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We test the 2016 Ford F-150 Pro Trailer Backup Assist

There are some automotive tasks that are more or less impossible the first time you attempt them, no matter your skill level. Remember the first time you had to back a trailer into position? Yeah, you'd have more luck disarming a nuclear bomb than getting the trailer where you're aiming. Ford is preparing to debut a technology that takes the mystery out of reversing a trailer, with the new Pro Trailer Backup Assist. Available on the entire 2016 F-150 range, the system essentially allows owners to drive their trailers by way of a dash-mounted knob. Turn the knob and the steering wheel automagically turns to the correct angle, leading the trailer in the desired direction. The steering wheel twirls about as needed, although drivers still have direct control of the accelerator and brake pedals, much as they do with Ford's Enhanced Active Park Assist system. Ford has spent eight years developing the system, the company's engineers told us. Drivers will need to measure their trailers a certain way and fit the checked reference sticker you can see in the gallery, although once a measurement is stored in the system, it can easily be recalled using the display in the instrument cluster. The system can stow the measurements for 10 trailers, and can accommodate tow-behinds up to 33 feet long. As of right now, though, the PTBA can't work with gooseneck trailers or fifth-wheels, although we're betting Ford is hard at work to accommodate those more substantial setups. "Pro Trailer Backup Assist is a smart solution to save time and increase productivity for our customers," Doug Scott, Ford Truck's marketing manager, said in the attached statement. "Instead of struggling to back up their trailer, they can spend more time on the job or enjoying the lake." We took part in a hands-on demo of the new system off the Detroit River, near Grosse Ile, MI. Full disclosure, we didn't back the trailer into the water, (your author had no interest in potentially damaging the roughly $50,000 boat/trailer Ford brought in for the test). We did, however, conduct a brief test in the safe confines of a nearby parking lot. Our immediate impression of this technology is that it will be a boon to novices or first-time towers, a group of which your author is a member. It takes the mystery out of backing up a trailer, and while there's still a learning curve involved, it's significantly easier than doing things the old-fashioned way.

Ford hybrid sales rebound following MPG controversy

Ford hybrid customers apparently have very short memories. With two EPA fuel economy reratings in the last year, sales of the C-Max, Fusion Hybrid and Lincoln MKZ haven't been too terribly dented, Ward's Auto reports.
All three vehicles saw sales dips following the August 2013 rerating, although sales of the MKZ Hybrid had begun to rebound as early as November of that year. C-Max sales, meanwhile, took slightly longer, with sales on a steadily improving course as early as February of this year.
The second rerating, in June of this year, has had an even smaller effect on the Blue Oval's hybrids. The C-Max has actually been subject to a sales increase, while both the MKZ and Fusion saw minor sales drops (less than 400 units between the two in the month following the rerating).

Can an actual Ford F-150 ride on 4 Power Wheels F-150s?

A lot of kids are rough on their toys, especially when it comes to those made to be used outside, like a four-wheeled kid-size Power Wheels. Whether it's cruising through the sand box, carrying piles of rocks in the driveway or crashing around trees in the backyard, these motorized vehicles often take punishment from the moment the giftwrap comes off. The folks at Fisher-Price decided to give their latest F-150 Power Wheels a true torture test worse than any kid could have ever managed by setting a real 2015 Ford F-150 on top of four of them. Would the little toy trucks explode in a shower of plastic shards in a massive collapse, and if not, could they drive away afterwards? The latest F-150 might be 700 pounds lighter thanks to the switch to aluminum, but it's still a fullsize pickup. According to this clip, the truck weighs in at 4,120 pounds, which puts an average of 1,030 pounds on each of the toys. Check out the video above to see how the stunt goes, and click on the gallery below for some behind-the-scenes looks at the setup.