Now...we thought this just looked like fun!
For a little quieter look and test drive, stop by and see one at Waldorf Ford, Route 301 north in Waldorf, just 15 minutes south of Washington DC
2011 Ford Fiesta snags IIHS Top Safety Pick
/
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
2011 Ford Fiesta gets IIHS Top Safety Pick
Well let's be honest here, this really comes as no great surprise to us. We have always said the new 2011 Ford Fiesta was great in every aspect. Looks like the fine folks at IIHS agree. We at your favorite Southern Maryland Ford Dealer hope you never have the chance to verify these test results but it's nice knowing the facts. Check out this article from the fine folks at Auto BlogWe have mountains of respect for the men and women who work at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. After being invited to the institute's Charlottesville, Virginia facility for a front-row seat to the 2011 Ford Fiesta's frontal-offset test, we can honestly say that if we had their job, we'd have a hard time getting into just any old car ever again. While the Blue Oval's new sub-compact passed its battery of evaluations with flying colors (being the first and only minicar to earn a Top Safety Pick nod since the institute added a rollover test), we were also treated to a tour of some of the more poorly engineered models from the recent past.
Manufacturers have made an impressive amount progress on the safety front in the last decade, thanks largely to a close partnership with the IIHS. The institute has worked to revise crash tests to more accurately reflect the composition of vehicles on the road. One of its primary functions is to identify crashes where people die in otherwise well-rated vehicles and to adjust crash tests accordingly. While the public identifies the institute with bouncing perfectly good cars off of chunks of aluminum and concrete, the truth is that crash testing is only a small part of the IIHS mission. Of course, it's also the most fun part. Jump to the bottom to take a look at a video of the Fiesta's frontal-offset test.
Walking around the test hall, it's impossible to argue against the benefit of the institute's work. In the late '90s, most vehicles were still being tested for side-impact collisions using barriers designed to replicate the front-end of the majority of the vehicles on the road in 1982. You know, back when an SUV was something you used to get to the fishing cabin, not to ferry the kids to and from the mall. After looking around and realizing that status-quo on the road no longer looked like the nose of a '79 LTD, the IIHS introduced a new barrier based on the average ride height and hood height of SUVs.
The change was enormous. Cars like the Ford Focus, which had fared well in both IIHS and NHTSA tests, suddenly showed weaknesses that hadn't been apparent beforehand, and manufacturers scrambled to meet the new standard. Two Mitsubishi Lancers hang on the wall as a demonstration of the kind of change that the new barrier wrought. On the bottom, a 2005 model sits with its B pillar cut in two from a 31 mph impact in which the driver would have most certainly had to have been vacuumed from the car. Up above, a 2008 model fared much better thanks to additional bracing and plenty of air bags.
What a difference a few years makes.
Since then, the biggest change to the IIHS testing has come in the form of the new rollover test. The institute has been giving vehicles rollover ratings since 2001, but a 2008 study found that vehicles with strong roofs significantly reduce the risk of death or injury in the event of a rollover. In order to receive a Good rollover rating, a vehicle must withstand four-times its weight applied on one corner of the roof.
In the case of the 2011 Fiesta, the tiny compact managed to take over five times its weight before the roof exceeded the intrusion parameters set aside by the IIHS – not too shabby.
Since the institute only tests one car per day, we were only able to be on hand for the decidedly more dramatic frontal offset test, in which one shiny Fiesta sedan was rammed into a concrete and aluminum block at 40 mph. We'll let you watch the video to see that one for yourself. While the mechanical carnage was impressive, the Fiesta's passenger compartment was uncompromised, netting the car the final Good rating it needed to sweep the board.
The change was enormous. Cars like the Ford Focus, which had fared well in both IIHS and NHTSA tests, suddenly showed weaknesses that hadn't been apparent beforehand, and manufacturers scrambled to meet the new standard. Two Mitsubishi Lancers hang on the wall as a demonstration of the kind of change that the new barrier wrought. On the bottom, a 2005 model sits with its B pillar cut in two from a 31 mph impact in which the driver would have most certainly had to have been vacuumed from the car. Up above, a 2008 model fared much better thanks to additional bracing and plenty of air bags.
What a difference a few years makes.
Since then, the biggest change to the IIHS testing has come in the form of the new rollover test. The institute has been giving vehicles rollover ratings since 2001, but a 2008 study found that vehicles with strong roofs significantly reduce the risk of death or injury in the event of a rollover. In order to receive a Good rollover rating, a vehicle must withstand four-times its weight applied on one corner of the roof.
In the case of the 2011 Fiesta, the tiny compact managed to take over five times its weight before the roof exceeded the intrusion parameters set aside by the IIHS – not too shabby.
Since the institute only tests one car per day, we were only able to be on hand for the decidedly more dramatic frontal offset test, in which one shiny Fiesta sedan was rammed into a concrete and aluminum block at 40 mph. We'll let you watch the video to see that one for yourself. While the mechanical carnage was impressive, the Fiesta's passenger compartment was uncompromised, netting the car the final Good rating it needed to sweep the board.
Waldorf Ford was presented with their 5th Triple Crown Award
/
.JPG)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Press Release) August 25, 2010, Waldorf Ford was presented with their 5th Triple Crown Award; Customers are the real winners.
(Waldorf, MD) Today, Lisa O'Connor, Regional Manager for Ford Motor Company was in Waldorf to present Waldorf Ford with the prestigious Triple Crown Award. This is the 5th year that Waldorf Ford has won this award.
The Triple Crown Award recognizes dealerships that have won the President's Award and the One Hundred Club Award, but who also ranked high enough to be included in the Ford Customer Service Premier Club. Waldorf Ford is one of only 21 dealerships in the country to win the 2009 Triple Crown Award. She also presented The One Hundred Club Award for 2009, which recognizes dealerships that are in the top 100 in Ford sales for the nation.
"It is quite an accomplishment for a dealership to receive the One Hundred Club Award, but to receive that and take care of the customer to receive the President's Award as well, is exceptional", stated Ms. O'Connor.
The final award presented was for the 2009 President's Award.
"It means a lot to be recognized with the President's Award for the 9th time," said Greg Basiliko, General Manager, Waldorf Ford. "We earned this award only because of the hard work of the sales, service and management team and their united attention to the best possible service to our customers. The real thanks for this award needs to go to our customers who have placed their confidence in us."
The President's Award is reserved for Ford dealerships that have made a commitment to deliver exceptional sales, service and vehicle ownership experiences to their customers. Ford Motor Company's President's Award is reserved for the best of the best - approximately 200 out of the nearly 4,000 dealerships receive this award.
"Our motto is, Dedicated to Excellence, whether it is during or after the sale, our priority is taking care of our customers," said Basiliko. "We take customer satisfaction seriously and we work hard every day to make sure our customers are taken care of"
Waldorf Ford is located on Route 301 North in Waldorf, MD and online at www.waldorfford.com
2011 Ford Edge Headed to Dealerships With a $27,220 Starting Price
/
Friday, August 20, 2010
Ford announced that the redesigned 2011 Ford Edge began shipping from the Oakville Assembly Complex in Ontario to dealerships across the United States last weekend. The 2011 Ford Edge SE -- available only in front-wheel-drive (FWD) -- will start at $27,220, plus a $775 destination fee. This is $200 less than the 2010 model. The SEL FWD ($30,420) and Limited FWD ($33,220) models account for 80 percent of all Edge sales, Ford said. The top trim is the Sport model, which starts at $36,220. Four-wheel-drive will cost an additional $1,850 on the SEL, Limited and Sport trim levels.
All Edge models will get not only a more powerful V6 engine rated at 285 horsepower, but also a one MPG increase in city fuel economy and two MPG increase on the highway. One of the more notable features of the new Edge is MyFord Touch, which will come standard on the Limited, Sport models and is available as an option on the SEL. More here
We are expecting ours to arrive within the next week or two, so keep checking in with us online or on facebook. Waldorf Ford is located on Rt 301 in Waldorf MD, just 15 minutes south of Washington DC.
Consumer Reports: First drive 2011 Fiesta
/
Thursday, August 19, 2010
First Drive: 2011 Ford Fiesta
The Fiesta was designed and developed by Ford of Europe as a home-grown Anglo-German product. The U.S. version, made in Mexico, retains its European-style sophistication in materials, workmanship, and driving dynamics, but can that perception of quality overcome the American market’s historic aversion to tiny cars?
We’re testing two Fiestas, a mid-trim sedan with an automatic transmission ($16,595) and a top-trim hatchback with a manual shift, which rang up at $17,795. The engine is a 120-hp 1.6-liter four-cylinder....click here for full report.
Want to drive one for yourself? Come down to Waldorf Ford, 2440 Crain Hwy, Waldorf MD. We have several in stock for you to choose from. Don't forget to check out our video about the 2011 Fiesta
First Ride: Autoblog gets hot in Dubai with 2011 Ford Explorer
/
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
We are as anxious as you to have the first 2011 Explorers hit the lot at Waldorf Ford. Until they do, we thought we would share this article from Autoblog about their Dubai testing experience.
With California's Death Valley conveniently located on the same continent as Dearborn, Michigan, why on earth would Ford ship engineers and the all-new 2011 Explorer all the way to the United Arab Emirates to conduct hot-weather and off-road testing? Especially on a crossover, a vehicle few people will ever drive off-road?
The value of this 14,000-mile round trip became abundantly clear as I stepped out of the civilized, air-conditioned comfort of my shuttle vehicle, an F-150 SVT Raptor.
The air in Dubai hits you like an atomic hair dryer. Unlike the heat in Death Valley, there's some serious humidity hanging in the atmosphere due to the UAE's proximity to the Gulf of Oman. Our day in the desert saw temperatures of 48° Celsius (118° Fahrenheit) with humidity in the range of 40-60 percent. That's not a dry heat. Using a standard heat index calculator with a 50-percent humidity factor, the equivalent temperature showed 191° Fahrenheit.
Continued...click here
With California's Death Valley conveniently located on the same continent as Dearborn, Michigan, why on earth would Ford ship engineers and the all-new 2011 Explorer all the way to the United Arab Emirates to conduct hot-weather and off-road testing? Especially on a crossover, a vehicle few people will ever drive off-road?
The value of this 14,000-mile round trip became abundantly clear as I stepped out of the civilized, air-conditioned comfort of my shuttle vehicle, an F-150 SVT Raptor.
The air in Dubai hits you like an atomic hair dryer. Unlike the heat in Death Valley, there's some serious humidity hanging in the atmosphere due to the UAE's proximity to the Gulf of Oman. Our day in the desert saw temperatures of 48° Celsius (118° Fahrenheit) with humidity in the range of 40-60 percent. That's not a dry heat. Using a standard heat index calculator with a 50-percent humidity factor, the equivalent temperature showed 191° Fahrenheit.
Continued...click here
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
