Luxury Pickups Stray Off the Ranch

 

At Parker Ford we love our luxury trucks! Here is a great article from the Wall Street Journal about the rising popularity of the luxury truck:

Gary Byrd of Kaufman, Texas, uses his Dodge Ram Laramie Longhorn-edition pickup to haul a loaded trailer for work. 'I spend a lot of time in my truck. I use it as my office.'

Ford Motor Co.'s F -0.95% latest model has plush leather seats, a state-of-the-art infotainment system, gobs of chrome, a heated wooden steering wheel—and enough power to haul a trailer of rodeo bulls.
This is America's exceptional kind of premium vehicle, the luxury heavy-duty pickup truck.
Despite the recent rise in fuel prices, the Detroit Three auto makers—Ford, General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC—say demand for these performance vehicles is strong, and they are expanding their trucks' appeal beyond traditional strongholds in the Southwest.

Luxury heavy-duty pickup trucks are straying off the ranch and finding homes in big cities, Joe White reports on Lunch Break.

Besides Platinum editions of Ford's F-250 and F-350 coming out later this year, GMC has the Sierra HD Denali; Chrysler has the Laramie Longhorn and is launching Laramie Limited versions of Ram 2500 and 3500 trucks. They typically sell for $50,000, $60,000 and up—the same price band as the BMW 5-series, the E Class or the Audi A6.
These trucks have certain attributes in common. Most of them roll off the dealer lot with big V-8 diesel engines for towing power and long-haul efficiency. They can tow trailers that weigh eight tons or more and can cost twice as much as the truck. They consume a lot of fuel, but their owners are affluent and willing to pay the cost to have the unique combination of style and function these vehicles provide.

Ford's Platinums will feature a trucker version of Ford's "My Ford Touch" infotainment system, which will have a touch screen that can be operated by a gloved hand and burly round knobs to make it easier to dial up the heat without fussing with the touch screen at all. Navigation, heated and cooled seats, high-grade leather—all standard.

The 2012 Sierra 2500 HD Denali, which starts at $45,000. GMC aims the Denali at entrepreneurs and people who live in and around big cities.

The Ford King Ranch and Dodge Laramie Longhorn models play proudly to Southwestern cultural cues such as saddle leather seats and ornamental stitching in the style of premium western boots. The cowboy aesthetic reflects the strong demand luxury pickups have in the West.
In a global auto industry dominated by small cars and compact crossover wagons, these are a quintessential American product—right down to the healthy helpings of chrome. Luxury pickup buyers "love chrome," says Ford truck marketing manager Doug Scott.
Environmentalists may express shock at the idea of a truck that weighs more than five tons being used for personal transportation. Luxury heavy-duty pickup buyers say the trucks fit their lives and are worth the price.
Gary Byrd, owner of ProLine Panel Systems in Kaufman, Texas, says he drives a Ram Longhorn Laramie 3500 model—a black and gold "dually," meaning it has four wheels in the back, built to handle heavy trailers.
"I spend a lot of time in my truck," he says. "I use it as my office."
Mr. Byrd often hauls a 30-foot trailer loaded with two-ton crates of the decorative panels his business sells and installs on commercial buildings. He's also got a horse trailer. And while he owns a Cadillac Escalade, Mr. Byrd says his Ram 3500 is comfortable enough that he and his family often prefer it to the big SUV.
Exact figures for sales of luxury heavy-duty pickups aren't readily available. But IHS Automotive analyst Bruce Harrison puts total sales of heavy-duty pickups at about 467,000 a year. "Anywhere from 10% to 20% of their sales are in this premium end of the business," he says.

The Platinum edition of Ford's F-250 targets affluent buyers who want style and function.

Ford executives weren't sure two or three years ago that a Platinum model would sell if offered on the Super Duty trucks. Then they watched sales of Platinum F-150 models soar to 6% to 7% of total sales, roughly double their initial projections.
"We haven't found a ceiling to this luxury truck market," says Ford's Mr. Scott.
Kenn Bakowski, head of full size truck marketing for GM's GMC truck brand, says one out of four heavy-duty GMC trucks sold are the luxury Denali models, which start at just over $45,000. GMC positions the Denali as a more subdued alternative to rival Southwestern-themed trucks like the King Ranch, aiming at entrepreneurs and people who live in and around big cities.
"You can go too far," Mr. Bakowski says. "They are not the go-too-far group."
Back in 2007, Hayden Elder, owner of Elder Dodge in Athens, Texas, led a charge among Ram dealers to persuade the company to offer a more luxurious heavy-duty pickup. Teams of engineers and marketers came from Detroit, and Mr. Elder showed them the fancy pickups—including Ford King Ranch models—that were popular among rodeo fans and rodeo teams.
Rodeo people use a big pickup "like a doctor would use a Mercedes to go to work," Mr. Elder says.
Fred Diaz, head of the Ram brand, says he is bullish on the prospects for the forthcoming Laramie Limited, which like the Denali is aiming for luxury truck customers with a more northern sense of style. In 2010, Mr. Diaz says, 9% of light-duty trucks sold cost more than $40,000. In 2011, 13% of light trucks sold cost over $40,000.
"We delivered [a luxury pickup] this morning at 10 a.m.," said Mr. Elder, the Dodge dealer in Texas. "They're buying a molten red and gold, two-tone Longhorn Laramie and they put $25,000 cash down."

About Parker Ford Lincoln, Inc. Parker Ford Lincoln Inc., is a multi-President Award-winning dealership in Murray, Kentucky offering new Ford and Lincoln Cars, Trucks, SUVs and Crossovers. Visit us online at http://www.parkerford.com.

2013 Ford Mustang

Parker Ford cannot wait to start selling this beauty of a vehicle! The 2013 Ford Mustang! Here is a short review on the car written by Kelsey Mays from Cars.com:

PORTLAND, Ore. — Last Thursday morning, Al Roker crooned about summer like temperatures across the country: 82 degrees in Washington, D.C., 72 in Chicago, 67 in Minneapolis. NBC's telecast then segued to the local forecast: Forties and rain on Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Not the choicest weather to drive a Ford Mustang, but we gave it a go anyhow. Ford revamped its iconic pony car for 2013, adding a few horses to the 5.0-liter V-8 GT and tweaking the whole lineup's appearance. V-6 and V-8 coupes and convertibles are on sale now, as is the V-8 Mustang Boss 302 coupe. The 650-horsepower Shelby GT500, meanwhile, arrives this summer.
Stick-shift GT coupes add an optional Track Pack, which combines a 3.73:1 rear axle (versus slower, 2.73 to 3.55 axles for other stick-shift cars) with an engine oil cooler, upgraded radio and performance Brembo brakes. They also get a Torsen rear differential from the stupid-fun Boss. Upgraded Shaker audio systems, a 4.2-inch gauge LCD with various performance monitors, adjustable steering assist and available Recaro sport seats round out the 2013 updates. I took to the hills west of Portland in a stick-shift Mustang V-6 coupe with the 2.73 rear axle, then drove neighborhood streets as engineering manager Tom Barnes sat shotgun in a stick-shift, 3.73 GT coupe.

The Mustang is as raucous as ever, with a gutsy V-6 and a V-8 that pulls like hell. I'm not sold on all the visual updates, and the interior needs work. But the Mustang still combines scrappy fun with everyday livability, and it should draw buyers even as competition heats up not just from Chevy's Camaro but entries from Hyundai to Dodge.

Ford's 3.7-liter V-6 roars like a V-8, and even with the pokiest (but most fuel-efficient) rear axle, the stick-shift Mustang launches strong enough to spin the rear tires all the way through first year. The 305-hp drive train loses steam as the tach needle swings to redline — territory where the 420-hp Mustang GT shoves you back in your seat. Barnes says friction reduction helped Ford eke out another 8 hp from the 5.0-liter V-8, which should match or beat the quarter-mile times of the last Mustang GT our friends at "MotorWeek" tested — 13 seconds flat, a few tenths faster than a 426-hp Chevrolet Camaro SS.

Both Mustangs exhibit satisfying steering feedback with power steering dialed to the car's Sport mode. At the other end, a Comfort mode makes the Mustang easy enough to make three-point turns with one palm. The chassis handled tricky roads outside Portland well enough, staying grounded over broken pavement better than any car with a solid rear axle ought to. Sharp turns on wet pavement had the V-6 coupe's all-season tires yielding to mild understeer, but working the tail out only required easing back on the gas coming through the corner.

Our V-8 tester's optional Brembo brakes (14-inch front discs, versus 13.2 inchers in lesser GTs) hammered the car to a stop, albeit with excessive forward suspension dive — an unexpected sensation, given neither the V-6 nor stiffer GT suspensions allowed much body roll. Ride quality keeps with Mustangs past: firm but livable.

The optional six-speed automatic gets a redesigned shifter with a manual-shift mode — long overdue for the Mustang, given the rival Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger automatics include it. Ford says it won't override you with upshifts, but shifting gears happens with buttons on the shifter's side. We have little use for manual-shift automatics, but the others execute this better. The Camaro has paddle shifters, and the Challenger allows manual shifts by slapping the gearshift one way or another. Ford's button-equals-shift motion is anything but fun. Barnes concedes so: "I'm not saying it's the best, but functionally it gives you what you need."

Most visual updates should appeal. The grille pulls farther forward, and body-colored rocker panels (previously black) add some maturity. The Mustang used to have two headlamp arrangements — iconic outboard halogen lamps or lizard-eye xenons that sat inboard. The inboard xenons are now standard. They still look reptilian, but horizontal LED daytime running lamps flank them for an interesting effect, and the reshaped grille – including a new front air splitter — increases downforce on the Mustang GT, which Barnes calls "the best V-8 we've had by far" in terms of aerodynamics.

A few things need work. New, rectangular LEDs ensconce the taillights, casting a cool glow when they're on. When off, it's anything but: The lowered center portions look like festering sores. Cabin inconsistencies still mar the inside, where Ford dresses the dashboard with premium materials but gives the doors the short shrift. And a telescoping steering wheel, widely offered in the competition, is still MIA.

Parker Ford is proud of the new 2013 Ford Mustang! Can't wait to test drive one!
About Parker Ford Lincoln, Inc. Parker Ford Lincoln Inc., is a multi-President Award-winning dealership in Murray, Kentucky offering new Ford and Lincoln Cars, Trucks, SUVs and Crossovers. Visit us online at http://www.parkerford.com.

New Technology in Fords!

Parker Ford is proud of Ford's use of new technologies in the 2013 F-Series Super Duty Trucks! This article is from dailytech.com:

On Friday Ford Motor Comp. (F) unveiled the 2013 F-Series Super Duty. "High technology" and "heavy truck" don't always mix like sugar and water -- at least when it comes to topics like fuel efficiency and in-car electronics -- but for an automaker who considers itself as a burgeoning "technology company" we were intrigued at what it would bring to the table.

I. Advanced Electronics

Ford announced that for the first time its top Super Duty models -- "Lariat", "King Ranch", and "Platinum" -- would be getting MyFord Touch. Ford has incorporated redundant knob-based climate controls (as seen in the 2012/2013 Ford Explorer) and also a new set of tactile button controls to accommodate users wearing work gloves who would be unable to fiddle with a touch screen.

The idea that someone would be driving a luxury truck and wearing work gloves may be laughable to some, but note that MFT (and the buttons) should be available in base model Super Duty trucks (e.g. the XL and XLT) as well -- although it will be an option, not standard.

Our sources at Ford claim that MFT has seen surprisingly high pickup as an option on the “lesser” F-150. Thus as a standard feature, it may actually be a purchase motivator.

[Image Source: Jason Mick/DailyTech]

Available with an F-250, F-350, or F-450 cab, the Super Duty also boasts an advanced "Productivity" digital system that Ford introduced in 2011 and has been refining ever since. The system automatically detects whether you've properly attached your trailer and gives you advice on how to attach it, if necessary. The Productivity helper also keeps profiles on all your trailers to track their mileage and fuel economy (both average and real time).

_{A red and black 2013 Ford Super Duty [Image Source: Jason Mick/DailyTech]}

II. New Engines

The heavy trucks also feature a brand new pair of engines -- a 6.2-liter V8 gas-burning engine and a 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel engine. Ford has employed some novel engineering techniques in the new engines -- for example, traditionally in large V8 engines exhaust is on the outside of the "valley", where as intake is on the inner track. Ford reversed this, putting the exhaust inside the valley, an approach that shorts the distance to the turbo and offers better heat isolation. The cumulative result is better responsiveness, vital when towing heavy, potentially dangerous loads.

The new engines offer a fuel economy improvement of roughly 20 percent. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency does not track fuel economy in heavy work vehicles, so there's no official numbers, but Ford says fuel economy can reach the low 20s when the driver is load-free. Performance when hauling loads will likely dip to 8 to 10 miles per gallon.

Ford's new 6.7L diesel Power Stroke and 6.2L gas engines are 20 percent more fuel efficient.
[Image Source: Jason Mick/DailyTech]

Both engines have alternative fuel options -- the 6.7L diesel can handle biodiesel blends up to B20, while the 6.2L gas-burner is capable of running on ethanol blends up to E85. For natural gas fans, a retrofitted 6.2L compressed natural gas (CNG) version is also available.

III. The Road Ahead

Driving a heavy truck isn't for everybody, but Ford appears to be leveraging its impressive portfolio of technology even in this very purpose driven market niche. Bria Rathsburg, F-Series Super Duty Marketing Manager brags, "[The new Super Duty] has a distinct appearance and a long list of features to deliver a superior experience. Along with that it has all of the capability F-Series trucks are famous for."

_{Unlike its competitors, Ford actually has to pay its bills when it comes to taxes.  Still the Ford Super Duty doesn't look any worse for wear.
[Image Source: Jason Mick/DailyTech]}

That's good news for Ford in a market where it's seeing increased competition from General Motors Comp. (GM) and Chrysler. It's not exactly a level playing field -- its rivals, freed of having to pay taxes can deeply invest in research and development, while Ford is forced to surrender a major part of its earnings to Uncle Sam. That said, Ford appears more than ready to rise to the occasion.

About Parker Ford Lincoln, Inc. Parker Ford Lincoln Inc., is a multi-President Award-winning dealership in Murray, Kentucky offering new Ford and Lincoln Cars, Trucks, SUVs and Crossovers. Visit us online at http://www.parkerford.com.   

Ford Taking it Slow with Self Driving Cars

Parker Ford loves to keep you updated with the latest Ford Motor Company news! This article comes from pcmag.com:

What's the most important component in a self-driving car? The driver, a top executive at Ford said recently.

Jim Buczkowski, the director of electrical and electronics systems at Ford Research and Innovation, and a Henry Ford Technical Fellow at the automaker, said that the company is "looking at the impact" of future autonomous vehicles.

But, he said, of equal importance is establishing a rapport between the car and the vehicle – both in a case where emergency conditions force the vehicle back into the hands of the driver, but also establishing driver confidence that the car can act independently and safely.

When Google announced a self-driving car in 2010, the concept shocked many because of the total autonomy that Google had built in to the vehicle. But, if viewed on a sliding scale, many cars already have some degree of autonomy: Ford's Collision Warning with brake assist already takes control to mitigate a direct impact. Radar-driven cruise control can match speeds with a vehicle ahead, and parking-assist technology in the 2009 Prius and Lexus models parallel park those cars with minimal driver assistance.

It's not that far-fetched to believe that radar-guided collision warnings, lane departure warnings, lane keeping technologies married with a power-steering system could result in something akin to an autonomous vehicle, Buczkowski said. At the Consumer Electronics Show, Audi proposed an autonomous driving mode under stop-and-go conditions. (For more, check out PCMag's interview with Ford CTO Paul Mascarenas at CES.)

"We definitely are looking at the impact that autonomous vehicles will have in the future," Buczkowski said in a recent interview with PCMag. "It's going to come in stages, and it's very logical to see how conditions like freeway driving will be the first place to see that kind of stuff. So the interesting thing about the effort toward autonomous driving is the knowledge that we're building and creating the processing of information, the fusing of sensor information and so on."

Moving toward the concept of an autonomous vehicle is "a journey, and along the way there's a lot of spinoffs on how we can use the technology to augment and improve some of the systems we have today," Buczkowski added.

To date, Nevada is the only U.S. state to set rules for self-driving cars. One of the state's provisions is that a driver must be in the driver's seat, and can't be impaired to the point that he or she cannot drive. That's consistent with Ford's position, Buczkowski said.

"I think Ford's been very vocal on a strong position that a driver is very important, and that we want to – although we work and support the opoportunity for autonomous – keep the driver connected in some way, and not remove the driver completely from the process," Buczkowski said. "Not letting him take control is not our objective. When the car is running and might be in an autonomous mode and so on, we still want to make sure that the driver can take control whenever he would like to take control, or take control whenever he needs to take control. If the autonomous system says I can't handle this, I want to give it back to you – the driver's got to be in the loop, immediately. And immediately in time to make good decisions."

But an autonomous car must make good decisions, too. A car's systems must be biased, so that they never fail to warn the driver of a problem or fail to take action. "You'd rather have a false alert than a missed alert," Buczkowski said.

The problem, Buczkowski added, is that a car that reacts to an emergency might be occasionally, well, wrong. "The problem with a false alert is that it really hurts confidence in the autonomous system. If I slam on the brakes once every hundred thousand miles you drive – just that once and you will lose total confidence in the system, even though statistically you can say that it's not going to happen very often. But boom, it shakes your confidence."

Ford is doing a "lot of work and testing to establish that confidence," Buczkowski said.

What do you think about self-driving cars? Is it something we should look forward to or approach cautiously?
About Parker Ford Lincoln, Inc. Parker Ford Lincoln Inc., is a multi-President Award-winning dealership in Murray, Kentucky offering new Ford and Lincoln Cars, Trucks, SUVs and Crossovers. Visit us online at http://www.parkerford.com.