2005Explorer

All I can say is that everyone but DCX (including GM, Ford and the imports) are advertising 2007 models now. DCX has tv ads playing over and over about their 2006 model clearance sale. It seems like a blow-out sale that will never end. One would think it has to effect the dealers orders of 2007 models if DCX is still trying to cram 2006 models down dealers throats.

If Ford can't catch up with the "W-body" that is just about ready to turn 20 years old they truly have issues. The Five-Hundred rides on a chassis that is superior in every way to the W-body it is unfortunate that Ford messed up on styling and horsepower. With that said however, outselling the Impala should not be a goal of the Five-Hundred unless it wants to become a rental fleet queen like the Impala has.

To give it IRS, a lower frame, a 3rd row seat option, and to widen it by about 2.5 inches. The changes were made to improve interior space and comfort, ride and handling, and last (although Ford would never say so) to make the vehicle more stable and less likely to tip up in emergency maneuvers. The Ranger chassis was not ideal for a vehicle as heavy as the Explorer. I cannot understand why the Ranger did not follow to the new chassis other then price or the fact it would be more directly competing against the F-150. That should not be hard since the Explorer chassis is the most modern BOF SUV chassis on the market. As long as they keep updating and restyling the vehicle on top of it, the Explorer can continue on for years. As long as gas prices do not go completely nuts I would go back to an Explorer in the future. I am a single 30 year old male, I do not want a pickup, yet I need something that I can do some light off road driving with. Something that will tow my ATV or snowmobile and get me around on rural roads in the winter. I am not sold on CUV's just yet...and is it just me...or is there something just kinda "wimpy" about the current CUV's? I mean honestly I am not the type that needs a big truck as a compensation device...but there is just something about vehicles such as the Highlander, Pilot and Pacifica that screams...I'm a pussy!

Some ad campaigns are unforgettable...who here remembers the Pontiac "We Build Excitement" commercials? This commercial is from 1987 and even though I was a 4th grader at the time I still remember the song like it was yesterday. Today it might seem a little cheesy, but at the time it really did make an image for Pontiac. These commercials made the product look "exciting" and I bet a lot of people went down to their Pontiac dealer to look at the cars when they saw how "hip" they were for 1987! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT0IIoYkJaM

Well the Escort was successful. The rest were not.

Holy Cow! That has to be a re-badged record! Aren't the GM Mini-vans (oops I meant "Sport Vans") close in the number of re-badges though? When all the GM BOF mid-size SUV's are gone the Explorer should find itself in a better market position if they continue to upgrade it like they have over the years. The GM models are it's most direct competitor in the market segment and a CUV won't work for everybody. Not everyone wants a Tahoe or Expedition either...drive an Explorer through a city and then jump into an Expedition. The Explorer is a lot nicer to handle in traffic and for parking.

Bluecon...I don't get why you think the Edge is such a crappy vehicle. Have you driven one yet? Reading what you have said over and over about this CUV is that it is pretty much a piece of junk. Why? How much horsepower do you think it needs? 300? 400? Do you think the build materials are poor quality? The styling too bland? What could have Ford done with this thing to make you love it? Why are other crossovers like the Murano and Pacifica so much better? I ask these questions because I don't see why you think it is such a failure and it has not even been on a lot for sale yet. I know in your opinion DCX is doing way better and is very successful with everything they have done, but I don't see why the Edge isn't a good CUV. Sales numbers...who knows? My guess is over 100,000 and under 150,000. Did you also feel that the 1991 Explorer was a failure when launched in 1990? Many did at the time. You might be right, it might be a total hunk of underpowered, poorly built junk with a capital J, but I don't see how you can say it's already a failure before it even hits the dealer lots.

You probably want to add the 1991 Explorer to that list. The Explorer pretty much started the SUV craze of the 1990's to early 2000's. The Explorer is an good example of the right vehicle at the right time. It wasn't really a new concept, since there were SUV's way before the Explorer's time, it was just the first one to package the vehicle correctly. It was just the right size...not a huge beast like the Suburban or Bronco, but bigger then the small Blazer, Bronco II, Cherokee, and Asian SUV's. It was an SUV that a family could live with and it looked just right. Macho enough for the man in the house, yet gentle enough to haul grandma around.

Well from what I have read Nissan Motors scores pretty low as a "gay friendly" company. They do not offer "domestic partner" benefits and do not have an anti-discrimination policy for hiring and firing. I suppose if you are really anti-gay they would probably be the best company to buy from if you don't mind supporting a French company.

True. However, I would say the 2002 and newer Explorers are a much more stable vehicle...good tires or not.

...and the roll-over issues of the Ranger based models.

If a person is truly against this and truly for a boycott...they should boycott all of these companies! Oops...we have a problem though...both Microsoft and Apple is on that list...how in the world can you even post a reply on here without using one of those two companies products? :fan: Looks like you better cross a lot of automobile manufactures off your list too. Speaking of auto manufactures, I have read that Nissan has some of the most anti-gay policies of any...so if you truly hate gays that is probably a good brand to buy. I guess if you are a right winger it's better to be in bed with the French then the Homos. If the right wing wants to make a point then they better cross all of these 137 companies off their list, just targeting one or two is not going to get much of a point across.

http://www.discountcarstereo.com/detail.aspx?ID=950 That MIGHT work if yours is a satellite compatible Audiophile unit. I have a 2005 Ex with the Audiophile-Sat compatible stereo and I would like to add this interface to it for the iPod, but I would like to hear from someone else that tried it first. Anyone try this?

Which sounds better... General Ford Motors or Ford General Motors :lol:

Also another marketing line..."Buy our new Chinese made SUV and get a "class exclusive" 0 star crash test rating. You won't have to worry about all those problems an accident can cause like insurance issues or automobile replacement, the Chinese will take you to a better place!"

Triplets? Most refer to the CD3's as the triplets and they have hardly been a failure.

Ok...I admit it...I LOVE Ford and even though it is not the politically correct thing to do around here, I will admit that I am a hard-core Ford supporter. Why? Because I love my Ford Motor Company vehicle. In fact, I have loved every Ford vehicle I ever bought and all of the Ford vehicles my family purchased. I was brought home from the hospital after being born in a Ford Motor Company vehicle, Ford Motor Company vehicles got me to school every day from Kindergarten to my Senior year in College. Ford Motor Company vehicles have kept me safe on terrible winter roads. They also got me to places where I have experienced the best memories of my life. In fact, as I think about it, without Ford life would be not even worth living. Now, you can say that any other brand of vehicle could do the same. This is true. But in my life Ford has been the one to get me through life day in and day out. From snowmobiling trips to Colorado, Wyoming and Idaho to 4-H stock shows. From hauling loads of hay in for the cattle in the winter to driving me to the school so I can teach my class. When I came home from spending a year in Iraq my parents were there at the airport to pick me up in a Ford and after spending a year running around in M113's and armored Humvees wow did that Ford feel nice to ride in. So with that said...the Ford Motor Company might not be perfect, but they have helped to make my life as perfect as it can be. I am proud to tell people I drive a Ford. I take pride in washing and waxing my Ford. As far as I am concerned there is nothing in this world as far as material possessions go that I value more then my Ford. So call me an ostrich...call me a Ford lover...tell me I am in denial...I don't give a damn cause I am proud of my Ford. Whoever is on these boards that works for Ford. Thanks. Not a lot of people appreciate you or your company anymore, but I do everyday and if the blue oval was gone tomorrow, life would be different.

The German's dream their pickup would sell like the F-Series. Considering the Ram is loosing more marketshare with each passing year the dream of being the best selling pickup is fading away at a rapid pace. They have sat back and let Ford and GM develop all new pickups...where is the all new Ram? The current one came out in 2002 and was just a facelift of the previous one from 1994. They added new sheetmetal, a grossly oversized grille and of course the minivan dash still underneath the vehicle is not that much different. Compare a 1994 Ford pickup to a 2007 Ford pickup and I think you can see who has been a LOT more progressive in their pickup designs. I wonder if DCX is going to let the Ram linger on like they did before 1994. Remember that hunk of crap??? I have NEVER in my life saw an uglier truck (especially the cab) then the pre-1994 Ram. It was terrible! When it comes to pickups Ford needs to worry most about GM. DCX is in a distant 3rd place and is not gaining. GM and Ford OWN the light duty and heavy duty pickup market. The Dodge 2500/3500 will be the nail in the coffin for the Super Duty? PLEASE! What a joke! I would love for you to post the 10,000 shortcomings in the Super Duty. If you can throw out a number like 10,000 you need to be able to back it up. What is the problem? Frame too weak? Front suspension too weak? Doors falling off? Transmission falling out? Welds and bolts not strong enough? While you are at it could you please address the 10,000 issues with the Mustang as well??? Please list every one of them. If the Mustang is a hunk of junk like you are trying to claim (I mean anything with 10,000 shortcomings would be worse then a Ford Pinto or Chevy Vega) then tell us why this car is so bad. If you dislike the F-Series as much as you say...don't buy one...it's just that simple. Go talk to Dr. Z and get one of his German engineered trucks. I looked at the site and figured it out...Ford forgot about the Helmet Compatible Headrest They are doomed!!! As far as the Toyota website is concerned...who cares??? What Toyota pickup will compete with a Super Duty??? Show me how the Tundra can out work, out tow, and out haul a Super Duty or even an F-150 for that matter. I don't know about the all new one...but it's not here yet...and it seems to be delayed again and again so only the current one matters right now.

More like a big black Expedition EL! Ford will make sure the hitmen are equipped with the latest! :happy feet: Also for your personal health and welfare please visit this site... http://www.ocfoundation.org/ Many people suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Please look into it. You should not have to spend your life obsessing over a 10 year old Taurus and the Ford Motor Company. You can free yourself with the right treatment.

Wow you have me beat...2005 Explorer with 15,000 miles on it.

Sprinter as an Ambulance??? With all that heavy equipment??? I want to get to the hospital before I am dead and I don't see how a 154 HP 5 cyl Diesel with 254ft/lb of TQ is going to get me there in a hurry. I'd rather have an E-Series with a Powerstoke or V10 up front if my life is depending on it...wouldn't you?

What would be better then matching this warranty is if Ford made their 5 year 60,000 mile (Ford-Mercury) and 6 year 70,000 mile warranty (Lincoln) a Bumper-to-Bumper warranty. That would be MUCH better then this. They probably won't, but if they wanted to make a bold move that would be it.

Well if they are going to have great products within 18 months like you claim they better start working soon because the Chery and the Landwind (old Rodeo ripoff) are not going to cut it. Take the Landwind SUV for example...do you even have a clue how far this product is behind the Explorer??? Like a decade at least...and it is all going to be fixed in 18 months??? They will be cheap...sure...but I hardly doubt quality will be there for years to come. Why? When was the last time you bought a quality product from China? Very few exist unless they are engineered by an outside company and quality control is strictly monitored by that company. Chinese engineering is non-existent. Everything is a rip-off of something else. Just because they are an Asian country does not mean they are in the same league as Japan or even South Korea. Everyone says over time they will be the best, but I don't see it happening. There is no personal reward for bettering yourself in a Comunist country. Why even try when you are treated the same as everyone else? Considering human rights are non-existent in the country I doubt there is much incentive for people to go above and beyond...well other then a boss with a whip beating people who are not working fast enough. With that said looking at the current Chinese automotive products I think 18 months to perfection is the craziest assessment I ever heard in my life...Check out this thread that I started. If you still want to strap yourself into a Chinese vehicle go ahead. The US built safer cars then this in the 1960's. 40 years of safety and quality engineering fixed in 18 months? Hell even Japan took 10-15 years to make a quality product and they rewarded their engineers and workers well for doing so. http://www.blueovalforums.com/forums/index...?showtopic=5483

Maybe you should read the reviews. EVERY review has basically said the new Expedition is better then the new GM SUV's. OK Bluecon...we know you think the F-Series is a total piece of shit. Heck we know you think everything Ford builds is a POS...are you telling us anything new here? I'm done posting here for awhile unless things change. Sick and tired of nothing but the YEA! RAW RAW! FORD'S GOING BROKE SOON!!! WOO HOO!!! cheerleaders :cheerleader: I know...if you hate Ford it is a pretty exciting time for you. Kick em' HARD when they are down is the old saying. I am just sick and tired of the same crap everyday from the same people.

Well at least he is not taking any pay for the job. If they hire someone else they will demand big money. I love half of the people's take on fixing Ford around here. They just say..."Ford just needs to come out with all new models next year. They need to replace everything...and NOW." Most people who claim they would fix Ford around here would have the whole business broke in a year. Ford has a budget to work with just like every automaker. They need to speed their upgrade cycles as time goes on and continue to improve their quality. It is going to take time. I know your opinion is that if Ford is not completely fixed within 6 months they are done. They have good models now and have to improve them. They have to replace the models that are bad...BUT...they have to work with the money they have. If they decided to throw a "hail mary" right now like so many of you want and blow all their cash building everything you have personally dreamed of...it better work and work well...or it's done. Game over. Towards the end of the American Motors...before Renault bought a majority interest in it to keep them going...they took what little money they had left and threw a couple of "hail mary's" One was the infamous Pacer and the odd looking Matador Coupe (which shared nothing with the sedan). These products which they thought would be popular...fell flat on their faces in the market. The Pacer did ok for a couple of years then died...the Matador Coupe never even got off the ground. AMC squandered what little money they had left and when the products did not work...they were done. :titanic: If they would have been more conventional in their thinking and worked on improving existing products they might have held on as in independent auto company at least a few more years. What is SO ironic...is now the former American Motors CEO is trying to give Ford advice. :D