2012 Ford Fiesta
A standout among small cars.
Introduction
2012 Ford Fiesta
The 2012 Fiesta comes in hatchback and sedan versions and the two body styles make distinct statements.
The Fiesta sedan is an interesting combination of an American style econobox with softened edges and a high rear deck (trunk lid). The Fiesta hatchback presents a more satisfying, Euro like profile, with nicely wedged side character lines and an almost sensuously rounded posterior. Choice is in the eye of the beholder, but both are pleasant and more than competitive in today's design conscious new car market. We prefer the hatch.
Inside, Fiesta features a voice activated infotainment system that augments the traditional AM/FM/CD/MP3 stereo with audio and podcasts streamed into the sound system via a Bluetooth link to a smart phone. Non voice audio controls and creature comfort settings revert to basic knobs and buttons that are sized and arrayed for ease of use with minimal distraction from the driving task.
Comfortable seats have enough side and bottom bolsters to keep occupants properly positioned, but gingerly, without obstructing ingress and egress. Quality of interior materials is either on a par with or a tick or two above the expected standard for cars in the Fiesta's class. Ford wants to boost this even further, too, with something not commonly found on cars in this size and price class: Leather seating surfaces and heated front seats are optional on the top of the line sedan and hatchback.
We found the Fiesta feels right at home running around town and on weekend errands. It slips conveniently into fleeting gaps in stop and go urban traffic and into space limited parking slots.
The Fiesta is powered by a 1.6 liter four-cylinder engine. We found its 120 horsepower sufficient to tackle the daily commute in stride. The ride quality is smooth, important in the daily grind. Wind and road noise is decently muted. Steering feel is certain, the Fiesta goes where you point it, and it doesn't lean much in corners at responsible speeds. It handles long weekend drives well, also.
Fiesta is available with a 6 speed transmission that works like an automatic but gets the fuel economy of a manual transmission. This twin clutch, automated manual is the best of both worlds for people who like driving but live in the big city: there's no clutch pedal to have to work repeatedly yet the driver can engage in authentic manual transmission gear changes. There's also the traditionally better fuel economy of a manual gearbox. Fuel economy is an EPA estimated City/Highway rating of 29/38 miles per gallon for the 6 speed against 28/37 mpg for the standard 5 speed manual. Normally, an automatic would come up two or more mpg short of a manual.
2012 Ford Fiesta buyers can individualize their cars further, with two new interior packages featuring two-tone leather upholstery in black and red or black and white. A new Premium Sport Appearance package for the 2012 Fiesta adds polished wheels, blacked-out trim and, on manual-shift versions, a numerically higher final drive ratio (4.25:1 vs. 4.07) for snappier acceleration performance.
Read more at http://www.fordoforange.com/reviews/2012/Ford/Fiesta/introduction.htm
Why trade-in?
Trading in your current vehicle towards another can partially offset the cost of the new vehicle. The trade-in's net value goes towards the purchase or lease of a new car. Conditions of a trade-in vary depending on who owns the vehicle.If you own the vehicle, trading-in means that you're selling the car to the dealer for some determined price. As a result, the price of the new car goes down, only.
If you are leasing a vehicle and do not own it, trading-in means that the seller of the new car agrees to pay the outstanding costs associated with the lease. Depending on the financing of the new vehicle and the outstanding balance on the old one, trading-in can either raise or lower the new car's price.
Why is it beneficial to trade-in?
When you trade-in you don't have to worry about selling the vehicle yourself or any of the associated costs (advertising, showing the car, etc). A dealer may offer a price you could not get yourself as an incentive to purchase a new vehicle. If the trade-in has known problems that could plague you later (when the buyer returns complaining), selling the car to the dealer eliminates the bother. Trading-in a lease car may relieve you of, in the long run, monthly costs you cannot afford. Sometimes people trade in lease vehicles because of poor gas mileage or lack of practicality.Why decide against trading-in?
If you think you can get a better price selling privately, and it's worth the time, money and effort, do not sell to the dealer. Some cars are of special interest and dealers will not always recognize those interests.What happens to a trade-in?
Some are kept by the dealer and resold as used cars. Many are sent to auction and purchased by other dealers for resale. Dealers know that auction prices often will not match the sum credited toward a new vehicle, but they absorb the losses as sales incentives.How much can I expect to get?
Check used car values in guides issued by organizations such as Edmunds.com or the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA). Often both trade-in and private sale values are listed. Factors such as mileage, overall condition, damage and known mechanical problems heavily influence the trade-in value.2012 Ford Mustang
The Boss is back.
Introduction
2012 Ford Mustang
Improvements for 2012 include more standard features and a selectable power steering system that changes steering effort and feedback from comfort to normal to sport at the driver's selection.
The big news, however, is the return of the Mustang Boss 302. It's a modern take on one the great cars in American road-racing lore.
The Mustang is available as a coupe, a convertible or a unique glass-roof coupe. The top-selling Mustang V6 and GT models are offered in all three body styles, in standard trim or a more feature-laden Premium level, with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Even the extra-powerful Boss and Shelby GT500 Mustangs deliver reasonable fuel-economy, given the performance potential. The level of fun varies primarily with the potency of the engine selected.
The standard Mustang V6 makes the basic stylistic statement and comes well equipped for about $23,000 with destination charge ($28,000 for the convertible). Its four-cam 3.7-liter V6 delivers 305 horsepower, and it will accelerate faster than the majority of vehicles you'll encounter at a stop light. It also delivers 31 mpg highway with the automatic, according to the EPA, and it makes quiet, comfortable daily transportation. The V6 is offered with just about every feature available on the Mustang, so buyers don't have to move up to the higher-powered models to get the stuff many want.
The V8-powered GT delivers 412 horsepower for about $30,000, and it basically cranks everything up a notch, starting with acceleration. It gets 26 mpg highway, and is just as easy to live with as the V6, with the same 13.2 feet of trunk space and folding rear seat.
The new Boss 302 is geared toward enthusiast drivers who look forward to track days. Its 5.0-liter V8 is massaged to rev higher and deliver a more high-strung 444 horsepower, and everything else in the Boss is tuned to sharpen its reflexes. While hard-core enthusiasts will appreciate its improvements, most drivers will be just as impressed with the standard GT, for about $10,000 less. The optional Laguna Seca package makes the Boss even more fun at the race track, but its not very friendly (or comfortable) for the road.
The ultimate Mustang is the Shelby GT500, combining a supercharged V8 with in-your-face graphics and lots of features. Expensive as Mustangs go, the GT500 nonetheless costs less than any 550-horsepower machine in the new-car marketplace.
Standard safety features include six airbags, all the stability and skid-management electronics and Ford's MyKey system, which allows parents to limit speed and audio volume when they hand the key to teens. The Mustang's appeal include a variety of appearance and wheel packages, allowing buyers to subtly or very obviously tailor the car's appearance to personal taste.
The Mustang as been in continuous production for nearly five decades, making it the longest running model in Ford history. Whether you call it a pony car, muscle car or American Iron, it remains the class benchmark 47 years after it was introduced.
Read more at http://www.fordoforange.com/reviews/2012/Ford/Mustang/introduction.htm
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