2013 Explorer Owners Manual on 2040-parts.com

Engineers wring 30 mpg on the highway from the 2011 Ford Mustang V6

First Ford got us excited by making some major engine upgrades to the Mustang for 2011--a 305-hp, 3.7-liter V6 and a 412-hp, 5.0-liter V8. Now it's wooing us with fuel economy, too. Ford says the V6-powered Mustang has been certified by the EPA to deliver 30-31 mpg on the highway (depending on the transmission) and 19 mpg in the city.

Car spending 'more than holidays'

NEARLY HALF of drivers in the UK spend more disposable income on their car than anything else, according to a survey. Spending on cars (47%) easily outweighs the amount spent on holidays (21%) and socialising with friends (13%), the poll from Halfords Autocentres showed. But the survey also found that 10% of drivers were cutting back on car maintenance to save money.

Call for reform over road repair funding

FUNDING patterns mean most road maintenance is being carried out in "less-efficient, cold and wet" times, a report from a Government spending watchdog has said. The current pattern of funding, combined with the need to spend money within the financial year, means that most maintenance work goes on between September and March, said the report from the National Audit Office (NAO). It went on: "Although this is less disruptive for road users, it is less efficient than carrying out the work at other times of year because materials can be more difficult to handle in cold and wet conditions, and daylight hours are shorter." The report went on: "As a result of the additional funding for emergency repairs, which is made available at the end of the financial year, almost all highways authorities need extra capacity from the market at the same time, which makes it less likely that they will get value for money." The NAO report said there was a "lack of predictability" over road spending adding that historically, local highway authorities spent more revenue on maintenance, but were now carrying out fewer routine activities such as clearing gullies which are essential to preventing water seeping into roads' sub-structure.