Ford EcoBoostChallenge. One of my favorite events of the year. Hands down lots of fun. This year was more fun for a few reasons. One of them you are probably guessing is the Mustang! Oh yes. It was there and this time we got to drive it. Also, the street drive with many of their models including the active park assist. Not to mention the reaction time track with the Ford Fiesta. Then there’s the comparison drive which is always great. The new feature this year was the ShiftPhobia.
So, having never owned a manual car I have never driven stick. Learning to drive stick is really not that hard. Sure, there is a bit of an adjust but with someone telling me when to release the clutch and I’m no longer afraid. It wasn’t scary. The key is a smooth release of the clutch.
With that in mind, I could have driven manual for the Ford Focus ST reaction track but when you have the chance to be driven by a pro we always say yes. Sure I know how to drive stick now, but there’s no way I will be faster than Mike. His faster time was .181 seconds. Someone even had .007 seconds. Gotta say he was quite pleased to be called 007. That was impressive driving.
Then there’s the street drive where you actually get to experience the car on the road. Basically the highlight is the Active Park Assist. If you haven’t experienced it before or have in another brand you will be surprised at how easy it is. You basically drive by the spot you want to park in and the car does the work. You have pressed the right button and all you do is use the brake. You control the speed of the car, but you will not be touching your steering wheel. It’s a bit strange the first time, but knowing you can parallel park with no stress is amazing. Having a extra long car myself it makes me jealous to see them park so easily.
The comparison track was fun as usual. We tested all six cars. Hands down the Fords are more fun to drive. I can tell you that Fords are so responsive. They have great steering. It’s disappointing to try out the CR-V or the Highlander or the Silverado. Your speed goes way down around the track as you have actual turns. While the Escape and the Edge by Ford handle the winding road and lane changes like a dream. No worries about having to slow down. You feel safer because you are maintaining the same speed without having to think about it. Overall, you are feeling safer when you’re driving the Ford models. The Ford F-150 handles like a dream. For the trucks there was a slalom and rough road. The rough road was hardly noticeable in the F-150. No corrections had to be made. While the Silverado had us cringing in the F-150 we were slightly disappointed we had to get out after the slalom. So much fun.
Hands down the Mustang was the most fun to drive. If I had to choose between the F-150 and the Mustang I’d probably choose the Mustang, but it’d be hard. Especially since the Mustang has the convertible option it’d be like an improved version of the car I already drive. The growl alone from the engine was delightful. What can I say we like to accelerate. The suspension has you handling turns easily and there is no panic about missing a turn or hitting a cone. There is also the option of driving manual or automatic in the Mustang.
Even if you’re not certain you want a new car, I recommend the Ford EcoBoostChallenge. If they are stopping in your city and there are 17 stops this year, then you should drop by or sign up. They do take walk ins so if you see this and decide you want to drive cars tomorrow they’re at the Arlington Heights Race Track in the parking lot. If you come to the event tomorrow (5/9) everyone who registers has the chance to win a brand new Ford Edge!! That alone is a reason to stop by and check it out. Even if you’re not looking to buy a car right away you can have a great day learning and driving Fords. There’s no pressure and the employees certainly will not say anything. Even if we are spouting how much we love the F-150 over the Silverado they just smile and say no comment. They want you to make up your mind. Those Ford people are awfully clever letting you have a test drive and I’d be surprised if you didn’t love it.
Mother’s Day is this weekend. I’m not saying you have to take your mother, but if you did she’d probably enjoy herself. Then you can let her do whatever she wants on Mother’s Day. Just a suggestion, but if you like to drive then this is definitely an event you don’t want to miss!
