Mention convertible in some circles and you’ll see heads spin, mouths drop and water and skirts fly up to the knees. That’s because there’s just something sexy about a convertible, whether it’s Brad Pitt driving, Cindy Crawford or an Uncle Kracker wannabe. But if that convertible is a Ford Mustang – pick a year – then it’s over-the-top sexy. The 2011 model is beyond the scope.

The standard engine is a 3.7-liter V6. It carries a 6-speed manual drivetrain and 6 cylinders and carries with it 305 horsepower at 6,500 rpm. For fuel efficiency, you’ll see 18 mpg in the city and 29 on the highway. Now you feel like taking that road trip to California? Even with an achin’ in your heart you’ll be the king of the road.

The gas engine also features sequential electronic fuel injection, sequential port fuel injected sequential and multi-port fuel injection.

As a Mustang the vehicle offers impressive room in a 4-passenger seater. Not exactly the big family car, but Mustang has never been that. However, it offers 53.4 inches of hip room and 38.8 inches of head room in the front. Leg room for front passengers is 42.4 inches. Rear passengers don’t get quite as much room, but for a sports car they’ll have plenty.

The braking system features all the best of the latest technology with traction control and 4-wheel anti-lock brakes. The same goes for the safety and security features. The top is a power soft convertible and is easy to let up and down, but I think you’ll prefer it down on most days.

If you’re ready to soup up your driving without spending a fortune – the 2011 Ford Mustang V6 Convertible has an MSRP of $27,145 – then I suggest next year’s Mustang. This is an automobile that just seems to keep getting better with age.

There are some things you can do to troubleshoot a problem with starting your Ford. If you turn the key and the engine doesn’t make a sound, you know that you probably have an electrical problem. Here are the things you can do to check out your electrical system:

Check for a dead battery. If you have a battery tester, you can use that to see if your battery is weak. If you don’t have a tester, the best way to see if the battery is dead is to jump-start the car. If it starts, you’re OK. You may want to replace your battery soon, however, to make sure that it hasn’t been weakened by being run down.

Look for battery corrosion. The connectors on your battery can, over time, become dirty and corroded. This corrosion gets in between the battery and the rest of the car, and keeps your car from starting. If your battery posts are dirty or corroded, clean them and then see if you can start the car.

Check your fuses. Most cars don’t have a fuse that is connected to the starter system, but it’s worth a check just in case. Replace any dead fuses with the appropriate type.

If these things don’t get your car to start, you may have a bigger problem. It could be that your ignition switch has gone bad. It could be that your starter has a bad connection.

Beyond all of these electrical problems, of course, there are other possible causes for your car not starting. Consider visiting your local Omaha, NE Ford dealership to have your car checked out. It may be something rather simple that their service department can fix within just a few minutes, and for a relatively small fee.

For starters, as standard features on this trim, Ford Taurus showcases Six-Speed SelectShift Automatic Transmission, a Ford trademark, dual-zone electronic automatic temperature control, SIRIUS Satellite Radio and perimeter anti-theft alarm. That’s not bad for a start.

But check out these additional standard features for the interior:

• 5-passenger seating
• Fold-down rear seat arm rest with two beverage holders
• Six-way power driver’s seat
• Map pockets on back of front seats
• Rear head restraints
• 60/40 split fold-down rear seats
• Auxiliary audio input jack
• Rear seat reading lights
• Power door locks with auto lock
• Leather-wrapped shift knob with chrome insert
• Power-remote trunk release

And there’s a lot more too. These standard features can be found on the vehicle’s exterior:

• Battery saver
• Twin chrome exhaust tips
• Capless fuel filler
• 19 gallon fuel tank (for a family sedan?)
• Incandescent tail lamps with red surround
• Keyless entry keypad

And more.

For safety: LATCH system, child-safety rear door locks, emergency glow-in-the-dark trunk release, illuminated entry, particulate air filtration system (there’s that innovation), perimeter lighting and anti-theft alarm system, SOS post-crash alert (more innovation) and the trademarked SPACE Architecture (Side Protection And Cabin Enhancement).

The 2011 Ford Taurus SEL engine is a V6 DOHC Duratec, 3.5 liters with 24 valves. It is four-wheel independent with front wheel drive. Enhancements also include brake assist, 4-wheel disc ABS, power steering, traction control and 18″ aluminum wheels.

The SEL value packages are equally impressive. From the reverse sensing system to the rear view camera, Ford went all out to ensure that the 2011 Ford Taurus SEL wasn’t left behind in the rising technology game of automotive manufacturing.

Air filters are designed to trap and remove any dirt that passes through the air before it gets through to the carburetor on older models. On newer models, air filters are designed to protect the fuel injectors. You should replace these about every 20,000 miles in your Ford. If you live in dusty areas, you should have your Ford’s air filter checked regularly and replaced when it gets dirty regardless of how long you’ve had it in your car.

Oil filters helps remove rust, soot and other particles that could damage the engine on your Ford. These should be replaced every 3,000 miles or whenever you get your oil changed.

Fuel filters protect your injector from contaminant. If particles get through, they can cause a great deal of damage to your Ford.

These should be replaced every 30,000 miles to prevent loss of high speed power, stalling and hard starting. Some auto experts suggest getting them changed on a yearly basis for the best performance from your Porsche.

If you think it’s about time to have some filters replaced in your Ford, bring it to your Omaha, NE Ford dealer for a complete checkup.

With a starting MSRP of $22,155, the Sport comes in two trim sizes, a SuperCab 2 door and a SuperCab 4 door. The engine is a 4.0-liter SOHC V6 with impressive build and fuel efficiency. She puts out a horsepower of 207 and 238 pound feet of torque. Plus, you can tow up to 5,760 pounds and still maintain that level of power.

The bed is a 6-foot Styleside, both on the 4X2 and the 4X4. The manual transmission – 5-speed with overdrive – delivers 15 mpg in the city and 21 on the highway. An automatic transmission is optional. It holds 19.5 gallons of gasoline.

The chassis includes a front stabilizer bar and heavy duty gas-pressurized shock absorbers. The brake system is comprised of 4-wheel ABS and disc brakes all around. The steering system is rack and pinion with power assist.

With seating for 5 the Ranger Sport offers excellent head and leg room as well: 39.2 inches in the front and 33.2 inches in the rear for the head; 42.4 and 39.1 for the legs, respectively. Shoulder room in the front is 54.5 inches; rear passengers, however, have limited shoulder room at 14.1 inches – but it is a double cab so who’s counting? Hip room falls in at 52.7 and 18.7, respectively.

While most of the features on the 2010 Ford Ranger Sport are standard, Ford does offer a good selection of accessories to spiff up your new ride. These include:

• Keyless entry pad
• Side step bars
• Chrome trailer hitch balls
• A Sportz tent
• Bed mat and rails
• A stainless steel bed extender
• GPS

You can learn more about any of these accessories and see what else Ford offers for Ranger drivers on the Ford website.

The 2010 Ford Ranger Sport also offers safety and comfort. The interior is stacked with the latest technology such as a center console, cupholders and a storage bin and a remote audio input jack for your personal media. Other options include a 6-disc CD changer and satellite radio. It’s a simple ride and one worth the wait if you are a simple driver who loves to drive a Ford.

Squealing
If the brakes on your Ford vehicle squeal until you push on the brake, you have worn the pads down. The high-pitched squeal you hear is a little sensor that is designed to alert you so you know the pads have worn down and need to be changed.

Soft Braking
Soft braking refers to pushing on your brake pedal and having it go down before the brakes actually “kick in.” This is usually because of air bubbles in your brake line and can often be solved by bleeding the brakes. It could also be an indicator that you have a bad brake master cylinder.

Pulsating Brakes
When you push on the brakes and they feel like they are pulsating, you probably have warped rotors. This can affect your stopping distance so it’s vital to have this checked.

These are just a few of the things that can go wrong with brakes. For more information or a complete checkup on your braking system, visit your Ford dealer near Omaha, NE today.

For starters, you get an impressive 41 mpg in the city and 36 on the highway. And starting at just $27,950 MSRP, it’s a good buy.

You have a good range of choices for power for the Fusion Hybrid.

• 2.5L Duratec I-4
• 3.0L Duratec V6
• 3.5L Duratec V6

Each of these engines comes with a 6-speed transmission.

The electric motor is powered by a nickel-metal hydride battery and the 2.5L Atkinson-cycle I-4 hybrid engine.

For handling, you get the electric power-assist steering and regenerative braking system.

The interior seats 5 passengers and is very upscale, comfortable. It’s stacked with the trademarked SYNC system and voice-activated entertainment. You also get 911 assist features. For traveling, you get an advanced navigation system and the satellite-linked SIRIUS Travel Link service.

Rear passengers get their own center arm rest, making it comfortable to ride in the back seat. You also get ambient lighting, a common feature in Ford vehicles.

The driver has an 8-way power seat while the front passenger has the standard 6-way power seat. And there’s eco-friendly cloth seating all around.

When it comes to safety, the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid goes all out. There are 7 air bags, as opposed to the standard 6 in most Fusion trims. You also get 4-wheel disc anti-lock brakes, AdvanceTrac and Electronic Stability Control System.

In the front, the driver and passenger have dual front airbags with side impact supplemental airbags. Then there’s the driver’s knee airbag. There are also 1st and 2nd row air curtains.

For security, the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid has a keyless entry keypad and a passive antitheft system.

If you’re looking for an eco-friendly ride that is comfortable, affordable and stylish then the year of the hybrid is 2010.

Perhaps the biggest hassle to a misalignment of your front end is the time you have to take off work and get it fixed. Sometimes, a simple alignment can take up a half day of your time because your auto service provider has a full slate of customers that day. It’s frustrating, we know. That’s why we offer a discount on the pot hole front end alignment service.

From now until the end of May, Rusty Eck Ford in Omaha is offering a discount on our front end alignment service and all you have to do is print our discount coupon.

Don’t wait until it is too late. The longer you go without realigning your front end will mean that you’ll spend more money on the alignment when you finally do get around to it and it could permanently damage your vehicle’s front end if you go too long. You may end up having to replace your front suspension. Don’t wait. Get your front end aligned today and avoid the pot holes!

If you’re in the area, stop by your Omaha Ford dealer today to check out the newest Ford vehicles, used cars, trucks, and SUVs, and service garage.

Issue
The Senate financial regulation bill (S. 3217) would create a Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (BCFP), which would have new and extremely broad authority to regulate most financial products, including dealer-assisted financing.  The auto finance model is sound, based on due diligence, and decreases the cost of credit to consumers. NADA supports an amendment by Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) to the financial regulation bill. Dealers are already effectively regulated by the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and state consumer protection agencies.

The Brownback Amendment is necessary because the broad authority granted to the BCFP seriously threatens to limit dealer-assisted financing and the convenience and competition this financing offers consumers at all economic levels. Since 94 percent of all vehicle sales in 2008 involved financing, it is essential to preserve dealer-assisted financing and affordable credit for consumers.

Background
The House financial reform legislation (H.R. 4173) which passed in December 2009 included a bipartisan amendment that would not subject motor vehicle dealers (except for “buy here, pay here” financing) to regulation by the proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency (similar to the Senate-proposed BCFP), but would maintain consumer protection regulations administered by the Federal Reserve, the FTC, and state agencies. This amendment was offered in the Financial Services Committee by Rep. John Campbell (R-Calif.) and passed on a 47-21 vote. An amendment to nullify the Campbell amendment on the House floor was withdrawn.

Key Points

The Amendment Has Bipartisan Support

• Democratic Senators have indicated they would support the Brownback amendment if changes are incorporated ensuring that any financial activity unrelated to automotive retailing by dealers would be regulated by the CFPB. Senator Brownback has agreed to this change and has offered it as a compromise.

The Amendment is Pro-Consumer Because It Keeps Auto Credit Affordable

• Dealer-assisted financing provides more convenience, more competition, and more choices for consumers. Because dealerships have multiple relationships with lenders (community banks, local credit unions, national banks, and captive finance companies), they are able to help find consumers the best rate.
• Consumers can always rely on their own banking relationships, but dealers can regularly meet or beat the bank or credit union rate.

The Amendment Strengthens Consumer Protections

• Under the Brownback Amendment, every auto lender and auto loan would be directly regulated by the CFPB.  The banks, credit unions, buy-here-pay-here dealers and finance companies that fund auto loans would be fully regulated by the CFPB. Dealers are not banks. They help arrange financing and help consumers find affordable credit. This competition helps keep auto financing affordable.
• The Brownback Amendment expressly protects all existing Federal consumer protection statutes that govern dealer-assisted financing. Dealers’ retail financing activity would continue to be effectively regulated by the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Trade Commission and 50 state consumer protection agencies. Dealers would continue to be subject to the full range of federal laws and regulations that currently apply (e.g., Truth In Lending Act, Federal Consumer Leasing Act, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, Federal Trade Commission Act, etc.).

It appears that (Obama’s) Treasury Department, who opposes this amendment, believes dealers now have the votes to enact the measure.  Late yesterday, it was agreed that the amendment would be pulled until later in the debate on the CFPA legislation, maybe as late as next week.  The current vote count doesn’t definitively prove that dealers have the votes; however, this delay is considered an early win…not a win that can be relied on completely because support for the Brownback amendment is still is very tight.

With the White House’s strong opposition, Senators still need to hear from dealers about the importance of dealer-assisted financing and how the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection would threaten the convenience and competition in auto lending that currently exists today.

Since Senator McCaskill will be home over the weekend, most likely, please make an effort to contact her, preferably at every office, using the office information below. When contacting her office, stress the following points:

The Amendment Has Bipartisan Support

• Democratic Senators have indicated they would support the Brownback Amendment if changes are incorporated ensuring that any financial activity unrelated to automotive retailing by dealers would be regulated by the CFPB. Senator Brownback has made these changes.
• The companion House amendment (the “Campbell Amendment”) passed the House Financial Services Committee on a bipartisan vote of 47-21, and was included in the House-passed Wall Street reform bill.

The Amendment is Pro-Consumer Because It Keeps Auto Credit Affordable

• Dealer-assisted financing provides more convenience, more competition, and more choices for consumers. Because dealerships have multiple relationships with lenders (community banks, local credit unions, national banks, and captive finance companies), they are able to help find consumers the best rate.
• Consumers can always rely on their own banking relationships, but dealers can regularly meet or beat the bank or credit union rate.

The Amendment Strengthens Consumer Protections

• Under the Brownback Amendment, every auto lender and auto loan would be directly regulated by the CFPB. The banks, credit unions, buy-here-pay-here dealers, and finance companies that fund auto loans would be fully regulated by the CFPB. Dealers are not banks. They help arrange financing and help consumers find affordable credit. This competition helps keep auto financing affordable.
• The Brownback Amendment expressly protects all existing federal consumer protection statutes that govern dealer-assisted financing. Dealers’ retail financing activity would continue to be effectively regulated by the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Trade Commission and 50 state consumer protection agencies. Dealers would continue to be subject to the full range of federal laws and regulations that currently apply.