By Don Hammonds
 Looking for a  tough handling little compact car that has outstanding mileage?
     Look no further than Ford’s way cool 2012 Focus, a car that likely will have plenty of pleasant surprises for you, not the least of which will be its road handling and fun to drive factor.

If you’re looking for performance and sportiness, Focus will likely win you over hands down. The Focus SEL we tested drove like a baby BMW, with a taut, muscled feel as …

         By Don Hammonds
Undeniably, the 2012 North American International Auto Show will go down as one of the most significant shows in years, with important introductions of family sedans and compact cars, more economical hybrids and other alternative vehicles, and a healthy smattering of mouth-watering sports cars and concepts for added spice.
       All of this is occuring against a backdrop of strong sales increases for most brands and a resurgent domestic auto industry, lower interest rates, many more interesting, better-built …

Ford’s out for blood with the all new 2013 Escape, introduced at the 2012 Los Angeles International Auto Show this  week, pointing to 11 new features and claiming  it wlll have”fuel economy projectged to top anyt vehicle of its kind on the market today.”

      First things first: The new model is vastly better looking than  the outdated squared off current one, with lots more athletisicm in its lines, and plenty of character lines that make it look as though it …

 
By Don Hammonds, executive editor
This model year promises to be a blockbuster one, with so many new models coming out that you’ll need a scorecard to keep up with it all.
Yet, amid the dozens of new models, and hundreds of continuing ones, there are still some diamonds that we believe will shine far above the others before the model year’s out. 
We selected our picks based on their impact on the automotive market, their uniqueness, in some cases, their transformations from …

By
John Heilig
 
Specifications
 
Model: 2011 Ford F-150 4X4 Supercrew King Ranch
Engine: 5.0-liter V8
Horsepower/Torque: 360 hp @ 5,500 rpm/380 lb.-ft. @ 4,250 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Wheelbase: 156.5 in.
Length/Width/Height: 243.9 x 79.2 x 74.6 in.
Tires: 22-inch wheels
Cargo volume: 1,570 lbs. payload, 9,100 lbs. towing capacity
Fuel economy: 14 mpg city/19 mpg highway
Fuel capacity: 36.0 gal.
Curb weight: 5,745 lbs.
Sticker: $51,270 ($975 destination and delivery, $5,060 in options less $1,000 Lariat Premium Discount)
 
Five reasons to buy this vehicle
1. Fabulous ride quality
2. Luxurious with King Ranch Package
3. Very good …

Ford, on the verge of introducing its long-awaited Focus Electric, is taking to the streets to test consumer knowledge of the fuel-saving choices that are now available to them.
And if the results are anything like what’s happening in Pittsburgh, one of the stops on the tour, Ford and other companies have their work cut out for them in making consumers well-informed about all the attractive choices now or soon to be available them–including the Focus Electric, the company’s first zero …

   By Don Hammonds
Ford’s been transforming itself for the last few years, and 2012 will bring a continuation of that trend for the blue oval band.
    Of course, the big news is the all-new Focus and the powerful 2012  Mustang Boss 302.
    2012 Ford Focus
 The 2012 Ford Focus  comes in an almost bewildering number of models, variations and colors– all the more to blanket the market.

On sale now, the Focus comes in  S, SE, SEL and Titanium trim series levels. 
“Focus  ” is packed with …

By Don Hammonds
Ford’s gone uptown in its new 2011 Explorer–in style, content and ambiance, not price.
As many of you know, Explorer had fallen into some hard sales times until this year, but thanks to the all-new model, we suspect that happy days are now here again.

The new Explorer is far more solidly built than the old model, is much quieter, considerably more luxurious, better styled, and perhaps most important for these times, it’s a lot more economical, too.  It all …

Ford Motor Company, by any measure, is now  in the midst of what is the one of the biggest comeback stories in American industry.
And if Ford officials are asked to sum up the reasons for their stunning success, their response is likely to be summed up in one word: Quality.
     In March, Lincoln received the highest score for long-term durability among all vehicle brands in the annual J.D. Power and Associates’ 2011 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS).   The Lincoln MKZ is the second-highest performing model …

       By Don Hammonds
 Superlatives have been tossed around in the auto industry for decades, so those of us at Automobile Journal–like car writers everywhere–tend not to believe everything we’ve been told.
      But the new 2011 Ford F-150 with EcoBoost does indeed measure up to its advance publicity.
 It also went beyond what was expected in a way that I rarely see mentioned anywhere, even in Ford materials: The F-150 with EcoBoost is almost eerily quiet.  You usually don’t  even hear the engine, and its absolutely …