Ford Tops Safe Car List

Ford, Chrysler vehicles face off against three foreign competitors

(NEWSER) - Three Detroit-made vehicles are among six finalists for the 2009 North American Car and Truck of the Year awards, the Detroit News reports. The Ford Flex will compete with the Hyundai Genesis and the Volkswagen Jetta TDI for the year's best car, while the redesigned Ford F-150 and Dodge Ram pickups are up against the Mercedes-Benz ML320 BlueTEC SUV for best truck. The competitors were picked by a panel of US and Canadian automotive journalists. More»

Shift away from large vehicles means a rocky road ahead for Detroit's Big 3

(NEWSER) - Ford's recovery plans have been sent careening off the road by the continuing drop in truck and SUV sales, the Wall Street Journal reports. The company, which now expects this year's losses to top 2007's $2.7 billion, has given up hope of being back in the black by 2009. The ailing Detroit giant has cut production again and delayed the launch of its new F-150 pickup. More»

(NEWSER) - A loss is a win for Ford this morning, as the company's shares soared nearly 10% on smaller-than-expected first-quarter losses. Investors see the $282 million net loss—down from $1.4 billion in first quarter 2006—as a sign the company's ambitious turnaround plan is on track. More»

Gizmos proliferate amid concerns on distracted driving

(NEWSER) - Imagine cruising down the highway at 65mph while checking tweets, buying movie tickets online, or booking reservations at a restaurant. This scenario is the not-too-distant future of driving, reports the Wall Street Journal , as auto manufacturers seek to design an innovative "connected car" full of Internet-accessible gadgetry. The push for a tech-infused car comes as a national push for rules banning phones in cars seems to be fizzling out and automakers look to entice the youth demographic. More»

Auto industry appears to have solved vexing problem

(NEWSER) - Newer sport utility vehicles are significantly less deadly than those of decades past, according to a new analysis of federal data. From 2008 to 2009, the fatality rate for passengers in 3,000- to 3,499-pound cars or minivans hit by similarly-sized SUVs was 16 per million registered vehicles. That’s down nearly 64% from the 44 deaths per million rate during the 2000-2001 period, and death rates for car occupants during the most recent period were basically the same whether their vehicle was hit by a car or an SUV. More»