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Winters in the Northland are no joke. From lake-effect snow and icy roads to sub-zero temperatures, drivers need vehicles that can handle whatever winter throws their way. Choosing the right vehicle isn’t just about comfort. It’s about confidence, safety, and reliability when conditions are at their worst. At Benna Ford, we know what it takes to drive through a Northland winter, which is why we’ve put together a list of the best Ford winter vehicles that are especially well-suited for snowy roads and cold mornings. Starting things off with our pick for best overall - the winter ready Ford Bronco. When it comes to handling the unpredictable conditions of a Northland winter, the Ford Bronco stands out as an exceptional all-around choice. The Bronco delivers rugged capability for winter driving. It comes standard with a robust 4×4 system and multiple terrain drive modes. Its high ground clearance means you’re less likely to get stuck in deep snow, and features like off-road traction control give you better grip when traction is scarce. The Bronco handles Superior’s winter streets with ease. It also delivers the confidence you need for trails and towing when temperatures drop. Best winter SUV for daily driving - Ford Bronco Sport. For drivers who want winter confidence in a more compact and efficient package, the Ford Bronco Sport is an excellent choice for Northland conditions. The Bronco Sport uses standard 4x4 capability to handle snow-covered roads and icy winter commutes with ease. Its Terrain Management System, including a Slippery drive mode, helps optimize traction when road conditions change quickly - something us Northland drivers know all too well. With a higher ride height than many compact SUVs and available features like heated seats and remote start, the Bronco Sport offers the right balance of capability, comfort, and everyday practicality for Minnesota and Wisconsin winters. Best winter SUV for families - Ford Explorer. The Ford Explorer delivers confident traction with available Intelligent 4WD and selectable drive modes. The Explorer offers a roomy interior and generous cargo space. It easily hauls winter gear for cabins, sleds, and family outings. Add features like heated seats and advanced safety tech, and the Explorer becomes an excellent choice for Northland drivers who want all-season versatility with strong winter performance. Best winter SUV for towing and heavy gear - Ford Expedition. For families who need to tow serious winter gear, their best choice is the Ford Expedition. With available Intelligent 4WD, robust ground clearance, and a Terrain Management System built to confidently handle snowy roads and slippery conditions, the Expedition delivers strength where you need it most. Its expansive interior and impressive towing capacity make it ideal for hauling trailers, snowmobiles, boats, or all the winter sporting equipment you require. Whether you’re heading up north for a holiday getaway or navigating packed highways with a full load of passengers, the Expedition combines comfort and confidence for winter driving. Best winter truck for tough jobs - the legendary Ford F-150. When you need work‑ready performance in all seasons, the Ford F‑150 earns its place as the best winter truck for towing, hauling, and tough jobs. With available 4×4 systems, selectable drive modes for slippery conditions, and exceptional ground clearance, the F‑150 is built to power through snow‑covered roads, icy backroads, and steep rural terrain. Its legendary towing and payload capacity make it ideal for hauling trailers, boats, snowmobiles, or heavy equipment. Whether you’re a contractor heading to a job site, a weekend adventurer with a trailer in tow, or just want a truck that feels confident on every winter road, the F‑150 pairs capability and reliability when the weather turns cold. Best winter SUV for town driving - Ford Escape. Want a compact and efficient SUV that doesn’t back down from winter roads? The Ford Escape is an excellent choice - available with all‑wheel drive to help maintain traction on slick streets and light snow. Its nimble size makes it easy to park and maneuver in snow‑packed lots, and features like available heated seats and remote start add welcome comfort on frigid mornings. With strong fuel economy and a smooth driving experience, the Escape is a smart and practical pick for drivers who need dependable winter performance without the bulk of a larger SUV. No matter what your winter driving needs are, Ford offers a vehicle built to handle the Northland's toughest conditions. From the rugged capability of the Bronco to the everyday practicality of the Escape, each of these models delivers confidence, comfort, and safety when the snow starts to fall. At Benna Ford in Superior, WI, we’re here to help you find the best Ford winter vehicles for your lifestyle and all the winters ahead - so you can drive with peace of mind no matter what the season brings. Sources: https://www.ford.com/, https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/ford/

Ford’s research and development goes beyond the already complicated business of creating vehicles. It looks into all aspects of driving, including having a division dedicated to investigating how driving or riding can be made more practical and comfortable for those with special needs. From there, it created the SupportBelt for breast cancer patients. Benna Ford gives you the details. Ford states that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes. Unfortunately, that leads to more than 100,000 breast cancer patients having mastectomies every year. Among the many physical and psychological hardships posed by these surgeries, one of them is the pain of using a shoulder harness, which applies pressure over wounds and scarring chemo ports. It keeps many mastectomy patients from wearing their belts or wearing them properly. One cancer patient interviewed describes how she tried to place a shaw between the belt and herself with poor results; others describe dreading driving and not using a belt at all because of the pain involved. Ford has dedicated more than $139 million to breast cancer research over the last 30 years, but in this area, Ford figured it could do the work itself. The last thing these patients need is to suffer the increased injury from not wearing a seat belt during a collision. The project was given to the Ford Human Centered Design team. After extensive research, the team developed the SupportBelt, which is designed to be attached to the shoulder harness portion of the seat belt. At its heart is a comfortable foam core designed to provide comfort over the chest area. Protecting the foam is a leather outer skin, which includes two straps that wrap around the belt and fasten with Velcro. The side that comes in contact with the wearer has soft suede-like surface material, 40% of which is derived from recycled PET plastic from water bottles. It is similar to Ultrasuede and other surfaces used in car interiors that feel like suede but are much more durable and can withstand the wear that vehicle interiors encounter. To ensure the SupportBelt is available to those who need it, Ford offers it at no cost to mastectomy patients in the U.S. who reserve it. Ford is also licensing the design to allow other automakers to adapt, design, and manufacture their own. If you are a mastectomy patient or know a patient who could benefit from the SupportBelt, contact one of Benna Ford’s sales professionals. They can show you how to make a reservation and let you drive or ride comfortably again.

The Ford Maverick has been a firestarter as a brand new truck for people who wouldn’t usually look at buying a truck. The Maverick is available as either a hybrid or a turbocharged 4-cylinder, each getting excellent fuel mileage and still having a 4.5-foot bed in which you can haul up to 1,500 lbs of stuff. Who Is Autoblog.com? Autoblog.com, one of the largest automotive news and review websites, ranked the best compact trucks for 2024 and gave the Maverick an 8 out of 10 score, besting its nearest rival, the Hyundai Santa Cruz. What made Autoblog love the Maverick so much? What Autoblog Had To Say “There was a time in America when choosing the best compact truck was an extremely difficult proposition. Not terribly long ago, buyers could find a small pickup truck or two in virtually every new-car showroom. Those days are long gone, as offerings like the Ford Ranger, Chevrolet S-10 (and later Colorado), Nissan Hardbody and Toyota Tacoma grew in size over the years or were discontinued (and in some cases reborn or renamed) to make up the category we now know as midsize trucks. Interestingly enough, a couple of automakers re-entered the compact pickup segment in 2022 with surprisingly different takes on the small truck formula. So which of the two options is the best compact truck in America? We think most buyers will be best served by the Ford Maverick if they are buying a truck to serve as an implement to move people and cargo.” Price, Engines, And Drivetrain, Oh My Besides being a small truck, what makes the Maverick so appealing to prospective buyers? For 2024, the small Ford has a base MSRP of $23,815. It is available with either a 2.5-liter Atkinson cycle 4-cylinder that has a combined output of 191 horsepower and standard front-wheel drive or the available 2.0-liter EcoBoost 4-cylinder that produces 250 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque available in either front or all-wheel drive. Both engines can be optioned with three trim levels: XL, XLT, and Lariat. An 8-speed automatic transmission is standard for all models. Fuel Economy When equipped with the hybrid motor, the Maverick can achieve 42 mpg city and 33 mpg highway. When opting for the EcoBoost, customers can see up to 23 city and 30 highway mpg when equipped with front-wheel drive or 22 and 29 when optioned with all-wheel drive. The top-of-the-line Tremor option will get 20 mpg city and 24 on the highway. Towing Capabilities All Maverick models can tow 2,000 lbs as standard. However, a towing package can be optioned that increases the usability to 4,000 lbs. Interior Technology No matter which Maverick you choose, buyers will get an 8-inch center touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. With FordPass Connect, you will have a WiFi hotspot that as many as ten devices can access simultaneously. Safety Features Ford CoPilot 360 is also standard on all Maverick models and features Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking and Automatic High Beam Headlamps, as well as available Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go, Blind Spot Information System with Cross-Traffic Alert, Lane Centering, and Evasive Steering Assist. At Benna Ford, we offer our customers some of the best prices and services. With more than 100 new and used vehicles to choose from, our outstanding sales team and finance department will work hard to make sure you drive away happy. And our fantastic service department will take care of your new-to-you vehicle as if it were their own.

When the season changes and the temperature outside starts to drop, buyers begin to ask how important it is to invest in winter tires. It’s a question nearly as old as the automobile: Do winter tires actually make a difference? The answer is yes. However, many factors go into choosing the right tires for your vehicle driven in winter conditions. Temperature Differences Suppose you live in an area where the weather is generally below 40 degrees Fahrenheit with average or above-average snowfall in the wintertime. In that case, that’s when you know it’s time to buy some winter tires, whereas an all-season tire rated for snow will be better suited for climates where it dips into the freezing territory but hovers above 40 degrees. They can operate well in 20-30 degrees, but winter tires will allow for safer maneuverability and better braking performance even when it's 0 degrees outside. What About AWD Without Winter Tires? If you drive a Ford with all-wheel drive, some people will tell you, “Oh, you have all-wheel drive, you'll be fine.” No, this is a major mistake. Even though you have a vehicle with four wheels actively receiving power at the same time, it does not mean the traction of that vehicle will be any better if you have the wrong tires on your car. If anything, it can make things more difficult. When it loses traction, the car will try to put power to the correct wheel(s). However, all of the wheels are attempting to get traction simultaneously, which has the potential for disaster. A dedicated winter tire can help your car stop up to 30 feet shorter on a snowy road at 30 mph compared to an all-season tire, according to testing from Tire Rack. That distance is probably tripled or quadrupled when compared to a summer tire that isn’t rated for snow. Cold Roads, Worse Performance When the road surface is colder, that’s when summer and all-season tires will perform worse during panic stops and sudden lane changes. All-season tires will be better than summer tires, but if you live in a state where 20 degrees is average, everything but a winter tire will feel like you are driving on hard glass. Which Winter Tire For My Car? Like summer tires, there are different types of winter tires. If you have an SUV, truck, or sedan, you will be looking at a regular studless winter tire. If you live in mountainous areas where roads can stay packed with snow and ice for days or weeks at a time, you may want to look at buying studded tires, as they are going to provide much-needed grip with their small metal spikes/studs that can dig into the surface for improved traction. If you have a Mustang, for instance, you’ll want to check out some high-performance winter tires that will suit the driving characteristics of your performance vehicle. At Benna Ford, we offer our customers some of the best prices and services. With more than 100 new and used vehicles to choose from, our outstanding sales team and finance department will work hard to make sure you drive away happy. And our fantastic service department will take care of your new-to-you vehicle as if it were their own.

When buying a truck or SUV to tow with, you really need to make sure you know what you are looking for and getting into. It shouldn’t be taken lightly, as towing unsafely can cause real harm to yourself, other people on the road, and especially if you are towing horses, or some other type of animal. Before doing any towing, you should always calculate the weights involved, check your tow hitch, make sure your brakes are in good working order, and also have the proper tire pressures in your vehicle and trailer, among other things. Many Engines, Lots Of Towing Capability The Ford F-150 can be optioned with 6 different motors, from a 3.3-liter V6, 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6, 5.0-liter V8, 3.0-liter Power Stroke Diesel V6, 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6, and finally a 3.5-liter PowerBoost Hybrid. This means that an F-150 can tow anywhere from 5,000 lbs with a base V6 model, all the way up to 13,800 lbs with a properly equipped 3.5-liter EcoBoost. Because of this, sometimes you will want to use a Weight-Distribution Hitch. What Is A Weight-Distribution Hitch? To understand what a Weight-Distribution Hitch is, you need to understand that when towing, you are essentially putting a load on the rear axle. If there is too much weight on the tongue, the front end can start to get light, meaning braking performance is worse, steering becomes less precise, and you have a recipe for potential disaster that can cause real harm to you and others on the road. So, fundamentally, it allows you to put more of the towing weight back onto the front axle instead of having the rear axle take all of the load. What Exactly Is FALR? Front-Axle Load Restoration (FALR) is a method used to distribute weight back to the front axle. This correlates to a set of equalizer bars or arms placed from the trailer hitch to the a-frame of the trailer you’re towing. These are typically placed about 25-35 inches from the coupler. The coupler is the part that goes from the trailer and locks onto the hitch ball from the towing vehicle. Changing the height of the hitch ball/head can further change the distribution of weight. When using the FALR system, you can load anywhere from 50% up to 100% of the distributed weight back to the front axle. Just remember, adding too much weight back to the front axle can have adverse effects on the rear axle, by inducing slippage. The rear tires will have less traction, and this can cause the trailer to become unwieldy. When To Use A Weight-Distribution Hitch Now, when exactly should you be using a weight distribution hitch? Ford recommends that you use one on any trailer over 5,000 lbs. And they also recommend using 50% FALR. Tow Safely While towing can seem very stressful at first, after a few times, you will get the hang of it. It’s not difficult if you follow the steps to tow safely, which includes understanding the limits of your vehicle, the trailer, and calculating everything appropriately. Try and practice with a rented trailer or with the help of some friends. Towing is a skill that can really come in handy, especially if you get into doing big home projects, race cars on the weekends, or if you end up buying a horse. At Benna Ford, we take pride in offering the best vehicles to our customers. With dozens of new and pre-owned vehicles to choose from, our amazing sales team will find you the right vehicle at the right price. Once you’ve purchased your vehicle, our stellar service department will ensure that your car stays in the best shape. We look forward to taking care of you in the future.

It is pretty easy to look upon vehicle service maintenance as something to consider only when necessary. And if you keep up with scheduled maintenance and replace things when needed, your car should stay in good enough shape. But it is possible that you may be spending too much money. It is always a good idea to periodically check Benna Ford’s service specials to see if there is something you can take advantage of. Here are a couple of examples. Low Price Tire Guarantee Did you know that Benna Ford offers this? Until the end of the year, Benna Ford will beat any tire retailer’s price on any tire we carry. Just present a retailer’s advertised or website price on a tire of the same model in your size, and we will beat it. As the offer says, Why buy tires anywhere else? Benna carries 17 major tire brands and offers this price guarantee for 30 days at or after purchase. Lifetime Brake Pad Guarantee Normally brake pads are the type of thing that are not covered under warranty for the simple reason that they wear down by design. But with this Benna Ford special, there will be no cost for the replacement parts of any * Motorcraft ® brake pads purchased since 7/1/14 or Omnicraft ® brake pads purchased since 7/1/17. The pads must have been installed by a U.S. Ford Dealership, Lincoln Retailer, or Quick Lane ® technician. Labor costs are not included, and coverage does not include Commercial delivery vehicles, taxis, limousines, postal, police, tow trucks, racing, and emergency vehicles. Talk to a Benna Ford service advisor for details. Free Inspections You can also have your starter battery inspected for free, which certainly can be a worthwhile endeavor before our Wisconsin / Minnesota winter returns. Your brakes can be inspected for free as well. And who doesn't want to know that their brakes are in ideal condition? The inspection includes pads, caliper operation rotors, drums, if applicable, and hoses and connections and includes parking brake inspection as well. All of the offers above are good until the end of the year, and there are additional specials available. It is entirely possible additional offers will be introduced throughout the year. So, whenever the thought of vehicle maintenance crosses your mind, access the Benna Ford Service & Parts Specials website page and see what other kinds of service offers may be useful to you.

With more distractions on the road than ever, useful driver assist features help us stay safe and avoid collisions. One of those features is Ford’s Auto Hold, a braking feature that helps you out when there’s stop-and-go traffic or city driving. It’s one feature among many of Ford’s driver assist technology, meant to keep your foot rested when traffic gets tough. Curious about how it works? You can learn how to engage Auto Hold and what it does from the Ford experts at Benna Ford. How Does Auto Hold Work? Enabling Auto Hold in your Ford is simple and convenient. There are two options to turn it on: locate the Auto Hold button on your instrument panel or center console and press. You’ll know it’s activated by looking at the cluster and making sure the light is illuminated. That’s it! Then, the next time you need to brake, you can lift your foot off of the pedal and the brakes will stay activated. Your brake lights stay on to indicate to the vehicles behind you that you’re still braking, and your car will remain stopped until you hit the accelerator again. [gallery link="none" columns="2" size="full" ids="417,418"] This feature is helpful whether you’re stopped at traffic light after traffic light or are on a busy highway during rush hour. It even activates when you’re on a hilly street, so if the vehicle notices any rolling, it will automatically apply the brake again. It’s important to note that Auto Hold will turn off with your vehicle, so it needs to be reactivated every time you plan to use it. Not all new Ford vehicles will include this feature, as it might depend on the model, trim, and feature availability at the time it’s manufactured. Find Your Ford with Auto Hold at Benna Ford Are you interested in seeing how Auto Hold works in person? Visit us today at Benna Ford for a demonstration! We can show you this and other driver assist features included on the Ford vehicle that interests you, then set you up with a test drive so you can try for yourself. Contact us today to learn more about which vehicles include Auto Hold.

What do breadcrumbs and the Ford Ranger have to do with each other? Think about how you would track an animal in the woods to safety – or to trap them for game. You have to lead them to a place of your choosing. Most people would leave a trail of breadcrumbs to that location. The animal would pick up these breadcrumbs along the trail until they reach the end of the trail. Ford took that same idea and applied it to their navigation systems. Here is how: You are driving your Ford Ranger into the woods to meet the animal you set the trail for. Yet, the road you are driving on is unmarked. What the Ranger's navigation will do is to lay down "breadcrumbs" via the GPS system tied to SYNC3's navigation system to mark your trail. The navigation system will remember this information on the screen. When you have to return back to the marked road, you have to follow the digital breadcrumbs back the way you came. All you have to do is to enable the Breadcrumbs through your SYNC3 navigation system for this to work. This feature is only available on SYNC3 equipped Ford Rangers with on-board navigation. Now you can find your way home in a new Ford Ranger from Benna Ford. We have an inventory of the Ranger ready for test drives. We’ll leave a trail of breadcrumbs to the one you will take home today!

The new 2020 Ford Escape is designed to be the best compact SUV – period. One of the things Ford tackled when developing the new Escape is making it safer than ever before. The company examined the body design with its basic structure and added new safety features designed to keep you and everyone on board secure from any situation on the road. The result of this work comes with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) naming the Ford Escape its Top Safety Pick. The Escape was given top marks for every collision test by the IIHS – including the Small Overlap and Moderate Overlap frontal collision tests. The IIHS also gave the new Escape high marks for using the LATCH child seat anchors, as well as marks for both standard and available crash prevention systems. Those crash prevention systems are wrapped up in the Ford Co-Pilot 360 suite of advanced driver assist features. These features include Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking, BLIS with Cross-Traffic Alert, available Active Park Assist 2.0, Active Cruise Control with Stop-and-Go, View Camera, Evasive Steering Assist, Lane-Keeping System, Voice Activated Navigation System, and Auto High-Beam Headlamps. These features combined are designed to keep you and your passengers on the road and away from harm. Sometimes driving in the Twin Ports is a challenge year-round, and having a safe vehicle is to living well here. The 2020 Ford Escape is the best solution to your Twin Ports lifestyle. Benna Ford now has an inventory of this highly advanced, very safe, and award-winning 2020 Ford Escape. Test drive one today and see how we made this new Escape safer than ever.