2010 FORD TAURUS, SUPER DUTY EARN KBB.COM BEST RESALE VALUE AWARDS

• The 2010 Ford Taurus and F-Series Super Duty won Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com Best Resale Value Awards for the full-size car and full-size pickup categories respectively
• Taurus cited for its great combination of value, technology and style at a very good price; Super Duty heralded for its “Get the job done” spirit and potential to hold its value over time
• The awards honor vehicles expected to maintain the greatest proportion of their original list price after five years of ownership

DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 2, 2009 – The 2010 Ford Taurus and the 2010 Ford F-Series Super Duty have earned Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com Best Resale Value Awards for the full-size car and full-size pickup categories respectively. The awards, announced today at the L.A. Auto Show, honor vehicles expected to maintain the greatest proportion of their original list price after five years of ownership and that are designed to help consumers make more informed car-buying decisions. 

“Sticker price is not the only number to consider when buying a new vehicle. Resale value also is an important consideration,” said Ken Czubay, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service. “This recognition from the editors of Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com affirms Ford’s commitment to delivering quality vehicles that will hold their value for years to come.” 

Editors of Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com say depreciation can be the largest expense faced in the first five years of driving a vehicle. 

“Taking the time to research and choose vehicle makes, models and options now can help new-car shoppers keep additional money in their pocket down the road when they go to sell or trade in the vehicle,” said James Bell, executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com. 

2010 Ford Taurus, Best Resale Value, Full-Size Car Category
According to Bell, editors of Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com tapped the 2010 Ford Taurus to win this year’s Best Resale Value Award in the full-size car category because it offers “a great combination of value, technology and style all wrapped up into a very good price.

“We think the 2010 Ford Taurus is an excellent redo of a venerable Ford nameplate,” said Bell. “It’s the kind of vehicle that we believe will catch on in the marketplace, and therefore, its resale value should also do very well.” 

Taurus Marketing Manager Pei-Wen Hsu agrees that it is the quality, style and class-exclusive technologies available with the all-new Ford Taurus that sets the vehicle apart from the competition. 

“Quality translates directly into a great resale value and people trust the durability of Taurus,” she said. “Style also impacts how well a vehicle will retain its value, and people really like the design of the new Taurus. They love it new, and they will still love to drive it as a used car.”

In addition to its attractive design, the 2010 Ford Taurus offers 10 class-exclusive technologies not available from any other manufacturer, such as Ford SYNC®, Voice-Activated Navigation System with SIRIUS Travel Link™, Easy Fuel® Capless Fuel-Filler System, Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®) with Cross Traffic Alert and MyKey™.

“All of our class-exclusive technologies enhance the resale value of the 2010 Taurus,” said Hsu. “Taurus has democratized technology, bringing advanced technology never before seen in this segment.”

The new Taurus also is a proven leader in safety, earning a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. 

2010 Ford F-Series Super Duty, Best Resale Value, Full-Size Pickup Category
“People today are buying pickup trucks for what they should be used for – which is for work, for getting jobs done and for playing with big toys,” said Bell. “We feel that the Super Duty really captures that ‘Get the job done’ spirit and that it will certainly hold its value over time.” 

Super Duty Marketing Manager Brian Rathsburg says quality metrics for the 2010 Super Duty have been on a steady uphill climb, further confirming the vehicle’s position as the benchmark in the heavy-duty pickup segment from the industry’s truck sales leader.

“The quality message resonates extremely well with our customers because the Super Duty is used primarily as a work truck,” explained Rathsburg. “So if the truck’s not working, it’s not enabling the customer to make money.” 

Rathsburg says the all-new Ford-designed, Ford-engineered and Ford-built 6.7-liter Power Stroke® V-8 turbocharged diesel and 6.2-liter V-8 gasoline engines, which will be introduced in the 2011 Super Duty next spring, deliver significantly improved torque and horsepower as well as enhanced fuel economy, enabling best-in-class towing and payload. 

“This is especially important to our diesel customers, who represent 60 percent of the total Super Duty market,” he said. “Customers expect diesel engines to last a long time.”

Bell says another factor strengthening the resale value of Super Duty is Ford Work Solutions™, a suite of productivity technologies developed for the commercial truck owner that was recently recognized as “Outstanding Feature” by the Texas Auto Writers Association. 
“It’s unique in the marketplace,” said Bell. “Ford Work Solutions is something that’s definitely going to provide an advantage over time.” 

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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 200,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. 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
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 Web site, www.kbb.com, provides the most up-to-date pricing and values, including the New Car Blue Book® Value, which reveals what people actually 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. – 2008 Spring Automotive Web Site Usefulness Study, kbb.com is the most useful automotive information Web site among new and used vehicle shoppers, and half of online shoppers visit kbb.com. Kbb.com is a leading provider of new car prices, car reviews and news, used car blue book values, auto classifieds and car dealer locations. No other medium reaches more in-market vehicle shoppers than kbb.com. For more information, please visit www.kbb.com.