2005 Ford E350 Super Duty Cutaway Kapheide Utility 6.0l Powerstroke Diesel Cloth on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Ford files trademark for 'EcoBeast' moniker

Ford has done some performance stuff with its EcoBoost line of vehicles, most notably with its Focus and Fiesta ST, the new, turbocharged Mustang and the luke-warm Taurus SHO and F-150 Tremor, but it's kind of avoided going wholly bonkers. That could be set to change quite soon, judging by a trademark filing with Uncle Sam. Ford has registered the name EcoBeast with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, listing it as "automobiles and automobile engines," according to the team at Motorlix, which discovered the filing. As always, it bears mentioning that companies are constantly filing trademarks, even if a good or service never emerges with said name. We agree with Motorlix, though – it seems highly unlikely Ford is going to just let this name languish. What vehicle or engine will wear this new badge is the real question. We're leaning towards something F-150 related, based on our last round of spy photos of the new SVT Raptor, although it's impossible to say for certain what the Blue Oval has planned. Here's hoping we find out in just a few weeks when Ford brings basically all of its performance merchandise to the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. Until then, let us know what you think Ford is planning with the EcoBeast.

Ford tumbles to second worst in Consumer Reports reliability survey, list dominated by Japanese [w/video]

It's no secret that MyFord Touch has had its share of problems since being introduced, but the most recent reliability survey from Consumer Reports shows just how much this infotainment system has affected Ford. Just two years ago, the automaker was in the top 10 for the institute's reliability rankings, but since then, it has tumbled to the second-lowest rung just above dead-last Jaguar. In addition to MyFord Touch, CR also attributes a handful of new products that have had issues right out of the gate.
Compiled from 1.2 million subscriber surveys, this year's auto reliability survey heavily favors Japanese automakers, with eight of the 10 spots hailing from Japan. Toyota brands grabbed the top three spots (Scion, Toyota and Lexus - in that order) with Mazda, Subaru, Honda and Acura filling the next four spots. The only non-Asian automaker cracking the top 10 was Audi at number eight.
Audi climbed a total of 18 spots from last year, and Cadillac and GMC round out this year's top gainers breaking into the top 15. Helping Cadillac's upward movement, the CTS Coupe was named the most reliable domestic car. Lincoln, Volvo and Chrysler join Ford on this year's biggest loser list.

Autoblog Podcast #413

Episode #413 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Chris Paukert, and Brandon Turkus recap all of the big debuts that took place this week at the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Of course, the podcast starts with what's in the garage and finishes up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the rundown with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #413 The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. Topics 2015 Detroit Auto Show In The Autoblog Garage 2015 Chevrolet Trax 2015 Audi RS 5 2015 Ford F-150 Long-Term 2014 Jeep Cherokee Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Paukert, Brandon Turkus Runtime: 01:xx:xx Rundown Intro and Garage - 00:00 2015 Detroit Auto Show – 37:49 Q&A - 01:32:48 Get The Podcast UStream – Listen live on Mondays at 10 PM Eastern at UStream iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes