2011 Ford Taurus, Super Duty and Mustang GT Win kbb.com Best Resale Value Awards

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 17, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --

• 2011 Ford Taurus, Super Duty and Mustang GT have earned Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com Best Resale Value Awards in the full-size car, full-size pickup and high-performance car categories, respectively

• Editors of kbb.com praised Taurus' combination of style, efficiency and value; Super Duty impressed with its two new engines and all-new six-speed transmission; and Mustang GT won kudos for its amazing overall value

• Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com Best Resale Value Awards recognize vehicles expected to maintain the greatest proportion of their original list price after five years of ownership

Three Ford vehicles have earned Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com 2011 Best Resale Value Awards, which recognize cars and trucks expected to maintain the greatest proportion of their original list price after five years of ownership.

The 2011 Ford Taurus, 2011 Ford Super Duty and 2011 Ford Mustang GT earned the Best Resale Value Awards in the full-size car, full-size pickup and high-performance car categories, respectively.

The awards are designed to help people make more informed car-buying decisions, said James Bell, executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com.

"Consumers should take a good look at the projected resale value of a car when choosing their next new vehicle purchase," he said. "Taking the time to research and choose vehicle makes, models and options wisely now can help new car shoppers hold value down the road when they go to sell or trade in the vehicle."

2011 Ford Taurus earns Best Resale Value Award in full-size car category

This is the second consecutive win for the Taurus.

Bell says the vehicle truly impacted the standard full-size car market when it was introduced with a combination of style, efficiency and value.

"The Taurus delivers a great ride with a comfortable interior and is loaded with luxury and safety features such as adaptive cruise control, blind spot indicator and SYNC®," he said. "Auction transactions for the 2010 Taurus have supported the high residual value forecast we made for this vehicle last year, and all of this resulted in a repeat win for 2011."

Market share for the Ford Taurus and Taurus SHO has more than tripled since launch, and 90 percent of Taurus sales are with advanced technologies or higher-end series, said Pei-Wen Hsu, Taurus marketing manager.

"The quality of Taurus and Taurus SHO is surpassing the competition, including import brands and premium products," she said. "And Taurus' new safety features, such as Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®) with cross-traffic alert and MyKey™; its comfort features, such as multi-contour seats; and the latest driver connectivity technologies, such as SYNC and voice-activated navigation with SIRIUS Travel Link™ are attracting more affluent customers."

2011 Ford Super Duty earns Best Resale Value Award in full-size pickup category

This also is the second consecutive win for the Super Duty.

"The two new engines in the 2011 Super Duty – a 6.2-liter V8 gas and a 6.7-liter scorpion diesel – provide extra value," said Bell. "We also are impressed with the all-new six-speed transmission as a replacement for the older five-speed. Add to this potent mix the fact that Ford truck buyers are very loyal to this brand, and you have a perfect recipe for strong resale value."

Cost of ownership is critical to truck customers, said Mike Murphy, Super Duty consumer marketing manager.

"Resale value is certainly a key component of cost of ownership," he said. "Many of our customers use their truck for work and in some cases purchase multiple trucks for their fleet, and knowing that their truck or trucks will be worth more than our competitors if they decide to trade it in down the road is a huge advantage for Super Duty."

Murphy says Super Duty holds its value well because it presents a no-compromise solution for truck customers.

"The 2011 Super Duty has a new powertrain lineup engineered and built by Ford that delivers best-in-class power and fuel efficiency, and the most towing and payload capability in the segment," he said. "It also has a new exterior and interior mated with unique technologies – such as SYNC and an LCD productivity screen – that our customers value. And of course this truck embodies the Built Ford Tough DNA we have in every truck we make. Customers know the Super Duty is durable and will hold up to the pounding they dish out year after year."

2011 Ford Mustang GT earns Best Resale Value Award in high-performance car category

The 2011 Mustang GT delivers "amazing overall value," said Bell.

"Ford has done a great job of recapturing the public's interest and 'romance' for the Mustang since the arrival of the Camaro and Challenger," he said. "The 412 horsepower from the new 5.0, a price near $30,000, and with styling evocative of the original Mustang contribute to its high residual value. Equally strong and impactful to residual value is the new V6 option with 305 horsepower that offers 31 mpg on the highway at a price around $23,000. Both of these vehicles represent many potential buyers' vision of the classic pony car – great power and great looks at a great price."

Resale value is important to sports car customers who tend to make Mustang part of their family, said Mustang Consumer Marketing Manager Jim Owens.

"Customers understand that Mustang has an enduring presence," he said. "The new 5.0 GT and the 3.7-liter V6 enhance the pony car's 45-year heritage by offering high performance as well as outstanding fuel economy."

For more information about the 2011 Kelley Blue Book Best Resale Value Awards, please visit http://www.kbb.com/car-news/all-the-latest/2011-best-resale-value-awards.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F), a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 163,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln and Mercury, production of which has been announced by the company to be ending in the fourth quarter of 2010. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.

About Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com)

Since 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, has provided vehicle buyers and sellers with the new- and used-vehicle information they need to accomplish their goals with confidence. The company's top-rated website, http://www.kbb.com/?scid=3099, provides the most up-to-date pricing and values, including the Fair Purchase Price, which reports what buyers are paying for new cars. The company also reports vehicle pricing and values via products and services, including software products and the famous Blue Book® Official Guide. According to the C.A. Walker Research Solutions, Inc. – 2009 Spring Automotive Website Usefulness Study, kbb.com is the most useful automotive information website among new- and used-vehicle shoppers, and half of online vehicle shoppers visit kbb.com. Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com also is a W3 Silver Award winner, sanctioned by the International Academy of Visual Arts. Kbb.com is a leading provider of new car prices, used car values, car reviews, new cars for sale, used cars for sale, and car dealer locations.

SOURCE Ford Motor Company