ZanatWork

As an unabashed wagon fan, and Flex fan, I'm all for that rendering being accurate. I was just fine with my Flex's "normal" liftover height when I was lugging amps and other music gear in and out of it, and its AWD was great for the often-slimy roads of the Northwest. Plus, in a vehicle that I don't need to have off-road capability, I enjoy the lower center of gravity that I wouldn't have in an Explorer or similar CUV/SUV.

I admit that I'm largely concerned/curious about the ride/handling/feel, as that seemed to be where the outgoing truck lost points against the newer competition.

I'm all for another Excursion, people still look for the 7.3 models regularly.

Why the screaming hell did Ford give NA the "differently abled" nose, and give the better one to other markets? For that matter, who the hell signed off on the junk snoot we have here? Fire their ass(es)!!!

I'm just gonna throw this out there: the restyling was/is...a major failure. The previous generation had the Aston Martin face, while this one looks like a kid that eats all the paste in kindergarten. That front end is just...bad. It''s very hard to get past that, at least for me. As far as the test went...yeah, C/D didn't do much for the credibility of the test and/or its author, but their remarks also repeat what's been said since this Escape came out: it's absolutely mediocre. I've yet to see anyone rave about it, really, in any way...it's just known to be a market-demanded CUV stepping in to be the replacement for both the Fusion (for the moment) and the Focus. Ford didn't put their best work into the little beast, and it's shown.

Mercury for me. I'd also love Merkur, maybe as a way to get our ST/RS Fiestas and Focii back....

I really like it in pics so far, I hope it's at least as good in person.

That 2 door looks wrong, I can't believe the production model will have essentially NO rear overhang.

Flu deaths in Washington State, for perspective See that? Several times more than the current media fixation, and more widespread...and, largely avoidable by the same means. I work in Seattle, and the quarantine center they're trying to put into Kent is essentially down the street from my apartment. This is a hyped-up mess of ridiculous proportions...but no, it's not "just ok that it kills old people". It's got a fraction of the awful stats that the flu has, but gets exponentially more press. Hygiene and common sense can go a long way toward containing this, much more than hoarding Charmin and Lysol will.

The Ram's popularity also is partially due to its coil-spring rear suspension, which may not be as spec-sheet impressive as the typical leaf rear springs, but the Ram is supposedly better driving/riding than the F-series in everyday use. As much as the bigger screen will attract some plebian truck buyers, the driveability in no/light load situations is a bigger deal.

Maybe because you're being an insulting twink about it? Cars/trucks have changed. The computers have elements defined by laws, look 'em up. Bitch at your representatives. Maybe, build a '78 Bronco with manual everything, throw out your computer and other devices, and subsist entirely on bacon and beans until your arteries give up the ghost...maybe that'll make you feel all manly and what-not. Meanwhile, the functional people can have a modern vehicle, and build a classic, and appreciate each for what they are.

I tell ya what, if they nail the styling and the features, that could find a ton of homes out here in the Northwest. One of them could be mine.

Thanks for your efforts, on behalf of some of us that geek out on sales numbers...!

Many companies failed to give wagons much push, again with Subaru as the exception. When's the last Ford Flex commercial you saw? How many years back?

That 7.3 swap makes for interesting thoughts...and I already figure that "enhanced" versions will be at SEMA, so I'm sure that Ford Racing will have some toys to free up some ponies. If they get headers and other basics figured out for popular applications, the new motor may be a real option for those that aren't all about supercharger whine.

I didn't see if this was covered, but there are two lawsuits: one against Ford for the fumes and one against the department for making their officers use the known-to-be afflicted vehicles. This will be ugly.

(shaking head) To me, this whole pissing match on screen size is as bad as the cupholder fixation, 20 years ago.

I promise that you're not the only one. I kinda wish the Flex had been named Fairlane, like the concept.

Well, the Flex has been selling at or just above 2000 per month forever...and with basically NO promotion from FoMoCo. Throw in the Outbacks, the Buick thing, plus the rogue Benz/Volvo/etc models...200K may be possible. It's hard to think that there's not enough market for a capacious vehicle that's not carrying the extra weight of CUV bodywork....

The roads here in the NW are thick with Subarus...but also Flexes, and Volvo wagons. As Ford as barely offered wagons beyond the Flex since the old Taurus/Sable wagon were killed over a decade ago...and the CMAX is fugly...that distorts the numbers, somewhat.

I think it could handily outsell the Flex, as its boxy appearance is polarizing in this era of rolling melted soap bars. The trick would be actually staying with an ad campaign, something that did NOT happen with the Flex.

I like the concept, though I'd like slightly more cargo area. I think that Ford could truly carve out room for their niche "Outback", but it'd have to have the goods and Ford would need to show something like Subaru's charisma and patience to drill it into the market. I won't lie, I'm a huge fan of the Flex (mine recently had a tragic transmission failure, I miss it every day) and think that Ford has room for a stylish, capacious, AWD wagon that draws just enough cues from CUVs to fit within current trends. I love real SUVs, but I'm a musician at night; I also love low lift-over and having a powerful AWD vehicle that can cope with the often slimy streets of western Washington. Hence, I loved my Flex. A vehicle like the one rendered would be a great compromise for people like myself that would own a separate, "real SUV" for actual off-road driving.

Apparently, kinda somber. From the review, it seems that the ST has a good ride, is very capable, but it feels somewhat disconnected and is less "bonkers" than the Durango SRT. I'll reserve my judgement until I drive one, but my initial concern would be that this sounds worryingly similar to the knocks on the Fusion ST.

I just read the Autoblog review, and it seems that they like the powertrains, found the steering/suspension to be kind of numb and "springy", they loved the styling, but weren't stunned by the interior materials and various issues involving the back row. While I don't see the criticisms as damning, I do hope that the ST answers the steering/suspension gripes somewhat. The hybrid appears to be more about torque than mpg, which is both kind of refreshing but potentially damaging to perceptions. I find it odd that Ford didn't go all-in regarding USB connectivity throughout the vehicle, as that's become the new "cupholders" standard for interiors. All in all, I look very forward to the ST reviews.

So...add weight and drag, but leave the little 302 in the nose? I do NOT get the point.