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July 10, 2011

Have You Driven a Ford Lately?



I love that Ford brought back their old ad slogan, "Have you driven a Ford lately?" I really couldn't say it better myself. As a car enthusiast who grew up only driving and buying foreign cars I have been a very hard sell on the American made auto, especially Ford. The Ford's of the last few decades were lack luster to me. However, I am not one to stick with a brand just because I always have. If someone makes improvements I am willing to check it out. In such a roundabout way I am saying, almost yelling, "Have you driven a Ford lately?" You should. Even if you are not in the market for a new car, truck or SUV you should see what all the media fuss has been about. After spending a few days with the Ford people in Dearborn, MI and other media bloggers, writers and influencers I have found a new appreciation and respect for the Ford company and its people. If I learned one thing it is that they are passionate about their product.





This multi-day event covered the trends and technologies that Ford has embarked on today and in the future. I attended labs, discussions and demonstrations (and some awesome driving!) on how Ford is working with emerging technologies, green initiatives, the youth and aging population demographic and so much more. It was a jam-packed few days that illustrated how much thought and planning goes into every detail of the cars we drive. Your Ford car can not just call 911 but also help you monitor your glucose via WellDoc and the SYNC system in your car. Pretty snazzy.



I found the MyFord/SYNC systems (over 10,000 voice commands) incredibly impressive as well as the use of items like jute, soy, corn and recycled Downy and milk jug bottles all being used in a Ford vehicle. Did you know that at the end of a Ford cars life, 85% of it is recyclable? I didn't. I didn't know that they use a smell jury on the cars recycled parts to see if perhaps your center stack smells like an old milk jug or Fantastik bottle. That growling sound from a Mustang that so many people love comes courtesy of the innovative Noise Vision technology at Ford. They not only create quieter cars there but also the signature sounds from cars and car horns that we all love.








The entire time I was visiting all the stations, driving the cars and learning about the technology and safety systems all I could think was, "Why doesn't every car maker do this?" For instance, Ford's vehicle communications system allows cars to talk to each other wirelessly. We were put in a possible t-bone style collision and right before we could have been put in harms way our car had an alarm that went off and the dash lit up with a line of red warning lights alerting us to the danger coming our way. It was quite frankly, amazing. This Wi-Fi based radio system can "look" around corners for you when your vision is obstructed. I loved it!



There was so much more too. From hearing Ed Begley Jr. speak about how it really is about starting small when going green to the green initiatives that Ford has taken with their hybrid and soon to be released electric cars. Did you know that the seat fabric in the Fusion Hybrid is made from 100% recycled material? The Fusion Hybrid is also twice as fast as the competitors and can go up to 700 miles of city driving on only one tank of gas? It's true. The Ford Fiesta gets 40 mpg on the highway.



So again, I ask you? Have you driven a Ford lately? If not, you really should. You will be more than amazed at what you find both under the hood and behind the wheel. The last few years have really begun to show what the future of Ford looks like. It is a positive and a good step in the right direction for both consumers and the earth.














Want to learn more about what my trip was like? Visit- BeingPeterKim. Want to see more of what Ford has been up to? Visit here.














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