Why Buy a Used Ford?

We’ve all sat in traffic jams, and through the haze of frustration and traffic reports on the radio, have had our eyes wander over the surrounding metal stretching back for miles. The blue oval of a used Ford, or box fresh one, invariably stares back at you – and with good reason. For years Ford has outsold its rivals, with a new or used Ford delivering everything a car buyer could want, with cutting edge design, reliability, practicality and crucially; value for money all included. Take the Ford Ka for instance. This car is more popular among women than a small dog in a sparkly handbag and despite being 12 years old, it remains so futuristic looking, an extraterrestrial should be supplied as standard.

A perusal through a selection of the remaining Ford range has the population well catered for too. From said Ka, we have the lovable Fiesta hatchback, the mid-size Focus, the motorway stallion Mondeo and the kid transporter – the Galaxy to name but a few. Throw a few ‘ST’ badges onto the Fiesta or Focus and you’ll also have enough whiplash inducing acceleration for the performance purist. After all, Ford know a bit about racing too – they supplied the engines for many Formula One cars from the ‘60’s right up to 2004, many carrying the much worshipped ‘Cosworth’ badge. Not only that, they power the entire field in the USA’s Champ Car series which includes the famous Indianapolis 500 and have scored points in every World Rally meeting since 2002 (92 consecutive races!) clinching two championships as a result. Ford boring then, well not quite…

So, enough setting the scene – why buy a used Ford? The best recommendation has to be commuters. No seriously, because those that pile on the pounds at corporate dinners, also pile on the motorway miles, relentlessly, year on year with their Fords happily on cruise control. This means simply that companies happily add Fords to their annual line-ups due to their near bullet proof reliability and cost effectiveness. Ok, so when the cruise control is switched off whilst sitting in a 25 mile jam and the motorway looks like the world’s largest used Ford showroom, you may want exclusivity. However, follow this logic and you’ll stick with a walkman rather than an iPod, an Atari computer rather than a Nintendo Wii and a clothes mangle rather than washing machine. The best inventions are always the most popular – so what if everyone wants a Ford with an iPod adapter?

Ok, time for the science bit. In 2006, Ford produced 6.6 million vehicles and as of 2007, has more quality awards from JD Power (only the biggest customer satisfaction survey wizards) than any other car maker. So even though we’re only halfway through, let’s recap – great sporting heritage, most customer satisfaction awards, trendy design, reliable and reasonable. Just in case you need more reasons, let’s see how a typical used Ford, in this case a Focus, stacks up against its competitors.

Featuring more pyramids in its design than an Egyptian desert, this family hatchback is Britain’s best selling car since its birth in 1998, overtaking the Escort, which was, of course also a Ford. You can pick up a newer face-lifted 2006 model for less than £10,000. With that you get a 1.6 litre engine, surrounded by the safest car of its class. Not only is it safer, but check any critics’ opinions and it beats all comers as an overall package. Just to drop a further statistic in, for the same money you could have a Volkswagen Golf that is a further two years older, that’d be coming to the end of its warranty and with a lower specification. Probably in beige with a pipe and slippers too.

Let’s imagine for a moment, you’ve done the deed and your used Ford has ousted the dog as the family’s most loved pet. How far from a dealer are you if all I’ve said is a big fat lie and your car has a problem? Unless you’re based on the outskirts of Mars, you won’t be far and for peace of mind it’s nice to know they’re nearby should the unimaginable happen. The JD Power awards also cover servicing and after-sales care so you can look forward top notch care when your car is due for a service. Nice to know Ford’s customer service has improved since Henry Ford famously declared you could have the world’s first production car in any colour, as long as it was black.

In conclusion, Top Gear named the Ford Mondeo ‘Car of the Year 2007’. Admittedly it was because it was the only car that at least one of the presenters didn’t dislike, but this is the point I’ve been trying to drive home throughout this article. Name your favourite car design, favourite interior, best handling, fastest or most spacious cars and I doubt Ford is going to outscore Ferrari, Bentley, Lotus or Volvo in these categories (Volvo being the most exotic obviously). However name the car that best fits your criteria (not to mention the majority of Britain) and I’d put a sizable amount of my pauper’s income that it’d be Ford. We may all want to be with one half of Bradgelina – Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie to the uninitiated, but in reality Sharon from number 25 is the best bet – she’s got some nice curves, is reasonable to run and crucially – she won’t breakdown and stick a vile of your blood around her neck.

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