2009 Ford F-150 Still #1 Truck

With the full size truck market shrinking in sales the competition is going the other direction. The 2009 F-150 still the best selling truck is looking to keep that title for awhile. It has also taken the title of Motor Trends truck of the year award. The next-gen truck has 7 new styles to choose from. The XL, STX, FX4, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch and new premium Platinum trims all have their own look to varying degrees. The new platinum package comes with 20” wheels with bright chrome grille insert to name just a few of the options.

Ford did more than give the F-150 a face lift here. The entire platform is new and boasts a fully boxed frame made of hydroformed high-strength steel. It's lighter and stronger than the current platform. Maximum towing will increase over last years numbers.11,300 lbs when properly equipped.

The engine lineup comprised entirely of V8s, as the V6 option's been dropped in favor of a 4.6L 2-valve V8 that offers more power and the same fuel economy. The mid-grade engine is a 4.6L 3-valve V8, while the 5.4L Triton V8 has been reworked to provide more power and run on E85. What's more, in the near future, Ford will offer both a diesel engine and a new EcoBoost turbocharged direct-inject V6 in the F-150. Until that time, its new all-V8 engine lineup features a fleet average 1 mpg boost in fuel economy.

The F-150's interior has also been revamped, though it was already class-leading to begin with. New additions, however, include the availability of SYNC, Sirius Travel Link and a Sony brand stereo. Perhaps the biggest news inside the F-150 is how big it's become. Ford has added a full six inches to the length of the four-door model, all of which goes to increase rear-seat legroom to limo-like lengths. The rear floor is also completely flat, which Ford boasts is perfect for carrying a large flat screen TV home from Best Buy.

For more information on the new F-150 or other vehicles go to ultimate auto advisor.

A View From Inside The Auto Dealership

Mike Gaiser saw the first signs that business at his California car dealership was slipping as early as December 2006, this was before the country entered a recession and the nation’s housing industry collapse were apparent.

The California state budget still has not been passed, which has made selling vehicles to the state come to a grinding halt. Gaiser is a Fleet Manager at a Southern California Ford Dealership where most of his sales come from Government and small businesses.

“I Get up every morning keeping a positive attitude, thinking it will get better someone has to fix that light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s been like this for two years,”

As automobile manufacturers in Detroit struggle to salvage their businesses and lawmakers in Washington, D.C., work to bail out the industry, car dealers all over the U.S. are living the reality of the auto industry’s overwhelming change in business.

Inside the dealership the hours seem longer, the manager responsibilities larger, the pressure and high stress are still there but the profits are smaller. Most dealerships have had to cut back on personnel, inventory, and utilities. Many people who have spent their entire career in the auto business are contemplating a career change, and some of those people are over 45.

“I have seen a lot of dealerships close down after being in business for a many years, but I look at it like this: when we get out of this recession the strong dealerships will still be around, there will just be fewer standing which will eventually make our business better.” Gaiser said.

Better times don't appear to be around the corner. At its annual convention this week in New Orleans, the National Automobile Dealers Association forecast a tough 2009 but said conditions should improve for car dealers in 2010. We will have to see.

Just because car dealerships are having a hard time doesn’t mean you have to in buying a car! Go to Ultimate Auto Advisor to get tips and facts.

Ford does not need government loans

This in the news today: Ford Motor Co has enough liquidity to fund its restructuring plan and despite the deep downturn in auto sales still sees no need to ask for government loans, Chief Executive Alan Mulally said on Saturday.
"We don't want to borrow any more money. We have sufficient liquidity to fund our transformation plan, which means our business is in a relatively good shape," Mulally told reporters on the sidelines of the National Automobile Dealers Association convention.

Meanwhile Ford's U.S. rivals, General Motors Corp and Chrysler LLC, won approval in December for $17.4 billion of government loans to avert collapse. Ford has asked for access to a $9 billion credit line from the U.S. government but has not sought loans. Washington has not yet responded to Ford's request.

Ford’s CEO said Ford was in a better situation than its rivals because it borrowed more than $23 billion in 2006, using most of the company's assets as security, including its well-known blue oval logo.

Ford expects an economic stimulus package being pushed by new President Barack Obama to drive a recovery in auto sales starting in the second half and maintains its forecast of U.S. auto sales at 12 million to 12.5 million units, he added.
The forecast represents the high end of prevailing expectations. Analysts have forecast U.S. sales in a range between 10.1 million and 12.5 million units for 2009.

That being said don’t you think American should be buying American vehicles? Let me know what you think. Need Advice on buying or selling a car? Go to ultimate Auto Advisor

Getting The Best Price For Your Car

In 1957, a ford Fairlane cost about $1900.00 and that was with all the “trimmings” as ole Uncle Ernie explains in the video. Today, who knew we would be paying over $20,000 for a mid size car today. (Which is what the average house cost in 1957) This is no small investment, and you want to do everything possible to ensure you get the best deal. Never make a fast decision. If you are completely without
A car, rent a vehicle until you find the right car, or consider the bus system. If your local bus system is like mine, this could be a scary thought, but may help reduce the pressure to buy too quickly. When you rush a purchase, you usually end up with something that you absolutely hate and will be stuck with. Using the Internet, you can discover the typical retail cost of a specific make and model, and with a little digging, you can find out the wholesale cost as well. Take the information you have found and. drive down to your local dealership and ask for the Fleet Manager. It is not realistic to expect to get your new car at or below dealer cost. It would be nice, but they need to make some profit, and you need to feel you paid a fair price, so some compromise is needed. It is fair to negotiate to a price that's $300-$500 above dealer cost or about 20% off the sticker price before rebates.

If the only cars on the lot have expensive options you don't care for, you might want to order a car to your specifications. You might wait a bit, but will save money on options you don't need. If you can’t deal with your local dealer the car or truck you want can be drop-shipped to your local dealership at no cost to you. For more information on that contact me HEREyou may have heard the advice to shop the last day of the month for better deals. It's true that you might get a better deal from a salesman then, but it’s not carved in stone. As far as trade-ins go, do your internet research here, too as knowing the value of your old car makes it easier to negotiate a better price for it. Try not to talk about a trade-in possibility until you get a purchase price. Be mindful of your market area, this may be hard to believe but sometime the internet is wrong on car values. Sometimes a rental company will dump a whole lot of vehicles into your market area. If that happens to be the same make you are looking to trade in you can expect to get less for it because of that supply and demand thing in your area.

You may want to advertise your older car and sell it privately. Typically you can get a better price this way, but it may take a little time. And you may have to deal with a lot of tire kickers.An extended warranty will likely be brought into the negotiation. There is consumer information out there that discourages buying an extra contract on a new car, as it's not likely a problem will occur during the first months of use. You may want to look at how many miles you drive in a year and see if it makes sense to you to purchase an extended warranty.Whatever you do, always read the fine print of any contract before signing it. Ask a lot questions about what certain phrases mean if you don’t understand something. I have been in the car business a long time. 99% of my career has been in fleet sales. If you have any questions about purchasing a new vehicle, feel free to contact me. Or go to http://www.Ultimate AutoAdvisor.com