The Ford Bronco is Coming Back!
The Ford Bronco was last released 20 years ago in 1996, after having lasted five generations beginning in 1966. Built in Ford’s Michigan Truck Plant in Wayne, Michigan, the Bronco began as a compact SUV. After 12 years in the compact SUV market, the Bronco underwent a massive change in 1978 when it was upgraded to a large SUV by using a modified F-Series truck chassis.
The Ford Bronco II was a smaller version of the Bronco that was produced from 1983 until 1990 and was initially tied to the launch of the all-new Ford Ranger in 1983. The Bronco II was discontinued in 1990; it seems that the full-size Bronco was exactly what people were looking for! The Bronco remained a staple in the SUV world throughout the 1980’s and 90’s. It went through three more generations before appearing in its final incarnation, the 1992 to 1996 series. This fifth and final generation saw the addition of crumple zones, rear shoulder seat belt, driver-side airbags, and a third brake light installed in the top. Since this safety equipment was now integrated into the top of the Bronco, the top was no longer legally allowed to be removed and was secured with “tamper proof” Torx bolts.
The Bronco was discontinued after the 1996 model year and replaced with the larger, four-door Expedition. The Bronco maintained a loyal following, and rumors have popped up many times over the past 20 years that the Bronco would make a triumphant return. Well this time, it’s official: the Ford Bronco is coming back! And will return to the US “no later than 2020.”
There has been a great deal of speculation regarding the exact configuration of the Ford Bronco. The version that retired in 1996 was last build on a shortened F-Series chassis, so many believe that the new Ford Bronco will also be based on an F-Series platform. Others maintain that the Bronco will use the chassis from the Ford Ranger, which, although is no longer available in the US, is still produced and sold internationally. If this is the case, the Bronco may well resemble the Ford Everest, which a 4-door SUV built on the Ranger platform and available internationally. An even smaller group of Bronco fans maintains that the Bronco will be based on the upcoming 2017 Ford Raptor. Speculation is equally divided as to whether the Bronco will feature its iconic two-door look, or if it will be a four-door SUV. If the two-door, there is a slight possibility that the new Bronco may resemble the Troller, a Brazilian made SUV currently build on the Ranger platform. At any rate, we know for sure that after more than two decades, the Ford Bronco will finally be coming back!
In the meantime, check out some concept art of what the new Ford Bronco might look like and ask your local NH Ford dealer for more information!
The most likely configuration of the 2020 Ford Bronco
The Ford Bronco as imagined on the 2017 Ford Raptor platform
A burly, blacked-out version of the Ford Bronco on a Ford Raptor platform
The Ford Bronco as imagined based on the Ford Troller
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2017 Lincoln Continental
The 2017 Lincoln Continental will be arriving at Irwin Lincoln, so you can arrive in style
The all-new 2017 Lincoln Continental is being built by a dedicated team of engineers and designers who are committed to providing the very highest levels of quality, design, and personal service. The Continental hopes to attract young, successful, well-educated people to the Lincoln brand.
The 2017 Lincoln Continental will feature a wide variety of configurations, with three engines to choose from, and your choice of front-wheel drive, or Intelligent All-Wheel Drive. The available engines are: a naturally-aspirated 3.7L V6, a turbocharged 2.7L V6, and a turbocharged 3.0L V6 which features Lincoln Drive Control as well as Dynamic Torque Vectoring.
The Lincoln Continental will be available in rich, luxurious colors such as: Black Velvet, Burgundy Velvet Metallic, Black Diamond Metallic, Ingot Silver Metallic, Jade Metallic, Magentic Metallic, Midnight Sapphire Metallic, Palladium Gold Metallic, Ruby Red Metallic Tinted Clearcoat, and White Platinum Metallic Tri-coat. These beautiful colors are nicely accented by your choice of 18-, 19-, or 20-inch aluminum wheels that are available either painted or polished.
Lincoln understands that the young, successful professionals for whom they designed the Continental value technology. With that in mind, here are just some of the options that the 2017 Lincoln Continental has available: enhanced active park assist, lane-keeping system, SYNC 3 with voice-activated Navigation, 360-degree camera, pre-collision assist, rain-sensing wipers, heated and cooled seats, heated steering wheel, premium LED headlamps, Revel Ultima Audio with 19 speakers, and much, much more.
Because no luxury car would be complete without a driver’s seat of unparalleled comfort and repose, the design team spared no expense in making the Lincoln Continental’s seat. The 2017 Lincoln Continental features a 30-way throne of comfort that can be finely adjusted to suit a driver’s comfort levels, says Johnathan Line, advanced seat-innovation supervisor and global technical expert for seating. And surprisingly enough, the 30-way seats aren’t bigger than conventional seats; in fact, they actually use less foam, thanks to a flexible suspension system that provides the support typically offered by thicker cushioning.
2017 Lincoln MKZ for sale at Irwin Lincoln
The completely redesigned 2017 Lincoln MKZ is now available for sale at Irwin Lincoln! This striking new model takes bold new cues from the upcoming 2017 Lincoln Continental , most notably the grille and front fascia
When equipped with an available 3.0L V6 engine, the 2017 Lincoln MKZ is projected to achieve 400 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque! That is some serious get-up-and-go, and it helps the MKZ live up to its tagline: Power With Purpose
In keeping with Lincoln’s proud tradition of fine craftsmanship and superior attention to detail, the cockpit boats a Wollsdorf-leather-wrapped steering wheel, more sculpted and tighter pillar and door-trim work, optimized speaker placement and high-end interior surface materials. The available Revel Ultima System includes 20 HARMAN speakers for a luxurious auditory experience
Lincoln prizes safety as much as it does luxury, and with that in mind, it offers available Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection. This safety package combines radar and camera technology to help prevent accidents. It is especially useful in busy urban settings like Boston
The 2017 Lincoln MKZ features a fully retractable panoramic glass roof for a thrilling sense of freedom and enjoyment
To learn more about the 2017 Lincoln MKZ and the upcoming 2017 Lincoln Continental, please contact one of our dedicated product specialists. Or better yet, come visit us in person at 59 Bisson Avenue in Laconia, NH!
2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350
Irwin Ford is the extremely proud (temporary) home of a 2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350. This is one serious sports car! It boasts a 5.2L V8 engine that cranks out a whopping 526 horsepower and 429 lb-ft of torque. The six-speed manual transmission makes it all the more fun to drive and ensures that every bit of power from the motor is getting delivered exactly the way you want it. This black Shelby GT350 is rated at going from 0 to 60 in 4.3 seconds! You will love the throaty roar your get from the quad exhaust!
This model features the optional Technology Package, which is loaded with features such as the SYNC3 infotainment system, heated and cooled leather seats, MagneRide suspension, and voice-activated navigation.
The Shelby GT350 is an extremely limited production vehicle that is in short supply! This is the only one we will get this year so do not miss your opportunity to buy it! Once this bad boy is gone, it is GONE!
Are You Damaging Your Engine?
We had some record-setting cold temperatures this weekend, and our vehicles didn’t like it any more than we did. Extremely cold temperatures are not just hard on people but are also hard on our cars and trucks as well, especially if stored outside. What’s more, you can actually damage your engine by doing one simple thing that you have probably been told to do in the first place!
The traditional wisdom in New England is that you need to let an engine idle for several minutes before driving it. While that was true for carbureted engines, it is not true for modern engines that use fuel-injection. Any fact, letting your engine idle for more than about 30 seconds can end up doing more harm than good. According to Stephen Ciatti, a mechanical engineer at the Argonne National Laboratory who specializes in internal combustion engines, letting your car idle in cold weather can actually damage your engine.
Your internal combustion engine works by compressing a mixture of air and vaporized gasoline in a cylinder, and then igniting it; the resulting explosion moves a piston and generates power. Gasoline does not evaporate as efficiently at colder temperatures. When the engine is cold, the electronic fuel injector compensates for the reduced efficiency by pumping more gasoline than normal into the chamber, and continues to pump a higher fuel to air ration mixture until the engine’s temperature reaches about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. This might not sound like a problem, but the extra gasoline in the chamber can actually was the lubricating oil off the chamber walls, which can cause engine damage.
You want to heat the engine up as quickly as possible, and the best way to do that is to drive. That being said, it would not be advisable to start your engine and immediately floor it down the interstate. Ideally, you’d start your car, let it run for 15 seconds while checking your seat belt and mirrors, and then take it easy for the first several minutes of your drive. Think of it as easing into a morning run.
And one the topic of cold weather: be sure to keep some extra warm clothes in your trunk just in case. Between cold weather, black ice, thin tires, and other winter hazards, it is important to be prepared for the possibility of being stuck on the side of the road for a little while.
4 Helpful Hints to Prepare Your Car for Winter
We have been fortunate this year to have an extra-long stretch of mild weather, but the sad truth is that winter will be here before we know it. In preparation of the white stuff, and all the hazardous road conditions that come with it, it is important to make sure that your vehicle is in tip-top shape.
Tires are one of the single most important safety inspection items on your vehicle because they are what connect your vehicle to the road. At a minimum, you should have your tires inspected for adequate tread depth and to ensure that the tires are wearing evenly. The State of New Hampshire requires a minimum tread depth of 2/32 of an inch, which is not very much. If your tries are getting down around 3/32 or 4/32, ask yourself if you really want to be driving on icy roads with tires that are on their way out. You might also want to consider getting snow tires. Snow tires provide better traction than all-season tires due to a combination of a more aggressive tread pattern, and a softer rubber compound. The result is a tire that grips winter roads exceptionally well.
Be sure to have all of your fluids checked to ensure that your vehicle is running as it should. Having an adequate supply of clean motor oil and transmission fluid it crucial to the health of your vehicle, but don’t forget to check your wiper fluid as well. Driving down the road and being unable to clear the road salt off your windshield is not just an annoyance, it can be dangerous as it impedes visibility. Make sure that you have enough wiper fluid and that your windshield wipers clear the glass rather than smearing or leaving streaks.
The cold weather can also take a toll on your car battery. If your battery is old and/or has a weak charge, you may find yourself unable to get your car started after an especially cold night. Be sure to have your battery tested to make sure that it will start right up.
If you have ever found yourself wishing that your car had a remote starter or heated seats, it may interest you to know that both of these features are available as after-market options. Leaving for work when it is cold and dark in the morning can be a little more palatable with a pre-warmed vehicle.
Money-saving Tips
Is your driving style costing you money? According to the U.S. Department of Energy, aggressive driving can lower your efficiency by as much as 33% on the highway and about 5% around town. Aggressive driving is defined as a pattern of speeding combined with rapid acceleration and braking. If you stomp on the gas when the light turns green and then stomp on the brakes to stop again, you are going to use a lot more fuel then someone who accelerates and decelerates more gently. And even though gas is cheap right now, the average driver can still save hundreds of dollars a year in fuel costs by refraining from aggressive driving
On a related note, some insurance companies now offer discounts to customers who voluntarily put GPS chips in their cars so that the insurer can track driving behavior. When these customers do not speed or otherwise drive aggressively, they may see additional decreases in their insurance premium.
I talk about tires a lot in this column because they are such an integral part of your car. Well, I’m about to do it again: Check your tire pressure regularly, and fill your tires whenever they fall below the recommended rating listed in your owner’s manual. If you can’t find your owner’s manual, the recommended air pressure is usually also listed on a sticker on the driver’s side door jamb. Maintaining proper tire pressure is an important safety consideration, as it allows your tires to function the way they were designed to. Properly inflated tires can also improve your fuel economy by up to 3.3%, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. As an added benefit, keeping your tires properly inflated will prolong the life of your tires. Not bad for a couple quarters!
5 Ways to Keep Your Car Running Smoothly
Routine maintenance is critical to keeping your car running in tip-top shape and prolonging the life of your vehicle. The single most important piece of routine maintenance you can have done is an oil change. Oil changes help prevent damage to the motor, and keep your vehicle running smoothly. Dirty motor oil can literally ruin your engine, the single most expensive part of your vehicle. We recommend that whenever you change your oil (typically every 5,000 miles) you also rotate your tires whenever your oil is changed.
Tire rotations prevent uneven wear on your tires, helping you to get to the most use from each set of tires. As an added benefit, keeping your tires serviced and properly inflated will improve your fuel economy. Best of all, we provide free lifetime tire rotations on every set of tires that we sell, so if you have bought tires from us, you can have your tires rotated for free when we change your oil. When we rotate your tires, we also measure the tread depth of each tire. To pass inspection, the State of New Hampshire requires a minimum tread depth of 2/32 of an inch, which is not very much. If your tires are getting down around 3/32 or 4/32, ask yourself if you really want to be driving on wet or icy roads with tires that are on their last legs. As we get ready for another winter, you may want to invest in either a new set of all-season tires, or a set of snow tires for winter use.
An alignment, as its names suggests, makes sure that all of your wheels are properly aligned, so that they work together. Cars that are out of alignment cost you money in two ways: their tires wear unevenly, and they have worse fuel economy (the tires “fight” each other and it requires more power to go in a straight line). Having an alignment done is an easy way to prolong the life of your tires while improving your fuel economy.
Just as changing the motor oil prevents gunk from building up in your motor, a “transmission flush” keeps your transmission working smoothly and helps to protect your gears. By changing your transmission fluid, you remove any dirt that may have accumulated and prolong the life of your transmission. Be sure to consult your owner’s manual to see how frequently your manufacturer recommends changing the transmission fluid. And if your service adviser recommends that you change your transmission fluid, do it. Trust me; it costs a lot more to replace a transmission than it does to change the fluid.
Your air filters can also get dirty and need to be replaced from time to time. The benefit of a new, clean air filter is that you are getting as much fresh air as possible into the cylinders so your engine will work as efficiently as possible, delivering the most power and improving acceleration.
How to Get a Car Loan (Even Without Perfect Credit)
It is important to know what your credit is. This is true in general, but it is especially true if you are planning to finance a car. Knowing your credit score allows you to know that you are getting the best rate possible. Checking your credit report regularly can also help you protect your score by disputing any inaccurate charges or records on your credit. Reporting agencies like TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax are required to provide your score for free on an annual basis.
The standard unit of determining credit worthiness is called a FICO score, which is named after Fair Isaacs and Company, the firm that pioneered this scoring process. Your credit score changes over time, and moves up and down based on factors such as opening up new lines of credit, paying off older accounts, and so forth. According to Fair Isaacs and Company’s website, a FICO score is based on 5 factors with different weighting: payment history (35%), amounts owed (30%), length of credit history (15%), new credit (10%), and types of credit used (10%).
As a consumer you are entitled to one free credit report for each of the three main credit bureau companies (Trans Union, Experian and Equifax) per year at no charge. The website to receive and view this data is https://www.annualcreditreport.com. By viewing your credit reports each year, you can pick up on errors in reporting and have them fixed before you make a purchase. Catching these errors sooner rather than later will save you headaches down the road. Achieving and maintaining an excellent credit score is important because people with higher scores are more likely to be approved for loans and have access to lower interest rates.
If your credit is less than perfect, you can still get an auto loan, but you will pay a higher interest rate than someone with excellent credit. One way to save money is to opt for a shorter-term loan, such as a 3- or 4-year loan instead of a 5- or 6-year loan. Your monthly payments will be higher because you are paying off the debt sooner, but shorter loans tend to have lower interest rates than longer term loans.
A car loan can also be a good step towards repairing a credit score that is not as high as you would like. Because payment history is the most heavily weighted category at 35% of the total score, and is also one of the “good” types of credit used, taking out a car loan and making timely payments can begin to repair a credit score quickly. According to Craig Watts, consumer affairs manager for Fair Isaac Corp. “The mantra for getting a great score is pay your bills on time, keep account balances low, and take out new credit only when you need it.”
If you are interested in a car loan, be sure to check out http://www.nhcarcredit.com.
Ford Secures 1,000 UAW Jobs in Ohio
Ford has moved production of the F-650 and F-750 trucks from Mexico to the United States! The F-650/F-750 production will take place at the Ohio Assembly Plant in Avon Lake, Ohio, and will help secure more than 1,000 hourly United Auto Worker jobs as well as a $168 million plant investment in the US. The Ohio Assembly Plant was opened in 1974 and employs more than 1,400 people.
“Our investment in Ohio Assembly Plant reinforces our commitment to building vehicles in America and to delivering best-in-class commercial trucks,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford president, The Americas. “Working with our partners in the UAW, we found a way to make the costs competitive enough to bring production of a whole new generation of work trucks to Ohio.”
The F-650 and F-750 are both available with either gasoline or diesel engines. Ford is the only automotive manufacturer to offer a gasoline engine in the medium-duty truck class. The gasoline engine is a 6.8L V10 that produces 320 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. Ford also offers the option of having this engine factory-prepped to convert to either compressed natural gas or liquid propane gas, which will be attractive alternatives when the price of oil rises. For those interested in a diesel engine, Ford offers a 6.7L PowerStroke V8 diesel engine. Ford is also the only automotive manufacturer in the world that designs and builds its diesel engine and transmission combination for the medium-duty truck segment.
Ford commercial trucks have been the best-selling commercial trucks in the US for 30 straight years!
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