2014 Ford F150 Lariat on 2040-cars

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2016 Ford Explorer First Drive [w/video]

I was still young and impressionable when Jurassic Park hit the big screen, and that movie forever imprinted the Ford Explorer in my mind. You remember the scene, but I'll describe it anyway: It's dark, raining and there's no power. The off-screen footsteps of a tyrannosaurus send shockwaves through the standing water in a plastic cup and the rain-soaked muddy roads. Seconds later, the toothy end of the movie's biggest predator crushes through the roof of a highligher-green-and-yellow Ford Explorer, causing all manner of mayhem to the SUV's occupants inside. It's not lost on me that the Ford Explorer used in the movie is, in reality, a dinosaur itself. When the seminal Explorer hit the scene in 1991 it was based on the guts of the Ranger pickup truck, which was no spring chicken itself. Ford's first real foray into the then-burgeoning SUV marketplace was meant to compete against vehicles like the Jeep Cherokee and Chevy Blazer, along with Japanese models such as the Nissan Pathfinder and Toyota 4Runner. In those early days, none of these vehicles were sold based on the merits of their car-like ride and handling or superior fuel economy. Nowadays, the discerning car shopper wants the looks of an off-road-ready SUV, but the inherent compromises and need for any serious rock-crawling capability faded away years ago. The current Ford Explorer is a prime example of this successful visual hypocrisy, with its SUV-like styling listed as the number-one reason for buying on customer surveys. SUV-like styling is one thing, SUV-like guts are another. In 2011 the Explorer went from its traditional truck-based chassis to Ford's D4 platform, based loosely on the Taurus and shared with the Flex. As with the rest of the unibody crossover world, that means the current Explorer offers an excellent ride, the higher seating position that buyers want, and a useful third row for growing families. None of that inherent family-car goodness goes away for 2016. With class-leading sales already in the bag, Ford hopes its latest Explorer will attract new buyers due to the availability of a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine and an upper-crust Platinum trim level. Based on some time sitting inside and inspecting the high-content Platinum model (albeit without a drive in this trim level) I believe Ford's claim that this is most luxurious vehicle ever to wear a Blue Oval. Only not all its ovals inside are blue.

2019 Chicago Auto Show photo gallery: All of the grilles

Do you like trucks? How about grilles? Like really big, shiny, chromey, in-your-face, could-be-made-by-Broil-King grilles? Well, the Chicago Auto Show is the place to be. Traditionally known as the truck show of the annual auto show circuit (at least those covered by national media), Chicago has what seems like a small national park's worth of acreage devoted to both consumer and commercial trucks. From humble extended cab Ford Rangers to a mammoth F-650 with cherry picker sprouting from its aft quarters, there's bound to be a truck for everything. And they all have grilles. So above is our gallery devoted to them, because hell, why not? Should you want to know about the trucks attached to those grilles, check out our coverage below. Heavy Duty Trucks 2020 Chevrolet Silverado HD revealed, tows 35,500 pounds 2020 GMC Sierra HD revealed, has more subtle looks than Chevy sibling 2019 Ram Heavy Duty trucks get new face, 1,000 pound-feet of torque 2020 Ford F-Series Super Duty revealed, adds massive gas engine Full-Size Trucks Read how all of the full-size trucks compare to each other 2019 Chevrolet Silverado First Drive 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2.7L Turbo First Drive 2019 GMC Sierra First Drive 2019 GMC Sierra AT4 First Drive 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie Quick Spin Review 2019 Ram 1500 eTorque Drivers' Notes Review 2019 Ford F-150 2.7L EcoBoost Quick Spin Review 2018 Ford F-150 King Ranch Power Stroke Diesel Review Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Chicago Auto Show: All of the grilles View 40 Photos Chicago Auto Show Chevrolet Ford GMC RAM Truck chevrolet silverado

Ford predicts it will finish 2013 as top-selling US brand

Ford is ready to call the ball on its 2013 sales totals, predicting a first-place finish for units sold in the US for a single brand. The company anticipates selling more than 2.4 million vehicles when all vehicle sales over the last 12 months have been tallied, repeating the victory it trumpeted over Toyota last year.
According to Ford's accounting, it sold 329,677 more vehicles than did Toyota in 2012. This year, the Blue Oval expects that margin to grow; through the end of November, Ford says it has outsold Toyota by 396,041 units.
Retail sales of Ford products are projected to exceed 1.7 million units for 2013 (the best retail result in 6 years for the company), with passenger cars accounting for 600k of that total. The redesigned Fusion is expected to crest the 290k mark, and the Fiesta is said to be ready to hit a model-record of 70k-plus. Meanwhile, utility vehicles and trucks are still paying a lot of bills in Dearborn, with the new Escape racking up an expected 300k sales and F-Series trucks chugging along at 688,810 units sold thru November.