Ever thought about having the addition of MyFord Touch infotainment to your drive? According to Michelle Moody, Ford Cross-Vehicle Marketing Manager, there's a good chance you have. You see, the automaker found that of all the aspects that new Ford vehicle buyers consider in making their purchase, the innovative, pioneering technology ranks amongst the top 10.

Not surprised? Our team at Bickford Ford definitely wasn't, just knowing that Ford was one of the…

While consistently a dominant brand, Toyota has lost significant ground to Ford in consumer regard over the last two years, according to Consumer Reports' 2011 Car Brand Perception Survey. Now, the two brands rank a close first and second in overall perception, with Ford having a clear advantage in the factors that matter most to car shoppers: Safety, quality, and value.

The scores in our survey reflect how consumers perceive each brand in seven categories: safety, quality, value, performance, design/style, technology/innovation, and environmentally friendly/green. Measuring across those categories gives us the total brand perception and does not…