Southwest Ford – Testimonials

Well, the North American International Auto Show in Detroit has been everything we’d hoped it would be, with all the new models and technological updates we’d expect from such a spectacle, but we can’t ignore how wonderful the Ford portion of the show was, particularly as it pertains to the 2013 Ford Fusion.

There are plenty of wonderful things to love about this car, many of them having to do with innovative technologies, and our job is to pass on those highlights to our readers. So, in no particular order, here is what we love most about the ’13 Fusion:

• Lane Keeping System – By using warning lights, a vibrating steering wheel, and assisted steering, the Ford Fusion can detect when a car is leaving its lane and alert the driver in myriad ways to keep them where they belong.

• Adaptive Cruise Control – Using sensors in front of the car, the ’13 Fusion is able to maintain a safe following distance no matter how the person behind the wheel is driving. It keeps you from getting too close to a vehicle that, should they slam on the brakes, could cause serious problems in a lot of ways.

• Active Park Assist – Not only can this car parallel park itself, but it can even identify if a parking space is going to squeeze your car in or not.

• Blind Spot Information System – Sensors detect objects in your blind spot and flash visual warnings where you are not, in fact, blind. It also can detect objects in cross-traffic, even stuff you can’t see, so that’s an added bonus.

All great stuff, right? It’s all just the beginning of a new generation of Fords that make driving so much easier, so much safer, and so much more enjoyable. And really, what else is there?

Most people look forward to winter because it’s the season where Christmas and New Year’s and Valentine’s Day go down, but for the unapologetically nerdier class of Americans, winter means another International Consumer Electronics Show. That, ladies and gentlemen, is where all the real fun happens during the cool winter months.

This will mark the fourth appearance for Ford in the CES, and we’re hearing that there are some really cool things in store for that booth in 2012. The show is just a few weeks away, but here’s the latest on what displays patrons can expect to check out at the Ford exhibit:

For starters, we’re going to get a very in-depth look at the latest SYNC AppLink smartphone apps that have been added to the stable, because Ford is very proud about the fact that they’ve more than doubled the number of apps that AppLink can apply voice activation to for safer driving. The tech portion of the exhibit also will show innovations in cloud data storage, which is going to change the way people use computers and smartphones going forward.

We’ll also get sneak peeks at some new Ford models, including the super-sweet Evos, which debuted in Frankfurt back in September but is getting its North American debut at CES, and the 2013 Ford Fusion, the official car of the show.

It’s a reasonable expectation for Ford to have plenty more than just this on display at the convention, but this alone is enough to pique our interest. And if it piques yours enough to make the trip this year to Las Vegas, then by all means make the trip. It’s what winter is all about.

The Ford Explorer boasts that “It’s everything you never knew your SUV could be.” I had to set out and discover what this bold statement was all about- was there much truth behind such a statement, or was it just a good plug for advertisement? I’ve driven lots of different cars throughout my 6 years of driving, but what makes the Ford Explorer different? Does it really stand out from it’s competition like Ford claims it does?

Right when I first sat down in the 2012 Explorer Limited, I was amazed by the new Ford SYNC system. Cody the salesman began explaining where all of the buttons were and how to change all of the settings, and I found myself zoning out in disbelief that I would ever remember how to handle such a system. I was excited to hear of the hand’s free blue tooth phone system, but how beneficial would it be if I lost focus driving to figure out how to answer my phone “the safe way?”  I felt like my brain was going into an information overload- but Cody wanted me to give it a chance and take it aound the block so I could see first hand all about the new Explorer.

I will compliment Ford that the Sync system isn’t as complicated as I had imagined on first impression. After a few minutes, I was able to control the SYNC system just as I had desired and was able to switch the radio to my favorite 96.7 WBAP for the morning talk show with Hal Jay.

Did I mention that the Ford Explorer was capable of more than I had anticipated? Not only does the Ford Explorer have 4 Wheel Drive, yet you can also designate the terrain you are driving on. Whether you are plowing through mud and ruts, sand, snow,  gravel or grass- Ford will give you the confidence you need to tackel whichever road conditions come your way.

Ever heard of BLIS, Ford’s new blind spot detector system? Me neither.. until today.. and let me tell you– I could have avoided 2 of my 3 wrecks if this could have come out 5 years earlier! The new Explorer’s sidemirrors are equipped with technology to scan your blind spots for motion and will light up with a bright yellow light if something is detected. As embarrassing as it may be- I’ll tell you that Cody and I spent a good 5 minutes playing with the blind spot detector trying to test it out and see if we could trick it– but the system worked everytime and beeped when Cody was out of sight but in the way.

Overall- I loved driving the new Ford Explorer. The drive was very smooth, and it makes for an overall comfortable ride for the driver or passengers. The Explorer would make a perfect vehicle for the family that is always on the go. I had a great test drive- and might have to add the Ford Explorer to my list of wanted vehicles when it comes time to car shopping next go-around!

Bye until next time.

<3 Emily

Last Spring, Shelbie Box competed against many other Weatherford athletes to win a 2 year scholorship to Weatherford College. We wanted to catch up with Shelbie and see how college was going– Here’s what she had to say!

 ”This scholarship has been such a huge blessing to me and my family! I took some of my pre-requisite classes in the summer and a few this Fall. My Fall load included Freshman English, Microbiology, and Anatomy & Physiology 2. I did very well 3 B’s and 1 A. I also applied for the first part of my nursing adventure and was accepted into WC’s LVN program which starts in January. I will graduate with the first part of my nursing in December of 2012- Then I will start the LVN to RN bridge program.”

“My plan is to finish my LVN, then my RN. Then I can pursue my Bachelor’s degree while I am working as an RN, most major hospitals pay for you to continue. My long term goals are to eventually become a Certified Nurse Anesthetist or a Nurse Practitioner.”

“I graduated from WHS in 2011 where I was in the HST/HOSA nursing program there for 2 years. I also played varsity tennis and was the captain. I have gone to Weatherford schools since I was in the 2nd grade. I am currently working at McAlister’s (I have been there 1 1/2 years) and also work as an athletic trainer for WC with Coach Nelson. I work with baseball, basketball, and softball.I am also a junior volunteer at Cook Children’s in Ft Worth and plan to return there this summer.”

“ My advice to high school seniors would be to keep your grades up and pursue your dreams! I know that staying close to home to start my college career was the right choice for me – my degree will require a lot of focus and studying, something that would be harder to do if I was also getting use to being out on my own for the very first time! You are only young once and because I have the support of my family and friends I know I will achieve my dreams! Also always remember God has great plans for you.”

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Well put Shelbie! We are so proud to be able to help you through college. Have a great Spring semester– Good luck with your LVN program and we look forward to hearing from you again soon! Take Care and study hard!

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For any Weatherford High School athlete interested in applying for our scholorship, please talk to your coaches.

Some people love going out to buy a new car or truck (for obvious reasons), but there are those of us that look at the whole ordeal as just an overwhelming burden. The internet is supposed to help, and with a never-ending bounty of information out there consumers should be able to find the information they need to make an informed purchasing decision. However sometimes even that can turn into an overwhelming burden, which is why Ford has put together a single website that allows potential pickup truck buyers to compare all the major models head-to-head.

The Ford F-150 is the focus of the site, naturally, because even within that single model there are four different engine choices, each of which is capable of very different things. However, going through the process of simply listing how much you’re planning on hauling and/or towing is very easy, and it leads you to a recommendation of which of those four engines will most fit your needs.

From there, Ford actually has the guts to publish various data and statistics about their F-150s against some of the most popular competitors in the auto industry. The Chevy Silverado, Dodge Ram 1500, and Toyota Tundra are those trucks, and immediately after picking a version of the F-150, you can see how it matches up against comparable vehicles.

The good news is that the F-150 usually ends up smelling the rosiest in this contest, but to Ford’s credit there really are times where other vehicles come out on top. For some Ford engines, the MPG is tops, but it falls short of other trucks in torque. For the more powerful F-150 engines, the fuel efficiency suffers a little, but the power is more impressive. Everything comes down to taste, but it’s nice that such a tool exists for us to make the buying process as easy possible. It doesn’t all have to be a headache in the making. At least it isn’t in this case.

There are about a million different ways to be a lover of Ford vehicles, but there haven’t always been enough opportunities to express that love in as simple and public a manner as the new Ford Social badge system. We know, it sounds a little too official to be fun, but take a look at the website and you’ll find out pretty quickly that these badges are going to open up entirely new doors for folks looking to share their affinity for Fords. And it’s a lot more fun than you think.

So what are these things all about? It’s just something interesting the new and improved Ford Social has put together to help Ford fans celebrate their accomplishments as Ford drivers and/or Ford employees, as well as laud their favorite models, whether they ever actually owned them or not. All you’ve got to do is log into Ford Social, start picking your badges, and then paste them all over your Facebook and Twitter pages for friends and family to see. You can even print them off and hang them up in the office/shop/studio should you feel so inclined. And yes, all of this is completely free. All it takes is your time!

Ford Social is the replacement for the popular theFordStory site, which allowed users to share stories about their cars and post helpful tips on various forums. The new site is an updated and expanded social experience that, hopefully, is a lot more fun and interactive for more users than the older iteration. We sure dig it, and we think you guys will, too. Go give it a gander, and stat collecting badges today!

When someone buys a new car, there are a lot of things they expect to get with that purchase, but one of the most underrated is radio. Of course, radio today is very different than radio ten years ago, but thanks to services like Pandora and Slacker Radio, listeners can get exactly what they want out of music exactly when they want it. Without commercials. Yeah, we’ve come a long way along those lines, and our vehicles are pushing the envelope even harder with SYNC AppLink.

Anybody with a smartphone can simply hook that sucker up to the vehicle via Bluetooth and get access to all sorts of Ford-accessible applications just by using SYNC. Thus far, Pandora—the juggernaut in this new internet radio business—has been the only major music service available with AppLink, but Slacker Radio is our most recent addition. Both have their pros and cons, but Slacker is a particularly interesting service that we think our customers are going to love.

Like Pandora, Slacker can use artists to put together mixes and playlists of similar stuff, but unlike Pandora, Slacker can also put together playlists of only the desired artist, not just sound-alikes. With Slacker, users can also “ban” certain artists, and even opt for talk radio stations. As a music experience, it’s a little more well-rounded, but it’s not like SYNC AppLink users have to choose one or the other; with both apps, you can go back and forth. The point is that Ford drivers have as many options as possible, and the addition of Slacker Radio to the stable brings that dream closer to fruition, with more surely on the way.

We understand that a strong majority of the vehicles we sell aren’t used for drag racing. In fact, we’d be surprised if any of the vehicles we sold were used for drag racing, at least in an official capacity, but that doesn’t mean that Ford doesn’t make vehicles that are capable of doing damage in that arena. The Mustang, for example, is a pretty impressive performance vehicle.

But the standard Mustang can only do so much, and in the NHRA it probably wouldn’t stand much of a chance against the field. Now, a Ford Cobra Jet Mustang is another story. That particular model has won the NHRA national event for three years in a row, and the 2013 model doesn’t look like it has any plans for breaking the streak.

It’s an expensive little bugger, but with a very limited run of only fifty vehicles, that’s to be expected. Those splurging on the drag racing deity have their choice of a 5.0-liter naturally aspirated engine with a Cobra Jet induction system, or a 5.0-liter supercharged version of the engine. Either one is an absolute horse—several hundred horses, if you want to be technical—and that’s why it continues to be such a respected vehicle on drag racing courses all over the world.

Have a look at this beast below, and even though you can’t own one, you can certainly bask in the warmth of its successful glow. Bask away, folks:

DC Week would’ve been pretty cool without Ford’s help, but as has been proven so many times in the past, everything is a little better when splashed with a dash of America’s favorite automaker.

How did Ford help to improve the already-awesome festival of internet technology and communication last month? By hiring the Food Network stars of “Ace of Cakes” to come up with a cake that can read tweets out loud.

It sounds weird, we know, but in the end this was just a creative way to use social media around thousands of people whose job it is to come up with creative ways to use social media. The cake itself, an uncanny cakey reproduction of the 2012 Ford Focus, had a laptop hooked up to speakers in the base of the sculpture, so anybody at the DC Week wrap party could tweet something with the hashtag #FordTweetingCake. The device, using text-to-voice software, would read it out loud.

Folks at the party had a riot with the stunt, which you can view in its entirety here:

We’re always trying to find creative ways to use social media to market our products, but I’m not sure we’ll ever trump this one. As far as creativity in that circle goes, this one takes the cake.

As a Ford dealership, it’s always nice to hear that other people love Ford vehicles as much as we do. We love it even more to hear that Texans love Fords, and as it turns out, they do. They love them so much that you might even call the Ford F150 the official truck of Texas.

Okay, so the Ford F150 actually is the official “Truck of Texas,” at least according to the Texas Auto Writers Association, and we’ll be the first to say that we’re absolutely honored by this. Giddy, even.

Yes, the 2012 F150 was given the most prestigious honor awarded by the TAWA at the 2011 Truck Rodeo, and that’s a big deal because there’s no larger truck market in the country than the one in our home state.

Additionally, the 2012 Ford Edge was named the “CUV of Texas,” and the EcoBoost engine used in it, the F150, and Explorer was named “Best Vehicle Feature.” To top it all off, for the twelfth year in a row the automaker was named the “Truck Line of Texas,” which basically gives us a sweep in the state where we sell the absolute best trucks that money can buy.

We’re sure this sounds like the tooting of our own horn, but really we’re just excited to share the news of these awards with our most loyal customers and readers. This is something to be pumped about, folks, but not as pumped as you’d be if you actually owned one of these vehicles. And if you don’t, well, we can certainly help you with that.