Ford Cars: Driving At It's Finest 

2007 Ford Freestyle, Fusion and Mercury Milan Score High in Crash Test

Ford’s 2007 Freestyle, along with Toyota FJ Cruiser, has earned top “good” ratings in front- and side-impact crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Aside from the Freestyle, two other Ford vehicles received good marks from the IIHS tests -- the 2007 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan, which both received the second-highest score of “acceptable” in front- and side-impact tests.

However, the 2007 Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis, with optional front combination head and torso side air bags, both received a “marginal” rating, the second-lowest mark, in side-impact tests and the top rating of “good” in front-impact tests.

A New Meaning to Volvo

Volvo is once again honoring real-life heroes across America with its Volvo for Life Awards -- an annual event wherein winners are given $50,000 while finalists are awarded $25,000.

For the coming 5th Anniversary Awards which will be held on 2007, Volvo is inviting America itself to take part on the judging. The American public may visit Volvo’s web site for life awards to cast their votes. Each of the nominees has their own heroic stories to tell and the voting public is welcome to access them on the site.

The list of finalists will be narrowed down to three winners which will be judge by a panel of distinguished personalities namely Hank Aaron, Sen. Bill Bradley, Caroline Kennedy, Maya Lin, Paul Newman, Dr. Sally Ride, Val Kilmer, Eunice Kennedy Shriver and by other previous Volvo life awardees.

The awarding ceremony will commence in New York where Volvo’s 5th Anniversary Awards will be held. And as icing on the cake Volvo will award the grand winner with a lease on a new Volvo every three years for the rest of their lives.

Ford Trims Dealerships

Ford will be shrinking its dealer base over the next three years to better align its distribution network with a market share that is now smaller than it has been in the past, Reuters reports. Last month, Ford dealers were informed of the planned reduction at the dealer meeting in Las Vegas. Expected to be the most affected by this move are the East Coast and California which have the highest saturation of Ford dealerships. At the moment there are about 4,300 Ford dealerships operating in the U.S.

There are a lot of sacrifices to be made for Ford to wiggle out of the financial mess that it is in today. Trimming dealership may just be one of them.

Meanwhile, quality Ford auto parts are still available at Ford Parts Online.

Dodge Recalls 200,000 Pickups and Durangos

The Chrysler Group has launched last Wednesday three recalls involving 195,000 Dodge trucks and SUVs. Of these, about 35,000 Dodge Durangos from the model years 2001-'03 were recalled due to potential fires between the front seats. Dealers will now have the job of cleaning and shielding a wiring connector that could be shorted out by liquid spilled from the vehicle's cupholder.

Meanwhile, the largest campaign of the automaker is with the 145,000 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 trucks with passenger-side airbags that aren't don’t work with some rear-facing child seats – a great concern for parent owners of course. In this case the dealers will have to replace the airbag and reprogram its computer module.

The third recall involves these same trucks, with an additional 15,000 2006 Ram 1500s which will need its front passenger-side seatbelt assembly replaced because it may not allow an owner to properly secure certain child safety seats.

Have you gone to your local dealership lately? You better go now. Meanwhile you can still find the best Ford auto parts at Ford Parts Online.

The Best Cars for your College Kid

Forbes recently compiled vehicles for its annual "Best Cars for College Students" list, and surprise surprise, they found only four vehicles qualified to meet their criteria of being affordable, safe, and reliable.

Curiously, the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry, both viewed as the "standard" by which similar vehicles are measured, failed to make the list. Forbes says both vehicles did poorly on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tests, with the Accord receiving the lowest rating of "poor" for rear-crash protection and the Camry receiving a "marginal" rating in the same test.

So which car should you get your college kid? Take your pick:
• Chevrolet Cobalt - $13,590
• Ford Escape - $19,780
• Honda Civic - $14,560
• Hyundai Sonata - $17,195

Auto parts for your Ford Hybrid can be found at Ford Parts Online.

Ford Kills V-8 Plans for Lincoln MKS

In the news: Ford Motor Co. has killed plans to put a V-8 engine in its future Lincoln flagship sedan.

The 4.4-liter V-8, a version of a Yamaha engine used in the Volvo XC90 crossover, was supposed to be built to power the Lincoln MKS beginning in 2008. Production was slated at the automaker’s Lima, Ohio, plant. In recent days however, the company has canceled the program, media reports say.

AutoWeek says that the V-8 appears to be the latest victim of Ford’s new cost-cutting effort. The Dearborn automaker says it needs to accelerate its Way Forward restructuring plan for North America.

Meanwhile for your Ford auto parts needs, just click over to Ford Parts Online.

More Bad News for Ford

Ford is reportedly considering a new round of plant and job cuts along with reduced employee benefits. The Wall Street Journal said that the automaker’s initial plan calls for 30,000 job cuts and 14 plant closures by 2012, a move that Ford hopes will send a signal to the financial markets that its Way Forward plan is really moving forward.

Among the plants the company is said to be considering closing ahead of schedule are its Wixom, Mich., Lincoln plant and truck plants in Minnesota and Virginia.

Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor Corp. has denied interest in purchasing Ford’s Jaguar brand, saying that the Korean automaker is focusing more on plant constructions around the world.

And for vast array of Ford Parts like Ford Maverick Parts, Ford Bronco Parts, Ford Fairmont Parts and Ford Thunderbird Parts just go to Ford Parts Online. Rest assured that they will give you nothing but the best auto parts in the world.

Say Goodbye to twist-off fuel caps

The twist-off fuel cap will soon be so yesterday.

Ford has announced that it is moving towards the use of a pressure-operated flap instead of a removable cap. The automaker is currently eliminating conventional twist caps from its vehicles – starting with the 2008 Lincoln MKS and eventually removing the traditional caps from all of its lineup.

A flap that opens under pressure from the gas pump nozzle will replace the screw caps. The flap will fit snugly to the nozzle to stop fumes from escaping, which should be great to reduce pollution. The fuel-filler door, however, will still be around.

FORD eyes trimming dealerships

In the news: Ford is planning to trim the number of dealerships it has in 18 metropolitan areas across the U.S. because of waning car and truck sales. Ford's market share has declined from around 26 percent in the 1990s to 17 percent at the end of July.

The move is reportedly part of the automaker’s plans to extend its North American restructuring to its retail network by consolidating dealerships. The Detroit automaker currently has about 4,300 Ford and Lincoln-Mercury dealerships in the U.S.

The company however, is yet to identify exactly what markets would be targeted.

No More Rental Required

It’s the best Mustang on the planet. And now you don’t have to go to a Hertz car rental just to drive one – soon, you can actually have one for your own. The 2007 Ford Mustang Shelby GT, which, until now, was only available as the black and gold Ford Mustang Shelby GT-H, exclusively rented out at your local Hertz Rent-a-Car will soon go on retail for the 2007 model year.

Volume numbers for the new Shelby GT is yet to be announced, but word is that Ford is looking to distribute at least a few thousand.

The Shelby GT will be available in black or white paint with silver stripes. It will have similar features to the Hertz Mustang including hood pins and special side scoops.