Posts Tagged ‘Ford’

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2011 Ford F-150

Wednesday, May 11th, 2011

Review and photos by
Peter Bleakney, Autos.ca

Despite soaring fuel prices, North America’s growing distaste for foreign oil dependency and the general greening of our collective consciousness, pickup trucks are doing quite nicely, thank you. In fact, sales are through the roof.

2011 Ford F-150

2011 Ford F-150

(David Suzuki, if you’re reading this, best go take a walk).

Last year, the segment was up 20 per cent (while compact cars sales actually fell) and year to date, the Ford F-150 pickup has posted a record for the number of vehicles sold (including cars) in Canada for the period. Ever.

In case you think this is some kind of aberration, the F-150 has been the top selling vehicle in Canada for 45 years.

(Okay David, you can come back now.)

For 2011, Ford has broomed the F-150’s engine bay, ditching the two 4.6-litre V8’s and the 5.4-litre V8 to make room for a quartet of brand new powerplants that reduce fuel consumption across the line-up by 20 per cent. (more…)

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2011 Ford Explorer Limited

Monday, May 2nd, 2011

Review and photos by
Chris Chase, Autos.ca

It pays to be careful with the products that bring in the dough. Ford learned its lesson about that with the Five Hundred and Freestyle, the cars that (temporarily) replaced the Taurus in 2007. Those two tanked big-time, and it’s debateable whether the Taurus, which has since been redesigned (again) into a very well-sorted full-size sedan, has ever recovered from that gaffe.

2011 Ford Explorer Limited

2011 Ford Explorer Limited

In Ford’s SUV line-up, the Explorer name commands the same kind of respect that the Taurus once did. It’s popular, but it could be argued that its truckishness kept it from being more popular, especially with drivers who choose a mid-sized SUV with a view to flexible family transportation, rather than for off-road readiness or towing capability. It was with them in mind that Ford decided to move the 2011 Explorer to a unibody platform, in place of the old version’s body-on-frame design.

Initially, the only engine on offer is a 3.5-litre V6 that’s used widely throughout the Ford line. With its 290 horsepower and 255 lb.-ft. of torque, it replaces a 4.0-litre V6 (210 hp; 254 lb.-ft.) and a 4.6-litre V8 (292 hp; 300 lb.-ft.). Despite torque that only matches that of the old V6, Ford says the new Explorer will tow 5,000 pounds (2,267 kg); a 2010 Explorer with the V8 could haul 3,500 pounds (1,588 kg), but could handle up to 7,130 pounds (3,234 kg) when properly equipped. (more…)

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2011 Ford Edge Sport

Wednesday, March 30th, 2011

Review and photos by
Chris Chase, Autos.ca

The 2011 Ford Edge is available with a bunch of high-tech comfort and convenience features, including SYNC, MyFord Touch, and touch-sensitive centre stack controls, all designed to reduce driver distraction without reducing the vehicle’s functionality. What does it say about me, then, that my favourite part of the redesigned interior is the big, analog speedometer that anchors the instrument cluster?

2011 Ford Edge Sport

2011 Ford Edge Sport

MyFord Touch is Ford’s take on control interface systems that have become common in luxury vehicles: think BMW’s iDrive, Audi’s MMI or Mercedes-Benz’ COMAND set-ups. Here, all of the car’s major systems – climate control, audio, communications and navigation – can be controlled through the dashboard touch screen, and basic functions for each can be managed through steering wheel buttons and a digital display in the instrument cluster. Between MyFordTouch and SYNC, you can control just about any function in the car without taking your hands off the wheel, and there’s something to be said for that.

I’d suggest there’s also something to be said for keeping car interiors really simple, (more…)

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2011 Ford Escape XLT AWD four-cylinder

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011

Review and photos by
Chris Chase, CanadianDriver.com

Since its introduction in 2001, the Ford Escape has been the best-selling compact crossover utility vehicle in Canada. Save for mild styling and mechanical updates in 2005 and 2008, the current Escape is little-changed compared to the original 2001 model. Its sales success is a testament to the strength of the Ford brand, and perhaps to the Escape’s design, which, while dated in many ways, is obviously still attractive to shoppers in a crowded market segment.

2011 Ford Escape XLT AWD

2011 Ford Escape XLT AWD

Dated is a harsh-sounding word, but in this context refers simply to the Escape’s styling. This boxy little truck looks old next to new designs like the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage, and to vehicles like the Toyota RAV4, which currently sports styling last refreshed in 2006. In this case, then, it’s important to peer past the wrapper for a closer look at what’s underneath.

The Escape is offered with three engines: base power is from a 2.5-litre four-cylinder, which can be optioned to a 3.0-litre V6. (more…)

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2008-2011 Ford Focus

Saturday, January 15th, 2011

Review and photos by
Chris Chase, CanadianDriver.com

The Ford Focus was something of a sensation when it first went on sale here in 1999. Bred in Europe, it was an instant hit for its edgy styling and sharp handling. The same enthusiasts who were so keen on the original were disappointed when a second-generation Focus was launched in Europe in 2004 , but never made it here.

2008 Ford Focus

2008 Ford Focus

We wouldn’t get a redesigned Focus until 2008, and even then, the car that arrived was a mostly a cosmetic update, with a revised suspension tuning but using the same platform and powertrains as the car it replaced. Perhaps the worst slap in the face, at least for those who had come to appreciate the Focus for its comprehensive availability of body styles, was the discontinuation of the hatchback and station wagon variants. For 2008, the Focus was offered as a sedan and in a new coupe bodystyle. Blame that decision, as our Buyer’s Guide entry for the 2008 Focus so succinctly puts it, on “the traditional U.S. buyer’s horror of liftgates.” Note that the coupe was discontinued after 2010. (more…)

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2011 Ford Fiesta SES hatchback

Sunday, December 12th, 2010

Review and photos by
Chris Chase, CanadianDriver.com

It’s pretty rare that a small car makes the front page in “bigger-is-better North America”, but the 2011 Ford Fiesta has been a highly-anticipated little car since Ford started hyping it nearly two years ago.

2011 Ford Fiesta

2011 Ford Fiesta

Canadians are typically more receptive to subcompact cars, so I think the Fiesta will sell better here (per capita, anyway) than in the U.S. Small-car buyers on both sides of the 49th parallel should find a lot to love in this car, for many reasons.

Highlights at first glance include a wide range of catchy colours (magenta, yellow blaze and lime squeeze) and there are four interior colour choices, depending on what paint you choose. The Fiesta is also the first subcompact available with a dual-clutch automatic transmission, currently the transmission technology of record but typically only found in luxury and sporty cars. (more…)

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2011 Ford Fiesta vs 2011 Mazda2

Wednesday, December 8th, 2010

Review and photos by
Peter Bleakney, CanadianDriver.com

Consider the 2011 Ford Fiesta and Mazda2 as fraternal twins. While they share a platform and were conceived on the same drawing board in 2007, something happened on the way to the showroom.

2011 Ford Fiesta vs 2011 Mazda2

2011 Ford Fiesta vs 2011 Mazda2

Basically, their parents split up. Apparently Mr. Ford came home late one night with 10W40 on his collar and Ms. Mazda went at him with a tire iron. Or something like that.

Nonetheless, as the corporate winds blew Ford and Mazda apart, their B-sector front-drive offspring took divergent gestational paths.
This was illustrated to great effect while having both a Fiesta and Mazda2 in my driveway for a week. (more…)

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2011 Ford Fiesta SEL sedan

Wednesday, November 24th, 2010

Review and photos by
Greg Wilson, CanadianDriver.com

At CanadianDriver, we’ve given a fair amount of attention to the new Fiesta hatchback recently, but what about that other Fiesta: the sedan?

Not everyone wants the extra utility and cargo space of a hatchback. Some buyers just prefer the more traditional styling and security of a small car with a trunk.

2011 Ford Fiesta SEL sedan

2011 Ford Fiesta SEL sedan

The Fiesta sedan is arguably more stylish than the hatch. Though it’s almost identical from the nose to the rear doors, the sedan’s profile flows more gracefully from the steeply raked rear window into a short, tall trunk and a rear fascia with more conservatively shaped tail lights. The sedan also has additional third side windows behind the rear doors for improved visibility. Despite its tall, narrow proportions, the sedan has a more balanced appearance than the hatchback. (more…)

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2006-2010 Ford Explorer

Sunday, November 21st, 2010

Review and photos by
Chris Chase, CanadianDriver.com

Jeep may have established the SUV segment with its Cherokee, but it was Ford who managed to popularize it with the Explorer, which first appeared in 1990 and quickly became the household name that it is today.

2006 Ford Explorer

2006 Ford Explorer

The fourth-generation model, introduced in 2006, wasn’t an all-new truck, but was rather an extensive update of the outgoing Explorer. It got a new, stronger frame and a redesigned version of the independent rear suspension first seen in the previous generation.

A 4.0-litre V6 engine remained as the base powerplant, while the optional 4.6-litre V8 was revised with new cylinder heads and a bunch more power. (more…)

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2010 Ford F-150 Raptor SVT

Tuesday, September 21st, 2010

Review and photos by
Russell Purcell, CanadianDriver.com

The Ford F-150 Raptor carries the F-150 designation for marketing purposes, as well as for the fact that it is a half-ton pick-up. However, the similarities pretty well end there as the truck shares very few components with its F-150 stable mates. If you approach this monster from the front you are immediately struck by its width and aggressive stance. In fact, the Raptor is 18 cm (7 in.) wider than a standard full-size pick-up, moving it into a category that requires it to sport marker lights at each corner (and in the grille) which add to the aggressive look. The distinctive grille is a black-out design, dominated by what has to be the largest Ford emblem ever employed on a consumer vehicle.

2010 Ford F-150 Raptor SVT

2010 Ford F-150 Raptor SVT

An aerodynamically optimized front bumper sits close to the body, and features outboard openings to help direct air flow to the engine compartment and front suspension. There are also functional hood and side air-extractor vents to help this monster breathe, a necessity in the rugged environments where the Raptor was designed to both work and play. (more…)

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