ANTAUS

Like anything else, it'll trickle down to other vehicles in it's brand. And that gives them something to invent once again. For now it's the MyColor option, so it'll be a few years before we see that available on all Fords.

Oh yeah, that consumer has it all going on, he really knows his products. He had to buy foreign because there just wasn't anything he liked for detroit. Well Mr.Consumer, you have a glorified Accord parked in your garage, so you fell for that one, and most comical, you avoided detriot badge, but you just bought a Chevy Equinox with a Suzuki badge. Yeah you really put one over on detroit alright... :rolleyes:

Today I was sitting in a parking lot for a bit, while awaiting well, spying really, to see if a friends husband is having an affair...ANYHOW, being there was nothing better to do than WAIT, I had a Honda CR-V parked in front of me, one of the new ones, and I noticed something. Remember the previous generation CR-V with the bumper mounted spare tire on the rear hatch...how it scored badly in crash tests because it would require a whole new door practically, just on the bumper basher test. So the new one no longer has a hatch mounted one, and I'm thinking that was a much better common sense "About time" revelation. And I'm looking at the cut-out lines for the new hatch...SAME THING again. The door hatch lower lip, IS the top half of the bumper. That will definatly be an issue with the slighest thunk. Take a look. LINK-Edmunds.com

But is that really what people want? I think consumers tastes have changed in numerous ways. I'm sure for most, they'll start with sometihng small like a Focus during school, then maybe move up to a Mustang after they graduate, then probably a Taurus if they get married, then the Freestar if they have kids, possibly the Expedition when they get big and fat, then probably a Town Car when they retire. Thats usually how brands are structured. I myself have always had RWD/V8 coupes, it's just for the past 6 years, I've gone thru 3 LS's because Ford didn't/doesn't make a luxury coupe as what I always had.

Doesn't look like the CTS has push-button automatic emergency brakes, I just see a release and whats possibly a pedal on the left footwell ?

LINK-Wardauto.com

The MKR is also a hit with Autoweek. LINK-Autoweeks Poll

Oh my lord, someone is going to spend $25K on a car !! A depreciating item...For that amount, you might as well put a downpayment on a rental condo. Yes there's other things people can get for $2K, and obviously there's enough of an interest for the market to justify it. I personally would opt. for it as well, I really don't care what the cost is, I call it a business expense period.

LINk-Detroit News Seems the MKR is turning some heads, take a looka t the poll and comments section....

Passive Anti-Theft System. I dont think either of her models had them. I believe the Corolla was the CE model, and the Camry was an LE. Ironically what turned her off from the brand, wasn't so much the issue with the engine which at that time SHE thought it was an isolated issue which they told her it was HER FAULT for not taking care of the vehicle. It was the fact she went back to look and when asking about a Highlander, the salesperson said twice "Well you know we dont offer rebates, we dont have to, everyone wants our cars". Then goes to another Toyota dealership, which said almost similar thing. I too have noticed not many are loyalists. As if, once they go foreign, they jump around quite a bit thereafter. Maybe the husband if any, felt some loyalty with repurchasing a Volvo because it did save his life. And he had no issue with it being owned by Ford. Ironically, his most trusty vehicle was a 95 Escort. Then he had an Eclipse, which was a nightmare so he didn't want to go back to asian brand because of repair costs. It's a shame with the current ruling, majority of those effected wont, if anything, probably see some $100 coupon.

That was when I lived in Miami. I moved to Orlando a bit over a year ago...people are very nice up here, hardly any traffic, just much better in every possible way in comparison. She had one car stolen from the front of her condo, the other was her parents house. Both nice neighborhoods, go figure. Which is why the insurance company had to investigate the issue because understandibly it looked like fraud which it wasn't. What helped is that they put "decent" down payments on the vehicle, rather than just some petty amount. G.A.P. insurance helped as well, paid off the difference but they lost the initial "BIG" downpayment each time which helped change the perception that it was fraud. But any which way, it's another example of people living out of their means in every way shape and form. Now the kingdom is crumbling...interest only mortgage...taking out home equity to pay for vehicles (which are a depreciating item)...plasma TV, all about the LouisVuitton/Coach purse, etc.etc. foreclosure papers just served, You know how all that goes.

I have a friend who was a victim of the engine sludge issue, but she got rid of her car prior to all this coming to light? What does she get...Hmmm Nothing at all. Instead she bought a Corolla after I warned her they would steal it. Sure enough, 6 months later it was stolen. Then after insurance cleared, she wanted a Camry because "OH they are good cars, they are reliable" Totally forgetting the fact of the sludge issue which by THIS time, it did come out. Also warned her she ran a risk of getting it stolen because they are just known for that. Well the Camry didn't even last 2 weeks, the husband didn't get to drive it...stolen as well. So after 3 months of investigation when the insurance did clear and she gets her check, "Nancy, what car do you want to buy next", she responded with "NOT a Toyota!". Ironically, she bought a Volvo S60 because of it's safety but weary they had any relation to Ford. After a few weeks, the transmission dies... SO I get the "Its a FORD CALL!". WHich I had to educate her and let her know that transmission is an Aisin unit, from TOYOTA, so again, which infuriated her, she felt haunted. The S60 had an untimely death running into a concrete dividerin the highway head-on at 70MPH by her husband which walked away without any scratches. Which 2 miles behind I'm cursing "Why is there so much damn traffic this late at night" and moments later I get the call that HE WAS the problem. I asked again, "What car do you want now Nancy?", she responded with "Hm lets try a Lexus now". The Husband proceeded to curse at her some profanity and told her, "Were getting a Volvo!" SO she has an XC90 now...without the Aisin transmission of course. And incase anyone is wondering, there car insurance is $637 a month...it has that "Miami" tax on it

As opposed to the trash looking, bikini wearing ghetto loving queens that usually adorn some ricer magazine cover, Hmmm I rather take this one. At least this one can appeal to women as well, and any age group... instead of turning them off by having her spread eagled in a G-string LOL

A major plus, although having exclusive rights, just gives them a year of bragging before others start incorporating it. But it's good that Ford has the lead at least.

This is what I predicted awhile back, and even surprised with the Aura... I guess the Aura got the "well for GM this is a very bold move" vote, even with the antiquated standard V6 which I thought would have been the cars only faulting.

Can't say I love it, can't really say I hate it. I think most of it doesn't blend with one another. The front bumper/fender blend reminds me of how NIssan styles their vehicles, same with the pulled back headlight "eyelids" The interior is great, so is the Ice-Blue lighting. The lose of the D23 is a shame...Guess the Mazda3 will have it still. Not gaining weight, is a plus too. I'm seeing alot of "tweaking" of things people complained about, which is a good thing...much more than Ford usually puts out.

The positives: Newly much needed powertrain Stability Control Standard Suspension Tweaking (not expected by many) Toys- Ford Sync (not expected by many) Quieter (they addressed from some complaints) Even safer structure (not expected) Quieter A/C system (not expected) As For Negatives: People hoping for a more stylish redesigned interior. Please share them if anyone can think of any. Personally for me, I'm "ok" with ths styling, cept that front grill looks as if it were added on. Just all rectangular slapped onto a missing area But again, styling is up to people taste...and the Merlot color doesn't help any either. Any others?

To ad, Infiniti also doesn't have a label on their rear trunks saying "Infiniti G35, Technology Pkg." With DX, EX, etc. it's much easier. THing is, Honda as one example have always kept their DX, LX, EX, so when your behind someone with an "EX" you know it means it's fully loaded. As for Ford, that has always varied...You had Taurus, "G", then GL, LX, then S, SE, SELs, it's all over the place and has changed during it's time. Whereas in the Explorer, you know XL is dirt cheap (Or was-and phased out), XLT became the lower priced leader, then EddieBauer, Limited, etc.etc. Ironically, I'm sure it costs Ford a few cents more putting "Limited" badge, then an "SEL". My guess as to why Lincoln is going Alpha....Less letters

One good deed, doesn't fix years are rediculous reporting...

And Honda was their inspiration. But yes the Majority I seem to see are rental. I do a neighbor of a neighbor who actually bought one (she had an 87' Taurus she traded in for)...I guess after an old car for so long, anything like a Hyundai will do.

Finally, Death to the Essex engines !! Now, now I can take away the needles from the Engine Voodoo doll, place them onto the Vulcan one...die damn it, die!!

Backmost row, left looks like a possible Explorer. Rigth of that, looks like the next F-150. Right of MF looks like a Fairlane. Front left, has creases that looks as a possible Mondeo.swoopy rear, but much larger than a B-car. Those are the first things that came to mind. By the way, out of 17,000 people who saw the vehicles, I'm sure a few hundreds or thousands of those will probably be "shown a way Forward"...And no one has seen much? Geesh...Talk damn it! LOL

Didn't you get the memo? This week on the Competition Forums, the mantra has been about how great Chevy products are....the ones that have yet to be released starting with the Malibu and why the Fusion is now dead LOL Oh yeah, now we get the "How much better the Camaro Convertible is" over the Mustang. Ironically, all these products have yet to hit the market place. I mean, when you have a Magazine doing simulation test drivers, YOU KNOW something is majorly wrong...Wishful thinking on their parts...

It's bound to happen. As it is, we are dealing with 3.5-4.2L V6's all this time, hovering around 250lbs TQ. and the vehicles keep increasing weight, so a nice little V8 even a 4.7L for DCX would help as well. Again, it's gonna happen, it's all about timing and who has the balls. I was expecting DCX to do so.

I dislike the interior as well, luckily it's still concept form.