Ford was the best-selling auto brand in the country in 2011, and as a recent study by U.S. News & World Reports shows, there’s a good reason for that kind of performance: Ford also won the most categories in the publication’s recent rankings of the “Best Cars for the Money 2012.”

“The award-winning vehicles have the best combination of praise from car reviewers, lower upfront costs and lower long-term ownership costs than their competition,” according to U.S. News & World Reports. “The winners aren’t just good cars or good values. They’re both.”

And for Ford, those winners were:

Ford Fiesta—The top choice in the Subcompact segment, as well as the highest-rated Hatchback, the Fiesta combines clean good looks, available high-tech features like Ford’s SYNC AppLink, an MSRP that starts at just $13,200, and EPA ratings that finish at 40 mpg highway. The Fiesta is offered in a sedan body style, too.

Ford Fusion—The Fusion beat out 18 other entries to take honors in the Affordable Midsize Car category, which is likely no surprise to the record 248,067 customers who purchased one in 2011. Further, the car’s high value proposition is about to get even higher, with the stunning all-new 2013 Fusion set to debut later this year.

Ford Taurus—The No. 1 Affordable Large Car was the Taurus, recognized for “its good performance, stylish design and excellent cabin electronics”—including its available SYNC in-car connectivity and infotainment system. The Taurus also is a Top Safety Pick of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Ford Fusion Hybrid—The Best Hybrid Car for the Money was the Fusion Hybrid, which, like its traditionally powered sibling, will get a complete overhaul for the 2013 model year. Not only will this next-gen version boast significantly higher fuel efficiency than the hybrid versions of rivals like the Toyota Camry or Hyundai Sonata, but it also will debut with a second hybrid powertrain with plug-in capabilities—and a higher miles per gallon equivalency rating than the Toyota Prius Plug-in or the Chevy Volt.

Ford Edge—Now capable of an eye-opening 30 mpg highway, the Edge bested all competition to be named the best Affordable Midsize SUV with Two Rows. The difference-maker? The Ford’s new 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine, which also enables 21 mpg city and 24 mpg combined, while still mustering a robust 240 hp and 270 lb.-ft. of torque.

The big dogs were out in abundance during the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, but it was the completely redesigned Ford Fusion that AutoWeek named “Best in Show.”

“It’s very rare for a midsize sedan to win Best in Show,” said Autoweek editor Wes Raynal. “I think it’s the first of a lot of awards the Fusion is going to win this year.”

In fact, helping fulfill Raynal’s prophecy, the Fusion also received the much-coveted EyesOn Design recognition from the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology during the show—no mean feat considering its fellow finalists for the honor included the all-new Cadillac ATS and BMW 3 Series.

And while the Fusion no doubt elevates the bar for midsize design, with a sleek and flowing style that is at home on the show floor as it will be at dealer showrooms, it’s packed with high-tech substance, too. EcoBoost, hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains all will be available—and all target best-in-class fuel efficiency—while the Fusion also will offer a suite of “must have” Ford technologies, including:

• A class-exclusive, multi-mode Lane-Keeping System that can help warn tired drivers if they’re drifting out of their proper lanes.
• Adaptive cruise control with collision warning, which is capable of detecting slower traffic in front of the
• Fusion and automatically adjusting the Fusion’s cruise control, as well as providing brake support if a potential frontal crash scenario is detected.
• Active park assist, to automatically steer the Fusion into parallel parking spaces.
• The automaker’s Blind Spot Information System with cross-traffic alert, developed to warn drivers of traffic in the car’s blind spot or when backing out of a parking spot.

With all this an more, it’s no wonder J Mays, Ford’s chief creative officer, boasted that: “I’ve been with the company for 13 years and I can truly say this is the best car ever to come out of the design and engineering center in Dearborn. We are delighted for the entire global design team, because this really was a global effort.”

Wrapped in a sleek, flowing new exterior that draws on Ford’s award-winning global design language, the completely redesigned 2013 Ford Fusion is going to break fresh ground by being the first midsize sedan available with three different powertrains—gas, hybrid and plug-in hybrid—and it plans on achieving best-in-class fuel efficiency with all of them.

The Fusion actually will offer five different engines, including three that run strictly on gasoline: A standard, naturally aspirated I4 and two advanced EcoBoost four-cylinder motivators. Among that second pair will be a peppy 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine that is expected to achieve the segment’s top EPA ratings for a non-hybrid four-cylinder engine, ringing up marks of 26 mpg city/37 mpg highway; the second EcoBoost powerplant will be the hi-po choice for the Fusion, and while Ford didn’t discuss output, it’s worth noting that a similarly sized EcoBoost engine will be rated at 247 hp/250 lb.-ft. of torque in the upcoming Ford Focus ST.

For drivers who prefer a greener choice, the next-gen Fusion Hybrid receives an all-new 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle I4 engine and a lighter, more powerful battery pack now relying on lithium-ion technology. And again, Ford is planning to best all in-segment rivals with the Fusion Hybrid, which the company expects will return EPA ratings of 47 mpg city/44 mpg highway—those numbers would out-efficiency the Toyota Camry Hybrid by 4 mpg/5 mpg while trumping the Hyundai Sonata by 12 mpg/4 mpg.

Finally, gearing up to take its place at the top of the leaderboard as the most fuel-efficient mid-size car anywhere in the world, the Fusion Energi will debut with an innovative plug-in hybrid system that should break the 100 MPGe barrier—a benchmark the Chevy Volt misses by 8 MPGe and the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid trails by 13 MPGe.

“Our vision for Fusion was clear—deliver the very best of what One Ford stands for,” said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president of Global Product Development. “We brought our global teams together around a blank slate with the charge to develop a midsize car with groundbreaking design and jaw-dropping fuel economy—one that featured technologies to help make our customers safer and better drivers. This car is the result.”

Ford is continuing to push the envelope when it comes to automotive technology—all the way from its Motor City roots to Silicon Valley: The automaker recently announced it would open its very first dedicated research and development lab in California’s high-tech hotspot.

The new facility will be located in the San Francisco Bay area and open later this quarter, with efforts to be spearheaded by the automaker’s Ford Research and Innovation division. Combined with Ford’s Advanced Design Studio in Irvine, Calif., and the company’s presence in Redmond, Wash.—where Ford team members are working in collaboration with Microsoft, Ford’s “connectivity platform partner”—the result will be a comprehensive West Coast innovation network that will help Ford further advance its leadership role in transportation technologies.

“Silicon Valley represents a deep and dynamic technology neighborhood and is far from Dearborn [Ford’s home base],” said K. Venkatesh Prasad, senior technical leader for open innovation with Ford Research and Innovation. “With so many opportunities and so much potential, our new lab will allow us to scout new technologies and partners in their own environment and continue our expansion beyond the traditional automaker mindset to drive innovation for a better mobility experience.”

More specifically, Ford’s new Silicon Valley enterprise will focus on areas including:

• Personal mobility—Using a “holistic approach to personal transportation” to take on issues surrounding urban transportation in a time of growing megacities around the globe.
• Open-source hardware and software developer kits—Providing developers with access to the vehicle data they need to design cutting-edge cloud-based apps and services.
• The car as a sensor—Discovering new ways to leverage vehicles’ current range of sensors to enhance the driving experience for everyone; for example, by using data about when drivers activate their windshield wipers to enhance weather reporting.

“Ford integrates technologies, software and electronics at the same pace as the most innovative companies in the world—our platform just happens to be the car,” said Paul Mascarenas, Ford chief technical officer and vice president of Research and Innovation. “The new Silicon Valley lab will propel us further as we look at the many facets of life where mobility interacts with society and see how we can make those experiences better for millions of customers around the world.”

The 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 is kicking off the new year the same way it ended the last—by kicking the competition to the curb: The automaker’s CEO—Chief Excitement Object—recently received a Popular Mechanics Auto Excellence Award as the top 2012 choice in the performance car category. And why not, when writers for the prestigious publication reported that, “The 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 is the kind of fully realized, perfectly crafted performance car that comes along only once a decade.”

Such perfection didn’t happen by accident, either.

“The team at Ford wanted to offer their fellow Mustang enthusiasts something really special—a beautifully balanced factory-built race car that they could drive on the street,” explains Dave Pericak, Mustang chief engineer. “The Boss 302 isn’t something a Mustang GT owner can buy all the parts for out of a catalog or that a tuner can get by adding a chip. This is a front-to-back re-engineered Mustang with every system designed to make a good driver great and a great driver even better.”

This includes:

• The Boss’ high-powered powertrain, which leverages an advanced V8 engine capable of 444 hp and 380 lb.-ft. of torque, mated to a short-throw, close-ratio six-speed manual transmission that engages via a race-inspired clutch.
• A sophisticated suspension that the driver can easily tune for optimum performance on the track or on the road, with multiple settings for the car’s traction control and electronic stability control systems, adjustable dampers and shocks, and speed-sensitive electronic steering setup.
• Stopping power that comes courtesy of Brembo four-piston calipers putting the squeeze on 14-inch rotors up front, and unique, Boss-specific hi-po brake pads at the rear.

Plus, as Popular Mechanics points out, the Boss is one Auto Excellence winner that’s also an excellent value, showcasing an MSRP of $40,310 while still being able to outrun cars that cost twice that much.

The 2012 Mustang Boss 302 is available now—in limited quantities—at Ford dealerships across the country.

While plenty of publications from around the world offer their opinions on the best vehicles of the year, the honor from the Detroit Free Press—one of the industry’s hometown newspapers—certainly stands out from the crowd. And so does the 2012 Ford Focus, the vehicle recently named the Freep’s “Car of the Year.”

Acclaimed auto journalist Mark Phelan, writing for the paper, said that “The sleek 2012 Ford Focus may be the most sophisticated small car ever sold in America,” and lauded the car for features including its refreshed Ford SYNC connectivity and infotainment system and PowerShift six-speed automatic transmission. According to Phelan, the former is unequalled in the Focus’ segment and “remains blissfully straightforward and easy to use.” As for the latter, Phelan noted that even though that transmission has received some criticism from other reviewers, “I think the problem is that Ford neglected to explain to owners that it can feel a little different from the automatic transmissions they’re used to. For my money, it more than makes up for its differences with responsive performance and EPA fuel economy.”

In fact, thanks as well to a high-efficiency 2.0-liter I4 engine with direct injection and twin independent variable camshaft timing, the Focus SFE sedan is capable of reaching 28 mpg city/40 mpg highway/33 mpg combined.

Then, on top of all that, “The Focus’ sporty handling, quiet ride, and roomy and practical hatchback model add to its standing as an exceptionally refined, advanced and enjoyable car.”

With an MSRP that starts as low as $16,500, the award-winning 2012 Ford Focus is on sale now.

Falling asleep at the wheel can quickly turn into a nightmare when travelling, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that 1,500 people each year are killed, and 71,000 injured, due to crashes caused by drowsy drivers. But those kinds of numbers served as a wakeup call for Ford engineers, who designed the all-new 2013 Ford Fusion to be the first mainstream mid-size sedan in America to offer “lane keeping” technology to combat this problem.

The Ford Lane Keeping System relies on a small digital camera that’s mounted on the windshield just in front of the rearview mirror. It allows the system to recognize lane markers on the road ahead of the Fusion to determine if the car is drifting, then can set off three different levels of driver alerts. First, an icon on the Fusion’s instrument cluster will turn yellow while the steering wheel—leveraging the latest Electronic Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) technology—will vibrate as if the car were driving over rumble strips. If the vehicle continues to drift, the icon turns red and EPAS will “nudge” the Fusion back toward the center of the lane. If the driver still doesn’t respond, the system will both nudge the vehicle and vibrate the steering wheel at the same time.

Significantly, though, the system always remains under driver control: It must be activated by the driver for it to work in the first place, while turning the Fusion’s steering wheel, accelerating or braking will overcome the nudge/vibration functions.

The automaker will add the Lane Keeping System to the Ford Explorer next year as well, and bring it to other members of the Ford lineup over the next several years.

Stay tuned for more information on the all-new 2013 Ford Fusion, which will be revealed to the public at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January.

Ford’s commitment to fuel-efficiency leadership has paid off once again. In determining which full-size pickup would merit a place on their list of Top 10 Winter Cars for 2012, the folks at Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com website reported that: “The 2012 Ford F-150 in 4WD configuration won our votes for its smart blend of style, comfort and, yes, even fuel economy, thanks to the available 365-horsepower EcoBoost V6—which has become the most popular engine in the entire F-150 lineup.”

That makes sense, since the EcoBoost powerplant delivers both a best-in-class 420 lb.-ft. of torque and unsurpassed EPA numbers, even when mated to Ford’s cutting-edge four-wheel-drive system. And by combining the truck’s highway rating of 21 mpg with its new-for-2012 36-gallon fuel tank, Ford also delivers the segment’s longest cruising range—756 miles. That’s enough to go from Atlanta to Detroit without refilling even once.

The F-150 EcoBoost 4X4—like all four-wheel-drive F-150s—also gains other enhancements for 2012, including:

• Standard Hill Start Assist, which helps prevent the truck from rolling backward when stopped on an incline
• “Neutral tow” capability, allowing the F-150 to be flat-towed
• An available electronic locking rear axle
• A new two-speed automatic 4X4 system for Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum trim levels; the system provides traditional “high” and “low” modes, and adds an auto mode that can automatically route torque to the truck’s front wheels if wheel slippage is detected

“These changes are centered around making F-150 an even more useful tool for our customers,” said Jackie DiMarco, F-150 chief engineer. “We’re continuously raising the bar when it comes to capability, and these upgrades and new technologies push us even further.”

It’s already a Happy New Year for Ford, as two of the automaker’s vehicles were recently named among the Boston Globe’s Top Drives of 2012—making Ford the only brand with multiple entries on the prestigious annual list.

Taking home blue ribbons for the Blue Oval were the Ford Focus and Ford F-150 EcoBoost.

The Focus wowed Globe writers, proving that “small cars can be great cars” and earning praise like:

• “From the deft handling to the well-insulated cabin, the Focus sets the bar for the compact class. “
• “Its dynamics, all the way to the grip of the manual shift lever, are near-BMW in response.”
• “The elegant bodies are delicately formed, especially in hatchback form, and the soft-touch dash and attractive plastics set new quality standards for cars under $20,000.”
• “The Focus just feels right. It looks and drives like a much more expensive car.”

And remember, the dynamic-driving Focus also is capable of up to 40 mpg highway in its thrifty SFE configuration, while also delivering 160 hp—that’s over 20 hp more than the Chevy Cruze and the most power of any 40-mpg compact in the country. That same combination of efficiency and performance is on display in Ford’s other Best Drive, too. The F-150 EcoBoost combines 365 hp and a best-in-class 420 lb.-ft. of torque to post best-in-class max trailer tow ratings (11,300 lbs.) and best-in-class payload capability (3,060 lbs.), while still returning up to 22 mpg on the highway.

That’s why, even though Boston Globe experts were impressed with the entire F-150 roster, they considered the EcoBoosted model to be “the gem in the lineup” and also lauded its interior finish, quietness and refined ride.

The 1967 Ford Mustang Convertible was a true classic, showcasing the first major upgrade of the first-generation ’Stang that took the world by storm: After selling more than 1 million Mustangs in its first 18 months of production, Ford debuted all-new sheet metal on its sports car icon for 1967, as well as a fresh interior and engine choices that included a 427-cubic-inch V8 capable of 390 hp. Simply put, the 1967 Mustang is the kind of car they just don’t build anymore—but you can.

That’s because the Blue Oval has now added new body shells of the car, created by the same company that did the originals back in ’67, to its list of official Ford Restoration Parts. It’s one of four different classic Mustang bodies available and joins the 1965 convertible, 1967 fastback and 1969 fastback.

The new bodies aren’t quite exact replicas of the ones from the late 1960s, though—they’re even better: The panels in are made from today’s automotive-grade virgin steel, which is slightly thicker than it was back in the day, and the pieces are put together using modern welding techniques, and feature newly engineered structural reinforcing that adds strength and rigidity to the body. Needless to say they also meet or exceed the fit, finish and overall quality benchmarks of the originals, as is the case with the entire lineup of Ford Restoration parts.

The result? Whether you’re looking to remain faithful to the original or go the “resto-mod” route to create your own version of the classic, the new shells will have you covered.

“Some minor panel adjustment and alignment still has to be done, but the body comes rustproofed and primed and is otherwise ready for painting and assembly,” said Dennis Mondrach, Ford Restoration Parts licensing manager. “The new ’67 convertible body shell gives restorers a super-solid foundation on which to build their dream pony car.”

The re-incarnated 1967 Ford Mustang Convertible body shell is priced from $15,995, and it’s available now from www.FordRestorationParts.com.