2012 Ford Edge – Car Buying Tips From Brad Your Car Guy – Doenges Ford

Ever since its introduction in 2006, the Ford Edge has always been touted as one of Ford’s most fuel-efficient midsize SUVs. The 2012 Ford Edge keeps up with that notion and even has a few fuel efficient additions that make it even more attractive to car buyers who do not wish to be burdened with rising fuel costs. This feature as well as its size as a crossover vehicle with SUV features and sedan handling definitely makes it a must have for car buyers who want the perfect family vehicle.

Inside the 2012 Ford Edge: Your First Car Buying Tip-Ford Design Raised the Bar

The interior of the 2012 Ford Edge is quite roomy despite not being a true full-size SUV. It is basically a five seat crossover and inherits the major interior changes implemented for the 2011 version. However, a closer look reveals that the newest Ford Edge includes useful electronic features, better materials, softer plastics, and a simple yet very fine aesthetic appeal compared to its predecessors. The optional panoramic Vista roof also adds to the appeal of the interior. Overall, the Edge features a modern-looking interior that is both simple yet very stylish.

2012 Ford Edge Electronic Features

• Depending on the chosen edition, the 2012 Ford Edge can sport an optional Sony Sound System with a CD player and an auxiliary jack situated behind a glossy black panel along the center of the dashboard.

• Limited versions include the new MyFord Touch system that provides the driver a convenient way of controlling and setting up options such as climate controls, phone, audio, and navigation. One of the core features of the MyFord Touch aside from its touchscreen display that leaves the dashboard clean and tidy is its voice command ability that allows it to be controlled by the driver without even touching it. With 10,000 distinguishable voice commands, you no longer have to tinker with the touchscreen display or navigate your way through the control buttons conveniently placed on the steering wheel.

• Not only can the MyFord Touch be integrated with call options when connected with a smartphone, it can also access satellite-radio services for guided navigation and can even port Mapquest or Google Maps instructions. With the great advancement introduced with the MyFord Touch, you should realize that there is a learning curve required to fully master its numerous controls and options. However, the convenience it brings makes it well worth it.

Aside from the convenience brought about by the addition of these advanced electronics, you should also notice that the absence of dials or large buttons make the dashboard look less clunky.

2.0 Liter Ecoboost—

The 2012 Ford Edge minus the Sport edition features an innovative fuel efficient system with the all new 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with a 6-speed automatic delivering a whopping 240 horsepower as well as 270 pound-feet of torque.

While the Ecoboost isn’t exactly new to Ford, the newest version of this technology allows the Edge to have an EPA highway rating of 21mpg for city roads and 30 mpg for highways which is quite uncommon for crossover vehicles.                                              

Driving Impressions—                                                                                                                                                                                                                   You will be pleasantly surprised by the quiet ride of the 2012 Ford Edge. The Ford engineers have figured out exactly were to add the installation that cancels out the noise. The tight fit and finish also helps on the noise reduction as well as providing that great ride. Parking is a snap and your visibility is outstanding  because you sit higher in the vehicle for a better view of the road. You will also enjoy tooling around town or on the road because the  Edge handles just like a car. The 2012 is just a fun automobile to own as well as a great buy. Try it….you will like it!!

Popularity: 2% [?]

Buying a Car Power Tip # 2: Leverage Ben Franklin

This is part two of a three part series to help you get your best deal on your next purchase; this a continuation car buying strategy from my last post.

According to Ben Franklin “Data is Expensive; Information is Money”

Everyday, as you know when you go online, the internet offers just a little bit more data. A data dump. There is so much data it is easy to get overwhelmed. Fast. How many times have you gone online looking for one specific item, let’s call it product A, and you end up with product ZZ? A total 360 degrees opposite from where you started!

The end result is that you have invested a lot of time [expensive] and have not found what you were looking for [irritating]. Time is money. What is the value you place or associate with your time?

Your Initial Solution

The solution is to have all of the right information at your fingertips.  This is where my Ben Franklin Appraisal sheet [herein after BFA] can and will save you time, money and irritation. To get your copy click here The Ben Franklin Pain Index BYCG

Perhaps a real life example will help you visualize exactly how the BFA will be instrumental in your next vehicle acquisition. Let me present the Brady story as a visualization. In this story I will use fictional characters and names to tell a story that takes place almost every day in automotive dealerships across the country.

The Mr. and Mrs. Tom Brady Vehicle Purchase Story [Free PDF Download]

Tom and Bridget Brady are newly- weds just a little over a year and half ago. Tom, before he got married was into sports cars big-time. Tom’s last three sports cars were all Ford Mustangs.

His current vehicle is a 2009 Mustang GT. Tom and Bridget went on line and downloaded the BFA from www.bradyourcarguy.com . They read the instructions and filled out the appraisal sheet, so let’s take a look at it. Click here The Ben Franklin Pain Index for Tom Brady.

REAL Pain vs EYE Candy

The end result of using the Ben Franklin Appraisal Sheet is to target or pinpoint your REAL Pain. What is the number one item or feature about your vehicle that needs to be changed or updated? If you wait until you visit the dealership to discover and or solve your #1 issue you may become a victim of EYE-Candy.

EYE-Candy is all of those bright, shinning new and used cars on display once you arrive at a dealership. This is why so many people end up buying a different vehicle than they had picked out on line before they arrive at the dealership. Sometimes they buy the wrong vehicle or fall in love with a car, truck, crossover or SUV that they cannot afford.

Don’t Let this Happen to You

When they fall in love with a vehicle they can’t afford they don’t find out until their salesperson presents or shows the purchase price and or monthly payments. When this happens the customer is in disbelief. Reality hits home. They are embarrassed.

The customer is embarrassed because their emotions got in the way of what they can afford. Next they “nice” themselves out of the dealership and go to another dealership, educated. Educated on what they can or cannot afford or buy.

From experience this customer ends up with a vehicle that still does not meet their needs or wants and buys a vehicle based solely on price. They end up miserable. Don’t let this happen to you! Never buy a vehicle based entirely on price. Buy a vehicle that solves your transportation problem first then work on the price or affordable monthly payments.

The Tom and Bridget Pain Index

Now let’s look at the Tom and Bridget Brady transportation pain index. The one year plus newlyweds are also new parents. Tom loves his Mustang GT but Bridget is getting real tired of fighting to get junior in and out of the back seat. It is a hassle deluxe. They both listed their #1 problem to solve as migrating from a 2 door to a 4 door as well as reduce their car insurance expense.

When we examine the Brady’s BFA we also see that they like the multiple creature comforts that were installed or part of the Mustang GT. Now if they can go from a 2 door to a 4 door and still maintain the creature comforts of the Mustang GT they would be delighted and happy campers.

In my next post I will give you my third and final secret. I will reveal to you how the Brady’s must go about their purchase process to solve their transportation problem; as well as save them time, money, and irritation.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Car For Sale: Another Misinformed Journalist

Why Alfred E. Newman? Because it Reminds me of the Figure Behind this Story (or why Political Journalist are Political  Journalist and Car Guys are Car Guys)

At this time last year  the price of gasoline was well on its way to starting a nation wide panic. No longer would America buy trucks or SUV’s. The press predicted that the price of gas would get so high that people would just park their SUV’s on the side of the road and walk away. The Ford F150 and all of its counterparts were doomed for extinction.

Last year the price hike on a gallon of gas could change three times a day. Do you think that was caused by a shortage in oil or was it caused by speculators and an over hyped media looking for another sensational story? There was no shortage of oil but there certainly was a lot of hype. That hype cost you and I a lot of money and was one of the catalysts that started our current economic meltdown. I don’t recall any journalist coming out and saying “Maybe we over-reacted!”.

Fast Forward.

This appeared on the front page of MSN.com this morning.”Deal or No Dealership Why is Chrysler closing 789 car dealerships? The author claimed to be a Political Reporter for Slate. Another title for this article could have been “How Irresponsible Journalism Takes Money Right Out of Your wallet”. First why is a Political reporter attempting to write an objective, non biased story on the state of the automobile business?

What this country needs right now is a sustained boost in our economy. One way to boost the economy is to fuel confidence and optimism and remove irresponsible, hype journalism such as witnessed below by Christopher Beam. Follow me through this article as I help Beam get his facts straight.

By Christopher Beam Posted Wednesday, May 20, 2009, at 6:20 PM ET

Beams View of the Automobile Business

Chrysler disclosed in a bankruptcy filing last week that it plans to close 789 dealerships—about one-quarter of its total. General Motors,meanwhile, told the owners of 1,100 dealerships that it will drop them from its network.

How does shuttering dealerships help car companies?

It saves them money. Car companies don’t actually own dealerships—instead, they have contractual agreements that dictate factors like location, display space, signage, and service options. Nevertheless, Chrysler and GM and other auto manufacturers must maintain a large, costly field force of trainers (to train technicians to fix cars), salespeople (to persuade dealers to buy more cars), and auditors (to verify claims for reimbursement). The more dealerships, the more go-betweens a car company needs to employ and the more money it has to shell out.

The Car Guys View of how it really works.

The manufactures never have and never will “give or supply” a service to a dealer without charging the dealer for it. There is no FREE LUNCH. All Dealers incur the cost of training any and all of their employees. 95% of the training for salespeople is done in-house. The dealer picks up the tab in full or in part on training. In a lot of cases salespeople invest in their own training with notables like Dale Carnigie, John Maxwell and Brain Tracy. Service technicians do the same in house training. They watch training videos and study the work-study manuals. So some training is completed outside the dealership, the majority is completed in-house.

The amount of money Chrysler pays it support staff before or after reconstruction is minuscule in comparison to the whole.[Multi Billions] Beam’s comparison and example is absurd unless you were presenting this to third graders.

Beams View:

Another benefit: Shutting down dealerships weeds out weaker branches to help stronger dealerships stay viable. It also makes sense from a branding perspective, because when a dealership starts to fail, dealers resort to tactics that make the car company look bad. Think free hot dogs, “push, pull, or drag” sales, and giant inflatable gorillas on the roof. (Luxury car companies like Lexus explicitly forbid dealers from using the words price or sale in their ads.)

The Car Guys View:

In every industry, in every vertical market you have the Neiman -Marcus operators and you have the Dollar General operators. Neiman-Marcus and Dollar General both satisfy a niche in the market. These niches are consumer driven not industry driven. They both satisfy a demand and work well in their respective markets. There is nothing “wrong” or socially unacceptable with a “free hot dog”.

Beams View:

Finally, pre-emptive closings help car companies from getting saddled with tremendous amounts of debt. Let’s say a GM dealer is just getting started: He’ll buy hundreds of cars from GM with money borrowed from GMAC, the financing arm of GM. If the dealership collapses suddenly, GMAC may not get a lot of the money it’s owed. So it makes sense for GM to shutter a dealership before it goes too far into the red.

Car Guys View:

The above is all based on a NEW dealer going into business. Before anyone can buy a dealership they have to prove that they have enough capital to withstand the two or three years it takes to get established. Plus today no one is rushing out to buy a dealership. So Beam your argument is real weak.

Remember when I stated that with the manufactures there is no Free Lunch. Anything a dealer receives from the manufacturer the dealer pays for. There are no gimmes. The manufactures does not negotiate with the dealer. The dealer pays “Full List Price” for every vehicle we buy from the manufacture. There are no discounts. There is no negotiation. Once the dealer buys the car from the manufacturer they have 60 to 90 days to sell it before their cost of the vehicle goes up again due to interest expense. The first 60 to 90 days are not interest “FREE”. Believe when I say that the initial 60 to 90 days of interest is factored into the price of the vehicle way before the manufacturer sells it to me.

Beams View:

When the auto industry first started expanding in the early 20th century, it made sense to have dealerships in every community. Much of the population was rural, and cars broke all the time, making proximity to the original vendor necessary. These days, with a more urban population and better auto engineering, it’s not necessary to have so many dealerships. At the same time, people are willing to drive farther to buy or tune up their cars. As a result, more dealerships don’t correlate with more sales. Toyota sells more cars than Chrysler with fewer than one-third of the number of franchises. (The average Toyota dealer sold 1,589 vehicles in 2008; the average Chrysler dealer sold 124.)Deal or No Dealership Why is Chrysler closing 789 car dealerships?

Car Guys View:

First let me apologize for making you read Beams third grade class presentation on why we do not need more dealers. That was real torture wasn’t it?

First Rural or Urban?

Doenges Ford Linclon Mercury Toyota went urban from rural and started as a Ford dealership 68 years in the American urban metropolis city of Bartlesville Oklahoma. For 10 years prior to that my grandfather owned a ‘rural” Ford dealership in Braman Oklahoma. Most dealerships followed suit in the 1950′s and 60′s. The dealerships that stayed rural were assets to and of their communities. Some of the most profitable dealerships in the country are rural.

Is the Kansas City Metropolitan Area Rural?

According to the Kansas City Star, Chrysler send out pink slips to 11 (eleven) Kansas City Chrysler Dealerships. I would not consider Kansas City rural. So Beam, your assumption that most of these dealerships were rural proves that your research for this article was myopic or non-existent. This type of reporting is irresponsible and is the currency for hype. This kind of hype is the fuel that undermines the confidence of the consumer and our economy.

Toyota and Single Points

Toyota is a single point dealership. Chrysler is a multipoint dealership. In a single point dealership only one brand of cars can be sold. Lexus is also a single point operation. However they do not have the same sales volume numbers that Toyota does. A lot of Chrysler rural dealers have “bundled” franchises. Which means they may have one of the GM or Ford franchies as part of their overall dealership. My point ii this Beams comparison of 124 cars sold per dealer to Toyota’s 1,589 is not a “apples to apples” fair and objective comparison.

Bottom Line: More dealerships sell more cars for that particular manufacture without a substantial increase in manufactures cost. So Chrysler is really taking the real risk. The risk is can we sell enough cars to justify keeping X number of plants open. If I’m selling a product do I want more distributors or fewer distributors? I’m placing my bet with more distributors.

In the majority of cases it was not the dealer who was inefficient it was Chrysler manufacturing. Here is a novel idea. Manufacture quality cars at a fair price. This will help any manufacturer solve 90% of their problems.

BTW…Ford Motor Corporation started to thin out their dealer ranks three years ago. Ford had the leadership and the foresight to avoid some of the land minds currently faced by Chrysler and GM.

Popularity: 35% [?]