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.

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.

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.