Archive for May, 2005
Posted on May 27, 2005 at 10:24 am by Jeff
Ford Escape Hybrid: First Gas-Electric-Powered SUV and Ford Replacement Parts for Its Exceptional Pe
By Jenny McLane
The Ford Escape Hybrid is a fuel-saving, gas-electric hybrid-power version of small, four-door sport-utility vehicle, available with front-wheel drive (FWD) or four-wheel drive (4×4). Its power train has 2.3-liter, four-cylinder gas engine rated 133 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, 129 pounds-feet of torque at 4,500 rpm; synchronous AC electric motor rated 94 hp from 3,000 to 5,000 rpm; 330-volt battery pack under rear cargo floor; electronically controlled, continuously variable transmission. Maximum power output is 155 hp because gas and electric do not make their maximum power simultaneously.
It has a 2.3-liter, Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder gasoline engine with a 70-kilowatt permanent-magnet traction electric motor, regenerative braking and a 330-volt battery pack. The combination provides performance on par with a V-6. The hybrid never has to be plugged in because the engine recharges the batteries, by the electric motor and by heat recovered as energy during braking.
“The Escape hybrid really “wants” to be an electric vehicle, but the gasoline engine adds power for acceleration, charges the batteries and powers the air conditioning,” said Mary Ann Wright, Ford’s director of Sustainable Mobility Programs
Unlike electric cars, hybrids never need to be plugged into a recharger. Regenerative braking recharges the Ford Escape Hybrid, which converts electric motor into a generator to help refill the battery pack during stops; and by a recharging system powered by the gas engine.
Designed to last for the life of the vehicle and can be found under the Escape’s cargo floor, the battery pack, which contains 250 small batteries roughly the size of D cells mounted in series doesn’t infringe on cargo space.
The software and computerized controllers that make everything work effectively is the key to a hybrid. Small badges identify the Ford Escape as a hybrid. The instrument panel is a little different because it contains a gauge that shows when the electric motor is the source of power and when the gasoline engine is running. An optional LCD display in the center stack gives instant and average fuel economy as well as a pictorial representation of how the power is flowing at any instant.
The Escape’s hybrid engine shuts down at rest to conserve fuel. When driving resumes, the SUV’s 70-kilowatt traction motor generator can launch the vehicle on electric power. When it’s needed, the generator starts the gas engine without the increased emissions produced when a conventional engine is started.
The Escape Hybrid also produces as little as half the amount of carbon dioxide (greenhouse gas) as a conventional gas engine. It produces 97 percent less hydrocarbon and oxides of nitrogen emissions than vehicles meeting today’s required emission standards. That qualifies it for the Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV) standards designation.
Being the leader in the development of low emission vehicles, Ford continually develops projects that will someday result in practical hydrogen-powered vehicles with no greenhouse gas emissions.
As zealous as Ford in continually upgrading its products to suit every client needs, Partstrain is always looking for superior and quality workmanship for its product lines. Only the finest Ford auto body parts comprise its stock.
Find, compare and buy Ford Automotive Parts, Accessories, and other Car products at its online store http://www.partstrain.com/ShopByVehicle/FORD We supply discount ford parts for the Ford Courier, Ford Explorer, Ford Escape, Ford Econoline Van, Ford Expedition, Ford Taurus, Ford Maverick, Ford Falcon, Ford Thunderbird, Ford Fairlane, Ford Crown Victoria, Ford F-series pickup and many other Ford models.
Jenny McLane is a 36 year old native of Iowa and has a knack for research on cars and anything
and everything about it. She works full time as a Market Analyst for one of the leading car parts suppliers in the country today.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
Posted on May 25, 2005 at 10:59 am by Jeff
Ford F-150: The Top-Selling Vehicle of All Time Hits the Road Anew; Best Quality Ford Parts Offered
By Jenny McLane
For the company that sets the world standard and major innovations in car building, it is not surprising that Ford vehicles can generate car sales enough to shatter records after records. More than a century of marked excellence proved that any Ford vehicles to hit the road are built tough.
One of these is the Ford F150 that has been in the top of the list as the best-selling trucks in America for almost three decades. In 2003, the F150 sold 850,000 units in one year to become the best-selling vehicle overall for the past 22 years. Last year it sold its 912,000 unit for a single year to extend their winning streak topping its class for 28 straight years and to 23 years as the overall best-seller. This made the F-series the top-selling vehicle of all time with almost 30 million units sold crashing the records of the Ford Model T (15million units) and the Volkswagen Beetle (20million units).
The new F-150 is part truck, part barn, and part limousine that posses the best combination of safety, luxury, practicality, and use that makes it the American vehicle whether he lives in urban or in the farm. Its full-size body is capable of carrying the greatest load in its class and with 202-horsepower 4.2-liter V6 engine and optional 5-speed manual transmission for the 2005 model; it is the best hauling machine in terms of capability in its division.
Ford improves its design in 2005. It offers the widest variety of body trims: three cab choices, three box lengths two box styles, and five unique series: the entry level F-150 XL, F-150 STX, all-purpose F-150 XLT, the though F-150 FX4, and the stylish F-150 Lariat. The F-150 King Ranch is new for the 2005 series. All feature four doors for easy entry and exit.
The 2005 F150 is equipped with 4-pin trailer tow connector wiring, power 4-wheel vented disc with Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), cargo bed tie-downs, 4.2L EFI V6 with 5-speed manual transmission (Regular Cab 4×2 XL, STX, XLT). Meanwhile the 4.6L EFI V8 has 4-speed automatic transmission (Regular Cab 4×4; SuperCab XL, STX, XLT, SuperCrew XLT), Mechanical shift-on-the-fly, and more as standard features.
It night be an overstatement when we say that best-handling, quietest, most car-like full-size pick-up truck ever existed in the industry but it pays to prove for yourself what the Ford F-150 can offer.
Simply click on http://www.partstrain.com/ShopByVehicle/FORD/F150 and choose from its extensive stock of Ford body parts like fuel tanks, spoiler, radiator, electrical parts, engine parts, hood, hubcaps, condenser, bumper, catalytic converter, exhaust, fender, and grille. All are available to you in great discounts and wholesale deals at Partstrain.
Jenny McLane is a 36 year old native of Iowa and has a knack for research on cars and anything and everything about it. She works full time as a Market Analyst for one of the leading car parts suppliers in the country today.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
Posted on May 24, 2005 at 9:39 pm by Jeff
Negotiating to Buy a New Car the Easy Way
By Michael Schatzki
Do you hate the thought of buying a new car because of the struggle you have to go through negotiating with the dealership? Relax. Negotiating to buy a new car is easy. Sure their sales people receive negotiation training, but you have the upper hand. Why? Because you can easily find out everything that they want to keep hidden. Information is the key to winning any negotiation. If you use the resources and approaches outlined below, you will negotiate the lowest possible price and drive away with a great new car.
First Find Out What the Dealer Paid for the Car
The true dealer cost is made up of two components - the Dealer Invoice less the Holdback.
What the dealer actually paid for the vehicle is the Dealer Invoice. There are a number of good on-line sources for this including Kelly Blue Book (KBB.com) and Edmunds.com. (Be aware that the invoice may include an advertising charge for joint advertising campaigns. It is a real per car cost to the dealer, i.e. it is not overhead since it is paid only when a car is sold. It does show up on the invoice that the dealer gets from the manufacture, but it is not found on the online sites that give you dealer cost. It tends to run around $300-400.)
The Holdback is the second component of true dealer cost. The holdback is a rebate that is paid directly to the dealer by the manufacturer for each car sold. Holdbacks for Chrysler, Ford and GM are 3% of the total price of the car. Holdbacks for foreign makes are 2%-3% depending on the manufacturer. Edmunds has a good Data Base of these.
Add In the Hidden Incentives to the Dealer and the Advertised Rebates
Dealer Incentives: Surprise! In addition to the holdback there may be other hidden incentives to the dealer that you can only get if you know they are there. Otherwise the dealer keeps the incentive.
Rebates: There may also be ‘Cash Back’ advertised rebates which they must give to you if you buy the car. (However, you need to know what the rebate is in advance since it will effect your opening offer to the dealer.)
These rebates change from month to month so you need current information. A good source for hidden incentives is CarDeals, published by the Center for the Study of Services. Call (800) 475-7283 and for a few dollars they will mail/fax you the most recent copy. Edmunds also has a good information set for both advertised and hidden rebates (which they call marketing support).
Determine Final Dealer Cost
Let’s say that you have decided on a ‘Roadster Supreme’ with a sticker price, including all options and delivery, of $23,000. Your research comes up with the following information:
Dealer cost $20,000
Advertising charge 400
Holdback - 3% of MSRP -600
Hidden incentive -1,000
Actual dealer cost $18,800
Making the Offer to the Dealer
So what do you offer the dealer? My experience is that in general the dealer’s bottom line will be a 3% profit, which in this case would be $600 or a final sales price of $19,400. You could start at $18,800, and work your way up or you could start at $19,400 and just sit there.
Hardball Dealer Negotiating Tactics
Authority Limits: This is the standard ploy where the salesperson says, ‘I’ll have to go ask the sales manager.’ One way to handle this is to simply treat the salesperson as a messenger. Or you might play the broken record game, repeating your initial offer and telling the sales representative to ‘go talk to the manager.’
Keeping You Waiting: It’s a common tactic to keep the buyer waiting, hoping that it will make him or her anxious and nervous. The counter to this is to be totally prepared, bring a book or some work to do, or make some phone calls on your cell phone. This shows that you are totally relaxed and unconcerned and will not be affected by their waiting game. One person I know brings an alarm and tells the salesperson that they have an hour to close this deal or she’s leaving.
The Offer Check: Some dealerships demand that you give them a check to show your ‘good faith.’ This is ludicrous. If they tell you that they won’t negotiate unless you give them a check, get up and head for the door. Their policy will change fast.
Lowball/Bait and Switch: The idea is to quote you an unusually low price over the phone (or in an ad) to get you into the dealership and then, when you get to there, the salesperson says that the sales manager wouldn’t accept the price or the salesperson ‘discovers’ that he left out a thousand dollar option package or that you don’t qualify for all the rebates in the ad. If you know your pricing, you should be able to spot the lowball right away. Deals that are too good to be true are always bait and switch.
Other Issues
Add-ons You Should Not Buy: There are a number of items that some dealerships try to sell that you absolutely do not need. These can include undercoating, which can even damage the car; Scotchguarding, which you can do yourself for a few dollars; paint sealant and preparation charges (The factory pays the dealer for preparation).
Extended Warranties: An extended warranty is insurance. We generally buy insurance for risks that we cannot tolerate. We accept a $500 collision insurance deductible because we can tolerate the risk of a $500 loss. Are auto repairs, once the car comes out of warranty, an expense you feel you cannot tolerate?
Selling Your Used Car: You will almost always get a better price if you sell your used car yourself. The advantage of selling to the dealer is that you don’t have the hassle, and in most states you only pay sales tax on the net amount that you actually pay to the dealership.
Unfortunately, every used car is different and every market is different. Both Edmunds and Kelly have good pricing information. You will discover variations in what they say your car is worth, but they will proved some guidance.
Think through your used car negotiation strategy before you go into the dealership. You might want to get an offer on the used car first, and then go on to the new car because, once they recognizes just how serious you are about getting a rock bottom price for the new car, they may become extremely stubborn on the used car price.
Putting It All Together
The bottom line is relax. Let all their tactics roll off you like water off a duck’s back. It may take an hour or so for them to become convinced that to sell you a car they will have to drop to their bottom line, but eventually they will give in. You will get a great price and drive away with that wonderful new car. Enjoy!
About The Author
Michael Schatzki © 2004. All rights reserved.
Michael Schatzki is a master negotiator who, for over 20 years, has provided sales negotiation training and coaching for thousands of people in the U.S. and globally. More than 75% of Mike’s programs are for satisfied, repeat customers. The Negotiation Dynamics? system really works. Check out all of Mike’s articles at: http://www.NegotiationDynamics.com. Mike can be reached at (888) 766-3530.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
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