2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 on 2040-cars

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Lower gas prices mean there are excellent deals on green cars right now

The phenomenon was big enough to make news in 2006, then in 2008, in 2011, in 2012, in 2013, and again last year: a big move in gas prices means a big move in alternative-fuel-vehicle sales. True Car's TrueSavings report, which averages transaction prices across the country to figure out what people are paying compared to MSRP, shows that electric cars and hybrids are ripe for excellent savings right now. The Ford Focus Electric presents the greatest disparity, with the average transaction price of $25,168 representing a 16.1-percent saving off its $29,995 MSRP. The Kia Optima Hybrid and Toyota Prius also snagged spots in the top five, with the Kia offering a 10.7-percent discount and the Toyota a 10.1-percent discount. One hybrid managed to show up among the top five lease offers, too: the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is just $315 a month for 36 months after $3,875 down in some markets. Alt-energy vehicles got bumped out of the top five finance deals, however. That was dominated by light trucks and, oddly, two subcompacts. The press release below has more details. TrueCar finds hybrids, EVs top list of best savings in January Gasoline price plunge = savings for consumers on alternative fuel vehicles SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Ford's Focus Electric hatchback, which sells at an average of 16 percent off MSRP, tops January's list of best savings on new vehicles, according to TrueCar, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRUE), the negotiation-free car buying and selling platform. The "TrueSavings" monthly report analyzes current transaction prices and identifies opportunities for consumer savings. "Fuel savings are not top of mind to many consumers right now, and that makes this a great time to buy a hybrid or electric vehicle," said John Krafcik, president of TrueCar. "With gasoline prices now averaging just $2.10 per gallon, and vehicle preferences tied so closely to short-term gasoline prices, automakers are heavily discounting their most fuel-efficient cars to clear inventories." Toyota's Prius, the world's best-selling alternative fuel vehicle for more than a decade, also makes January's list of best savings. Customers who purchase a Prius Two model this month can save 10 percent off the hybrid car's $25,025 MSRP. "Gasoline prices and vehicle type preferences are strongly related, and this relationship is cyclical in nature," said Krafcik.

2015 Ford Mustang earns Five Stars from NHTSA [w/video]

We already know that the latest Ford Mustang is a pretty potent pony car in terms of its performance potential, but according to the government, it's a safe choice too. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently released its New Car Assessment Program crash test results for the 2015 'Stang coupe, and it came away with top five-star overall ratings in every evaluation. The Mustang received a five-star overall score and five stars for its frontal, side and rollover ratings. The only minor ding was a four-star result just for the backseat in a side barrier crash. According to NHTSA, "Although not included in the star rating, the rear passenger's thoracic rib deflection was elevated." You can check out the full NCAP evaluation, here. According to Ford, the latest Mustang has twice as many airbags and crash sensors as the outgoing model. NHTSA also likes that the pony car offers a rearview camera and forward collision warning – two of the technologies that the agency recommends buyers getting for added safety. Watch the car crash in the video below. 2015 MUSTANG EARNS HIGHEST VEHICLE SAFETY RATING FROM NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION National Highway Traffic Safety Administration awards the all-new 2015 Mustang a five-star Overall Vehicle Score in its New Car Assessment Program All-new Mustang has twice as many airbags, twice as many peripheral crash sensors and additional pretensioning safety belt technology compared to the outgoing model The new Mustang is the first car to offer four-, six- and eight-cylinder engines that each produce at least 300 horsepower – a 300-horsepower 3.7-liter V6, a more powerful 435-horsepower 5.0-liter V8, and an all-new 310-horsepower 2.3-liter EcoBoost® engine DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 11, 2015 – The 2015 Ford Mustang received a top safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The 2015 Mustang earned a five-star Overall Vehicle Score in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) testing. The New Car Assessment Program is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's evaluation program for new vehicle designs established to test for performance against safety threats. Now on sale at Ford dealers, the all-new 2015 Mustang received five stars in the frontal crash test, five stars in the side crash test and five stars in the rollover crash test. "The new Mustang was built from the ground up," said Carl Widmann, Mustang chief engineer.

Ford settles class action suit over defective Navistar diesel engines

The 2003 Ford F-Series Super Duty (shown above) introduced the 6.0-liter Power Stroke diesel supplied by Navistar, and while that is an engine Ford would love to forget, it's now one step closer to putting that particular problem behind it. Automotive News is reporting that Ford has settled a class-action lawsuit brought on by problems with this engine that started right out of the gate and ultimately broke up the 30-year relationship between Ford and Navistar.
Owners and lessees of 2003-2007 Super Duty trucks and E-Series vans equipped with the 6.0-liter Power Stroke are eligible for deductible reimbursements of between $50 and $200 from the original five-year/100,000-mile engine warranty, while Ford is paying out as much as $825 for out-of-warranty engine repairs. These repairs may include the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler, EGR valve, oil cooler, fuel injectors and turbocharger, but are only covered if the components failed before six years or 135,000 miles.
In total, Ford has agreed to pay about 50 percent of the value of the repairs and deductibles paid by its customers who submit a claim before the end of this year, and $150,000 is going to the 16 named plaintiffs in the case; Navistar was not included in the lawsuit.