truth about domestics

The San Francisco Chronicle has published a piece on how long your modern hybrid will cost you over the long run, or more specifically, how long it will take you to recoup your higher initial cost of buying a hybrid vehicle over a conventional auto.  The winner may shock you, because it’s not the Toyota Prius, or the Honda Insight.  No, it’s none other than the 2010 Ford Fusion hybrid!  A traditional sedan with a stellar hybrid powertrain, it not only won 2010 North American Car of the Year at the Detroit Auto Show, but it also won Motor Trend magazine’s Car of the Year award.  For the full article, head on over to sfgate.com.

(Image source: Ford)

And people say the domestics don’t build cars people want to buy!  Kelly Blue Book, a third-party car value rating company, has compiled a list of the Top 10 Family haulers of 2010.  The list includes some big names, but the shock to me is that the domestics had a whopping 6 cars make the list!  The list is as follows:

• Chevrolet Suburban
• Chevrolet Traverse
• Chevrolet Equinox
• Ford Flex
• Ford Taurus
• Ford Fusion hybrid
• Honda Odyssey
• Honda Accord Crosstour
• Subaru Outback
• Hyundai Elantra Touring

The domestics had home runs in this list with vehicles ranging from a 9 passenger SUV to crossovers to hybrids to sedans.  Looks like the domestics can do it all.  For more details on these great vehicles, head on over to KBB.com.

Check out Ford NASCAR driver Carl Edwards as he talks about the Ford Fusion hybrid!

The video above describes an issue Consumer Reports found with the Fusion/Milan hyrids where the brakes could switch over to conventional brakes earlier than necessary, giving the perceived notion of braking loss, even though Ford says you still have braking control over the car.  Here’s to hoping that Ford, GM, Toyota, Honda and any other automaker with a severe recall or quality issue gets it fixed ASAP!

Ford Motor Company has joined the ranks of only two other automakers in 17 years by winning both the Car of the Year and Truck of the Year awards.  The Car was not really a shock to me, as the Ford Fusion hybrid was part of the winning team for Motor Trend’s Car of the Year.  The Truck of the Year was the new runabout on the scene, the Ford Transit Connect.  Both of these vehicles bested cars (or trucks) from the best automakers in the world and came out on top, proving yet again that Detroit can compete and it CAN WIN!!!  For more, head on over to Autoblog.

There isn’t much I need to say about this review, except maybe this.  The author states that, and I quote, “the Ford Fusion hybrid is the best hybrid model in the U.S. market.”  Not only is the gas-only version of the Fusion the most fuel efficient mid-size sedan on the market, but the Fusion hybrid is also the most fuel efficient mid-size sedan hybrid on the market!  Can you believe the Ford Fusion hybrid gets 41 mpg in the city???  That’s 8, count em, 8 more miles per gallon than the Toyota Camry hybrid!  This article just reaffirms the Motor Trend Car of the Year award the 2010 Fusion won.  For the full scoop, head on over to MSN Autos.

(Image source: Ford)

Ford has had quite a year.  It managed to avoid bankruptcy, didn’t take any bailout funds from the government, and it has released some of their best products ever.  Not only that, but Ford’s green image has made a turn for the better, way better, selling more hybrids in 2009 than ever before!  Ford’s December 2009 hybrid sales were up 147% compared to December 2008!  That’s a huge jump in sales, thanks in part to the Motor Trend Car of the Year, the 2010 Ford Fusion.  Not only that, but Ford’s hybrid sales were up 72% in 2009 when compared to 2008.

Ford also posted its first full year market share gain since 1995!  That is a huge positive swing for the automaker, selling more vehicles in a really terrible sales year.  For tons more numbers in Ford’s press release, head on over to Autoblog Green.

(Image source: Ford)

The 2010 Ford Fusion and Fusion hybrid have been huge successes for Ford; even with the economy in the dumps this year, sales are at an all-time high  The Fusion and its hybrid sibling even managed to break into the list of the ten best selling cars of 2009.  Ford also sold more hybrids this year than ever before, hitting nearly 31,000!  Even so, hybrid sales only make up 2% of overall Ford sales.  For more details, head on over to Autoblog Green.

(Image source: Ford)

Ford can celebrate another two awards for the 2010 Urban Autos of the Year.  The winners are the 2010 Taurus SHO and Fusion hybrid.  Both cars have been turning heads since their introductions this year and these awards just add to the already impressive list this due has racked up so far.  For more details, head on over to Autoblog.

(Image source: Ford)

Two American cars made the nominees for 2009 Tech Car of the Year.  Both were from Ford Motor Company and those cars were the Lincoln MKS and the Ford Fusion hybrid.  The MKS was picked for its incredible parallel parking system that actually works, EcoBoost V6, award winning navigation system and more.  The Fusion hybrid was picked for its truly groundbreaking hybrid system that allows it to run in pure electric mode up to 47 miles per hour while getting 41 mpg in the city and the driver configurable information display.  CLICK HERE TO VOTE!

(Image source: Ford)