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Preston Ford is extremely excited for the all-new 2015 Transit.  The Transit takes a leap forward and strengthens the commercial van market.  Ford leads the full-size van market; the Ford F-series has been the best-selling truck in America for 37 years.  The Ford E-Series has been the best van in America for 35 years.  Nearly one out of every 2 full size vans sold is a Ford E-Series.  The Transit has been a leader since 1965.  It was first introduced in Europe.  It can get the job done no matter where it is.  There has been over seven million sold worldwide, it is currently in its 6 th generation.  The Transit is produced in Asia, Europe and North America. The Transit is the perfect tool for productivity.  The Unibody construction is designed to be lightweight yet highly durable.  The Wagon XLT has available rain sensing windshield wipers.  The short arm dual power mirrors are standard, they are available heated with turn signals and the long-arm design is available.  Remote keyless entry system is also standard and remote start is available.  The smooth side panels can be used to create a mobile business card with vinyl graphics. The Transit Van has a choice of three roof options and three different lengths for much greater cargo carrying capacity.  The interior height of the low roof is 56.9” and the high roof is 81.5”.  The cargo length in the Transit at the floor is 126”, 143” or 172”.  The Transit Connect is also wider.  The width between wheel houses is 54.8”.  The Transit is also very flexible and can be customized to the owner’s needs.  The Transit is available in a van, wagon, chassis cab and cutaway models.  Side door choices include hinged 60/40, passenger-side sliding or dual sliding van.  There is an eight, ten, twelve and fifteen passenger wagon seating. The Transit Wagon is roomy and comfortable.  Vinyl or cloth seating is available.  Solor tinted, all around fixed windows are also on the Transit Wagon.  There is driver controlled front/rear climate control.  There is also a safety canopy with side curtain airbags for all rows. The Transit offers power efficient performance.  The 3.5L V6, offers plenty of power and torque to get the job done.  There is also the 3.5L EcoBoost V6 which offers turbocharging combined with direct injection proven heavy duty diesel technology in a gasoline engine.  Ford also introduces the 3.2L Power Stroke I-5 Turbo Diesel engine.  This has a max towing of 7,600 lbs. in the van and 4,600 lbs. in the wagon.

For the fifth consecutive year, Ford Motor Company has been recognized as one of the world’s most ethical companies by Ethisphere Institute.  Ford is among 144 companies selected from thousands around the world.  It is the only automaker to receive this honor for the year 2014.  It is also one of the few companies that has been recognized five different times.  Ford was selected for its corporate responsibility efforts, governance and business practices. The World’s Most Ethical  Companies designation recognizes companies that truly go beyond making statements about doing business “ethicially” and translate these words into action.  The award recipients not only promote ethical business standards and practices internally, they exceed legal compliance minimums and shape future industry standards by introducing best practices today. To determine who makes the cut researchers and analysts look into the following things: A review of each companies codes of ethics, litigation and regulatory infraction histories An evaluation of investment in innovation and sustainable business practices A look into activities designed to improve corporate citizenship Input through nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers. The framework consists of five core categories; ethics and compliance, reputations, leadership and innovation, governance, corporate citizenship and responsibility, and culture of ethics.  The ethics and compliance program is used for 25% of the rating system and criteria used for this category are aligned to the corporates best practices, relevant case law and the hallmarks of an effective compliance and ethics program.  Reputation, leadership and innovation measures a company’s legal compliance, litigation, and ethical track record along with the strength of the company’s reputation.  Governance takes up 10% of the rating and this category looks at the availability and quality of systems designed to ensure strong corporate governance.  Corporate citizenship and responsibility makes up 25% and reviews a wide range of a company’s performance indicators associated with sustainability, citizenship and social responsibility.  Culture of ethics makes up 20% and looks at the culture of ethics at the organization concerning widely accepted or unaccepted norms as it pertains to ethical conduct.

Earth Day was founded in 1970 as a day of education about environmental issues and has now turned into a globally celebrated holiday that some even extend in to Earth Week.  Earth Week is a full seven days of events focused on green awareness. By the early 1960s Americans started to become aware of the effects of pollution on the environment.  Rachel Carson published a bestselling book in 1962 titles “Silent Spring” which raised awareness of the dangerous effects of pesticides on America’s countryside.  Senator Gaylord Nelson was determined to convince the federal government that the planet was at risk.  He is the one who founded Earth Day after witnessing the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California.  As a result 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast to coast rallies.  Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Since 1970 Earth Day celebrations have grown.  In 1990, Earth Day went global when 200 million people in over 140 nations participated!  In 2000, Earth Day focused on clean energy and involved hundreds of millions of people in 184 countries and 5,000 environmental groups. Many people are starting to consider the environment even when buying their vehicles.  J.D. Power recently compiled a list of the top 30 environmentally friendly vehicles.  Making the top 30 were the Ford Focus, Hyundai Accent, Hyundai Elantra, Mazda3, Mazda Miata, and the Nissan Sentra.  All of these vehicles are available with the Preston Automotive Group. Buying a greener vehicle is the first step in reducing the environmental impacts of a vehicle.  How you drive also makes a difference. Think ahead and try to anticipate stops to let your vehicle coast down as much as possible.  Plan trips to avoid rush hour, stop and go driving burns gas and emissions of smog forming pollutants.  Make sure you unload your cargo, carrying around an extra 100 pounds reduces fuel economy by around 1%.  Try using vents and opening the windows to cool off before turning on the air conditioning in your car.  It increases fuel consumption, NOx emissions and involves environmentally damaging fluids.  You should also try to follow the speed limit!  Driving 75 mph instead of 65 mph will lower your fuel economy by about 10 percent and can dramatically increase tailpipe pollution in many vehicles. You should also try to combine trips.  Instead of running and errand one day and also the next day you should combine the two trips.  Combining two short trips can make a big difference.

It has been 50 years since the Ford Mustang was first introduced to the world and placed high on top of the Empire State Building.  To celebrate 50 years Ford has again placed the brand new 2015 Ford Mustang on top of the Empire State Building.  In order to do this they had to essentially cut the Mustang into five different pieces so that it could fit in the elevator to take them to the top of the building. The Ford Mustang made its debut in the 1964 World’s Fair in New York City.  The following year in 1965 engineers took apart one of the Mustangs and took it to the top of the Empire State Building where it was then reassembled!  When the Mustang was first debuted it sold for around $2,300!  The Mustang’s sales blew away expectations, Ford expected to sell 100,000 the first year and they sold 100,000 in the first three months.  The observation deck where the Mustang was placed is open to the public from 8 a.m until 2 a.m.  This gave the team of six only six hours to get the car on the observation deck and reassembled.  Before all the parts were shipped to New York City, the six man crew practiced a number of times reassembling the car to time everything out and make sure they had enough time to complete it. The 2015 Mustang looks brand new but still hold the soul of the Mustang.  The cockpit of the Mustang strike a balance between analog dials and digital feedback.  The shifter is optimally placed and the steering wheel feels just right creating the very best driving experience!  Under the hood of the Mustang is a 3.7 liter V6, and there is an available 5.0 liter V8 which for this year, benefits from increased power.  The biggest news regarding the engine is that Ford has paired Mustang performance with the EcoBoost engine!  The technology in the Mustang enhances the driving experience.  Advanced sensors can detect cars in your blind spots or the advanced communications system.  The Mustang will also be available in convertible.

Preston Ford has designed a very special truck that is now available for purchase.  The truck is called the Black Frog Operations Truck and it has custom logos on it that cannot be found anywhere else!  The logo is a frog with muscles that was made just for this truck.  The truck is a black 2014 F-150.  This has been up-fitted with special accessories. The tires are Nitto Terra Gripller tires with 20” Ford rims and the truck is also equipped with a 6” lift.  It has also been upgraded with new headlights and new taillights.  The interior has received a black leather which is Katzkin leather.  Preston is going to continue doing custom trucks much like the Black Frog Operations truck so be on the lookout! This truck is now available for purchase and is one of a kind!

Preston Ford of the Preston Automotive Group in Delaware and Maryland has won the Ford President’s Award. The President’s Award comes to Preston Ford during a year of record breaking sales, especially in December 2013 when the Ford dealership became 3 rd in the nation in Ford sales and became  the 90 th Ford Dealer in the Nation overall for 2013. Preston Ford is a unique Ford dealership in that it sits outside of Preston, MD with a population of an estimated 707. In December 2013 they sold 515 new Ford cars, trucks, and SUVs; proving that great customer service and satisfaction are key components to gaining customers. In order to achieve the President's Award, dealers must exceed customer expectations every day in every department.  The pursuit of excellence is not for the faint of heart – it requires passion, tenacity and, of course, hard work.  This prestigious award salutes those top-performing Ford and Lincoln dealerships that embrace these philosophies, achieving among the highest levels of customer satisfaction – in both sales and service – in automotive retailing. “We are really honored and excited to receive Ford’s President’s Award,” says David Wilson Jr., Vice President of Preston Automotive Group, “It really is a part of our core mission to make sure that every customer is satisfied. The President’s Award is unique in that the award is given by customer feedback. There is no other way to receive the award unless customers are 100% satisfied. Top sellers at Preston Ford include the Ford F-150, Ford Fusion, and Ford Escape. Current focus at the dealership are the Ford 2013 models that have a large discount and the Ford Fusion Energi, which currently has an amazing leasing option. For more information on Preston Ford give them a call or visit their website.

When planning family road trips it is very important to have the proper vehicle that fits the whole family as well as all the cargo that comes along with taking a road trip!  All of that luggage has to go somewhere!  Most families need a lot of space not only for kids but also for their cargo. The first car on the list is the Ford Flex!  The Flex has three rows of seating and plenty of room for cargo.  The second row seats can be ordered with a center-console refrigerator-freezer.  It has the best in class second and third row leg room.  With additional amenities like the PowerFold third row seat with tailgate feature and a refrigerated second row console the Flex is an ideal crossover for tailgating.  Not only is the Flex spacious but it is also comfortable.  There are available features such as heated and cooled front seats, dual-zone automatic temperature control, power adjustable pedals, power-tilt steering column and available power, folding heated mirrors. The Lincoln MKT can carry up to seven passengers and features an optional over the top surround sound and video entertainment system with 14 speakers.  There is an option package which includes navigation, panoramic sunroof and a blind spot monitoring system.  The entertainment upgrade includes video screens behind each of the front headrests that can show two different movies or video games at the same time!  While the kids are in the back occupied the adults in the front to listen to something else! This system is also said to greatly improve music played from MP3 players. Another car that made the list is the Ford Fusion.  The Hybrid models gets a remarkable 47 miles to the gallon.  The Fusion receives high marks for its roomy, comfortable seats and useful trunk space that expands cargo space with a folding rear seat.  The interior design is also very attractive and upscale.  The notable features include dual-zone automatic climate control, auxiliary jack, satellite radio, Bluetooth, voice controlled Synce with MyFord infotainment system.  It can also be equipped with features such as lane departure warning with lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, active park assist, navigation and a rearview camera with back up sensors. The Hyundai Santa Fe is also on our list of the best vehicles for family road trips.  It features rear seats that are split into three sections which are able to fold down for clever use of space.  Standard features include a 17 inch alloy wheels, power accessories, Bluetooth technology, six speaker audio systel and the Hyundai Blue Link telematics system.  The Santa Fe is a 2013 IIHS Top Safety pick and has dual front side mounted air bags as well as child seat anchors and emergency braking assist.  Hyundai vehicles also come with the Hyundai powertrain warranty which covers up to 10 years or 100,000 miles.  Hyundai also has a basic warranty to cover items such as brake pads and linings, belts and radio and audio systems for five years of 60,000 miles.

Consumer Reports has put together a list of cars that won’t bust your budget.  Preston Automotive has three of these cars available on their lot!  The list consists of the Ford Mustang, Hyundai Elantra and the Mazda5.  One is a sports car, one a sedan and one a minivan! The Ford Mustang delivers a satisfying and fun ride with its 420 horsepower V8.  The 2014 Mustang impressed everyone with both its interior and exterior updates, making the Ford a more-refined muscle car.  The 2014 Mustang features an aggressive look, from its bold front end to its attention getting body accents.  The Mustang features and impressive list of high tech features.  The available Track Apps gives performance metrics from acceleration times to g-force measurements.  There are also features like the available Sync which allows you to activate your phone, music and much more.  The navigation system with integrated SiriusXM Traffic provides directions, traffic alerts and gas prices.  For the interior you can choose racing inspired Recaro cloth or leather trimmed seats with integrated airbags.  The available Shaker Audio System with HD Radio Technology delivers and impressive audio performance that is bound to please! Also on the list is the Hyundai Elantra. The newly designed 2014Hyundai Elantra has fluidic sculpture and bucks conventional styles.  The car offers fashion forward features like its wraparound projector headlights with LED accents, front fog lights, and LED rear tail lights.  The wheelbase also gives it a lower sportier profile. The interior of the Hyundai Elantra is designed for a class above.  This means fitting it with the interior space and standard amenities you would come to expect from a much more expensive vehicle.  One inside the customer will notice the difference.  The interior also features dual zone climate control for extra added comfort.  The driver and passenger can both be comfortable even as the conditions outside of the vehicle change.  The seats take a stand for the environment.  They are built with environmentally friendly soy based foam.  These seats are an example of Hyundai’s commitment to making vehicles in ways that have less impact on the environment.  The seat foam is made from renewable resources and lowers carbon emissions.  The Elantra sedan was the first compact car to have heated seats for both front and rear passengers. The 2014 Mazda5 has fun driving dynamics and a low price which make it a great choice when buying a minivan.  U.S. News has named the 2014 Mazda5 the best minivan for the money.  The Mazda5 has a four-cylinder engine and a six speed transmission there is also the optional five speed automatic.  It gets an EPA estimated 22/28 mpg city/highway which is exceptional for its class.  The Maza5 is also easy to park and maneuver.  The electronic brake force distribution and brake assist help determine how much force to apply to the front and rear brakes while the anti-lock brake system helps prevent wheel lock for more controlled stops.  It has easy third row access and plenty of cargo space for its size.  Every Mazda5 is powered by a 2.5 liter four-cylinder engine that produces 157 horsepower and 163 pound feet of torque.

There are many fun facts about Ford Motor Company you might not know about!  Preston Ford is here to present these fun facts! The first is that Ford Motor Company is the largest family owned business in the world!  All of the company’s CEOs have been directly related to the company founder Henry Ford since he retired from the position. Our next fun fact, Ford’s famous race car the GT40 won Le Mans 24 hour race 4 times in a row!  It is now one of the world’s most recognized long distance cars and was named by the fact that it is only 40 inches high. Ford invented the assembly line for making cars.  Henry Ford’s assembly line has revolutionized the way car construction is and it is still the most popular way cars are built even today! The first car released by Ford was actually a Model A however, it was the Model T that became Ford's success story.  In 1916 around 55% of all cars on the road were Model Ts.  Part of the reason the Model T was so popular was because of its price, it was less than half the price of its rivals. Ford also owns Lincoln Motor Company which it purchased in 1925.  Lincoln is seen as the luxury side of Ford’s car production and is known for its Town Car. The well-known Ford Blue Oval badge was first introduced in 1907 and the current emblem was introduced in 2003 to celebrate 100 years of Ford. The very first Ford sold was to a Dr. Pfennig in 1903.  The cost was $850!  He bought the “Model A” which had a two cylinder engine and could reach a max speed of 30 mph! In 1964, after the Mustang was first debuted, 94,000 pedal powered toy mustangs were bought for children the following Christmas season! That is a lot of pedal-powered toy mustangs! Henry Ford and Thomas Edison were lifelong friends!  Henry Ford first worked for Thomas Edison and then they ended up becoming lifelong friends. The Ford Thunderbird was first manufactured in 1955 and finished production in 2005.  During this 50 year period 11 different models of the Thunderbird were released.  Ford has produced over 4.4 million Thunderbirds throughout its lifespan.  The Thunderbird was also famously called the “T-Bird”.

There are many features that used to be in vehicles that are no longer available.  Some of these features are very interesting! The first one we no longer see is bench seats!  The last American production model car to offer a bench seat in the front was the Chevy Impala.  Before seat belts were included in cars or even required to be worn by law three passengers could comfortably fit in the front of most cars.   Some trucks are still equipped with bench seats but it is very rare that you find a car with bench seats anymore! Preston Ford currently has a few new F-150s which have a bench seat in the front! Another feature not often found any more is an ashtray.  They were commonly found in the dashboard along with an electric lighter.  If you weren’t a smoker the ashtray was handy for storing loose coins.   Now in vehicles you don't see the ashtray most vehicles have storage devices or a more open looking center console. Most vehicles also no longer come with a full-size spare tire.  The advantage with a full-size spare tire is that you could put it on and not stress too much about getting the other tire fixed or replaced.  You could have gotten it replaced at your convenience.   Now most vehicles come with "donuts", these tires are not meant to be driven on for very long so if you get a flat tire you should get to a service facility in a timely manner! Vent windows are also an item of the past.  Vent or “wing” windows were popular in the pre-air conditioning days.  These windows were especially great for when it was to chilly for air condition and you didn’t want the windows all the way down.  The vent windows wouldn’t blow or mess up your hair while driving. Horn Rings were originally considered a safety feature as well as a huge convenience.  Before Horn Rings the driver had to completely remove their hand from the steering wheel in order to beep the horn.  When the Horn Ring came around you could hit the horn without removing your hand from the steering wheel.  There are no longer horn rings so you must revert back to removing your hand from the steering wheel in order to beep the horn. Control Knobs in vehicles are also slowly starting to not show up anymore.  Many vehicles now have touch screens in order to control the radio station or the air conditioning.  This could be a hassle if trying to be safe while driving.  Although in today’s vehicles there are often controls right on the steering wheel so there is no need to take your hands off the wheel. An item that we are seeing features in cars is keys!  A lot of vehicles have keyless entry and push to start options which only take a remote to power!   You do not need to remove your remote from your purse, briefcase or pocket in order to unlock, lock or start your vehicle.  This is all very convenient!  Many of the vehicles at Preston Automotive Group have available keyless entry and push to start.  Some even have remote start, this is where you can press a  button on your key fob and  your vehicle will start without  having to be sitting in it.  If you would like a remote start one of our Auto Body Shops can install that for you.  We have Preston Customs, where a customer can customize their vehicles with leather seats, remote starts, dvd players and much more! Crank windows are often only found in base models in the automotive business today.  Many base models actually offer power windows now! All vehicles used to have crank windows back in the day.  Some power windows even go down without having to hold down the button, with one push the window will roll all the way down. It is fascinating to look back on the way vehicles used to be and see how many things have changed over the years. We are likely to see even more changes with the way technology is evolving.

With technology advancing by the minute there are some great apps that can help keep you safe on the road.  Always remember that being on your phone while driving is very dangerous and can cause more harm than good.  Preston Automotive Group has three Auto Body shops which can repair all makes and models.  We also offer 24 hour towing at all three of these locations.  All you have to do is call and our towing team will come to the rescue! The first app that is great to have on your phone is the AAA Roadside app! This app is free on your smartphone.  Having AAA is almost as important as putting gas into your vehicle.  Even if you are currently not a member of AAA you can still use some of the services they offer.  If you are a member you will never have to search for your AAA card or phone number again.  The on-site process is usually less than 30 minutes! That is impressive! Another great app is Roadside Assistance.  This app is $0.99 and is ideal if you do not have AAA.  This app quickly figures out your location and finds your exact address as well as contact numbers for national and local roadside assistance. There is a State Lines App by Two Steps Beyond which is essential for any person who takes a lot of road trips!  This app provides you with all the relevant driving laws in each state.  It also provides you with other relevant information that will help keep you safe and legal.  If a state has a law that you aren’t allowed to be on your phone will driving you will definitely know about it! Gas Cubby is another great app for the road!  It is a fuel economy calculator, car maintenance and service log!  This app helps to keep you up to date with the internals of your vehicle!  It can track miles per gallon and your car’s service records. iWrecked is an app that is there for you in the unfortunate event that you get in an accident.  It acts as your personal auto accident assistant.  iWrecked keeps a detailed accident log and history, captures unlimited images and archives using the iPhone camera, sends accident reports with images.  It can also locate taxis, towing firms, emergency services and much more! A great app for overall safety is the Smart-ICE4family app!  This app is $2.99 and in the event of an emergency is will contact emergency services, help them locate you, share crucial medical information with medical personnel and make sure that your insurance information is close at hand! All of these apps can provide comfort and safety to the driver.  The safest driving practice is to not use a cell phone while driving at all!  They are a distraction and can provide more harm then they do good.  These apps will work great with vehicles offered by Preston Automotive Group.  At the Preston Autoplex alone you can take your pick between a Nissan, Hyundai, Mazda, Ford or Lincoln. We also have a great selection of pre-owned vehicles!

Many vehicles now have a great feature where you will not have to use that bulky garage door opener anymore!  Many people usually put their garage door opener on their visor of the vehicle, this is usually the one that comes standard when a garage door system is installed in their house.  The steps to programing your garage door opener that came standard with your vehicle is very simple!  In order to program your system you must first note that some of these systems require the ignition be turned on or the vehicle to actually be running. Step One:  First you want to press and hold the two outside buttons on your system until the LED starts to blink.  Once it starts to blink you can release the buttons. Step Two:  Hold your garage remote about two inches from the on-board system and press and hold the open button on your remote and the button you are programming on your car’s system. Step Three:  Release the buttons once the indicator light begins flashing rapidly. Step Four:  Press and hold the training button on the on-board system until the light glows to a solid color.  If it continues to blink then proceed to the following steps. Step Five:  Press the “learn” button on your garage door motor and return to the vehicle and press and hold for two seconds and release the training button again on the on-board system. Step Six:  Repeat the press-hold-and-release process two more times and your car opener will be successfully programmed to your garage motor. This may seem complicated but it really isn’t!  If you find you need extra help you can always consult your owner’s manual.  Your owner’s manual will also have steps to follow in it.  If your owner’s manual does not give you the help you are looking for you can always stop into Preston Ford, Preston Nissan, Preston Hyundai or Preston Mazda and we will be sure to answer any questions you might have.