1960 Ford Thunderbird Base Hardtop 2-door 5.8l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Ford adding stop-start to all major model lines

Ford has gone all-in on its efforts to offer most of its new vehicles with a fuel-efficient EcoBoost engine, but the automaker is reportedly preparing to take another big step toward improving vehicle efficiency. Automotive News is reporting that Ford will soon expand the availability of start-stop technology, which was first offered - presumably the first non-hybrid vehicle, that is - on the 2013 Fusion (equipped with the 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine) as a $295 option.
The benefit of start-stop is reduced fuel consumption as it shuts the engine off at long stops, and AN quotes Ford as saying that drivers can save more than $1,000 on fuel costs over five years. Despite this, the option hasn't been popular on the Fusion thus far, but it could be more beneficial on bigger vehicles like the F-150. Ford also said that the next-gen Edge, which was previewed in concept form at the LA Auto Show, will be equipped with auto start-stop to help make the EcoBoost engines even more efficient.

Edmunds ranks the best used cars for 2013

When people ask us what car we would recommend for them, it's usually not easy to answer. To make a useful recommendation we must consider which of the numerous vehicle segments fits their needs best, and then choose one of the many vehicles offered in each segment. For some people, new cars don't meet their expectations of value, because they lose so much of it the moment they are purchased and driven off the dealer lot. For them, there's always the used-car market, where great deals can be found, but cars' histories of reliability and maintenance records - and perhaps that Certified Pre-Owned warranty - become ever-important factors playing into purchase choice.
To help out, Edmunds has done us the favor of assembling a list of the best used vehicles money can buy, covering model years 2006-2011, according to what it considers the most important criteria when shopping for used autos: reliability, safety, value and availability. That means unreliable, unsafe, super-expensive or limited-edition models don't appear on the list, but instead cars from each segment that are more likely to satisfy the general population.
There are some real goodies on the list, including but not limited to vehicles such as the capable Honda Fit, the cultish Honda Accord coupe (which can be had with a 240-horsepower V6 and a six-speed manual transmission some years), and the powerful Chevrolet Corvette. While Edmunds' choice of the Volvo C70 for best used convertible baffled us at first (not that it's a bad car), it redeemed itself by stating that the Mazda MX-5 still is an unofficial top choice if you don't require more than two seats.

Ford to hack $4k off price of Focus EV amid slow sales

Between slow sales and a hefty price drop for its nearest rival, the Ford Focus Electric may be looking at a pretty substantial price cut. The Detroit News is reporting that Ford will drop the price of the all-electric by about $4,000 to $35,200 to be more competitive with the Nissan Leaf, which received a big price cut for 2013 down to $28,800.
Ford has already admitted to having low expectations for the car's sales and massive rebates were reported earlier in the year, but there is still no official word from Ford on this matter. The company's consumer site still lists the 2014 model's starting price as $39,200. In addition to the Leaf, the Focus Electric will also have to deal with the lower prices of smaller EVs including the Honda Fit EV, Fiat 500e and the Chevrolet Spark EV.