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Navigation systems have clearly changed the way we get from place to place. The process of unfolding, reading, and attempting to re-fold maps has about as much relevance to the most recent generations of drivers as slide rules have to engineers. Most of us have navigation apps on our smartphones, and if your car was new within the past five years or so, you could likely put that app on a center touchscreen. That being the case, Benna Ford finds there are good reasons to have Ford’s Connected Navigation system in your vehicle. With Ford’s Connected Navigation system, you no longer need to connect your phone to your car. You don’t have to worry about its battery state of charge; in fact, you don’t have to have your phone with you at all. Most importantly, however, you don’t have to depend on cell phone reception. You don’t have to travel too far south into the Wisconsin farmland or west into the Minnesota farmland before cell reception becomes spotty. Guidance from Above The Ford Connected Navigation system bypasses cell towers and picks up its signal directly from satellites above, so your system will always be connected. The cloud-based system remains current with real-time traffic updates and any rerouting due to weather conditions, road hazards, or slowdowns from traffic accidents. If you had one of the early in-vehicle navigation systems, you would be happy to know that physical updating with DVDs or some other form of physical data transfer is a thing of the past. The cloud-based database is automatically updated, so the system will automatically know if a particular location has moved or gone out of business or if a newer franchise has opened closer to you. The system is also voice-activated, so you can issue a destination verbally (and safely) without having to stop and punch in numbers and letters. You can also store your favorite and frequently traveled destinations. You may already know where they are, but the system can tell you the best way to get there from any location, while considering traffic and possible detours when applicable. Towing Assistance If you tow, Ford’s Connected Navigation system can be particularly beneficial. By entering your trailer profile, including size and weight, you can avoid conditions such as narrow roads, tight turns, weight-limited or low bridges, and overpasses, making trailer towing that much easier. EV Integration If you have one of Ford’s electric models, Ford’s Connected Navigation is even more useful, as the system can interact with your range information and battery system. The Intelligent range feature will give you real-time updates based on traffic and route conditions. If you are towing with your EV, it can take the trailer’s weight and wind resistance into account as well. The system can help you find your next public charging station. The system is also integrated with your Ford EV’s battery conditioning system so that it will know when the charging station is close and warm or cool the battery as needed to enable peak charging performance when you arrive. When you purchase your Benna Ford model equipped with the Ford Connected Navigation system, you will have a complimentary 90-day, 1-year, or 1-year trial subscription, depending on the model and model year. After that time, the subscription is just $80 a year. Visit Benna Ford and see the benefits of Ford’s Connected Navigation system.

The Ford Expedition and Expedition Max will arrive with several innovative features. Amidst the high-mounted 24-inch panoramic display, flex power console, and off-road-ready Tremor model, it may be easy to overlook the split tailgate. After all, your grandfather may remember when station wagons had dropping rear tailgates with lift-up windows. First introduced for the redesigned Lincoln Navigator, Ford brought back this old feature with plenty of new tricks, and Benna Ford is happy to tell you about them. To start, anyone who has packed his or her SUV cargo area to the gills will appreciate that if you found one or two more items to place on top, you can just open the window section while the lower tailgate stays closed to keep everything in place. Once lowered, the tailgate is rated to hold 500 pounds. Not only does that help you slide in something weighty, but it can also act as a bench for two sizable adults, much like that on the rear of a pickup. Making tailgate sitting better than that of a pickup is the versatile cargo manager that can slide in vertically to become a seatback. Not only do you have a place to sit, but you can do it comfortably. The cargo manager can also be placed horizontally to provide two-tiered loading so items below won’t bear the weight of the items above. This can also act as a cover to hide items when the vehicle is locked up. If that wasn’t versatile enough, the cargo manager also has extendable legs to stand over the tailgate at an excellent height to serve as a workspace or a serving table during tailgate parties. To further enhance your work or play, there are multiple outlets on the cargo area walls for lights, tools, and other devices. When the activities extend past sundown, the Expedition is available with multi-zone lighting. This provides light all around the vehicle, making it perfect for when you arrive at your camping location a bit later than planned. Such features cause the Expedition to be more than just a big three-row SUV that can comfortably carry up to eight people. “For Expedition customers, family is at the center of everything they do,” said Trevor Scott, General Manager of Ford Utilities. “We spent more than 1,100 hours talking with customers about their everyday lives. And with those insights we’ve rethought and redesigned Expedition to help customers make the most of their precious time with family and to make life easier – before, during and after every trip they make.” There is much to see on the Expedition when it arrives in the spring of 2025. You can be among the first to see these features by having one of our Benna Ford sales professionals notify you when the first 2025 models arrive.

It is not news that the holiday season brings many long drives, mostly for families to celebrate and enjoy the holidays together. At that time, we can expect many Ford users to use their BlueCruise to make the trip more relaxing for the driver. Ford gathers data about BlueCruise usage, and this blog from Benna Ford shares some of what they found. First, one might think that the days before and after Thanksgiving or Christmas have the highest levels of BlueCruise usage. But in 2023, the most significant driving holiday weekend was actually Labor Day, followed by Thanksgiving and then Christmas. During last Thanksgiving, BlueCruise usage rose by 2.2% compared to non-holiday travel. While that may not seem like a large increase, the data also shows that BlueCruise usage was utilized for longer-distance trips. This indicates that while most BlueCruise owners often use the system for their daily commute, they trust this innovative hands-free system to take charge of their extended holiday driving when the holidays arrive. They also calculate that over 3 million miles were BlueCruise operated across the two weekends, bookending the Thanksgiving holiday. From Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day, the average usage was 13.9 miles. That represents 203 hours of relaxed driving. Such data may seem to confirm the obvious, but Ford finds it useful. Most notably, it led the company to offer BlueCruise service for single-month periods in addition to single- or multi-year subscriptions. This allows those who might otherwise not see the need for the service in their regular daily routine to take advantage of BlueCruise for specific holidays or vacation trips. It should be noted that all of this data is fully anonymous and is only collected from BlueCruise customers who have opted to share it with Ford. In addition to collecting data about when BlueCruise is being used and for how long, it also shows where it is being used. In 2023, the states where it was used most are: California Texas Florida Michigan Ohio North Carolina New York Virginia Washington Arizona They have also tracked that the most traveled highway with BlueCruise users last Thanksgiving was I-75 through Florida and Georgia. This is in contrast to the most used highway during non-holidays, I-96 in Michigan, which Ford suspects is the commuting of its own employees. Each year, Ford offers BlueCruise on more model lines and trim levels of those lines, enabling relaxed cross-country driving to more and more drivers. If you have a BlueCruise-equipped vehicle but haven’t activated it, try it out for your next holiday or road trip. You can activate it directly from the FordPass smartphone app. If you don’t have BlueCruise but are interested in seeing it operate, visit Benna Ford and test drive It before your next long trip.

The Ford Mach-E is one of the best-selling and most loved electric vehicles on the market, especially since there is a trim level and set of options for everyone. With the introduction of the Mach-E Rally, Ford has given customers one of the most unique offerings around, especially in the EV space. Recently, Emme Hall from Autoblog got the opportunity to put this EV Rally car to the test at the DirtFish Rally Driving School in Snoqualmie, WA, about 30 miles outside of Seattle. What Makes a Mach-E Rally? Starting off, the Mach-E Rally gets the same dual motor 91 kWh battery as the GT trim level. The Rally has 480 horsepower and 700 lb-ft of torque with eAWD. Ford claims a 0-60 mph time of a staggering 3.4 seconds while still getting an EPA-estimated 265 miles of driving range. To make sure the Mach-E is ready for the rally course, Ford added an extra inch lift with skid plates to protect the motors that sit in both the front and rear of the vehicle, as well as a giant rear spoiler and larger 385mm front brake rotors with red Brembo calipers. Standard white 19-inch rally-style wheels are wrapped in 235/55 R19 Michelin CrossClimate2 all-season tires. There Was No Raining That Could Spoil This Fun Parade The day that Emme arrived, it was raining, and the courses were wet, muddy, and very slippery. But, before she was let loose, she was given some time on the smaller rally courses at the DirtFish Rally School to test out the various driving modes primarily meant for the street. This helped her understand the differences in the MagneRide suspension tuning, power delivery, braking, and handling performance once she switched to the RallySport mode. In the ultimate street mode, Unbridled, she noticed how hard the traction control works to keep the Mach-E settled and not get too wild. RallySport Mode After a few laps to get ready, she was taken to the larger course to really put the Rally through its paces, saying, “We move to the larger track and I select the new RallySport mode. Now I have the full shebang at my disposal. The steering gets much heftier and communicates a bit more feel into the hands. It’s easier to tell when the tires are close to the edge of grip. RallySport mode doesn’t turn off all the nannies, but traction control is definitely less heavy-handed. Oh, and there isn’t any lift-off throttle brake regeneration. I have to use the mechanical brakes to get this 5,000-pound beast to slow down before a turn.” Loads of Torque and An Amazing All-Wheel Drive System Driving harder and harder with each lap, Ms. Hall continued to grow her confidence with the Mach-E Rally and enjoyed how much power was on tap since it’s an EV with no lag in throttle response: “ RallySport mode brings the torque in much quicker, and it’s very linear. Combined with the single-speed transmission, it means that I always have power coming out of a turn. There is no shifting here, no turbo lag — just getting on the throttle quickly, squeezing out the power and letting the all-wheel-drive system claw its way around the turn. Do I induce oversteer a few times? Heck yeah, I do! But a bit of countersteering and patience keep the Mach-E from coming around all the way.” The Mach-E Can Do It All It seems pretty evident that Emme Hall and Autoblog enjoyed their time exploring the limits of the 2024 Ford Mach-E Rally. When such a fun and unique vehicle is made, it’s designed and engineered by people who truly love what they are creating. That’s exactly what makes the Mach-E Rally so brilliant. How many companies are willing to sell customers an electric rally crossover SUV? Instead of asking why, Donna Dickson, Chief Engineer, Mach-E, said, “Why not?” Why Choose Benna Ford? 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 ensure you drive away happy. Our fantastic service department will take care of your new-to-you vehicle as if it were their own.

The idea behind the Ford Expedition is fairly simple: Take the full-size truck platform from the best-selling Ford F-150 pickup truck and put a 3-row SUV body on it. The result makes the Expedition perfect for active moderate-to-large families who love the outdoors, take long trips, and/or tow a trailer but like to have their cargo securely inside. That kind of utility may be what turns people toward a full-size SUV like the Expedition, but Ford has increasingly filled its big ute with cool kit to seal the deal. Benna Ford presents five of what we find to be the model line’s most remarkable features. Big Eyes-up Screen Heads-up displays have grown in popularity and availability over the last few years, but Ford has a better idea for those who find them easily washed out on a bright day or too distracting at night. On top of the Expedition dash, Ford has placed a long, low 24-inch LED screen at the windshield base, which the driver views over the steering wheel. Thus, it provides information just below your direct line of sight as you view the road ahead, but it is much more precise and configurable. The screen will display essential driving information like speed, fuel status, and driver assist technology info, as well as now-playing information from the audio system and even present the navigation map, even if from your integrated smartphone. The HUD is placed intentionally too far away to be a touch screen, with the center touchscreen containing the controls to configure it. It also responds to the steering-wheel-mounted controls. For example, if you hover your thumb over the steering wheel’s driver assist controls, the system‘s status display will appear on the screen. Accessible Blue Cruising BlueCruise is a true hands-free driving system. It works on divided highways that have been previously mapped out by Ford, with the information downloaded to your Ford vehicle. On the Expedition, you know you are on a mapped highway by a blue light that activates on the above-mentioned upper screen. With your desired speed set, you can now take your hands off the wheel and feet off the pedal and let the Expedition do the highway driving for you. Coming up to a slower vehicle? Just activate the turning signal, and BlueCruise will smoothly operate a lane change to pass the vehicle and return to the previous lane. What makes BlueCruise unique is its accessibility. Active, Platinum, King Ranch, and Tremor trim levels are all BlueCruise-compatible. It is standard on some and has a 90-day trial on others. If you travel long distances regularly, you can opt to get BlueCruise annually. However, let’s say you only travel far for summer vacations and to visit family for the holidays. You can arrange to activate the system for one month at a time and pay accordingly. That makes this great technology more practical and affordable for many more drivers. Off-Road Capability For 2025, there is an Expedition Tremor for the first time. While a vehicle the Expedition’s size may not seem like the go-to vehicle for rock crawling, the Tremor will undoubtedly enable the Expedition to go deeper off-road, perhaps to a favorite fishing location or staging ground for the toys on the trailer you are towing. The Tremor has Ford’s 440-horsepower 3.5-liter twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 under the hood and an electronic locking differential. It rides on 33-inch all-terrain tires, and the chassis features a modified suspension with Premium Passive Shocks and can claim 10.6 inches of ground clearance. Skid plates for the engine and transmission, off-road auxiliary grille lights, and other specific off-road modifications and technologies can be found on this special Expedition trim level. Interior and Exterior Versatility The Expedition is designed to be accommodating and convenient. For instance, the third-row seatbacks have a 40/20/60 split. You can lower the center “20” section and carry long things up through the seats while still seating two on each side of the third row. If just one person is back there, you can lower the seat on the other side and leave 60% of the third row open for cargo expansion. The Flex Powered Console can slide rearward to be accessible by second-row passengers. For anyone disappointed that their insulated travel cup was too large for the cupholder, the second-row doors have deep insets to accommodate whatever you have. When camping, the Expedition proves helpful even after you’ve arrived at your destination. Available outdoor zone lighting surrounds the vehicle with light to make unpacking more convenient. Also, the Wi-Fi system can accommodate up to 10 devices, so you can cover not only everyone you brought with you but also the people you are camping with. A Tailgate for Tailgating The Expedition has a two-piece tailgate. This allows the lower section to swing down to become a 500-lb. capacity seat for tailgating, and a panel can be lifted up to become a seatback for the tailgate’s occupants. That panel can also sprout legs and turn the tailgate into a two-tiered shelf for serving food, housing an outdoor audio system, or whatever you can imagine. So, while the Expedition is inherently useful just as a big SUV, it becomes more valuable in many unexpected ways the closer you look. Pay a visit to Benna Ford and see the many ways the Expedition can work for you.

Managing a fleet of vehicles is a complex affair. Ford knows that and has developed Ford Pro Fleet Management Software to simplify and bring order to the process. To illustrate what this software can do, Benna Ford offers this case study about an organization known as HomeTown Services. Creating one Company out of 26 The company was formed as a cohort of 26 separate residential HVAC, plumbing, and electrical service providers in the South-central United States. The entire nature of the business involves sending technicians in commercial vehicles to locations, and overall, HomeTown Services operates over 1500 vehicles, including Ford Transit® vans, E -350 box trucks, and F-250® Super Duty® trucks. Managing a fleet of this size across multiple states would challenge any business, but how HomeTown was formed from many separate businesses brought additional complexities. “Our oldest brand was founded in 1961,” said Del Underwood, Vice President of Purchasing and Fleet. “Even the youngest is at least ten years old.” When they were independently operated, each business had its own fleet management process, and much of it was done manually. “Fleet management was happening largely without software support,” Underwood said. Recognizing the need to organize these disparate, often paper-based systems, HomeTown Services turned to Ford Pro™ to guide them through software adoption and implementation. Streamlining Vehicle Purchases It is a growing business that can purchase up to 250 vehicles annually.  They already know what they need, so the most important factor is making the process quick and straightforward. Brian Harbison, Ford Pro™ FinSimple™ Commercial Business Development Manager, was called upon to set up a Commercial Line of Credit (CLOC) so that vehicles could be easily added by applying the total amount financed for each vehicle to an existing balance. Underwood and his team work closely with Harbison to ensure a sufficient balance to match their fleet growth projections. Managing Different Forms of Maintenance Maintaining such a fleet is a huge task, but the Ford Pro™ Fleet Management Software helps Underwood and his department stay on top. “Some branches have in-house mechanics, some use car dealers, and others use mechanic shops,” Underwood said. The software allows him to accommodate these different maintenance and repair processes, which allows each brand to maintain its individuality while ensuring HomeTown has an overall view of the fleet’s status. “In our industry, downtime is a killer,” Underwood said. “We look at a vehicle and technician as a ‘unit.’ Whenever a service unit is down, it costs us up to $12,000 per day, while the revenue losses from a down installation unit can be as high as $22,000 per day.” Knowing When to Say Goodbye The Ford Pro™ Fleet Management Software also provides advice as to when a vehicle may need to be replaced. “It might sound counterintuitive, but you don’t want to drive a vehicle until the wheels fall off,” Underwood said. “At some point, its total cost of ownership will start to rise to a point where it makes more financial sense to bring in a new vehicle.” Any fleet manager can recognize all these issues. Hopefully, this introduction has given a hint of how the Ford Pro™ Fleet Management Software can help them from purchase through the entire lifecycle of every fleet vehicle. Contact Benna Ford to see how the Ford Pro™ Fleet Management Software can help you with your fleet.

If off-roading is your life, you will aim for the Ford Bronco. If off-roading is simply an enjoyable pastime or a means to an end to get to a favorite camping or fishing spot while the rest of the time, you need an efficient crossover, the Bronco Sport is for you. For 2025, Benna Ford is pleased to tell you that the capability gap between the Bronco Sport and its bigger sibling has become narrower as it now has its own Sasquatch Package. The Bronco Sport Advantage Car and Driver states it quite clearly in their review overview: “If you’re looking for a small SUV with off-road capability, the one with the most to offer is the 2025 Ford Bronco Sport.” Ford has an advantage by offering two models in the compact crossover segment. The Escape covers the conventional compact crossover territory as a comfortable model whose owners are expected primarily to use the available AWD system to optimize on-pavement traction. That leaves the Bronco Sport to channel the spirit of the model with which it shares its name by having standard all-wheel drive and offering better clearances for off-pavement use or when the pavement is buried in yet-to-be-plowed snow. “Bronco Sport customers love the outdoors and go off-roading 3.5 times as often as the owners of competitive vehicles, and camping twice as often. They want to know they can overcome obstacles that come their way, which drove our designers and engineers to push Bronco Sport to a new level of capability and performance to let our customers do more and have more fun off-road.”- Matt Simpson, Ford Enthusiast Vehicles General Manager. New Sasquatch Package The new for 2025 Sasquatch Package is available on the Outer Banks and Badlands grades, which are already equipped with a suspension lift and skid plates, with the Badlands adding a twin-clutch rear axle with a locking differential. The Sasquatch package adds the twin-clutch rear axle and locking differential to the Outer Banks model. It adds to both grades steel bumpers with the front bumper overlayed by a formidable steel skid plate with additional protection via a large front bull bar. Two rear recovery hooks are built into the steel rear bumper, and the whole package rides on knobby 29-inch 235/65/R17 Goodyear Territory All-Terrain tires, which are the largest in the class. The package adds Bilstein rear dampers on the Badlands model, including position-sensitive damping and piggyback reservoirs. For the Badlands model, the package also provides new front and rear springs that increase ride height by four-tenths of an inch and offer up to 8.3 inches of front suspension travel with 8.7 inches for the rear. Enhanced G.O.A.T. Modes Every Bronco Sport model comes standard with a new Off-Road G.O.A.T. (Goes Over Any Type of Terrain) Mode. Badlands models add a new Rally Mode designed to optimize high-speed sand running by holding gears longer for increased accessible power, sharpening the throttle response, and increasing feedback through the steering. Also available for 2025 is a 360-degree Camera with a Trail View. It engages automatically when Off-Road or Rally G.O.A.T. Modes are selected to show width-accurate tire overlays showing where the tires are headed to help you avoid obstacles. Walking the Talk While competing compact crossovers offer “off-road” trims that are little more than appearance packages with all-terrain tires, the Bronco Sport with the Sasquatch Package is the real deal, providing unmatched capability in the class. If you have caught the off-roading bug or want the capability to spare in the winter months, check out the 2025 Bronco Sport models with the Sasquatch package at Benna Ford.

No matter how big or small your fleet is, Ford Pro has a solution to streamline its management. It is a series of solutions. They include integrated software that will help you track expenses towards meeting your bottom line, as well as financing management of your fleet. These are just a few solutions Ford Pro offers its customers. To provide an opportunity to invest in your fleet with up-to-date vehicles, Ford Pro offers a Commercial Line of Credit or CLOC. A CLOC is an agreed-upon level of credit, and once approved, fleets can easily add vehicles by applying the total amount financed for each vehicle to the existing balance. Whether you need to add a Maverick or an E-Transit to your fleet, Ford Pro’s CLOC can work with you to meet your needs within the balance of your account. To make sure your fleet is running and meeting the bottom line, Ford Pro offers a suite of solutions where fleets can simplify processes, increase uptime, and gain a comprehensive view of their total cost of ownership. It is called Ford Pro Intelligence. Part of this suite is the Ford Pro Fleet Management Software. This important electronic tool captures cost-related data, vehicle maintenance history, activity, and more in a convenient on-screen dashboard. From the software, you can create and assign work orders—and then track those work orders from start to finish. This software is also connected to your entire fleet. Ford Pro vehicles are equipped with an onboard modem to connect with the Ford Pro Intelligence software, which tracks maintenance and energy usage while potentially lowering your cost of ownership. For example, you can receive vehicle and charger alerts to stay on top of proactive maintenance. You can also schedule service directly within the software so you can keep your fleet on the road and on the job. Ford Pro also has an easy-to-read display that provides insights on your vehicles, chargers, and daily fleet activities all in one system. Another key software solution for your fleet is Ford Pro Telematics. This can provide a real-time window into your fleet and help optimize your business. Ford Pro Telematics can monitor vehicles and evaluate driver performance with live GPS. It can also analyze fuel consumption, EV range, idling time, and more. You can add dashcams to your fleet and have them feed video data into Ford Pro Telematics. Feedback from the dashcams can provide insights to help protect against false claims and help boost productivity by monitoring driver performance, such as speeding, harsh braking, and distracted driving. This can assist fleet managers in helping their drivers make needed adjustments. Ford Pro Telematics is available through a subscription. This subscription includes In-Vehicle Coaching, an audible alert system that monitors driver behavior in real time. Once you’ve enrolled eligible vehicles, you can customize driver parameters, such as speeding threshold, idling duration, acceleration sensitivity, etc. All of these pieces together can help you grow and update your fleet, keep up with maintenance, and improve your productivity and uptime. Benna Ford can work with you to help add this layer of management to your fleet while keeping you informed of new opportunities for your business and your fleet. Contact us today to find out more about Ford Pro’s line of fleet management services!

When Ford introduced the F-150 Lightning, no one could believe that such a vehicle really existed. The overall design didn’t change, and there was no radical departure from its overall functionality. Customers loved how familiar they were with an F-150, only electrified. There was even a bit of a fight between Ford CEO Jim Farley and Tesla CEO Elon Musk over which company would be the first to bring its all-electric pickup truck to market. Spoiler alert: Ford won. Meet The F-150 Lightning The F-150 Lightning features dual-emotors with all-wheel drive and comes in two different flavors: a standard range and an extended range battery pack. The standard range Lightning has a 98 kWh battery that produces 452 horsepower and 755 lb-ft of torque, while the extended range models have a 131 kWh battery with 580 horsepower and 775 torque. Trims, Pricing, And Range Customers can choose from four different trim levels: XLT, Flash, Lariat, and Platinum. The base trim starts at just $65,090, with the top-line Platinum starting from $88,085. The XLT and Flash trim levels have a driving range of 240 miles, while the Lariat has 320 miles, and the Platinum can drive 300 miles. Meet The Tesla The Tesla Cybertruck is the latest hotness that everyone’s talking about. However, how does it really stack up? With such an odd and unique design, are customers able to utilize the Cybertruck as a real truck? Buyers who have recently gotten their trucks have received the Foundation series, which features a dual-motor all-wheel drive setup with 600 horsepower and 525 lb-ft of torque. Stepping up to the Beast trim gets you a tri-motor Cybertruck with 834 horsepower and 740 lb-ft of torque. Towing Capacity, Range, And Price Tesla says the truck can tow a maximum of 11,000 lbs. However, there have been reports of people being frustrated when towing with the Cybertruck due to the range being exhausted very quickly. Many owners have also remarked on how easy it is to mark up the stainless steel panels. Some have stated that it isn’t a serious truck but more of a vehicle that can do light-duty truck things from time to time. The two trim levels are able to achieve 318 and 301 miles of driving range, respectively. Dual motor Cybertrucks have a base price of $99,990, while the Beast has a base MSRP of $119.900. A Tale of Two Frunks The Tesla’s bed length is slightly longer at 6 feet compared to 5’5” on the Lightning. However, because of the odd way the Cybertruck’s bed is shaped, they can both hold about the same amount of stuff. The Ford really shows how brilliant it was to turn a standard gas-powered vehicle into a dedicated EV when you get to the frunk. A space that once held an entire engine is now free to give owners 14.1 cu.ft. of space, the same space as a small or midsize sedan’s trunk. In fact, that is actually bigger than the 12.6 cu.ft. of trunk space in the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The Tesla only gives customers 7.1 cu.ft. A BIG Price Difference The Tesla Cybertruck can tow 1,000 lbs more, but the Ford is a lot less expensive. Without any options, the base model Tesla is nearly $35,000 more expensive than the base XLT F-150 Lightning. Even when talking about the top-of-the-line Platinum, it still is a savings of almost $12,000. Oh, and the Lightning can use Tesla Superchargers with an adapter. Edmunds Compared The Ford And The Tesla In a recent test by Edmunds.com that compared the Ford, Tesla, and the Rivian R1T, the team voted the F-150 as the best of all EV trucks and said that in the comparison, it is by far the best at being a pickup with truck usability. That’s precisely why Ben Westby chose the Lightning to own while living off the grid with his family. With 9.6 kW of Ford Pro Power Onboard, owners can easily charge lawnmower batteries, use power tools, operate a mobile business, or even just have fun tailgating with the knowledge that you can power it all from your truck and then drive home afterward. Ford Blue Cruise Doesn’t Lie Where Tesla has gotten in trouble is the marketing around FSD, or Full Self Driving. The claim that the vehicles are self-driving has proven false, and the company has had to change how it defines the feature. Ford, on the other hand, has had great success with Blue Cruise, their hands-free advanced driver assistance system. With over 130,000 miles of roads mapped around the United States, buyers who were skeptical of taking their hands off the steering wheel are now full believers. Driving in traffic and on the highway has never been easier to live with. 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. Our fantastic service department will take care of your new-to-you vehicle as if it were their own.

Now entering its third year, the Mustang Mach-E looks the same but has undergone some significant engineering improvements under the skin. In short, the 2024 Mach-E has a more extended range, charges faster, and the top performance models are even quicker than before. Benna Ford fills you in on the details. Quicker Performance Never Hurts Let’s start with the most fun part. A Mach-E GT TM Performance Upgrade results in a tested 0-60 time of 3.3 seconds, a speed that beats both direct competitor Tesla Model Y Performance and a less direct competitor, but we will take it anyway, the Porsche Macan 4 Electric. With this upgrade, the GT goes on for a quarter-mile time of 11.8 seconds at 114 mph. The changes come from a new in-house eMotor that will be available in 2024 on all Mach-E models, along with improved thermal modeling and control algorithms that deliver an additional 100 lb-ft of torque. The Performance upgrade is standard on the new Mach-E Rally and available on the Mach-E GT. In another example of how things are different for electric cars, Mustang Mach-E GT customers have the choice of getting the Performance Upgrade at purchase or purchasing the upgrade at a later date. The Mach-E GT also receives new standard features that were former performance options such as the Ford Performance front seats, MagneRide ® Damping System, and Brembo™ branded front brake calipers. The Mach-E Rally The Mach-E Rally joins the lineup as the first-ever rally-inspired EV from Ford. The Mach-E Rally has standard AWD, and its two motors combined with the standard Mach-E GT TM Performance Upgrade result in 480 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. The body features a 1-inch higher suspension lift riding on gloss white 19-inch wheels.  Wrapping those wheels are 235/55 R19 Michelin CrossClimate2 tires with plenty of sidewall and loose surface traction that lets you enjoy all that power on and off the pavement. Besides the wheels and lift, the Mach-E Rally distinguishes itself with unique upper and lower body moldings, a front splitter, a black steel roof, and bespoke fog lights. The color pallet is noticeable on its own with Grabber Yellow, Grabber Blue, and Eruption Green, in addition to Shadow Black and optional Star White and Glacier Gray. Thanks to the more efficient in-house motor, all 2024 Mustang Mach-E models also get improved range: Model 2024 EPA Estimated Range (miles) Improvement Mach-E Select, standard-range battery (72 kWh), RWD 250 +20 Mach-E Premium, extended-range battery (91 kWh), RWD 320 +20 Mach-E GT (91 kWh), AWD 280 +10 Mach-E Rally (91 kWh), AWD 265 n/a As important as the range, the Mustang Mach-E now charges faster. Models with the 91 kWh battery will now charge 20% faster at fast charging stations on the road. Using a Level 3 DC-direct station, the 91kWh battery can now charge from 10-80% in 36.3 minutes, an 8.8-minute improvement. Models with the 72kWh battery can charge from 10-80% in 32.3 minutes, which is a 5.7-minute improvement. For more good charging news, all Mach-E owners can reserve a complimentary adapter that enables owners access to over 15,000 Tesla superchargers across North America, which are now part of the BlueOval Charge network. These charge locations will be added to the EV routing functionality of both Google Maps and Apple Maps. Bronze Age Mach-E The Mach-E GT will have a new Bronze Appearance Package featuring 20-inch bronze-painted mesh-styled alloy wheels, a bespoke bronze mesh grille, and other bronze trim. Price Range MSRPs for the Mustang Mach-E now start at $39,995 for the select model with the standard battery and RWD, and top out with the Mach-E Rally with the extended battery, AWD, and all the goodies listed above for $59,995. If you haven’t checked out the spectacularly performing Mustang Mach-E that doubles as an SUV when needed, this is the time to do it. Visit Benna Ford and see what EV performance is all about. We have 2023 models with discounts to make way for the 2024 models that are on their way.

Here in Superior, we may not use our air conditioning as much as most of our fellow Americans, but we occasionally have our hot days. One thing about living near the top of the nation is that when we take our summer vacations, simple probability suggests we will head somewhere south. Nothing can ruin a summer trip more than an air conditioning system that is not in top operating shape. Benna Ford offers the following operating and maintenance tips to keep your air conditioning system in top shape. Open Your Windows First If the car has been baking in the sun, don’t depend on the AC to cool the cabin rapidly. The best course of action is to open your windows once you enter your car. No matter how hot it is outside, your cabin is likely to be hotter, and so are your AC ducts. After starting your car, open the windows and turn your AC on to help push out the hot air. After about a minute of driving, close the windows and adjust the AC controls for your comfort. The car will cool your cabin more quickly. Use the Fresh Air Setting as the Default The recirculate setting is useful when there is smoke, dust, foul outside odors, or very high humidity. The rest of the time, using the fresh air setting is best. The recirculating mode is just as it sounds: It keeps using the same cabin air. Over time, this can make the car stuffy and even make the driver sleepy. It is best to bring in outside air whenever possible. Use the Coldest Setting If your vehicle does not have automatic climate control, choosing the lowest temperature is actually the most efficient and effective. Most cooling systems can only bring the cabin down by 30 degrees and stop. At that point, a middling setting might activate the heater, which stresses both systems. Set it to the coolest setting and then regulate your comfort by turning the fan down or directing the vents away from you. Monitor Engine Temperature when the Engine is Experiencing High Load If your vacation includes a trip to the mountains, be aware of the stress that your engine may be undertaking during a long incline with the AC on, a car full of family and their stuff, or possibly even towing. If the temperature starts rising, shutting off the AC is the first measure. It may be uncomfortable for a few minutes, but turning on the heat at full blast also helps cool the engine. If the temperature climbs too high, simply find a place for the car to stop and cool down. Then, proceed without the AC until the grade lessons. Read the Air Condition Section of the Owner’s Manual Yes, that thick little book stored in your glove box is meant to be read. It can provide valuable tips that apply to your model’s specific system. It will tell you how and when to change your cabin filter. It may have advice on routine AC maintenance, including how often to check refrigerant pressure. It is a good idea to have this done at least once before every summer. Keep AC Induction Vents Clear The vents on your vehicle’s exterior near the windshield base are where your climate system brings in the outside air. These vents can collect leaves, pine needles, and other flora as they are pointed upward. If left long enough, they may plug the water drains in the system, which runs the risk of the organic matter developing mold that can then be drawn through your climate system. Regularly, such as whenever you check your oil, take a moment to clear out any nature that may have found its way on these vents. Be Aware of These Odors Odors can come from the outside or linger after a smoker or pet has been in the car, but there are certain odors you want to watch out for. A musty or mildew odor may be from mold accumulating in your induction vents. Running your heater for a while may help dry out these areas. A distinctly sweet smell could indicate an antifreeze leak. A professional should service this. A gas smell could come from something as simple as an improperly tightened gas cap, or it could be a leak in the system, which should be looked at quickly. When listed out like this, it may seem like a lot, but much of this can simply become routine. If you are having issues outside of what is covered here, inquire with our Benna Ford service professionals on the proper next steps.

The idea behind the Maverick was easy enough to understand. Not everyone who could use an open bed needs a burly body-on-frame truck. A small, inexpensive crossover-like pickup, which also happened to be Ford’s least expensive model line, would be useful to many people. That proved to be the case, as Benna Ford had trouble keeping them in stock. Over 94,000 units were sold last year, and that was limited by production. Sales are over double that pace for 2024. So, now that the Maverick’s positioning is well established in the automotive world, Ford threw a curveball by launching the Maverick Tremor. Is this contradictory? Not really. It is worth pointing out that Ford has experience in beefing up its unibody crossovers before, and the results were quite effective. Think of the Bronco Sport, for example, which shares the Maverick's platform. Can be Added to XLT and Lariat The Maverick Tremor is not a trim level but a unique $3,495 package that can be added to the AWD XLT or Lariat grades. As expected from the Tremor name, the package brings additional off-road capability through a 0.8 lift, Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tires, a suspension modified for greater articulation, and an electronically locking rear differential. Specific off-road modes are added to the driver mode selector, and a steel skid plate protects the crankcase. The lift and tires are the most obvious appearance differences, along with additional cladding and orange trim on the grille and tow hooks that match the Tremor labeling on the bed. The Tremor package is only available with the turbocharged 2.0-liter engine rated at  250 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque, which is more than enough for the small truck, even in the rough. The lift results in 9.4 inches of ground clearance, which is loftier than the base Bronco Sport (8.8 inches) and, for reference, the Subaru Forester Wilderness (9.2), neither of which are likely to be cross-shopped because you either want an open bed or you don’t. The Maverick’s 121.1-inch wheelbase, which is 16 inches longer than the Bronco Sport, limits the crossover angle to 19.9 degrees. Significantly Improved Off-Road Ability So, while the Maverick Tremor is not the best tool for rock-hopping, its added height and all-terrain tires easily handle more deeply rutted trails, and the combination of the locking rear differential and dedicated off-road modes can keep you going when the going gets moderately rough. The Maverick Tremor is never going to rival a well-equipped Ranger 4x4 on the trail, but it does add some off-pavement capability while still offering a more comfortable on-pavement ride and a lower price point. Mavericks with the newly announced Tremor Package will undoubtedly soon arrive in Benna Ford’s inventory. You can have one of our Benna Ford sales professionals inform you when the first model arrives.