electricgreen

As long as it was truly nominal and left the clubs alone, I'd be for that resolution. Ford is losing enough market share without alienating loyal customers like this. Classic owners rely on businesses like Mustangs Plus for parts long ago discontinued by ford. Those same people are more likely to buy a new ford as a dd, or tow vehicle than any other brand, imo-but alientate them liek this and they might. I have heard some extreme thoughts on this from fellow classics owners-who wants to see a bunch of debarged classics being towed behind brand new Dodges/Chevies/ETC? This is not the way to get people to come back to your company....I truly will consider another brand when looking into a new DD if they let this stand. I understand protecting your brand recoginition, however this is too much. And really, so they had to call it the GT instead of the GT40-didnt seem to hurt sales any. Why pass the buck and screw other people just because someone somewhere got the better of you on one name?! Heck, what about protecting the T5 name?

I am really getting disenchanted with Ford. Not many people have a connection to thier toyota or honda like they might with thier ford (who remembers the toyota thier dad had when they were a kid??), so they dont need to care as much I guess....but really, they have gotten to a point where I dont even feel bad that I went from an all ford family to driving a subie as a dd! Suing people about the Mustang name, and WTF is this bold moves crap? Ugh-VW's commercials were way better. VW!

Ok, so Ford DOES make something similar, just not here. Bring this here (Aussie Falcon UTE)!!! It would be better with a back seat & awd, but I would buy this (if it wasnt outrageously priced). Heck I might trade my Baja for this:

The early Bronc's are nice and all, but I wouldnt call them "fullsize". I'd like to see the return of the "Big Bronco", but I doubt it will ever happen. I LOVED my 93, but it had 264k on it (origianl unrebuilt 302 and a/t tranny) and it was time-I dont think the prev owner ever washed the poor thing and it was already a bit rough when we bought it-and really rough when we traded it. That said, the truck certainly had it's drawbacks. While it could tow, the short wheelbase made it squirlly. It also made it a bit "tippy", so the new suv buyers would probably roll them and sue Ford because they don't know how to drive. The cap weighed a TON too-although the looks we got with it off was worth asking a few friends to come over to help get it on & off (we had a soft top to put on in case of rain, and would take the cap off all summer). The two doors would make it a harder sell too. We had a fully loaded XLT, I think original sticker was about 30k and that's waaayyy too expensive for me (of course, people hand over the $$ for the Expeditions, so who knows). BTW, to the pp who has the 79=drool...we had a 78 at one point-that truck was a tank!!!

I didn't have him track a car...'cause mine was long ago delivered. He did get me some info on her that I cannot describe how much I appreciated though. Since my Stang is anything but a DD, any info is golden-and finding someone who's willing to help :bowdown: Ford should be so lucky to have a great guy like him that helps "polish the blue oval" (a Marketing guy once used those words while addressing a Stang owners group I am part of). Keeping a connection like that with customers that feel thier vehicle is more than a ride form a to b is priceless!!

:blink: Wow, that is pretty bad mileage (no offense, I'm just surprised). That's what we got with our Bronco!! Our best mileage so far with the Baja was 31 mpg hwy on a trip to the Adirondacks. We averaged 30mpg highway to Florida last year, and usually @ 22 around town...It was funny, we drove 6 hours to get it (smokin deal)-we traded the ole Bronc in on it-one tank there (32 on E when we got there), one tank home (15 gal). I think people would want these if they knew about them. I can't tell the last time I saw an ad for one, and we actually almost had to argue with the salesman to show us one at the subie dealer. It's like they want to kill it off. I really think that casual truck buyers would go for these, since it has a bed, can carry a decent payload, has decent ground clearence, can haul kids and stuff, gets good gas mileage and we even pay lower insurance, because no one can figure out if it's a truck or car, lol. Oh well, it's moot point anyway, since I know Ford would never build somethign similar. Too busy snoozin :boring: -look at the jump GM just got on them in advertising the ethenol based vehicles! Not that Ford doesn't make them, and I believe is actually working with a manufacturer of it to make it more available...but now everyone that is a casual observer (99% of consumers) will think GM is the only maker of them, or at the very least that they are the real leaders in that segment.

I can fit a 2x4 in with the tail gate closed. Yes a midgate. I don't NEED awd, but I don't need to shovel either. Why slip and slid when you don't have to. Soccer moms like me?! Uh, not a mom, certainly not a soccer mom...And that's exactly wht they need to build a Baja like vehicle. That leaves the trucks for those that need a truck-how many people would not buy a true truck if they knew this was an option. Give them what they want, and be able to make a real truck again. This is the answer-it satisfies all the things the casual pickup buyer wants without compromising the trucks already being made. And, there is no REAL suv anymore-come on, they call the FORESTER an suv! The last real suv was the Bronco, imo. I didn't say it had a car like ride, I said it reacted more like a car. It isn't tippy in corners and has great pickup-like a car. I can't say as it rides much different than my Ranger. And it takes a dirt road better then our old 93 Bronco because it doesn't bounce as bad. Hate all you want but you need to work on your comprehension....

They all do that-I love my Baja, but ask around a subie board about problems-9 times out of 10 I'll bet the dealer told them the problem was normal...

I didn't care for it as much as I thought I would when it came out. I like some retro cars-the fourty nine was hot-but the new stang is kinda blah-it doesn't have the presence the previous years had. It seems to be selling well though, so someone must like it!

Nope nope nope None have a midgate. None are AWD. I'd be willing to bet they get worse gas mileage and the colorodo is so fugly it needs to be shot in a field somewhere. I can't speak for the last two, but I know the first can't touch the Baja in interior quality and comfort. I'd also be willing to bet they corner like a truck too. Part of the greatness of the Baja is it is built on a car chassis-usually not a good thing, and I don't think I'd want a truck built on a fusion chassis, but that's a subie strong point...It reacts more like a car than a truck, but can still hold a decent payload.

I wonder if it's a looks thing for the Baja though. It's really a love it or hate it look, I think they should have given it it's own design so fewer people would see it as an Outback with the rear roof chopped off. Look at all the Avalanches-it's just a full sized varient of the Baja. That looks uniquely GM (And IMO, fugly). Give a uniquely Ford looking small varient to the public, I think it would sell. I think there are really three things that killed the Baja-looks, lack of corporate support, and the STX concept had a supercharged motor while the first production vehicles had a n/a 4cyl ("underpowered"). Most people don't even know what a Baja is-we were even asked what the name of it was when we took it for an inspection-"now this is a Subaru...uuhhh...". It would have a lot of support in the older generation, I can tell you that. I can recall two recent conversations-one from two women in her 50's asking me about it for their dad-apparently he always had a truck and liked to bring home gardening supplies,etc-but was having a hard time gettingin and out of the higher up vehicles-and another with a retired ex-farmer (farm went to the kids) who told me she had always had a truck, always wanted a truck, but just couldn't justify a full size and hated how small inside the minis felt (plus the "jump seats" weren't ideal for the grandkids). Let's face it, gas prices arent going down, but there are some things that you just need a truck for-this would be a great combo. Oh well, I'll prolly have to buy another subie when my Baja's time comes, since Ford won't likely be making a decent awd car or a nice small 4x4 truck (I've got a 91 Ranger, but I'm not a big fan of the new ones-holy uncomfortable seats!). Maybe Jeep will make that scramber type concept....

Yeah, either 06 or 07 will be the last year. But, when was the last time you saw a commercial for a Baja? When we went to Subie to look, we practically had to argue with them to show us a Baja-it's like they want to kill it off.

It's a matter of opinion I guess, but I know of several people who bought one after seeing ours and speaking to us about it. That said, it is distinctly Subaru, with the (old) Outback nose. I have seen a photoshop of one based onthe new Legacy and it was even better looking. Now, it doesn't mean the Ford version would have to look remotely similar to the scooby. I see quite a few Ridgelines driving around, and I think they are quite fugly. However, they are a good mix of car & truck, with utility (although I'm sure it can't tow much) and they have had a lot of ad push behind them. I'm not looking for a Ford copy of it (I still think the HHR looks like a bad rip off of the PT). Add a midgate to the Sport track, lower the price and make it AWD and we're getting somewhere. The pull on AWD is quite amazing, so the 4CYL doesn't feel as underpowered as you might think.

No, not the Sport Trac. It's too big, and isn't versitile like the Baja. I want a car/truck with good gas mileage and a midgate. I can bring home drywall, 2x4's, a garden full of plants-and my 80 year old grandmother can get in and out easily. It makes mild off road trails look like a paved highway, laughs at snow, and is comfortable enough to drive all day. If Subie would have stuck with advertising the Baja, they'd sell like hotcakes. I've been asked so many times what it is and how much it was I can't even begain to try to count. I even helped a subie dealer's rep sell one at a car show!! It corners like a 'roo too (that rally heritage). I hate that I had to go to Subaru for my DD, but Ford wasn't offering anything remotely similar. I traded in my 93 Bronco with 256,000 miles on it, and would really have preferred to trade our Ford for another Ford..... Baja for those that have never seen one: http://www.gotstang.com/photodisplay.php?u...=1&showimage=66 http://www.gotstang.com/photodisplay.php?u...=1&showimage=72

Options & sticker price killed the F-Body, cheap power with standard options kept the Mustang alive. Ever wonder why the Mustang outsold the F-body twins for years? Because most Mustang buyers aren't looking for heated seats and fancy do-dads. They want a performance car they can afford that looks good in the driveway or at the track. V6's are traditionally the "kids" cars as far as daily drivers go, because they are cheaper and you can still mod them to go reasonably fast and keep the insurance affordable on a part time job. Mustangs have surpassed the standard daily driver car status. So, they dont come with all the luxo options-good. Then they get fat, slow and over loaded with junk, like the Transams did before they went the way of the do-do. If you want a Lincoln, buy a Lincoln. My Mustangs (2 of them) are not daily drivers-they don't suit me as a DD. I have a Subaru Baja as a DD because it is the most versitle vehicle I've ever had. It's a car, it's a truck, it gets good gas mileage and can haul stuff (including drywall). Now that's a vehicle I wish Ford would make a version of-with some PR behind it, you'd see Bajas everywhere.