Monday, April 9, 2012
Check out pre-owned vehicles at Ford Fairfield
Friday, April 6, 2012
Check out great pre-owned specials at Ford Fairfield
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
2013 Ford Explorer Sport to make appearance at 2012 New York Auto Show
[[posterous-content:pid___0]]Ford turned to Facebook when it came time to unveil the 2013 Explorer Sport, a bolder and more powerful interpretation of the brand’s popular sport-utility. The Explorer Sport is now headed to the 2012 New York Auto Show, where it will make its first appearance outside the world of social networking. Powering the Explorer Sport is a 350-bhp twin-turbocharged V-6 engine, coupled to a six-speed automatic transmission, which comes with paddle-shifters mounted on the steering wheel. In addition to beefing up the chassis to cope with the extra power, Ford has also upgraded the brakes and fitted a quicker ratio electric power-assisted steering system.
This Ford sport-ute has definitely been tuned to tackle slaloms and apexes more than muddy off-roading. That’s immediately apparent when you spot the Sport model’s 20-inch alloys, along with its low-gloss grey mesh grille, andblacked out head and taillights. All in all, the exterior mods are subtle and not too over-the-top, which should suit most buyers. By targeting competition like the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 and Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, Ford is positioning the Explorer Sport as a car-like crossover with the moves and machismo of its rivals. Ford expects the Sport to deliver 16-mpg in the city and 22-mpg on the highway – noticeably better than the V-8-powered Jeep, but not quite on par with the Evoque’s turbo 4-cylinder.
Pricing has not yet been revealed, but expect the Sport to come in above the $40,000 you’d pay for the current range-topping Explorer Limited. Sales of the Explorer Sport begin later this year.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Great service specials are here at Ford Fairfield
Friday, March 30, 2012
Visit Ford Fairfield and take advantage of impressive pre-owned specials
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Check out great pre-owned vehicles at Ford Fairfield
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Ford's Flex and Taurus get a facelift for 2013
Two key products in Ford's portfolio have been given mid-cycle freshening for 2013. The full-sized Taurus sedan and the Oakville-built Flex crossover sport new looks front and rear, while tweaks have been made under the skin that enhance their driveability.
The Flex has a sleek, more rounded look, with a new grille that’s missing Ford’s trademark blue oval. The only badging on the front of the car is the word “FLEX” spelled out boldly across the leading edge of the hood. It’s mildly reminiscent of the labelling on Ford’s heavy-duty trucks. Ford officials say the absence of the Ford badge was strictly a design decision to give the vehicle a cleaner look. In fact, if a buyer doesn’t like the Flex label on the nose, dealers have a special kit to remove the lettering, cleaning up the front end even more.
In back, a pair of chrome-tipped exhaust pipes peeks out beneath the rear fascia, while changes to the interior of this seven-passenger vehicle include new seat trim and a revamped instrument cluster. The upgraded MyFord Touch system is available, implementing software changes that make this technology more user friendly. (In fact, all Canadian owners of vehicles with the previous-generation MyFord Touch system will be receiving by mail free USB sticks in the next few weeks that will upgrade their system to this latest version, as well as updating the navigation system.)
Considerable attention has been given to reducing the interior noise level of the 2013 Flex, with additional insulation and baffling. The result is a vehicle that’s extremely quiet on the road, regardless of speed or road surfaces. In a morning of driving in the mountainous areas north of here, I found there was minimal intrusion of road noise, while wind noise was almost nonexistent.
Changes have also been made to the brakes, suspension and steering. During the drive, I couldn’t help but be impressed with the almost nimble feeling the Flex demonstrated on twisty secondary roads, especially considering how big this vehicle is. It cornered with minimal body roll, yet the ride was quite compliant. The seating upgrades also contributed to the high comfort level.
Visibility was not an issue with the Flex — I could see well in all directions, although a blind-spot warning system is an available part of a full suite of safety and driver assist technologies. Available inflatable seat belts in the second row are also part of the Flex’s safety features.
Improvements to the braking system, including larger front rotors and vented rear discs, produced solid, confident stops when needed.
The Flex I drove here was equipped with the base 3.5-litre V6 engine, which is more powerful and fuel efficient thanks to the addition of twin independent variable camshaft timing. This technology has boosted the power output by 20 horsepower to 285, while torque is rated at 255 pound-feet. Fuel consumption is rated at 11.8 litres per 100 kilometres in city driving and 8.0 L/100 km on the highway for the front-wheel-drive version with the six-speed Selectshift automatic transmission. The same powertrain with all-wheel drive consumes gas at a rate of 12.7 L/100 km in the city and 8.7 on the highway.
Thee Flex is also available with the 3.5L V6 EcoBoost engine. This turbocharged motor generates power equivalent to a V8’s — 355 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque — while fuel consumption is comparable with a six-cylinder with ratings of 13.1 L/100 km in the city and 8.8 on the highway. Paddle shifters for the six-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive are included with the EcoBoost engine package, which adds $3,900 to the price tag and is only available on Limited models.
Flex pricing starts at $30,499 for the SE with front-wheel drive plus $1,500 in shipping fees. All-wheel drive is available on the SEL ($39,099) and Limited ($44,399) trim levels.
The Taurus sedan has a new, more refined look front and rear for 2013 as well. There’s a sleek new hood, projector headlamps, a wider grille and a redesigned lower fascia that combine to give the car a wider, more aggressive stance. New LED tail lights and new wheel designs are also part of the exterior changes.
Inside, some upscale touches include cloth-wrapped windshield pillars and extensive use of soft-touch materials on the instrument panel, centre console and door panels. In addition to ensuring world-class fit and finish, attention has been given to details, such as the addition of glovebox lighting and new, improved switchgear.
Like the Flex, considerable effort has been made to reduce interior noise levels, including the addition of baffles, acoustic wheel well liners and instrument panel insulation. The Taurus I had the opportunity to drive here was the sport performance-grade SHO and its quiet cabin was truly impressive. Cruising at highway speeds, conversations could still be conducted at levels one expects only while parked.
The dynamics, too, were outstanding. While I didn’t have an opportunity to try the base sedan, the all-wheel-drive SHO was remarkable in its ability to carve through tight corners without a whimper, especially in the heavy downpours encountered during the drive. It clawed its way around switchbacks and tight curves with confidence, and when braking was required (sometimes heavy), it responding with authority.
The SHO’s sport bucket seats were amazing, firmly holding one in place, yet so comfortable and supportive in all the right places.
The heart of the SHO is its engine, a turbocharged 3.5L EcoBoost V6. It smoothly kicks out 365 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque — more than enough grunt to move this 1,916-kilogram full-sized sedan with ease, whether climbing mountains, cruising or making a pass on a two-lane road. Coupled with a six-speed Selectshift automatic transmission with sport mode and paddle shifters, it was so responsive — a true joy to drive with vigour.
The base front-wheel-drive Taurus SE gets the naturally aspirated 3.5L V6 with 288 hp (an increase of 10% over the current engine) and 254 lb-ft of torque. Its fuel consumption is rated at 10.7 L/100 km in the city and 6.9 on the highway.
The engine many are waiting anxiously to try out is the 2.0L EcoBoost four-cylinder that’s scheduled to be available in the Taurus in May. This turbocharged four-banger is reported to produce an impressive 240 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque — enough power to deliver perky performance in this family sedan while still being frugal at the gas pump. Unfortunately, it was not available on this drive program.
Pricing for the 2013 Taurus SE starts at $28,799, plus $1,500 in shipping fees. All-wheel drive is available in the SEL ($36,199) and Limited ($41,999) trim levels, while the SHO starts at $49,199.
The 2013 Flex and Taurus are now arriving at Ford dealers.
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