2015 Ford F350 Lariat Super Duty on 2040-cars

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Ford Transit production fires up, American Pickers among first takers

Not long ago, the History Channel showed a seemingly unending stream of World War II documentaries, but it made a switch a few years ago to include an increasing mix of 'reality' programming. American Pickers was one of the early attempts at this new formula, with cameras following hosts Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz around the country in a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter as they tracked down collectibles and "rusty gold" for their Iowa shop, Antique Archeology. The show has since gone on to become one of the channel's most popular programs.
Starting in the new episode airing tonight, the affable hosts will swap their Benz for a 2015 Ford Transit, a nicely timed bit of marketing to coincide with the launch of the model's assembly at the Blue Oval's Kansas City Assembly Plant, which also kicks off this week. Ford is touting 2,000 new jobs created as part of its $1.1-billion investment in the plant.
No strangers to product placement, the guys from American Pickers say their switch away from the Sprinter is because they wanted to balance cargo capacity and fuel economy to make the most of their cross-country jaunts. They opted for the largest Transit available with a long wheelbase, extended body and high roof, giving them 487 cubic feet of cargo room. Hauling power comes from a 3.2-liter, five-cylinder diesel engine with 190 horsepower and 346 pound-feet of torque and a six-speed automatic transmission with rear-wheel drive. Fittingly, the van wears the same Antique Archaeology logo over white paint as their old Sprinter.

Cars with the worst resale value in 2022

Car values are all over the map right now. Used vehicles that were worth a small fortune earlier this year are now coming back to Earth, but the new vehicle supply remains tight. Prices are still elevated overall, but some models have seen more severe price drops. Depreciation strikes almost every model, supply constraint or not, though a few vehicles are leading the way. New research from analytics iSeeCars found that a handful of cars depreciated more than 50 percent over five years, with the BMW 7 Series dropping 56.9 percent and an average price cut of $61,923 over that time. The vehicles with the highest depreciation — or worst resale value — over five years: BMW 7 Series: -56.9% Maserati Ghibli: -56.3% Jaguar XF: -54% Infiniti QX80: -52.6% Cadillac Escalade ESV: 52.3% Mercedes-Benz S-Class: 51.9% Lincoln Navigator: -51.9% Audi A6: -51.5% Volvo S90: -51.4% Ford Expedition: -50.7% iSeeCarsÂ’ research showed that midsize trucks, sports cars, and fuel-efficient vehicles were slowest to depreciate over five years, while itÂ’s clear that luxury brands tend to lose value much faster. As iSeeCarsÂ’ Executive Analyst Karl Brauer explained, used buyers donÂ’t value high-end vehiclesÂ’ features as much as the first owners, so resale values tend to be softer. The tech and options that made the cars so expensive and appealing new donÂ’t add the same value on the used market. Read more: Cars with the best resale value Interestingly, electric vehicles also depreciated quite heavily, though they were just short of the abysmal numbers in luxury segments. The Nissan Leaf depreciated most among EVs, dropping by 49.1 percent. The average EV depreciation is 44.2 percent, with the Tesla Model S and Model X sliding in right under the bar at 43.7 and 38.8 percent, respectively. As iSeeCars notes, itÂ’s important to be vigilant when car shopping and not let your emotions win over reason. Shiny new luxury cars look great in the showroom, but you could end up taking a bath when you try selling them a few years later on. Related video: Audi BMW Cadillac Ford Infiniti Jaguar Lincoln Maserati Mercedes-Benz Volvo Car Buying Used Car Buying Ownership Resale Value depreciation

Why the 2015 Detroit Auto Show will be the best since The Crisis

The Detroit Auto Show clearly has its swagger back, and the 2015 edition will be a veritable feast for the enthusiast senses. We're talking serious performance, and it will be exhibited in a variety of forms. Sports cars. Supercars. Muscle-bound luxury cars. They're all set for splashy debuts in January in the Motor City. It's another signpost that companies have recovered from the global economic crisis that gripped the industry from 2008-09. For a while, automakers played it safe at Detroit and other shows. Environmentally friendly cars were important, especially for General Motors and Chrysler that were living on loans from Uncle Sam. Ford, Toyota and other companies generally focused on their best-selling or core models. With a few notable exceptions, recent auto shows have been a bit more buttoned-down than in the past. Boring probably isn't the right word, but austerity has been reality. That's changing. Car companies are making money. Sales are up. Aside from the many nagging recalls – and they are notable – the industry now has the time and energy to make performance cars a priority. That will be offered in hard evidence in Detroit. A year from now when we look back at this auto show, we'll sum it up with one word: Horsepower. But make no mistake, this isn't frivolous. Sports and luxury cars are expensive. They're profitable. They boost images and highlight strengths. With that in mind, here are five significant performance-oriented reveals to watch for when the show kicks off in less than two weeks. 2016 Acura NSX Acura's reborn NSX is a strong bet to earn plenty of votes for our Editors' Choice awards. It's one of the most anticipated – and strung-out – reveals of the year. Think back: we actually saw an NSX concept at the 2012 Detroit show, and Acura has spent the last three years teasing the car in a variety of ways. The slow burn, however, means we know a lot about the NSX. It's will use a mid-mounted twin-turbo hybrid powertrain and run with all-wheel drive. It will also wear an innovative zirconium e-coat paint, a new paint process that Honda says is more environmentally friendly. Honda has also said it will build the new NSX in Ohio, where a large part of the car's development work has been done. The original NSX was produced from 1990-2005 and helped establish Acura's performance credentials in the United States. It was a landmark car and a shot across the bow of Ferrari, Lamborghini and others.