Sunset Ford Dealer Blog

Do you love your Ford truck? If so, you’re in good company. Did you know there are clubs where you can gather with other Ford truck enthusiasts and spend time discussing your favorite truck stories?

One of the most popular Ford truck clubs in the Midwest is the Old Ford Truck Club in Cincinnati, Ohio. The club holds monthly meetings at which hundreds of Ford enthusiasts gather with Ford trucks ranging from the classics to the newest ones on the market. Members can exchange parts and tips about how to get the most enjoyment out of their trucks or simply walk around and admire the evolution of the product from 1948 to the present. The organization also publishes a monthly newsletter available to members. In addition to that, members attend the F-100 Nationals each spring in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Another Ford truck club – the Classic Ford Truck Club – is a more specialized organization for lovers of classic trucks. The members in this club are dedicated to preserving and restoring classic trucks, vans and Broncos. It’s been around since 1994 in Ontario, Canada and has more than 150 current members. There’s even an annual auto show where you can showcase the truck you’ve maintained and “souped up” over the years.

If these clubs sound interesting to you, check your local area for a Ford truck organization that you can join. They’re not only fun, they can be informative and exciting as well.

If you thought luxury was only for small cars and sedans, think again. The Ford Motor Company has a luxury pickup truck…and it’s pretty sweet.

The Lincoln Mark LT is a beautiful piece of machinery that I just discovered today. Judging from the front of this truck, you wouldn’t even know it’s a truck. With its chrome accents and unique grille, it looks more like an SUV than a pickup truck. This luxury vehicle also has an extended cab, but it’s not just any extended cab. There are four full-size doors so even you back passengers can climb in and out of the truck easily.

But the inside is really where it gets interesting.

Once you’re inside the Ford Mark LT, you’ll fall in love with the plush leather seats. The Audiophile Sound System is ideal for enjoying your ride. Whether it’s a trip to the grocery store or a cross-country road trip, the system makes you feel like you’re in the middle of the event. In addition to that, you can also choose the SIRIUS Satellite Radio Package with 130 different channels. From comedy to news to rock and country with everything in between, you’ll have several favorite presets that you won’t be able to get enough of.

As one of the most luxurious Ford trucks on the market today, one blog post isn’t enough to do this truck justice. I’ll post more about this impressive vehicle later in the week. Come back and see what else you can get with this one-of-a-kind truck.

The Fiesta model is one of the more popular Ford cars that have appeared on the compact car market in the last 50 years. But the Dearborn-based automaker is releasing a new and improved Fiesta for the North American market. And if you’ve kept up with Ford’s concept cars, you might even recognize the new design. It resembles the Verve concept car that was appearing at auto shows all over the world throughout the past year.

In addition to the sedan version that consumers have come to know and love, Ford is building the Fiesta model in a hatchback version at its assembly plant in Mexico. But making the new Fiesta means dropping the production of something else. With truck sales slowing down and more people looking for more fuel-efficient cars, Ford has decided to replace the F150 truck production at the Mexico plant with the Fiesta production.

If you want to get behind the wheel of the new Fiesta hatchback, though, you’ll have to exercise some patience. The new models won’t be on dealer lots in the country until 2010. Until then, you can still find a wide variety of vehicles at Ford dealers across the nation that is sure to please and satisfy. Drive one today and prepare to be impressed.

Earlier this week, we witnessed history in the making when Barack Obama clinched the nomination for the Democrat’s Presidential candidate. He’s going to be running against John McCain for the Republicans. So get prepared for the attack ads and the arguing between these two. I know I can’ wait until they start showing the campaign commercials. Aren’t you excited?

Even though these two men can’t agree on much, there is one thing that many Democrats and Republicans can appreciate – Ford trucks. You probably thought that a big Ford truck was only for the Republicans who typically live in the south and need their trucks to “go huntin’.” But did you know that the F150’s popularity is bipartisan? According to a story on KickingTires.com, several prominent politicians and pundits from “both sides of the aisle” appreciate what the F150 has to offer.

The major selling point for the F150 for Democrats and Republicans is the fact that it’s made in America. Pat Buchanan and Lou Dobbs both believe in keeping your money in the United States whenever possible. The F150 is the perfect way to do that.

But the Ford Escape Hybrid is another popular model for both parties. Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney drives one of these popular vehicles when he goes somewhere. And what Republican wouldn’t appreciate the great tax credits you get when Uncle Sam comes a-callin’? Democrats enjoy the fuel economy, union solidarity and the benefits for the environment associated with the Escape. You might also be interested to know that Barack Obama drives a Ford Escape Hybrid when he’s making his rounds.

I wonder what types of cars the Libertarians are driving these days.

You already have your choice of Ford cars with the best features and technologies available in the auto industry. But how much nicer would it be if you could have Internet TV in your car, too? That’s exactly what some engineers are working on for some popular vehicles.

With TV infiltrating every part of our lives, putting them in cars is the next logical step. One company – USTelematics – is developing TVs for cars by using WiMax wireless technology. Within a few years, you might be able to watch Oprah while you’re stuck in a traffic jam!

But other companies are throwing their proverbial hats into the ring, too. Hughes Telematics and Microsoft are each vying to be the first company to offer this great product for consumers. Microsoft already created the SYNC system exclusively for Ford vehicles. How much more popular would the software giant become if it was the first to bring broadcast TV to your vehicle, too?

Currently, the only discussions about TV in cars includes programming that broadcasts traffic tips, safety guidelines and other things that help make the driving experience better for everybody on the road. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to watch last night’s episode of Lost on your way to work or see who won got voted off your favorite reality show while running your errands. But you know consumers are going to want this as soon as they see a screen with moving pictures in their car.

It’s only a matter of time.

There’s nothing wrong with driving a truck. In fact, most truck drivers take pride in their ride. The only problem some of them are having lately is the price of filling their tanks. Luckily, though, there are some ways you can save money on your fuel costs even with a truck. Here are five tips for spending less at the pump and enjoying your truck more.

1. Make sure the gas cap is tight. When the gas cap is loose, fuel can evaporate through the small opening. In fact, statistics show that drivers lose about 145 million gallons of gas overall through loose or missing gas caps. That’s a lot of gas!

2. Use fuel with lower octane. Unless your truck’s owner’s manual actually says to use premium, it’s probably not necessary. You might not even need it if the manufacturer recommends it. See how your truck runs on midgrade or regular for a couple tanks. You could be saving about five bucks each time you fill it up.

3. Turn off the air conditioning. Instead of using the A/C, park your car in shady spots and drive with the windows and the vents open. The A/C can often decrease your fuel efficiency by as much as 10 percent.

4. Take care of your truck. Engines run more efficiently when you take care of them. That means you should be making the scheduled oil changes, tune-ups and other preventative maintenance procedures.

5. Keep the tailgate up. The guys on Mythbusters did an experiment to see which was better for gas mileage – leaving the tailgate up or down. They found that leaving the tailgate down caused more drag than leaving it up, causing the truck to be less efficient. If you’ve been arguing with your friends about that concept, now you know who is right.

If you want to enjoy your Ford trucks but you’ve been hesitant about driving lately because of the gas prices, fear no more. With some very simple tips, you can save money on fuel and enjoy your truck as much as you want!

If you’ve spent any time in Washington, D.C. or simply noticed what the government officials are driving, you’ve probably noticed some hypocrisy. While the lawmakers are passing legislation to force auto companies to increase the fuel efficiency of their vehicles, many senators and representatives are driving the biggest SUVs they can buy.
That is, until recently.

An energy bill that passed through legislation last year requires House members to lease only vehicles that emit a minimum level of greenhouse gases. But lawmakers aren’t happy about this decision. In fact, many of them are downright angry about it. Some of the biggest offenders include Texas Republican Joe L. Barton and Representative Elton Gallegly. Barton even argued that the SUV that he drives is made in the district he serves. Apparently, he doesn’t get the point of the legislation!

The man who fought for this amendment to the energy bill was Representative Emanuel Cleaver II, a Democrat from Missouri. He just felt that if lawmakers were serious about the environment, they should be doing everything they can do to help, too. And he can back it up with his actions, too. He drives an Econoline that was once an airport shuttle. He uses it as a mobile office, though. And the great thing is that it runs on cooking grease!

With the new guidelines, the Environmental Protection Agency determines which vehicles lawmakers can lease. The organization will have the list by the end of the year, but it will likely include several Ford cars, including the Ford Escape Hybrid and the Mercury Mariner Hybrid, just to name a few.

Personally, I’m happy to see some government officials get a taste of their own medicine. For the last few years, they’ve been passing laws and telling us what we should and shouldn’t drive. But it just doesn’t seem to apply to them. But if we, the taxpayers, are footing the bill for their leased vehicles, they should have to drive what WE tell them to drive! Am I right?

Have you ever wondered exactly how many jobs and dollars your car contributes to the United States economy? If so, keep reading.

A new website called JobsPerCar is a great way to find out how much good you’re doing for the economy simply by the car you drive. In fact, it’s so new that it just launched last week!

And from what I can tell, it’s a very interesting and informative website. It’s the Consumer Reports of its kind. It not only determines how many jobs each individual car creates, but it also tallies up the number of job each automaker creates for the nation. Here are a few examples:

• Ford cars have a JPC rating of 81. This number is calculated by using the total number of cars sold by a company and dividing that by that company’s workforce. By purchasing a Ford, you’re helping contribute to a workforce of more than 80,000 jobs.

The website also provides information about how many factories each automaker has in the United States, the percentage of domestic materials used in a particular model and much, much more. You can even compare between companies and models to see which one is better for the US economy if that makes a big difference in the vehicle you choose to purchase.

JobsPerCar.com is a great resource to use before you go to the dealer to buy a car. If you’re unsure about which one you want, the website can help you make your final decision. Besides, picking the best car means finding one that’s good for your surroundings, too. Who doesn’t want responsible member of citizen of their country and their community?

For economy-friendly Fords, please visit our Illinois Ford dealership or our Missouri Ford dealerships.

Yesterday, I mentioned in my blog post that my wife and I rented a Ford Focus a couple years ago when going to a wedding. After that, I found this article about the automaker increasing the production of this popular model.

In April of this year, the Ford Motor Company announced that it was increasing production of its Focus brand by 30 percent this year. Ford is doing this to respond to the increasing demand for this popular and hot-selling vehicle. Its recent redesign and the SYNC system assuredly have something to do with its popularity, too.

The latest incarnation of the current Ford Focus began coming off the assembly line in 2007. During the first three months of 2008, the automaker already sold more than 49,000 units. That’s nearly a 25 percent increase over the same period from last year! That’s why the automaker decided to make more of these Ford cars.

With the boost in production, this means there will be 245,000 units of this model rolling off the assembly line this year. It currently claims about 7.5 percent of the small car market in the United States. In 2007, however, Ford was only producing about 191,000 units and the Focus only claimed a little more than one percent of the same market.

This news is also great for the workers at the Wayne County plant that produces the Focus. The 2,800 workers will likely get an opportunity to work some overtime and even weekend shifts throughout the year. With the recent downturn of the economy, everybody can get all the help they can get!

To purchase your new Ford Focus, please visit our IL Ford dealerships or our Missouri Ford dealership today.

Remember when the minivan craze started in the early to mid-1980s? I remember it because my parents bought one of those in 1988 – just two years after it was brand new. And when I got my driver’s license, that wonderful vehicle became mine and stayed mine for several years.

But there’s a new craze going around and many former minivan lovers are taking note. If you’ve heard of the Ford Flex, you probably know what I’m talking about.

But Ford isn’t touting this as an alternative to the minivan. In fact, marketers seem to be going out of their way to separate it from its minivan cousin. They use words like “car-based vehicle” and other vague terms for those who have been scared away from the “family feeling” of driving a minivan. Actually, one of the only things that distinguish it from an actual minivan is a sliding door on the side.

But that doesn’t mean the Ford Flex is a bad vehicle. In fact, it’s one of the better Ford cars on the market if you want something that can hold a lot of passengers (up to 7) while still maintaining a sportier feel.

Whether you were ever a fan of minivans or if you’ve just despised them, the Ford Flex is designed to fit your tastes. Check one out today and make the choice for yourself.