How to use the Car Buyers' Guide

New Car Buyers' Guide

The UK New Car Buyers' Guide comprises of 201,096 car facts carefully compiled by our new car research team. It features the specification of 385 different car models from 53 major manufacturers. The UK Car Price Guide lists the on the road price of 3,591 cars and was updated on the 19/05/2009. Both guides have been designed to help you research your new car purchase, with unbiased guidance.

Within our New Car Buyers' Guides we list insurance groups and where tested the NCAP crash test results, plus photographs - other vital car stats such as the car's overall dimensions and fuel consumption and new car prices. CO2 Emissions are listed, along with green labels, which indicate how ‘green’ your new car is judged to be. Simply use the menus on the right of the screen to select a car and/or manufacturer.

How to use the Car Buyers' Guide

The Car Price Guide allows you to jump straight to the cars within your budget, listed by body style and the Car Insurance Guide lists cars by insurance group. Plus if we have reviewed the car there is a direct link to the in-depth road test, written with the consumer in mind by an experienced motoring journalist.

FORD FOCUS EARNS IIHS ‘TOP SAFETY PICK

Small Car Safety

The 2009 Focus uses high strength steel throughout its structure, is loaded with six standard airbags – including side curtains and seat-mounted air bags – and comes with new front seats designed to perform well in dynamic rear impact collisions.

The Focus’ front seats are designed to help reduce the risk of soft tissue neck injuries, commonly referred to as “whiplash,” by keeping the occupant in the proper position in the event of a rear collision. The head restraint and seatback work together to maintain the occupant’s alignment by supporting the head, neck and torso. This helps manage the crash forces and minimizes the chances of whiplash-type injuries.

Focus features Ford’s fully integrated, computer-driven Personal Safety System™, which employs nearly a dozen technologically advanced components. It analyzes different frontal crash conditions and deploys the appropriate occupant protection systems for the specific crash conditions.

A new option for 2009 is electronic stability control (ESC), which uses sophisticated sensors and the anti-lock braking system to help drivers maintain control of their vehicle under a variety of driving conditions.

More Than Half A Million Ford Kas Sold In The UK

More than half a million UK customers have bought Ford Ka models thanks to its iconic design, low running costs and fun-to-drive personality.

The original Ford Ka was launched in the UK in 1996. Marketing director, Ford of Britain, Mark Simpson, said: "There were eight competitors in the Ka's market segment in 1996 - now there are 26 rivals. Offering low ownership costs and cheeky distinctive styling, the Ka has maintained its strong appeal over the years and remains at the top of its segment."

The new Ford Ka went on sale at the turn of this year and it is now leading its market segment with 14 per cent share.

New Ford Ka facts include:

* Driven by 'Bond girl' Olga Kurylenko in the movie "Quantum of Solace".
* Best selling model is the Ford Ka Zetec.
* Best selling Ford Ka colour is black, followed by Dive (blue).
* More than 11,000 new Ford Ka models have been sold since its launch in January this year.
* 90 per cent of sales are to private customers.
* New diesel engine is taking around four per cent of all orders.

The New Ford Ka Advert Soundtrack Released

After requests by thousands of viewers, Universal Records, in collaboration with Ford is releasing the exclusive music track composed for its recent Ford Ka European TV campaign.

The track is the first release from "The Tease featuring Megan Wyler" and was created exclusively for the TV launch advert for the all-new Ford Ka in January 2009. The advert prompted an immediate posting on the video-sharing website, YouTube, and thousands of viewers subsequently attempted to identify the music. To date almost 400,000 hits have been registered.

Ford quickly made the decision to record the music as a full length commercial track in association with Universal Records and to release it digitally through iTunes, the on-line media store operated by Apple. The track is now available to download.

Megan Wyler, currently recording her first solo album, is an experienced singer on the New York City club scene. "The track was a fun collaboration for me so it was fantastic to hear there was desire for a full track to be recorded - I'm really pleased its been such a success for all involved."she said.

The original music was composed on Ford's behalf by Soundtree and Ogilvy Advertising, London, with assistance from the Universal Records label.

The Ford Focus ECOnetic Supports BP's Fuel Efficiency Challenge

The most frugal Ford Focus models have gone on tour as part of BP's Fuel Efficiency Challenge in the UK.

The Ford Focus ECOnetic, capable of 65.7mpg, can cut motorists' fuel bills by up to a quarter. That's the aim of fuel and driving experts from BP Ultimate who are taking a special eco-driving event to UK regions during July and August 2009.

Ford's ECOnetic range of diesel cars and vans combine simple modifications for improved fuel economy, such as an indicator encouraging timely gear changes, modified engine calibration and aerodynamic changes to reduce drag.

The Ford Focus ECOnetic models being driven by BP's Efficient Driving Challenge participants are fitted with special equipment to analyse driving styles. Volunteer drivers are coached in smooth eco-driving techniques, which can reduce fuel consumption by 25 per cent.

Ford product manager David Calder said: "The Ford Focus pioneered the ECOnetic philosophy that environmental efficiency, desirable looks and class-leading dynamics are compatible in a single car. This combination has attracted awards and industry recognition, and has now been selected as the car of choice for BP's Efficient Driving Challenge."

Sue Horler, BP Ultimate brand manager, said: "The specially developed in-car computer fitted to our Focus ECOnetics reveals the effect of every squeeze of the accelerator and push of the brakes."

With CO2 emissions from a Ford Focus ECOnetic certified at 114g/km, and 98g/km for the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic, both models lead Ford's surging sales of vehicles with CO2 emissions under 120g/km - and accompanying road tax of just £35 per annum.

Registrations of Ford's low carbon sub-120g models increased by over 71 per cent in the first half of 2009 versus the same period last year. The Ford Focus ECOnetic is on sale now priced at £18,145 on the road.

BP's Efficient Driving Challenge moves to Reading on 28th July and Northampton on 4th August 2009.

Ford Dagenham Celebrates 80 Years of Manufacturing

Celebrations marking 80 years of manufacturing at Ford Dagenham have included a dedication to the estate's best-known hero.
On 3rd July 2009, 58 years to the day since the quick actions of boilerhand Sidney Tillman avoided a major incident, his grandchildren gathered in the boiler control room of London's largest industrial employer to unveil a plaque and two medals commemorating his brave actions.

In the middle of the night on 3rd July 1951, a high-pressure pipe burst - beginning a chain reaction that resulted in scalding mud, steam and blast furnace gases pouring into the boiler room. Rather than leave his post, Sidney Tillman covered his head and stayed at the boiler room's controls to bring the situation back under control. His dedication to duty averted an explosion which would have endangered the Ford Dagenham site.

Tony Tillman, from Clacton on Sea, was one of four Tillman grandchildren who attended the dedication and said: "He was a very modest man and never spoke much about what he did but he would have been very proud of this event today - he was a Ford man through and through."

Sidney Tillman, who died in 1962 aged 62, remains the only Ford employee to receive the British Empire Medal - the highest award for industrial bravery. He also received the Daily Herald newspaper's order of industrial heroism and both medals now hang by a plaque commemorating Sidney Tillman and his shift in Ford Dagenham's modern day boiler control room.

Darren Bearwish, Dagenham's superintendent of manufacturing engineering, said: "The actions of Sidney Tillman and his colleagues were extraordinary and serve as an inspiration to us all. The facilities, equipment and procedures we work with today make the events of 1951 almost unimaginable: three 50 megawatt dual fuel natural gas/gas oil boilers can provide steam to the whole site - a far cry from the demands on the coal-fired boiler room of the 1950s."

Today Ford Dagenham comprises engine, stamping and transport operations, employing 4,000 people and producing 1,000,000 diesel engines a year.

Ford Exceeds 12000 Scrapage Scheme Orders

Ford dealers have taken over 12,000 orders for new cars under the Government's scrappage scheme - rising by about 300 a day.

More than 75 per cent of Ford's 'scrappage' orders are for its small car range, with over 47 per cent of the 12,000 new Fords replacing blue oval-branded vehicles aged 10 years or over, and the balance being delivered to customers new to Ford.

As of 1st July 2009, Ford had received 12,000 'scrappage' vehicles, each with a minimum £2,000 discount against mostly Ford Fiesta, Ka and Fusion models.

Ford of Britain managing director Nigel Sharp said: "New vehicle sales have been boosted by the scrappage scheme and, in doing so, helped secure UK jobs at Ford and our dealer partners. Ford has taken a healthy share of scrappage business considering the limited number of models we have in the budget area, which represents the vast majority of these sales."

Independent analysis of Ford's registrations by cleangreencars shows that the average CO2 of a new Ford sold under the scrappage scheme is 134.9g/km, while the average for a 10-year-old car was 188.4g/km. These figures mean that each new Ford is emitting 53.5g/km less than the car it is replacing. Assuming national average mileage of 8,400 miles for private motorists, that equates to 8,736 tonnes of CO2 saved annually by the 12,000 new Fords registered. In reality, savings will be higher as the scrapped car would have emitted more CO2 today than when new, given engine wear and tear.

The most popular car ordered by Ford customers is the new Ford Fiesta, costing from £8,595 to scrappage customers, followed by the all-new Ford Ka available from £6,595.

A top of the range Ford S-MAX Titanium replaced a 1997 Ford Escort Encore and a former 1997 Ford Galaxy owner bought a Ford Kuga Titanium after logging 250,000 miles in the seven-seater.

Father and son Andrew and Billy Humphrey, from Kent, kept scrappage in the family by buying the Ford Focus and Ford Fiesta Zetec models respectively. Both traded in R-reg models - dad Andrew a Vauxhall Astra and Billy his Citroen Saxo - at Dagenham Motors Strood who delivered the new cars within the family's 24-day deadline.

Star sales staff in the Ford dealer network include Sumit Kanwar who has secured 40 scrappage deals at Dagenham Motors Alperton.