Be polite and maybe crack a joke or two to get on their good sides. You might end up saving hundreds of dollars as a result.

2. Don’t appear eager to leave your current insurance provider.  If the new agent senses that you’re unhappy and want to leave your current insurance provider, you may get a higher quote. After all, if you’re very unhappy, you might be willing to pay more just to deal with a different company. Also, being hesitant about leaving your current company makes you appear loyal. And that’s an attribute that companies thrive on nowadays.

3. Don’t talk about your budget.  Simply try to get information on a quote without discussing how much you can afford. If agents know you can afford $150, some of them might charge you $149.99 for coverage that you don’t even need.

Tomorrow, we’ll have two more important tips you can use to save on your auto insurance. Come back and see how you can save even more money!

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?

One of the most famous (and infamous) Ford vehicles of all-time is the Model T. Yesterday, we looked at some of the interesting facts that surround this well-known automobile. Today, we’re going to give you some more facts that you might enjoy.

• The first Model T units could only travel at a speed of 45 mph. They could get between 13 and 21 mpg with their 20-horsepower, four-cylinder engines. The typical weight of a Model T was 1,200 pounds.

• Henry Ford’s Model T was his ninth model of a production vehicle.

• Ford produced and sold more than 15 million Model Ts before officially ending its production. Ford held a small ceremony on May 26, 1927 to mark the end of production. This was nearly 20 years after Ford introduced the vehicle on October 1, 1908.

• Henry Ford produced and assembled the Model T with his mass production capabilities. This was the beginning of the five-dollar workday and lower car prices, so more people could afford to purchase one of these cars.

• For the production of the first Model Ts, it took about 12.5 hours per unit. After several streamlining procedures, Ford was able to condense it down to about 93 minutes per unit.

• The original units did not come equipped with windshield wipers, doors, gas gauges or speedometers.

• Ford didn’t allow customers to buy its products on credit because Henry Ford felt credit was an immoral practice.

• During the early 1920s, Sears and Roebuck offered more than 5,000 accessories that customers could use for their Model Ts.

It’s astonishing how one single car could make such an impact on the auto industry and the culture as a whole, isn’t it?

For new, used, or certified Ford vehicles, please visit our Ford dealer - Missouri or our Ford dealerships in Waterloo Illinois.

When Henry Ford’s Model T ruled the planet, it was the most beloved and the most hated vehicle on the roadways. On the one hand, it was the first vehicle that was affordable for “the masses.” As a result, people named it “The Common Man’s Car.”

But on the other hand, there were so many problems with it that it was given the nicknames of Jalopy, Jitney and Tin Lizzie. Some even referred to it as the “Universal Car” because you could use it to pull old tree stumps out of the ground, store grain, generate electricity and even plow a field with a simple conversion. Here are some more facts about this forerunner to the modern vehicle that you may or may not have known.

• The first Model T sold for about $850, but the price was later reduced to less than $300 for the basic models. Henry Ford saved on production costs and he passed this savings on to the consumer.

• Model Ts were produced in Detroit on a street called Piquette Avenue. Production later moved to a new Highland Park plant in Michigan in 1910.

• All of the Model Ts was built on the same chassis, but there were essentially nine different body styles.

• Henry Ford’s assembly line was the single greatest contribution to vehicle mass production. As a result, he was able to produce about 300,000 Ford vehicles during 1914 with only 13,000 employees. Other companies combined only produced 280,000 units during the same year with more than 66,000 employees.

Do you think these were interesting? We’ll have some more intriguing facts tomorrow!

To purchase slightly new Ford vehicles, please visit one of our dealerships, at our Ford dealers in Missouri or our Ford dealership in Waterloo, IL.

The Ford Motor Company plans to unveil one of its new crossovers at the Geneva Auto Show. In addition to all of the other Ford vehicles already on the market, this one will likely amaze those who see it for the first time.

But it’s not completely new. Ford used its existing Focus platform as the basis for its new Kuga. The European car design also draws inspiration from the 2006 Iosis X Concept, another model released by Ford and featured at the Paris Auto Show only two years ago.

For the new Kuga, Ford offers an exciting new appearance, a metallic “electric white” color for the exterior. It was the same color used on the Iosis Concept vehicle and it was a hit with that model, too.

The new Kuga will get Ford’s new 2.0-liter Duratorq TDCi turbodiesel engine. With more than 130 horsepower and a six-speed transmission, it’s going to prove to be one of the automaker’s more popular vehicles.

Unfortunately, the Kuga might not ever make it to the North American market. Right now, Ford has slated it to be sold only in Europe as a direct competitor against the Toyota Rav4 and the Honda CR-V. It will be interesting to see how the competition plays out in the upcoming months as Ford continues to put itself back on top of the worldwide auto market.