2005Explorer

If Ford can stay in the compact truck market with a solution like this then it can still be profitable. What I was referring to is the market is too small for a North American only vehicle in this class. I hope the global project works out for them. I would guess they will probably end up building the North American version somewhere in the US, Canada or Mexico.

I can't believe that you don't think the new 2009 F-150 is a step up from the Ranger. I see by your signature you own a 1993 Ranger. Heck a 2008 Ranger would be a heck of a step up. My father owns a 2005 Ranger SuperCab and it is a nice little pickup, but with 4x4, 4.0L and a 5 speed auto fuel economy is not great. In fact, an F-150 gets about the same fuel economy. He just likes it because it is smaller and easier to park and drive through traffic. The compact truck market is dead. The Dodge Dakota and Chevy Colorado are on life support. The Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier are selling a little better, but are still very slow sellers. The Ranger is actually outselling the Dakota and Colorado. Considering all the time, money and effort GM and Chrysler put into those pickups the return has been terrible. Ford can't afford to sink a lot of money into a dying segment. I am excited about the new F-150 even if you are not. The most exciting part for me is the 4.4L V8 Turbo Diesel that is coming. Yes, it will be priced much higher then the compact and midsize pickups are but I can assure you in most cases it will get much better fuel economy. The only compact truck that might do better on fuel would be a 4 cyl. 2WD Ranger.

First of all I think the idea of getting an all new from the ground up truck every 4 years is wishful thinking. Even if Ford did that some on these boards would be then demanding a completely new truck every 2 years. No company can afford this and it is not necessary. A good pickup platform should be able to run 8 years with one mid-life redesign. I like what Ford has done to the exterior of the F150. It is pushing the design ahead without ruining it. It will appeal to current F-150 owners and should be able to pull in new ones. I think this truck a beautiful compared to the Tundra. I know there are some on here that might prefer the radical styling of the Tundra, but I find the new F-150 to be much more tasteful and masculine. As far as the interior goes it again is taking something that works and improving on it. I agree with some that think there are too many buttons, however I would assume that XLT models will still use rotary HVAC controls and all the buttons are for the electronic HVAC systems in the higher models.

Nice looking! It has more of a precision look to it then the current model does. This should keep Ford leading as long as improved powertrains are coming soon after release.

I'm confused by this comment. Didn't the late 90's Lincoln Continental have a 4.6L V8 with FWD?

Too bad that the average US consumer will take one look at it and exclaim, "The Sequoia will get excellent fuel economy because it is a Toyota!"

I'm thinking Counting Crows maybe?

Wow you really improved the looks! Toyota should hire you!

The Lincoln badge is not as retarded as the GM badge is. If they had stuck a Ford Oval on the side, then it would have been as retarded as the GM badge. :D

What is that interior out of? Looks like a Chevy. UGLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Something that bad can't be still on the market.

I thought according to the "green" crowd Toyota does not make gas guzzlers!!! Anyhow it's UGLY and the interior looks like it came right out of the Tundra. This is a patch-it up job. To hell with the 5.7L engine, I'd take an Expedition over this horrid looking beast anyday!

Wayne? It was saved so I assume they will have to give it a new product after the current generation Focus ends production.

Take a few minutes to read the MSNBC user comments and you will see why Ford and all of the Detroit makers are in trouble. It has nothing to do with how good the new Taurus is, it is all perception. A few people called the new Taurus a gas guzzler and recommended the Asian competitors. Others compared their terrible experience with a 1980's something Taurus and claimed the new one would be exactly the same. American's just don't like American stuff anymore. I am not sure how you change perception quickly, heck I don't think you can. No matter whatever news comes out about Toyota's falling quality people still claim that Toyota is perfect and will never break down. I am not sure if GM and Ford have enough time to get people to come back. The fact of the matter is it is almost becoming Anti-American to buy American. Edit... except for this one post that brought a smile to my face... "All I can say, is that I was dumb enough to listen to Toyota's propaganda of quality!!! The new Camry's are big P.O.S.!!! The tranny went within 1000 miles along with other little interior imperfections!! Garbage!!! I'm driving an '08 Taurus now. Outstanding vehicle!!! Toyota's days of glory are over!!!!!"

They took a hard hit with the new EPA standards. I see they still use a 4 speed automatic which probably does not help, although the Impala does well with a 4 speed. If Ford had put a 4 speed in the new Taurus they would have been blasted by everyone in the world, yet GM and Chrysler get a free pass on it. :shrug:

Well that is very odd because I just did a vehicle search on-line at my local Chrysler dealer and looked at the 2008 300's they had in stock. The RWD 300 V6 Limited is showing 17/24. I went back again and again to see if it was AWD, but it says RWD. Here take a look, maybe a mistake. http://www-5.chrysler.com/vehsuite/SearchI...pid=u&rid=u

I'd be curious to know with the current market conditions exactly how many Hemi V8 equipped Chargers and 300's are selling right now. I bet it's 80% or higher V6 right now. I'm not opposed to Ford offering a car like this, but they need to be in better shape before they take their focus off of the mainstream market and start building cars like this. Oh I just had to add that 17/24 on a V6 300 is poor mileage compared to it's FWD competitors like the Taurus. Do RWD cars get worse fuel economy or is it just Chrysler? I know GM has been developing a plan to keep the Impala FWD because of fuel economy concerns.

My brother had a 1982 Ford F-150 and I know for sure it had an oval on it. I also know that the 1980-1981 Ford F-Series and Bronco just had the letters F O R D across the top lip of the hood. So I am going to say 1982, however a few models may have taken until 1983. It seems like Ford was going through a very tough time then and that might have been a reason they introduced the oval again to improve marketing.

Well it's funny that a Panther supporter wants Mercury killed...because when it is your car will be killed right with it! What is it with the "WE GOT TO KILL MERCURY RIGHT NOW" crowd around here anyhow? I hope you realize that Mercury has very little to do with the current state of Ford, but yet if I listen to some around here it's like if they killed Mercury for next year all of Ford's problems would be solved. The FACT is Mercury customers won't just go to Ford or Lincoln, you will loose them. Ooops there goes more market share. Real smart.

The Sable is an awful platform??? Says who? You?

I think it is a good idea to keep a few Mercury vehicles like Mariner, Milan and Sable to fill in the bottom of the Lincoln/Mercury line. It is much better to do this then to pull a Chrysler and sell Lincoln's with cloth seats and hubcaps.

Link to video:

Maybe the Tundra will get a new tailgate???

I haven't heard anything about Ford "walking away" from the Explorer. Everything I have heard is that there will be an all-new one around 2010. Did Ford cancel the program lately or are you just making speculation? Anyone know if the Explorer re-design is still on or not? I think they would be DUMB DUMB DUMB to just cancel the Explorer and walk away from it. It is not a damaged brand, just a vehicle in a damaged market and they will have to find a way to make it adapt to a new market while keeping the traits that made Explorer so popular. 1ZVFT82H465147157.pdf 1ZVFT82H465152018.pdf 1ZVFT82H765146536.pdf 1ZVFT82H865147128.pdf 1ZVHT82H865147235.pdf

Good. I'd love to see Toyota's head get bigger and bigger. The bigger they are the harder they fall.

So basically as I read this...you take today's Explorer and today's Taurus X, breed them together and out will come the new Explorer.