Full-size car

A full-size car is a marketing term used in North America for an automobile larger than a mid-size car. Traditional U.S. full-size passenger cars were designed to be comfortable for six occupants and their luggage for long-distance driving. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) currently uses the term "large car" to denote full-size cars based on their combined interior passenger and luggage volume.

Definition

The traditional full-size passenger cars that were built by the U.S. automakers (General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, and American Motors) up to the 1970s "can carry six occupants plus vast amounts of luggage over long distances in great comfort, with more than adequate performance, and will give reasonable gas mileage under such conditions."

Full-size cars were also denoted for their length, nearing 4,953 mm (195 in) in basic low-priced, family sedans. The luxury models often tended to reach 5,350 mm (211 in). Previously, a wheelbase greater than 2,794 mm (110 in) was the criterion for full-size. The term first appeared in the early 1960s to distinguish what also became known as "standard"-size cars from the new compact and intermediate models then being introduced. Full-size is also defined in space measurement as greater than 3,300 L (120 ft³) of combined passenger and cargo interior volume. A majority of U.S. manufactured full size automobiles (with the exception of the Chrysler C platform and AMC's Ambassador) were constructed using a body-on-frame platform. This platform was phased out in 2011 when the Ford Panther vehicles ended production.

Sport utility vehicle

A sport utility vehicle (SUV, sometimes called a sports utility wagon) is a vehicle similar to a station wagon or estate car that is usually equipped with four-wheel drive for on-road or off-road ability. Some SUVs include the towing capacity of a pickup truck with the passenger-carrying space of a minivan or large sedan.

Definitions

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a "sport utility vehicle" is "a rugged automotive vehicle similar to a station wagon but built on a light-truck chassis". The "SUV" term is defined as "a large vehicle that is designed to be used on rough surfaces but that is often used on city roads or highways." The "SUV" acronym "is still used to describe nearly anything with available all-wheel drive and raised ground clearance."

North America

There are a number of definitions for an SUV. Most government regulations simply have categories for "off-highway vehicles," which in turn are lumped in with pickup trucks and minivans as light trucks." The auto industry has not settled on one definition.

Ford Expedition

The Ford Expedition is a full-size SUV built by Ford. Introduced in 1996 for the 1997 model year as a replacement to the Bronco, it was previously slotted above the smaller Explorer. It is Ford's largest and last truck-based, off-road and tow-capable SUV. The Expedition is based on the Ford F-150 pickup and shares various components. It comes in a regular-size and in the longer EL/Max version (2007–present) that replaced the Excursion which was discontinued in 2005.

The Expedition is the third Ford vehicle to use the "Expedition" name, as it was originally used on a 1992 concept vehicle, the F-150 Eddie Bauer Expedition. The name was subsequently and briefly used for one of the Ford Explorer Sport (two door)'s trim levels during the 1995 model year, before applied to this SUV for the 1997 model year. Expeditions were originally built in Wayne, Michigan. In 2009, Ford shifted third generation production to Louisville, Kentucky, and converted the Wayne assembly plant to build the Focus. A refreshed third generation arrived to dealers in July 2014 for the 2015 model year.

Lincoln MKT

The Lincoln MKT is a full-size luxury crossover SUV built and marketed by the Ford Motor Company's Lincoln Motor Company division since the 2010 model year. The MKT (the "T" stands for Touring) was introduced as Lincoln's second crossover in the lineup, slotted above the Lincoln MKX mid-size crossover and below the larger Ford Expedition-based Lincoln Navigator full-size sport utility vehicle. Sharing a common platform with the Ford Flex, the MKT does not have a direct predecessor. Instead, the MKT and smaller MKX both serve as replacements of the Lincoln Aviator, as the division moved into the luxury crossover market.

2009 Concept

The Lincoln MKT was unveiled as a concept vehicle at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, MI. Largely a preview of the upcoming production vehicle, it featured a full-length glass roof and a 2+2 seating layout. The MKT concept vehicle was announced to have the 415 hp 3.5 L Cyclone 35 V-6 variant of Ford's new EcoBoost engine family, which uses turbocharging and direct injection technologies to offer the power of larger displacement engines with the fuel economy of smaller engines.

Kelley Blue Book

Kelley Blue Book is an Irvine, California-based vehicle valuation and automotive research company that is recognized by both consumers and the automotive industry. The company is part of Cox Automotive, a unit of Atlanta, GA-based Cox Enterprises.

History

The company began as the Kelley Kar Company founded by Les Kelley in 1918. Kelley started the company with three Model T Fords. His younger brother, Buster, worked with Kelley as a lot boy. By using data collected from the dealership, Kelley published the company’s first Blue Book in 1926, which became a standard guide in automotive trade in determining car value. Kelley Blue Book was formed in 1926, and the Kelley family continued its dealership business in Southern California for several decades. By the 1960s, the company moved from a car dealership to a specialty publisher and focused on the production of its automobile price guide.

In 1995, Kelley Blue Book created its company website, which contained tips and pricing information from its hardcopy guide.