Jay Leno's garage

Some pretty cool video of the 2011 Mustang GT with Jay Leno



Want one in your garage?  Come see us at Leonardtown Ford!

Update on the F150 SVT Raptor

Well, you asked and Ford has delivered and will keep on delivering.  You can now get a F150 SVT Raptor with the new 6.2L V8 engine...talk about horsepower!  And in 2011 you will be able to get a crewcab!

My only wish is that someone from Leonardtown Ford could have been with these guys in Michigan when they were mudding.  Now that would have been fun.

Check it out...http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2010/05/second-drive-2010-ford-f150-svt-raptor-62.html

2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty Motor Trend review

We didn't want you to think that we had forgotten about the much anticipated 2011 Super Duty.  We have several in stock -  both the 6.2L gas engine as well as the 6.7L turbo diesel.  Come to Leonardtown Ford and take a test drive and judge for yourself!

Ford Fusion Hybrid pays off quickest

2010 Ford Fusion – Click above for to enlarge

For about the first 110 years of the automobile, the gold standard of eco-thriftiness was a car's miles-per-gallon rating. With the rise of hybrids, plug-ins, biofuels and the like, cost-per-mile might be the better measurement of road-going value. The idea is simple: if a car is powered by a Mr. Fusion or Dilithium crystals or the laughter of children and only costs $.01 per mile to operate but it carries a sticker price of $500,000, its efficiency is never going to balance out its initial cost.

Well, the San Francisco Chronicle has compiled a list of seven popular hybrids along with estimates of how long it would take for each car to pay for its higher cost compared to non-hybrid models in gasoline savings. The winner by a long shot is the Ford Fusion Hybrid at a mere 5.6 years. Which car fared worst? The Nissan Altima Hybrid at a whopping 21 years. We have to wonder, 21 years from now, will they still be making batteries for a 2010 Altima Hybrid?

In short, if you're going by gas savings alone, hybrids don't really pay in the short term. Then again, if gasoline taxes shoot up or peak oil really is right around the corner, the cost per mile of these vehicles could very quickly tip in their favor. Read the full article here.

SOURCE [AutoBlog

FORD CUSTOMERS BENEFIT FROM HIGHER RESALE VALUES, FEWER WARRANTY REPAIRS

The good news from Ford just keeps coming and your local Ford dealer, Leonardtown Ford, couldn't be happier.

The resale value of newer Ford Motor Company vehicles rose 23 percent in the past year alone, the result of stronger demand for Ford's new vehicle lineup and improved quality and durability ratings.

At the same time, warranty repair rates on Ford vehicles have declined by an average of more than 40 percent globally in the past three years.

Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles with one to five years on the road are fetching significantly higher resale values at auction in the first quarter of this year compared to the first quarter a year ago. Overall, the resale value of Ford's three brands at auction rose 23 percent from a year ago to outpace the industry, which saw resale values increase by 19 percent, according to the latest National Automobile Dealers Association auction data.

Rising resale values means more money in customers' pockets when it is time to sell or trade in for a new vehicle. Combine these savings with lower repair and maintenance costs and better fuel economy, and the cost to own a Ford product drops dramatically over the life of the vehicle.

Ford performance in third-party consumer quality rankings has been steadily improving for the past several years. Years of a consistent and disciplined focus on quality is paying off, including a marked decline in warranty repair rates.

Ford has reduced its warranty repair rates on vehicles in their first three months of service by an average of more than 40 percent in every major business region around the world in the past three years.

Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles' initial quality in the U.S. has improved for five straight years. Ford vehicles now have the fewest number of defects of any full-line manufacturer, according to the GQRS study conducted by RDA Group.

For Ford customers, this means fewer trips to the dealership for repairs. This also means savings for Ford as the company has reduced its warranty repair costs by $1 billion in the past three years.

Source:  Ford Motor Company

Speeding Tickets: 65 issued per minute and other fun facts

It’s every driver’s nightmare: flashing blue and red lights in your rear-view mirror. Speeding tickets can strike a blow to anyone’s day. While you pull away from the office with the ticket in your hand, you wonder “Is going ten or fifteen miles an hour over the speed limit that big a deal?” Or “How much is my insurance going to go up now?” Here is some information that answer such questions that will surely cross your mind.


[Via: Auto Insurance]

Help save some energy and be like Ford.

When a corporation as large as Ford decides to do something as simple as shutting down its computers at night, the savings can be astronomical. In the case of Ford, powering down computers can save the company $1.2 million each year.

The new program, called PC Power Management, utilizes energy saving settings provided by Microsoft Windows. The energy settings will be used on company laptops and desktops to reduce energy waste. A managed shutdown will occur each night and during the weekend period. Additionally, computers will be awake to receive updates during pre-selected non-business hours, freeing up time previously used for updates throughout the working day.

According to Ford, an estimated 60 percent of the company's computer remained on after business hours resulting in wasted energy. The new managed shutdown will eliminate waste to the tune of over a million dollars in savings for the company and reduce its carbon footprint by an estimated 16,000-25,000 metric tons per year.

We at your favorite Maryland Ford Dealer, Leonardtown Ford think that any effort expended to save some
dinosaurs is a good thing. Way to go Ford!

Source [Autoblog]