ZanatWork

Torn on the whole IFS debate, because a well tuned IFS could be better, if losing some "macho" points in the process. I want the Bronco to be genuinely capable off-road...but I don't know if trying to out-hardcore the Wrangler is the best way for the model to succeed.

Hmmm... ...I keep kinda thinking that they could have something that would be easily scalable to compete with, say, half of Subaru's offerings within a single mode's range. I thought the Focus Active had that potential, but maybe this one...?

What's obviously the most important take from this is that the Flex is still humming along, and deserves a worthy successor.

I'll always think that Fields' greatest issue was that he couldn't "take the room" with leadership charisma. He wasn't admired, respected, and/or feared enough to keep the old bad habits from returning. He may or may not have had the political clout within the company to do much, either...but I'm well aware the my viewpoint is basically up in the nosebleed section. I don't have any real insider information. The new financial guy may be a boon or a curse...but what's unchanging is that the next few years of Ford's future are at least as important as those heading into last decade's recession. The new products need to be pretty amazing, and to set precedent for a genuinely strong step into a very nebulous future.

I remember Corvairs in my old neighborhoods, thought the "Monza" variant was kinda attractive...but mostly, they represent how big an bulky our attempts at copying European designs were.

Kinda saw this coming, with RAM making inroads via their coil-sprung 1500 model and its gentler ride (if also less payload/towing) than its half ton rivals. Knowing that Ford theoretically had the pieces rolling under Expys and Navs already, I'd been wondering if this could occur.

Hey, I hope he's right. Most of the product rumblings seem basically positive and reflective of current trends. However, the time in limbo is both annoying for brand loyalists and fodder for every Wall Street analyst d-bag. The "turning point" needs to be clipping the apex of the corner, ASAFP.

Thanks for the numbers, it gives some idea of what's actually going on. Rough month for the Continental...yikes....

I would not, as GM's actual offerings are largely crap...in fact, they define mediocrity/failure as much as any time that I can remember.

If they could find a good way to make an AWD Mustang available with both engines and both transmissions, I'd find that interesting...but I don't see that happening until the hybrid model.

A huge amount of the current frustration with Ford is the extended limbo period that we're currently inhabiting; we're years into the rumors regarding the Bronco, the forthcoming electrification, which we've seen the cars getting cut and two recent offerings (Ecosport and Ranger) coming in as aging place holders. Granted, the Ranger is being welcomed with impressive sales...but the big news with Ford has mostly been news, not anything in the metal. This is an odd position for me, as I'm very much an analog guy that's always interested in the performance models first and foremost; I generally spend little time caring about the run-of-the-mill offerings. That said, I'm with many other Blue Oval fans that are watching carefully to see if Ecosports and Escapes will truly supplant the Fiesta/Focus/Fusion sales in the market. Does and Edge make for an attractive Taurus alternative? Will the showroom suffer from being 70+ percent CUV blobs, with only the occasional Mustang or F-series making and visual difference? The undeniable importance of the new Explorer and Super Duty aside, we're still just around the corner from...well, we're not quite sure. We get snippets about dealers being impressed with "Mach E" previews and get glimpses of forthcoming PHEV tech in the imminent models...but we've basically been led to believe that there's a new Ford era dawning in the next 1-2 years, after years of rumor and delays. Wall Street can go commit a physical/carnal impossibility for all I care...but the brand's fans have plenty of cause to be frustrated. How much of that rests on Fields vs. Hackett, I'm not certain.

Being the fan of a brand is unsettlingly like being the fan of a sports team...complete with all the peaks and valleys, love/hate relationships with various coaches and players, and occasionally looking back at previous eras with new eyes....

Oh, I'm grateful for what we have...but this is a familiar annoyance, even if it's not as bad as the old days of Cosworth Fords overseas while ford kept trying to re-invent the Fairmont. Living near Seattle as I do, having a Ford hot hatch to deal with the traffic/parking issues there would be ideal. Well, that, and my now-dashed hopes that the Focus Active was going to bring a real WRX competitor. I'm still hopeful that the "whitespace" vehicles have a good surprise or two ahead.

...aaaaand once again, the Ford's USA performance customers get to be pissed about offerings that are offered elsewhere, but not in the company's home country. Hey, I get all the math involved, and even kinda-sorta agree with the large "car phaseout"...though I still think that a couple of Focus Active models would have served as easy Subaru competitors. Still, this feeling is as maddening as it is familiar; I'm back to wondering why we can't have the Sierra Cosworth all over again....

Well, supposedly even a Radio Flyer wagon powered by a Briggs and Stratton motor is better than the current model, so....

4 little non-profane words certainly get your unmentionables bunched. I have little patience for people over-griping on projects still in the rumor stage, I tend to think it's a special breed of ridiculous to just dismiss a potential vehicle this early in the game. Plus, he said "he's done"...so...why should he care?

You won't be missed.

The nose makes me think of the NIssan GTR...so I hope it looks better in person. The lack of a true manual is a bit disappointing, but the "stat racers" should be thrilled. Even as much as I love a good manual in a sporting car, I have to admit that there's a bit of a disconnect between wanting supercar performance capabilities while preferring the slower shifting of a manual. Basically, it seems like the GT350 is the "analog purist" car while the GT500 is the "today's tech" super-Mustang. Barring the GTR-esque visual issues, I'm impressed and very pleased, overall.

I'll wait for real judgement until I see the real thing in a real color. As much as I love any prototype pics I can see, they rarely define my overall impressions of the production examples. However, regarding the earlier post about wagons-minivans-SUVs-CUVs-wagons...eh, most SUVs and CUVs rarely see unpaved roads. The basic truth is that the wagon remains too logical to not utilize, regardless how it's repackaged. Some of us really liked the Focus ST wagon, and were hoping for a successor in the Focus Active line, but whatever....

As I said when I saw this elsewhere: "too much inter-sibling romance".

As much as I'm annoyed with Ford's apparently inability to control the releases of its own product news lately, I'm also disappointed that every Bronco rumor goes from zero to ridiculous assumption in about one second. It's gonna be a mid-sized, off-road focused SUV with 300-ish hp. As much as I'm a member of the "save the manuals" club, a good auto isn't a deal breaker. I also have no real opinion on a hybrid version, as I wouldn't be likely to buy that variant.

Very agreed. I saw the Focus Active as a potential Subaru competitor, especially if it was available in a couple different guises. I do worry about that being a missed opportunity.

Yep, proof of over-medicating in this country...! 1. The GT is doing fine in racing, and I hadn't noticed that the class-rival Corvettes were than much cheaper...so your argument is bizarre. 2. The top-level Vette may hold a minimal advantage over the GT in some conditions, but it's still hilariously garish to look at and suffers typical GM build quality issues. 3. The Camaro is a far worse car than the Mustang, and only out-performs it (in some guises) by amounts slight enough to be overcome by driver skills. Why suffer gunslit windows and worst-in-class styling for 1/10th of a second at some drag strip? 4. GM is crap, and seemingly determined to stay that way. It's nothing new that they'll build a "numbers" Camaro/Corvette that still has interior trim falling off in the first year of ownership. Back away from the paint thinner, and put its lid back on.

I still have a small hope that the Flex will be one of the "whitespace" vehicles, because they really are thick on the roads out here in Washington. Mine has been amazing, one of the best and most unique vehicles I've owned. The numbers aren't pretty, and I wonder how RAM is getting increases when their quality remains everything we know and remember about FIAT.

I'm in that group, and there's a LOT of them on the road up here in Washington. I joke that it's like a Subaru for Ford lovers.