Zeck Ford

CONCORD, N.C. -- The Nationwide Series garage at Charlotte Motor Speedway was dark except for blinding spotlights shining on the front of the room. Rock music blared over the loudspeakers. Anticipation was in the air.You half expected Steven Tyler or Mick Jagger to come barreling through the black curtain.It was better, at least if you're a NASCAR fan.It was the 2013 Ford Fusion.

Ford took a bit of a gamble when they stuck their EcoBoost V6 into the powerful Ford F-150. Experts predicted that buyers would still favor the 5.0-liter V8, but as sales of the F-150 topped 100,000 this year, nearly half of all models featured the EcoBoost engine. The number sounds more impressive still when you take into account that the more fuel-efficient engine option came with an additional $895 price tag.

This wasn't the only...

It's the end of an era here at Danny Zeck Ford as we watch the last of the Ford Ranger pickups roll into our showroom. While you can still get your hands on one while they last, you better hurry, because production on this American classic ended mid-December 2011.

The small truck first debuted in the early 80s to compete with smaller trucks from Japanese automakers. Sales peaked in the late 90s, and have...

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Hybrid, Sedan, Ford, Electric

Your eyes do not deceive you - the sleek, pretty, low-slung sedan you see above is indeed the 2013 Ford Fusion. But don't think that the 2013 Fusion is all beauty and no brains. Ford is preparing the new Fusion, as well as its Hybrid and Energi fuel-mizing siblings, to be the most fuel-efficient, best-driving, tech-packed range of sedans in the mid-size segment.

Thanks to vehicles like the Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima, we've seen that mid-size sedans don't necessarily have to be conservatively styled three-box appliances, and this new Fusion is certainly a looker. Combining elements of the Ford Evos concept, not to mention a front fascia that's decidedly Aston Martin-esque in approach, the Fusion has a wide, flat stance with strong character lines down the side that wrap around to a sleek rear end. Clearly the design builds upon the Kinetic language of the European Mondeo rather than the Fusion we've lived with in North America since 2010.

The standard Fusion - available in S, SE and Titanium trims - will be available with three engines. The base mill is a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated inline-four with 170 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque, mated solely to a six-speed automatic transmission. We're sure it's a fine powerplant, but our interest is more settled on the next two: a 1.6-liter EcoBoost four with 179 hp and 172 lb-ft, and the range-topping 2.0-liter EcoBoost four with 237 hp and 250 lb-ft. Both engines can be had with the same six-speed automatic, though the smaller 1.6-liter engine can be mated to a six-speed manual box. Front-wheel drive is standard across the board, but top-of-the-line Fusions with the 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine can be had with all-wheel drive.

Ford is ditching a V6 for an all-four-cylinder lineup.

Like many other automakers, Ford is ditching a V6 for an all-four-cylinder lineup. That's par for the course these days, and with the Fusion weighing in at just over 3,300 pounds (loaded, AWD Fusions will likely weigh as much as 3,600 pounds), fuel economy is expected to be best-in-class. Ford hasn't released complete - or official - economy numbers, but Fusions equipped with the 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine (complete with start/stop technology) are expected to achieve 26/37 miles per gallon city/highway, while front-wheel-drive, 2.0-liter-equipped cars should net around 23/33 mpg.

But if fuel economy is your thing, Ford has two even more efficient examples of the 2013 Fusion. Their names? Hybrid and Energi.

Continue reading 2013 Ford Fusion debuts along with 47-MPG Fusion Hybrid, 100-MPGe Fusion Energi

2013 Ford Fusion debuts along with 47-MPG Fusion Hybrid, 100-MPGe Fusion Energi originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I drive 45 minutes to get my oil changed here. Always fast, friendly and a 5-Star experience.

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Jason was up front and honest with me at every turn. We were about to have our third child and needed a car that could hold three carseats and still have room for storage. I went to Zeck planning on test driving an Expedition. Jason pointed out that I could get more for my money with a Flex and still have the room I needed. He found me exactly what I needed and for about $5,000 less than the Expedition I had originally thought I would buy. I shopped around at other dealers for a month trying to find a better deal on a Flex and could not find it. Zeck Ford was the best deal, and Jason was my favorite salesperson. The only negative for me was that Zeck's financing deals were not as good as other places I had checked.

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