A great review for Erik and Raul! Way to go guys!

"I had looked at about 7 different car lots and was really tired. I have bought 2 other vehicles from Gulf Coast and was very satisfied. I live in Silsbee, TX but I drove. I walked over to Erik's desk and as him to show me 2 cars I'd chosen. He was so young I was a little concerned but he bounced up got the keys and off we went.
I explained my time was limited so he drudged forward. I was not pleased with the deal I was being offered and was about to leave when he got the manager. Raul explained that there isn't much negotiating with the hybrids but he worked with me to the best of his ability. I had to come back the next morning to do paperwork because everyone was gone for the day but once again Erik was all over it. Hurried the cleaning crew up and got me back to work in less than an hour. What a pleasure to have young people like him be so polite, professional and concerned about the customer."

Take a look at this review on DealerRater! http://bit.ly/U9rTPP

"We could not be HAPPIER with the Gulf Coast set of Dealerships and BLAINE WILLIAMS."

"We have been dealing with the dealership since 1995. In the past year we have purchased 3 automobiles. A Ford TRUCK Ford EDGE and A TOYOTA RAV4. I had them put in leather and heated / cooling seats in there RAV4 plus added real wood dashes and details in each car. Blaine made sure this all got done and delivered me to my office. We could not be HAPPIER with the Gulf Coast set of Dealerships and BLAINE WILLIAMS."

See it on DealerRater! http://bit.ly/U9rTPP

New 2014 Ford Fiesta Adds MyFord Touch with Improved Voice Recognition, Navigation and Phone Pairing

The latest trend in consumer electronics is the miniaturization of the gadgets we love, while packing them with even more performance such as a razor-thin phone that doesn’t bulge in a pocket, smaller tablets that can be held with one hand, or music players that can be worn on the wrist. Ford is following suit, and beginning next year it will offer MyFord Touch^® with a new 6.5-inch LCD touch screen available on the 2014 Ford Fiesta.

“Technology features are important to all of our customers including small car buyers, and MyFord Touch continues to drive up purchase consideration of our vehicles,” says Michelle Moody, Ford cross-vehicle marketing manager. “MyFord Touch is appealing to customers, as it consistently ranks among the top 10 purchase considerations with new owners. We’re excited to bring it to the small car segment, where it will really help Fiesta stand out from the crowd.”

The migration of this technology comes right as Ford hits the five-year anniversary of its award-winning SYNC^® in-vehicle connectivity system that was co-developed with Microsoft; more than 5 million cars and trucks have been sold with the system. Ford first launched SYNC on the 2008 Focus, then its smallest and most affordable car. Now, unveiling MyFord Touch for Fiesta cements Ford’s commitment to making technology affordable and accessible to everyone.

“We are seeing strong brand lift from MyFord Touch amongst in-market shoppers, with 65 percent of those intending to purchase a vehicle reporting SYNC definitely plays a role in their purchase consideration,” says Moody. “Take rates for MyFord Touch on new vehicle orders, such as the 2013 Escape and Fusion, continue to outpace our internal projections. We expect the same trend for Fiesta.”

Besides the new MyFord Touch 6.5-inch color touch screen, which is an upgrade over the currently available 4-inch screen, the 2014 Fiesta will launch with the latest SYNC software that adds new features including:

• Simplified Bluetooth^® phone pairing: When pairing, the driver simply has to hit “OK” if the PIN on the phone and touch screen match each other
• More natural voice recognition: Drivers can now simply say “Play <name>” when requesting a specific artist, song, album or genre of music (i.e. “Play jazz” versus “Play genre jazz”)
• Improved voice recognition accuracy: The latest version of Nuance’s speech software, VoCon^® 3200 v4.2, improves overall voice recognition performance
• Flattened audio command structure: At any time, drivers can say the station frequency, “AM 760,” or the official name of the Sirius station, like “Hits 1,” to tune in; drivers no longer need to say “Radio” or “Sirius” to indicate their desire to listen to those audio sources
• Simplified navigation controls: The destination entry screen has been improved to help make it easier to enter an address

With MyFord Touch powered by Microsoft, Fiesta drivers will be able to stay connected to their lives, easily getting the information and entertainment they want while keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.

* Courtesy of media.ford.com

How Lawn Chairs Helped Ford Develop Vehicle Seats

Whether it’s a long road trip or a daily commute to work, you don’t want driving to be a pain in the…back.

That’s why Ford vehicles have a dedicated Global Seating Comfort Team led by Mike Kolich, Ph.D., Ford Seat Systems Engineer, who is also called “Dr. Derriere” around the office. This team has been focusing on anything and everything seat-related since the team was created in 2005.

According to a University of California study, the average driver spends 101 minutes per day on the road. Therefore, Mike and his team know the importance of their contributions to your, um, behind-the-wheel experience – it’s riding on them to ensure that drivers of Ford vehicles are comfortable and relaxed. Huge responsibility, right? Also throw in the necessity to create seats that are lightweight to help with reducing vehicle weight and therefore contribute to a vehicle’s impressive fuel economy, and you’ll know they don’t spend a lot of time sitting down on the job. Wait, technically….

“We leverage a number of technologies to measure seat comfort, including machines that measure how the human form in all its shapes, sizes and weights interacts with a seat, and we use this data to quantify what our customers consider comfortable,” explained Mike.

For example, the 2013 Ford Escape is the first Ford vehicle with a global seat architecture specifically designed to conform to the Ford seat DNA. The DNA is a set of quantifiable measurements for each system in a new vehicle designed to provide a consistent feel across all Ford vehicles worldwide. “We used to think Europeans liked aggressively shaped seats with firm cushions while Americans preferred flat, cushy seats,” he said. “The reality is that regardless of the size and shape of a driver’s backside, they tend to value roughly the same characteristics when it comes to comfort.”

How they did this included a zillion tests with drivers and passengers around the world, both in the lab and in vehicles, and they also used a unique seat carousel and a dummy that closely replicates the human body and enables engineers to collect more detailed data about pressure points on the back that ultimately lead to seats that provide better support where it’s needed. Ford is among the first automakers to use this new mannequin.

And about the lawn chairs: The team is always studying seats from other industries, including lawn chairs and high-end office chairs, in the quest to develop even smaller, lighter-weight seats.

Mike also revealed, “We have biomechanists in our group who study how people should sit to avoid back issues. Most people don’t like to be told how they should sit. Our seats are designed to let people adjust for their individual preferences, and still deliver the support they need for their health.”

*Courtesy of Ford Social

 

Magic Magnets Give Buick Crossovers AWD Refinement

When snow inevitably starts falling over the General Motors Proving Ground in Michigan this winter, Buick engineers will use the conditions to put the finishing touches on the Encore luxury small crossover. It arrives early next year as the brand’s first entry into the burgeoning small crossover segment.

Encore’s “Active On-Demand” all-wheel drive is designed to give the vehicle the fluid drive characteristics and sure-footed traction Buick drivers expect but in a smaller, lighter package. Unlike traditional systems that engage all four drive wheels after slip is detected, Encore uses a magnetic charge to engage a clutch at the rear axle preemptively when the vehicle is at rest because slippage is most likely to occur just as the vehicle begins to move. If no slip is detected, a computer control automatically disengages the preemptive torque to the clutch once the Encore is underway, returning the system to a primarily front-drive operation.

“A Buick all-wheel drive system has to deliver the best traction possible, and it has to do it in a way that’s totally imperceptible to the driver,” said Encore Chief Engineer Jim Danahy. “We engineered Encore’s lightweight, responsive and refined system to deliver on the expectations of demanding luxury buyers.”

Buick engineers used their experience developing an all-wheel drive system for the Enclave luxury crossover SUV and applied it to Encore’s smaller packaging. The Enclave uses similar technology. To fit Encore’s weight and space needs, engineers worked with BorgWarner to develop a new, more compact coupling for the rear axle.

Reduced weight benefits Encore’s handling, as well as fuel economy. With all-wheel drive, Encore’s EPA-estimated fuel economy is 23 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway.

Beyond weight savings, the advantages of Active On-Demand all-wheel drive for the driver include rapid activation and deactivation, more control over the transfer of torque, more refined performance in tight turns and parking situations and better integration with safety systems like ABS and stability control.  

“Technology is allowing us to translate Buick’s quiet, comfortable ride to smaller vehicles than we could before,” said Danahy. “This all-wheel drive system, like turbocharged engines and Buick QuietTuning technologies, allows drivers to experience that Buick DNA with unprecedented efficiency and maneuverability.”

According to the 2012 Harris Poll AutoTECHCAST^SM Study, “familiarity with all-wheel drive continues to climb” and one third of all new car buyers would consider purchasing the technology on their next new vehicle. Consideration of all-wheel drive is greatest among luxury crossover/SUV owners, along with owners between 35-54 years of age. Among current all-wheel drive vehicle owners, 83 percent consider it an important feature for their vehicle.

* Courtesy of Buick News

"Embodying sophistication and strength"- The 2013 RAV4 Pre- Reveal.

Winter Car Care Tip!

Let floor mats take winter’s beating

Use floor mats to protect carpeting. The best type for controlling salt, slush, and mud in winter are rubber wafflestyle mats. They stay in place, don’t allow the water to seep through, and are easy to wash clean. Carpet-style mats are helpful, too. Shake, vacuum, or wash as needed; replace them as they wear through.

*Courtesy of Reader's Digest