Massachusetts Ford Buyers Go Green, at Least for Color

WATERTOWN, MASS. (09/30/2010)(readMedia)-- Perhaps it's Celtics pride, or maybe it's the area's strong Irish heritage, but Boston Ford owners love their green. In the latest survey of regional buying preferences from Ford Motor Company, Boston was the number-one market for green-colored Fords in the United States.

Boston is also the top market in the country for black cars, and fifth in the nation for silver. When it comes to powertrains, Boston is the fourth-largest market for four-cylinder Ford engines, behind Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Detroit, and the fifth-largest market for manual transmissions, a list topped by Seattle and Minneapolis.

"It seems like the best car we could stock would be a green Ford Focus or new Lime Squeeze Ford Fiesta with a manual transmission. As a matter of fact, we do have a hard time keeping those in stock," said Peter King, general manager of Watertown Ford, one of the Ford dealerships in Massachusetts that are part of the Boston market. "The survey says a lot about our Boston Ford customers. Value is very important here, not just in the sticker price, but in fuel efficiency and handling."

High gas prices in the Boston area make more efficient four-cylinder engines appealing, and Boston's seemingly random street layout impacts sales as well. Boston is Ford's number-five market for navigation systems, behind the notoriously difficult-to-navigate cities of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle and Denver.

There are some trends examined by Ford that eclipse regional markets; for example, Ford estimates that 95% of Super Duty truck owners use their pickups for towing. Ford continually analyzes its sales data to detect national and regional trends, then uses the information to make sure that the most-popular options are available in each regional market. The data are also used during the design process for new Ford cars to make sure that they include the options that consumers want.

"We often talk about how a car is specifically built for New England or Massachusetts, and Ford accomplishes that by tracking sales," King said. "Our roads and our seasons create one of the most challenging driving environments in the United States. Ford looks at what our customers buy before finding ways to improve upon the features that we love."

While sales data plays an important role in the development process, it is just one of many resources Ford uses to improve its vehicles. New designs and components are researched extensively by Ford engineers to find ways to improve vehicle performance and driver safety.

One result of that in-house research is a redesigned driver-front airbag that will reduce chest injuries in the event of an accident. The new airbag, which will debut on the 2012 Ford Focus, has a pocket on the bottom that reduces the pressure of the airbag on a driver's chest, providing extra protection for ribs. Ford has also added vents to its side-impact airbags that will reduce the pressure applied to children when the airbags deploy.

About Watertown Ford in Watertown, Massachusetts:

Watertown Ford is where Greater Boston Ford lovers head for the best deals on new and used Fords. No other Massachusetts Ford dealer has the same dedication to the customer, and that dedication has earned Watertown Ford the loyalty of Ford owners all over the state. Their extensive inventory, as well as information about their premier Ford dealership, can be viewed online at www.watertownford.com. You can also reach them by phone at 800-584-6486 or visit their showroom at 625 Pleasant St. in Watertown, MA, just minutes from Boston.