Huge Markdowns on Ford Near You!

Ford became an American icon with the 1908 Model T — credited with bringing the automobile to the masses. The Model T was basic and famously one-size-fits-all, but it was affordable, functional, and durable. Today, though, Ford focuses on its wide selection of hot-selling crossovers, SUVs, and pickup trucks. The brand offers just two passenger cars — the Fusion mid-size sedan and Mustang two-door performance car — and all of its current vehicles start above $20,000.

That’s not to say you can’t find great values in the segments where Ford still competes. Take its full line of crossovers, which runs from the subcompact EcoSport (the cheapest Ford, at $20,485); the best-selling compact Escape (now with fuel-sipping hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants); the smooth and quiet mid-size Edge; and the seven-passenger Explorer. You can also choose the Expedition full-size SUV for even more space and brawn, and an all-electric Mustang Mach E crossover will bring fuel-saving performance starting in 2021.

It’s the Ford F-Series full-size pickup truck, though, that truly defines the brand. It’s long been America’s best-selling vehicle, and it includes the half-ton F-150 in addition to a loosely related lineup of heavier-duty models — st,arting at the F-250 and building their way upward. They feature cutting-edge advances like weight-saving aluminum body panels and small-displacement turbocharged engines (and, soon, electric powertrains), as well as old-school strengths like torque-laden, fuel-efficient turbodiesels. Meanwhile, the mid-size Ranger slots below the F-150 in size and price.

Most Ford cars and crossovers use a trim-level structure that starts at the base S model, then winds its way past the mid-level SE and SEL on its way to the top Titanium. Pickup trucks, the Explorer crossover, and the Expedition SUV instead use trim levels that can include, in ascending order, XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, Limited, and Platinum. Some models also have a high-performance ST variant atop these structures. Lastly, the Mustang uses the GT label to indicate a V8 engine or the Shelby moniker for the highest-performance variants.