tzach

Agreed. I think for the vast majority it does not even enter their mind about a choice between the two. They have most likely grown up with each parent always driving an auto and that is what they know. If more people were exposed to driving a stick maybe the % would come up a few points. Pipe dream I know. Again Sad. My son learned to drive a stick when he got his permit, drives one now and probably will purchase his next car as one. My younger son also wants to learn when he gets his permit. If I drove an auto it probably would not even be on their radar. My son took his driver test on his stick and even the driving instructor (mandated in N.J.- don't even get me started on this bull****) tried to talk him out of it. He said "I wouldn't even take my test on one" REALLY! And your teaching my son how to drive? Well not really, my wife and I did that. He probably couldn't even drive one LOL.

Sad! I doubt we will see a stick in a Fusion other than the ST if we see that. I don't really blame Ford if no one is buying. It is just sad that not enough people care.

And your happy about it?

I know it would never happen. But if you have a license to drive a car you should be able to drive any car. Unfortunately at the rate we are going it might not be that long until there are no sticks offered anymore. It will be a sad day. As far as requiring it for the driver error test I think we would end up with better drivers, it is hard to text when you need to shift

Yes sadly it does. I wish in order to get your license everyone had to drive a stick for the driver test. First of all then everyone is qualified to drive all cars (in theory) . Secondly maybe some people who never would have ever even thought of driving one might discover they like the experience and the percentage would go up. It drives me crazy when people who have never driven a stick argue against them for whatever reason.

I agree Mercury will probably never come back as a brand. If Ford were to ever do it though my idea would be to bring it back as an equal to Lincoln not a mid level offering. Have Lincoln be more "Mercedes, Audi, Lexus" and Mercury more "BMW". I am not saying go toe to toe with them but go in that direction as a brand identity.

He is 100% right. If you are not old enough you don't remember but the gas crunch is what sold the cars. They were small, the metal was thin and they were cheap. They got a foot hold because of the gas crises and the big threes arrogance about being challenged. They gave no thought to gas millage. Then the imports improved on the things they needed to to compete in other areas and they were going up to a new high in quality at the same time the big three were letting it slip. That is how they built there reputation and market share. The big three were slow to respond with increased quality and fuel efficiency. I think there arrogance persisted way to long thinking they could not be challenged.

gps can send you on some weird directions but the vast majority of the time it is good. Especially when you can't find your way out of a paper beg. Wendy is a girl so that doesn't make you gay, that would be Ronald and the King (that guy is creepy) Not sure what you are talking about, I made no argument about needing / not needing a tach with an auto. I didn't ask the question, just gave a reason why it was there in response. I have no problem with it being there, so I am unclear on your point. Awesome movie! RIP John Candy

Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen is my favorite version

I don't "need" a tach to drive a stick, or any other gauges for that matter. Just listing what you like is not an argument, Wendy's is best and if you eat any other fast food you are a moron. That will start an argument, LOL! As for GPS I am a huge user, awesome for those of us who are directionaly challenged.

The only difference is with your wife you hopefully get "make up sex". Glad you had fun too. And you should definitely try to make time to learn to drive a stick, you will see the whole new level of enjoyment of driving, on the right car of course and not in commuter traffic. Those of course are the downside. To me everyone should have to take their drivers test on a stick, you are being given a license to drive so you should be able to drive any car with it. If you never want to drive a stick again after that that is anyones choice. My wife was driving a stick when I met her. I taught my son to drive a stick in a parking lot before he was ever on the road and he took his test in that car even though everyone else even the driving instructor tried to talk him out of it. Guess he thought he did a bad job. Don't even get me started on how much of a joke that mandatory crap is. I know I am in the minority but thats ok, I will keep preaching to save the driving souls of all. Even if I only save one person it is worth it.

Sorry meant to say " right things for the wrong reasons" I was replying to the reasons people drove sticks for gas milage, which of course is true. That doesn't take away from the people who drive sticks because they want to be more involved with the car. I was not implying that you were "wrong" for being satisfied with an automatic. Just that it is not the same and to me not as engaging at all. I do love to argue though, so thanks for the fun.

There are always people who do the right thing for the right reasons and people who do the wrong thing for the right reasons, that does not change what is wrong and what is right. If you don't mind being one of the sheep that is fine with me. Just don't pretend your a Wolf. First off, there is nothing as stimulating as a good argument! Well maybe sex, LOL. and second that is silly, sometimes there is a reason to go up and sometimes there is a reason to go down, it always matters. This argument is not trivial it is for the very soul of driving!!!!

First of all those two things do not add to the enjoyment or involvement of driving the car, just starting it. Second I said a "real car" meaning one you want to operate for enjoyment, if you just want to get where you are going an auto is fine. Then again so is a cab, then you really don't have to involve yourself in what is going on, you just get there. Then people could text to their hearts content without endangering others.

And that sounds like the comment of someone who will be just as happy when steering, braking and accelerating are automatic too. Sounds like fun but count me out.

This is an easy one. it is there so people driving an automatic can pretend that they are driving a "real car" , you know one with a stick. :-)

A couple of the posters comment on how the fastback design is Mach 1 inspired. LOL! I guess they don't realize that the Mach 1 was bodywise just a fatback mustang.

Sorry! I apologize to 10 year olds everywhere for my insult.

Building the cars here does not make them an American company, the profits flow out of the country. They portray themselves as American companies so people will not feel like they are not being unpatrotic by buying there cars. But we have no one to blame but ourselves for the situation we are in. We allowed this to happen and have hed many chances over the last thirty years to stop it. But the big three can never all keep enough consistency in continual improvement and that added to the perception factor and other varying issues have hurt this country. As has the loss of manufacturing jobs in all industries. And our Government is to busy fighting among themselves like 10 year olds and getting themselves rich and ignoring the unbelievable waste and corruption that goes on at all levels to do anything about the overall decline of this country.

Did you even read my post? I said nothing about not buying a Camry, in fact I totally support anyones freedom to do so! My problem with the statement that it the "Most American Car" . a subjective statement meant to play to peoples Patriotism (if anyone has any left). I understand Ford is now a global company but it was founded in this country and helped turn this country into the great country it is (or was). It is part of americana. Buy anything you want just dont try to tell me any foreign product is the most american because it is an import and nothing can change that, no matter what Cars.com says. That doesn't make the Camry evil or bad to me just the competition, its just not american no matter how anyone tries to justify it.

Saying that the Camry is " Most American" is just annoying. It is just a way to state it to make it sound like they are an American Company, they are not, they are a Japanese company and nothing can change that. I support anyones right to purchase one because that is their right as a free American. Even if you want to state facts to claim domestic content ( though even this has been questioned ) fine, but to make what is a patriotic statement is a spit in the face to all that died defending the freedom we all enjoy and take for granted. I support their right to say it because again that is the freedom they enjoy here in this country, but I wish they would think a little bit more about what they are saying means.

There is no getting around it the manual market has shrunk to an insignificant level. Is it sad to us manual lovers, Yes! But we have to face the fact that most people have no desire to shift for themselves. For most people cars are either just a way to get where you want to go or a good way to show off statis or how cool you are. For those of us who love the vehicle interaction and the joy of driving for no other reason than the pure enjoyment of the act itself, our choices will continue to be limited. I doubt this is the bottom of the manual % either. My car I would love to see is a new Taurus SHO with a manual, I will keep my fingers crossed for the next generation, I know only in my dreams.

While I agree that there are all sorts of distractions and reasons for distracted driving at this moment in history cell phone usage is the largest easily visable one. I drive around all day for my job and I see everyone on the phone. Now I am in no way for banning cell phones or infotainment systems, like anything else it is the abusers that are the problem. Texting while driving is a huge problem, see way more people doing this than putting on make up or reading the newspaper. Part of the problem is the states use the cell phone ticket as a revenue maker and not a deterent. Here in Jersey the ticket is like $200 I think, not enough to stop most people from doing it. If they wanted to stop cell phone use it would be a $5000 fine, then you would not see people doing it. Would this change the total number of accidents from any type of distractions, I think it would just because of the sheer numbers of people I see exhibiting distracted or dangerous behaviors who are on phones. Of course that leaves all sorts of distractions left to cause havoc on the roads! Ironically every phone has a speakerphone option, so it would be very simple to use it and put the phone down so both hands can be on the wheel. Does this eliminate the distraction, no and you still have to look at the phone to answer and put the speaker on. The safest way is a system like sync.

We have the Vista roof on our Edge and the roof opens about the same as that shows on the first push of the button. You need to push the buton a second time for it to open all the way.

I can think of about 1000 ways the government wastes money and they are all bad but I personally see a reason for front plates so I dont see it as a waste and if you worry about the aesthetics of your car over peoples safety you have some vrowing up to do!