High Five Tour at Apple Valley Ford Lincoln- August 1st, 2012

High Five Tour 2012:  Your Opportunity to Support Military Families! Wounded Warrior Family Support is a 501 (c) (3) organization whose mission is to provide support to the families to those soldiers who have been wounded, injured or killed during combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The families of our casualties suffer in many ways; some financially, some psychologically. We would like to help the families of veterans by offering them an opportunity to put aside stress and come together for a week-long reprieve; an all-expense paid retreat to one of four Orlando, Florida resort condominiums where they can rejuvenate and strengthen their bonds.  Since 2003, more than 200 families have benefited from these programs, bringing much deserved smiles and lasting memories. The Third Annual High Five Tour is raising funds for and expanding the Wounded Warriors Family Support programs to assist military families, and to thank Americans nationwide for  their continued support to our troops and their families. The Tour will be featuring a 2012 Shelby Ford Mustang SVT wrapped in a patriotic red, white, and blue flag design which will be driven by Wounded Warriors Family Support founder, Colonel John Solsom, USMCR (Ret.) and a photographer, blogger who will chronicle the 16,000 mile road trip. As the iconic Ford Mustang approaches its 50th year, it continues to be a symbol of freedom of the road, the American spirit and innovation. The 2012 Shelby Mustang will be on display for all that attend to sign on August 1st from 5pm-9pm. Cookout from 5-7pm. Apple Auto Group will match all eligible donations made up to $25,000. Eligibility rules will be available on-site.

Apple Auto Group App IPad Giveaway

Apple Auto Group launched a new App available on Android and Apple products!  Download our App for a chance to win an iPad on August 1st, 2012.  Benefits to you include exclusive specials, schedule service, and all Apple Auto Group inventory right from your home screen.  On August 1st, 2012, the Apple Auto Group App will send our a Notification Containing the Winning Code.  The first person to post the code to our Facebook Page wins the Apple iPad.  Be sure to remember to allow push notifications and Like Us on Facebook-facebook.com/appleautogroup before the winning code is sent on August 1st.. 

 Rules:
-One Ipad 2, 16GB will be given away on August 1. 1 Ipad giveaway for entire Apple Auto Group. The 1st person to post the winning code, provided in the App Notification to the user’s mobile phone, to Facebook.com/Apple Auto Group, will win the IPad. The App notification will be sent at any time during the 24 hour period on August 1. Notifications must be allowed on user device to receive the notification successfully. Apple Auto Group is not responsible for any technology error in receipt of notification on August 1. Employees and directly family members of employees (eligible for D Plan) are not eligible to win the Ipad.

Apple Auto Group sponsors Pan-O-Prog in Lakeville

Apple Valley Ford and Apple Auto Group are proud to sponsor Lakeville’s 2012 Pan-O-Prog Events. Pan O’Prog (short for Panorama of Progress) is an annual event held in the City of Lakeville since 1967 celebrating the success of its development and progress. Sensing the future growth of the city, community leaders looked for a way to observe these milestones, beginning with the development of the Lakeville Airlake Industrial Park. City wide volunteers give their time and effort to making each year’s event greater than the last.

Since 2006, Apple Valley Ford has sponsored this local event in support of its great surrounding communities. Over 50 celebrations, events and activities take place during the week of July 4 for young and old alike. By the masses, residents line up to watch the grand parade, classic car cruise and 4th of July fireworks! Each year Apple Auto Group sponsors and staff commit time to participating at the Annual Thursday Night Beers, Brats and Bingo, Friday Night Cruise Night  and Grand Parade. This year Apple Valley Ford is a Platinum Sponsor of the Grand Parade on Saturday, July 7^th at 5:30 p.m. Come on out and join us as we shower onlookers with over 300 pound of candy!



2013 Ford Escape: Compact Crossover SUV Comparison

*Escape Wins!  Great article in Motor Trend Magazine. 

Stroller Battle: Fresh Crop of Crossovers Wrestles for the Family Dollar

1ST PLACE: 2013 Ford Escape
Doing It Right
By: Kirill Ougarov

 

By its nature, this segment doesn't really have room for greatness. That said, the new Ford Escape is about as close to being great as a compact CUV is going to get. While not at the top of the pack in every aspect, the Escape does almost everything right.

Take the powertrain, for example. The 1.6-liter turbo-four is one reason Ford beat Mazda for the gold medal. Evans found it a "strong little engine," while Kiino noted that it has "great power from 2000 to 5000 rpm." More important, unlike with the Mazda, nobody felt the Ford was low on power or struggled to accelerate. The six-speed automatic worked well, providing smooth though not particularly quick shifts. The knob-based manual shift buttons discourage the use of the manual mode, but are better than nothing at all. The Escape also impressed us with its ride, both on the freeway and on the back roads. Kiino noted that the chassis "has a sporty edge to it that makes it feel light and lively," while Febbo said it was the "best in the canyon." Evans chose to dissent slightly by noting that the Escape had slightly too much body roll for his taste.

Feelings about the sheetmetal were generally positive, especially compared with the previous Escape, which looked like a shrunken Explorer. This one, bearing fresh European styling, is actually pleasing to the eye, though Lieberman described it best by saying it "looks like a pumped-up Focus," which is accurate even if it can be taken as a backhanded compliment.

 

Inside, the revolution is equally dramatic. The old Escape's slabby and trucky design makes way for a futuristic setup based on that of the Focus, though it's been considerably toned down. Everyone loved the Sync system and the big high-resolution navigation screen. The Escape was also the only one of the five to come with a power tailgate: Step up to an SEL and for an extra $1895, the tailgate becomes "hands free," meaning it'll open when you wave a foot under the rear bumper. Further, the Escape had the second-biggest cargo area of the bunch, giving up ground only to the expertly packaged Honda. Some concerns were voiced about backseat legroom and the general comfort level of the rear bench. Both were partly alleviated by the rear seat's ability to recline, greatly improving comfort. The only other knock against the Escape is the lack of a backup camera in the SE trim; you'd have to move up to an SEL to get it.

A perfect vehicle the Escape is not, but it is a big leap forward for Ford and the segment as a whole, because it proves you can get style, function, and fun in one well-priced package. Best of all, this one's from the home team.

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/suvs/1209_2012_2013_compact_crossover_suv_comparison/viewall.html#ixzz1zZUe24d4