96towncarcartier

THIS IS STRAIGHT FROM THE WEBSITE, WRITTEN BY CONSUMER REPORTS: BEST OF THE NEW FORD FUSION/MERCURY MILAN Consumer Reports praised the handling and ride in calling the Fusion and Milan the most impressive among new or redesigned cars. "Unlike many new cars in their first year, their reliability has been excellent," the magazine said. THE REST OF THE BEST LINCOLN Ford's Lincoln brand showed the biggest improvement among domestic automakers, jumping from 30th to 13th position due largely to the reliability of the Zephyr, now the MKZ. Now all you idiots who want to blah blah blah about Camree and Akkord, shut up or get off the Ford forums. Oh and let's not forget what the Detroit Free Press said... "FUSION MARCHES PAST CAMRY" in its article. They were totally unsatisfied with CAMRY's cheap interior and fit and finish. There will NEVER be a Toyoder or Honder in my driveway.

E-series has been leading the full size van segment for over 22 years. It's been in production since 1964. It's a great vehicle and I won't put it down for doing so well. It beats Chevy and Dodge vans by 2 to 1. And of course, the foreign companies don't offer big vans!

As a deputy sheriff, I drive my 2000 CVPI and it has 154,000 miles. THe highest mileage CVPI, still in service, was last seen as having 186,000 miles. My sister has a 1988 CVPI, it has somewhere in the neighborhood of 450,000 miles. Original everything. She also has a 1993 CV, with 150,000 miles. Can't beat these cars, no way no how. They are the BEST. For whatever reason CV's are not available in Canada, only police can get them. Mercury isn't sold there either. The new Taurus and Sable debut in 2008.

Don't forget that there is a good refreshening coming to the CV in 2009. THe CVPI gets 250hp now, and I'm sure that will increase over the next few model years. Charger isn't REALLY stealing that many sales, because it suffers from reliability problems, not to mention poor rear visibility and a TINY trunk.

I think this is a great move! Five Hundred and Montego are new names that people don't recognize as Ford products. However, go ANYWHERE and say the name Taurus or Sable...and you don't HAVE to say the company name and people know what you're talking about. This is like re-inventing the wheel. While folks may have forgotten that Taurus was still being made, when they see the NEW Taurus, it will turn heads. The 500 was too far under the radar to be noticed much. The new Taurus is striking and very attractive. AND with a 260 HP engine, mammoth trunk and interior space... come on folks... A WIN WIN situation. Also, Montego is dropped and renamed Sable. Another win. These are great cars that will finally get deserved attention. And both cars are even QUIETER than before...which will raise perception of quality even higher. I can't wait to see them in showrooms. And at decent prices, what can go wrong?

"When I was in engineering school in college, I took a tour of the Honda Accord plant in Marysville, OH. Rest assured there was not a single person watching television. It just blows my mind that a $30,000 piece of machinery is being assembled by guys paying half-attention while that are watching television." It's not like Honduh is leading the pack these days... but really...when there are Crown Vics out there running for 450,000 miles (my sister's 1988 CVPI) and others with 700,000 miles (NYC taxis), who can say quality suffered because of tv's??? YOU CAN'T! Town Car is going to STAP. Crown Vic/Marquis will be around until probably 2011 or 2012, AT THE LEAST. I can see them staying longer than that. 2009 WILL see a refreshed Crown Vic. Many details are still sealed tight, but you can count on big changes! Some changes will start to surface with the 2008 MY. God, how I love these Panther cars... I salute every single one of you at STAP. You make me proud.

Crown Vic not sold to civilians in Canada?? Man, what kind of country do you live in?? LOL What if you buy it in the US and take it over?

While I love these cars dearly, and drive one every day for work (the current mileage on it is below, in my signature) I think these cars can be further "beefed up" to trample the competition some more. My biggest suggestion: Replace that 4 speed transmission, with a new 6 speed transmission. MPG figures will increase, and cops everywhere will love the extra speed and agility. Nothing like setting loose the horses in the 4.6L a bit! Thank you! A very satisfied driver of a 2000 Crown Vic.

And I bet that is EXACTLY what you want to have happen every time you get a speeding ticket.... give some lame excuse in the hope that you will be allowed to break the law without paying the fine.... Razor, you're exactly right. It takes all of a few minutes to present a case in writing that outlines the problem, and submit it for action. Expecting everything to be resolved with just one phone call is hooey. *ANOTHER TRUE STORY* My sister drives a 1988 Crown Victoria. Was a police car before she bought it. At 18 years of age, it now has over 400,000 miles on it. Original engine, and transmission. Runs like a scalded dog. But of course, everyone thinks only the Jap cars are good.

I think the Lexus interior is U G L Y... UGLY. Looks like a cluttered up mess, that just came out of a blender and was thrown into the car. And what's with all that obviously-plastic crap everywhere?? CHEAP!! That's the Japs for ya. Rick Titus said it best: Tough is manufactured in, not advertised on. Look UNDER the sheetmetal of the Titan and compare it to the F 150, you'll laugh at how cheaply Ford's competitors are with workmanship and materials. And watch the suspension tests that were conducted in Arizona, where the Tundra shakes so violently that the cargo box looks like it will shred itself to pieces. Titan has a big V8, and a TINY TINY oil filter. Not to mention, a MUCH smaller radiator...and virtually NO front structure around the engine either. They claim they're better, but The Truth About Trucks, is in the details.

I get so TIRED of seeing the same comments... "The 500 is boring, blah blah blah..." What I have noticed is how many of them are on the roads...not a day passes that I dont see one, even to the point that when I'm with my mom, we both comment on them, such as what color it is, or simply just to say "There's another 500." I think the design is just fine. So what if some think it's boring? Design alone does NOT sell cars. Keep in mind that Camry sold for years and it was certainly just as boring! The current design is absolutely UGLY and Honduh is going thru the same "boredom" problems in its designs. People buy for what a car has underneath the metal, rather than what it looks like. Five Hundred has MORE interior room and MORE trunk room than any car on the road, more trunk space than Town Car! All in a package that you might think was smaller. Police departments in Canada have been driving 500's since early 2005 as detective cars, and have had NO PROBLEMS with any of them since day one. Fusion is winning awards everywhere it goes, just won another from the car experts at the shows in Boston. My fiancee and I are planning our next car purchase, and 500 and Fusion are at the top of the list. Taurus is a third choice...those are the only ones we're considering. A car like 500 or Fusion for under $25K? That's a super sweet deal even the Toyoders of the world can't offer.

The latest information that I got, was that the Crown Vic would stay the same until 2009. In 2009, both CV and GM would get a decent refreshening throughout. Both cars remain in production until sometime between 2010 and 2012. Last information I had, was that Town Car would likely end after 2007. They won't move it to St Thomas, and Wixom is going to be idled. Sales are dropping, so can't blame them for making a sound business decision, but... I will miss that car. TC has been around since the 20's.

OK... here's the deal. Taurus was a gate-buster from the first day it was introduced in 1985. It shook automakers around the world, in their boots...with concepts and designs that were decades ahead of EVERYTHING ELSE ON THE ROAD. Aerodynamic headlights? Flush window glass? Integrated spring like bumpers not made of steel? These were industry firsts in every respect. With the redesign of 1992, Taurus again captured the hearts and minds of people everywhere. That's why it was the best selling car for 5 years. The all-oval design of 1996 was intended to again capture and turn heads. Most now say it turned people off more than it turned people on to the car. So the car became hot with fleet sales. Trouble is, with extensive fleet sales, the car is TOO plentiful, and dealers had to give the car away to get rid of them. Resale value (which I don't give a rat's a$$ about since I like to keep cars for a long time) fell sharply because there were so many Tauruses everywhere. The car didn't get larger... or more powerful... and without a sharp styling update... it became too commonplace. Younger people wanted cars that, well, were more bold. The redesign of 2000 brought the car back to its former glory, with simple, conservative designs that made it a hit to begin with. But with fleet sales so huge by then, it was too late. Critics will still say, the Taurus is a great car for the money. Dependable, nice ride, great style, and lots of room. It's only failing is that it doesn't "stand out". But you can't beat the amount of car and luxury for the money. Last figures available listed the Taurus at 111,000 units sold for 2005. Just barely out of the Top 10 list. I think another great strategy like the one in '92, would have boosted the car and brought it back to high popularity again. Perhaps if the Fusion were given the Taurus name...... But I digress. Fusion is a great car and worthly successor. Hey, the Taurus is STILL in production...through 2007 MY. So, roughly 22 years in the market, that is one impressive ride. And for the Honder fans who think the Japs are so great... let's not forget that Civic was a piece of junk for quite a few years... they even thought about killing it off. And for Toyoder... remember the Echo? Echo? Echo? hahahaha Foreign isn't better. THey just want to brainwash you to think that. I love the Taurus, and my fiancee and I are planning to buy one very soon. Five Hundred is an excellent car too, I see them everywhere... safest car on the planet.

2005Explorer... I agree with you 100%. I get sick of the constant tirade of "this is junk, that is junk" from people like bluecon. If you dont like it here, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. GM isn't doing much better and is in danger of losing it's rank as world's largest if THEY don't knuckle down too.... CEO Wagoner is at risk of losing his job, so THERE. Sales are still good, F150 sold over 901,000 last year... NO AUTOMAKER has EVER been able to come close to that, and GM won't be able to do it either. What really tickles me is that Toyoder can't too. I'm not anti-GM (since they're American made), I'm just really strong pro-Ford. But I am anti-foreign. haha.

You guys have to keep in mind... Ford isn't JUST in the U.S.!! In every other region of the planet (Europe, Australia, Asia, etc) Ford is extremely profitable and doing very well! Of course the press won't tell you THAT part! I think going private would get the press off their backs, since all they like to do is report negative crap anyway. The media couldn't tell a positive story if their lives depended on it.

I'm truly loving this 3.5L engine before I've even seen or driven one. Everything I have heard and read indicates it is a superior, wonderful engine. Handshakes to everyone involved in its development!

Yes the CV was compared to the Caprice, because the Caprice is the ONLY other car made in the same way... body on frame, full size, construction. The Caprice IS JUST AS LIKELY TO CATCH FIRE as the CV is in rear impacts. The Crown Vic was tested to the 50 mph standard (and MET that standard) starting in 1996. THe standard was not required until 2006. So these cars have been meeting tighter standards, when they didn't HAVE to, for ten years! ALL CV's ARE TESTED AT 75 MPH NOW. No other vehicle in the world meets this standard!

That is incorrect. The CVPI with the 3.55 had the best braking of any police car. The CVPI with the 3.27 gearing was equally matched to the V-6 Charger. The Impala is pretty much blown away by all the competition. The second fastest police vehicle in acceleration tests? (after the hemi Charger) Are you ready for THIS?? the Ford Explorer!!!

The biggest problem with the Charger is that some idiot in Germany designed it. For police use, it has TERRIBLE VISIBILITY!!! As a patrol car, you need to be able to SEE AROUND YOU. Plus, the tiny trunk means you run out of room F A S T. After a cage is put in it, prisoners will be really cramped like never before. You know, Ford offered the perfect solution to economy AND environmental concerns for Y E A R S. A Compressed Natural Gas Crown Vic. CNG produced almost NO EMISSIONS AT ALL. Some police departments bought ONLY the CNG Vic's and were very proud of them. But, it ended production a few years ago. Hybrid would be cool. But for now, Flex Fuel is an option. I think if they put the 5.4L in the car, it would blow the Charger away.

Hey are you freakin' BLIND??? LOOK how many Marquis' are on the road!! God are you stupid? I pass GM's EVERY SINGLE DAY, at least a dozen on the road. My mom owns one as well. I've passed at least 10 2006's in the last week, and the dealer I go to doesn't keep them in stock for long! They're not big with Fleet sales because they cost more. Grand Marquis is the MOST successful Mercury ever produced. Over 3 million built since the 1975 model year. WAKE UP AND GET A CLUE.

ALL warranties expire, either after the passage of time, or after mileage is reached to a certain point. This is practical, and a business decision. In fact... Manufacturers are only required to provide parts for vehicles for up to TEN years after build date. So if your car is a 1995, dont be surprised if it gets harder to find parts. Think about it, what good is it to keep making parts for a 1974 Dodge Dart? How many still exist anymore?? Same with warranties. Actually, that term needs to be clarified. The ONLY warranty you get is what comes from the manufacturer when you buy it new...and it is valid from the BUILD DATE, *not* the day you buy the car. What you purchase separately from the dealer is an EXTENDED SERVICE PLAN. Basically, it's a health insurance policy. You may never need it (just like you MAY never need to see a doctor) but if you do, it's a good thing to have. ESP's can be bought to cover up to 7 years or 100,000 miles. ALL plans come with a mileage OR year expiration. That's because some people drive a lot, while others drive just a little. This either/or expiration covers both situations since we all drive differently, and gives a reasonable and balanced amount of coverage. Recalls also come with expirations! Would you REALLY expect a store to give you a refund 10 years after you bought something? Of course not. So why expect a dealer to fix something that went bad 2 years after the ESP expired? If they did, they'd go out of business!!! Simply put, your car was 8 years old when this happened. There isn't a manufacturer on earth that covers something that far out as of 1996. (Dont be fooled by Hyundai's 10/100 warranty either, that thing ONLY covers the powertrain, nothing else) Chrysler discontinued the 7 year 70,000 mile warranty (DID YOU NOTICE?) over a year ago, because nobody was interested in it!!! It didn't make business sense to offer something nobody was buying. The truth is, people don't keep cars for 10-15 years like they used to. The average person trades in every 4 years nowadays. So huge warranties don't make much sense like they used to. As for my own personal experience, my family has NEVER had a SINGLE problem with getting work done on ANY of our cars. Our dealer has been wonderful, and gone above and beyond in service and customer satisfaction. We've owned Fords for over 50 years, starting with my grandfather who today drives a 2003 Taurus. Since 1978, we've logged over a million miles on all of our vehicles combined. Never a major failure, never an engine/transmission problem, never a safety recall, never an irrepairable defect. Never. If you want to blame Ford for making a sound business decision, well, I can't stop you. Go ahead and carry that anger with you till it gives you a heart attack. Sorry you think you got a bad deal. But there is a facet to vehicle ownership that requires responsibility on the part of the owner, not everything is somebody else's fault... though that seems to be the mantra of American society these days.

Why is it every now and then I come across someone who claims they were told that the CV/CVPI is ending production? I have never heard anything to indicate that, all plans are that it will stay around for a few more years and I've not been told to the contrary from official sources. Who keeps putting out this rumor?

I just reviewed everything there from MSP also. If you really look at the results, all the cars are about equally matched. The only major difference comes in with the top speeds CV: 130 DC 5.7: 150. Braking distances are about even, as are acceleration and deceleration rates. So if you look at the results from that standpoint, it's a matter of what is most important: Interior room, trunk space, etc. If a larger car isn't needed, get a Impala. If you need trunk space, get a CV.

We were supposed to get our Interceptors last month at the latest, and they're still not here. Anyone know why that could be?

Negative Mr. Anti American sell-out, I do not have the protection kit on my CV and I won't get one. I did an entire research paper on the issue, and the chances of a fire from a rear collision are REMOTE. R E M O T E. In fact, the rate of fire in a CV is THE SAME as for the Chevy Caprice. 12 fires...out of THREE MILLION vehicles. I've taken my 2000 CV police car to the dealer just ONCE since it's been assigned to me (and I've had it for over a year). It has 133, 250 miles as I speak. When I'm not working, I drive a Town Car (same platform design as the CV). Beats the hell out of driving some foreign uni-body car that has no real structure to it. Ever seen a Toyoder (that's made out of all sheet metal) after IT has been hit at 80 mph?? HINT: Make sure you've paid up your life insurance. CV has an actual FRAME to it. Something solid. >> All were most definitely at the dealer for unacceptable in warranty repairs. Some visits were made within 2 or 3 weeks of buying the car! Far too many visits to the blue oval store. All my Domestics cars have been DAMN reliable. >> Based on personal experience, as well as family, neighbors, friends, etc, you are in the minority. Wrong again... My grandfather drives a 2003 Ford Taurus SES. He bought it used with 21,000 miles. To date, he has NOT had a SINGLE, SOLITARY problem. Last time I looked at his odometer...it was well over 70,000 miles. Oh, and did I mention my sister's 1988 CV, with 400,000 miles?