The New Ford F-150 Raptor

Ford's F-150 Raptor is the Porsche 911 GT3 of pickup trucks. Like a 911 GT3, the Raptor is a racebredpiece of machinery you can drive every day on the street. Okay, the GT3's reflexes were honed in the green hell of the legendary Nurburgring Nordschliefe road course in Germany. The Raptor, meanwhile, was developed on the stony desert tracks, powdery sand washes, and bone-jarring whoopdies of Baja California. Point the Raptor down a rough desert track, and this thing will go as fast as you dare, without turning into a dribbling mess, out of breath and out of brakes, after a dozen miles or so. And it'll make you feel like a born racer.

Test Drive yours at Ed Koehn Ford Lincoln Mercury!

The Raptor comes standard with the following content

• Internal Triple-bypass Fox Racing Shox providing over 11 inches of front suspension travel and over 12 inches of rear suspension travel (the first internal bypass shocks from an OEM)
• Unique cast-aluminum SVT lower control arms
• Special 4.10 rear axle with Electronic Locking Differentia
• 17" cast-aluminum wheels with SVT-tuned BFGoodrich 35" All-Terrain T/A KO tires
• Hill Descent Control (a Ford Brand first)
• Unique center console with switches for hill descent control, off-road mode and additional accessories
• Massive front skid plate that protects the front underbody and engine
• Black interior environment with unique black leather/cloth trimmed front captains chairs that are designed to be extra supportive in aggressive off-road driving
• Flow through console and floor shifter
• Unique exterior design that is 7" wider than a standard F-150 and features a unique grille, front fenders, hood with air extractors, front bumper and box outer panels
• Front and rear tow hooks
• Sirius satellite radio and Sync
  

The New Ford Fiesta

For decades, small economy cars from American carmakers have been about as desirable as a cold hamburger. Overall build quality, upkeep costs, reliability and longevity -- the most important factors in this segment -- were points of embarrassment for Escorts, Neons and Cavaliers. But with the Euro-bred 2011 Ford Fiesta the U.S. looks to have something on the economy car menu as mouth-watering as an In-N-Out Double-Double.

The Fiesta has a smooth, eager engine, precise and well-weighted steering and an agile chassis show that one needn't be resigned to a dull drive just because one needs a small, practical and inexpensive car.

Unlike much of its competition, the Ford Fiesta is available in both sedan and hatchback body styles. Of course, the hatchback provides greater cargo capacity, but some folks prefer the more formal look of a sedan. The Fiesta provides sprightly handling, a compliant ride and a quiet cabin at freeway speeds. It also offers features that are uncommon in this class, such as keyless ignition and Ford's superb Sync system, which, among other things, allows one to control audio and cell phone functions via voice commands.

We can say without hesitation that the 2011 Ford Fiesta provides the most rewarding drive in its class. In the real world of stop-and-go traffic and freeway merging, the Fiesta's mill is a pleasure. The eager-to-rev 1.6 delivers ample punch down low and remains butter-smooth even when taken to redline. The manual transmission is precise and easy to shift, boasting a linear clutch and light throws. The available six-speed automated dual-clutch automatic is another unusual perk in this class.

The 2011 Ford Fiesta comes with four doors in both sedan and hatchback form. There are three trim levels for the sedan (S, SE, and SEL) and two trims for the hatchback (SE and SES).

Test Drive yours at Ed Koehn Ford Lincoln Mercury!