FStephenMasek

Job 1 should have already been built. Are there any production line photos? What about final specifications?

I think Job1 is early next week. It will be interesting to see if they have a production version at the Orange County Auto Show next week, as they would have to send it in an airplane.

I'll bump this, as the second page is somehow not showing....

What about Toyota bring in pickups without boxes which they install here, or the reports of Sprinters coming in as "kits?" For anyone who has not read it, the Friedman's Free To Choose is an excellent book, and it includes a good discussion of why tariffs are harmful.

I just found pricing! A loaded Titanium long wheelbase wagon with the 1.6, 17" wheels, towing package (to get upgraded battery, etc.), overhead console, MyFord Touch, and remote start has an invoice price of just $29,506: http://autos.aol.com/cars-Ford-Transit+Connect-2014-Titanium_w_Rear_Liftgate__Wagon_LWB/options/ I do see (DISC) after the 1.6, so the information above that it has been discontinued may be correct. I wonder if they are planning a diesel engine for the USA?

With "job one" just 3 weeks away, why don't we know the weights, engine ratings, and EPA mileage ratings?

Four cylinder engines sound OK, and eight cylinder engines sound the best of common designs, but I find the sound of most six cylinder engines to be annoying. Perhaps the new ford V6 with two turbochargers will sound better. If not, I'll just keep buying vehicles with V8 engines.

I saw it on the rotating stand at the LA Auto show yesterday and came away with a negative impression. One with AWD and the top package has an MSRP of $45,000, and I just do not see that much more value over a Taurus / Sable. The 2008 Malibu has a much nicer and more expensive looking interior. The features it has which are not offered on the Taurus and Sable (telescoping steering column, better headlights, rain sensing wipers, cooled seats, etc.) are probably worth $5,000. The trunk and trunk opening is significantly smaller than those on the Taurus and Sable, significantly lessening the utility of the car. Rather than waste their effort on this, Ford would have benefited by adding the features from this car as options on the Taurus and Sable, and re-doing the interior of those cars.

The car does look good in the photos from the Batman movie filming location. Thankfully, it is not a copy of anything else, since many other new cars look very similar. I am glad to see that they kept the large trunk of the Taurus/Sable, instead of following the trend towards tiny trunks on large cars. No only is the large trunk very useful, it enhances the proportions of the car. I think I would prefer that the trim around the fog lights and the lower grille to be body color, but I'll have to see the actual car at the LA Auto Show to decide. The talk of the DI 3.7, the automated manual transmission, the TwinForce, and superior fuel economy all suggest that Ford will have a product which stands out from the competition. The Lincoln dealerships are already highly rated for service, so let's hope that the advertising is as good as the car. I hope you don't try to teach such foolishness to any children you contact. Also, what on Earth does such nonsense have to do with the new MKS?

Now let's hope that Ford not only runs that commercial heavily, but that every single person at all of the dealerships is trained to make sure to let every prospective F-150 customer know that the F-150 beat the Tundra in the NHTSA test. Of course, the problem will be knowing what to say if they bring up the lack of stability control on the F-150. I don't have a good idea for that, so le't hope that Ford corrects that deficiency immediately.

Think of it this way - if it is a good vehicle and you are old enough to know the old Ford names, will the name Flex stop you from buying one?

The success or failure of the Five Hundred will depend on how is sells with the general public, that is, people who are generally uninformed, not car enthusiasts. To a typical customer who needs a large car (perhaps even a family which realizes than having two or three children does not require that they buy a 5,000 or 6,000 pound truck): - absolute top safety ratings and stability control - decent interior space expected in a full-sized car -a huge trunk and split folding rear seat to allow them to carry almost everything they might ever need to carry, from recreational items, childrens' things, or business items -decent power and efficiency with the 3.5 & 6 speed -quiet -nicely finished inside and out, with plenty of handy storage spaces (something blatantly lacking on the Lucerne) -a good four wheel drive system available at a reasonable cost (lacking on Lucerne, Azera, and Avalon) -a reasonable price -Ford parts and service prices, not high Asian / European prices -handy features such as Bluetooth available from the factory Ford attended to visible and hidden details much better than I had expected. The perforated leather seats, leather covered console lid, and new cluster really were needed, and even the fake wood looks better. It is amazing that the Ford people made so many body and suspension revisions, rather than just changing the engine and transmission. My main concern is that the console seems to be the same width, and I see no mention of a telescoping steering column, so I still might not fit comfortably. Now if the dealers will only bother to sell it, instead of just pushing trucks. Me too. My record collection isn't large, but all are in pristine condition (the cartridge is worth more than the turntable).

Wow! They did far, far more than I thought they would, with significant changes to the suspension, body, and so forth in addition to the new front and rear styling and 3.5 / 6 speed. Now if we could just see that new interior.

Good and helpful post. Yes, the IRS will generally provide a better ride, and ride is a key selling point. It seems that all of us agree that if it has an IRS, it needs to be a modern control blade system. Has anyone also thought about the fact that it will also have stability control, no matter what the rear suspension?

The 2002 Mountaineer is an example of a sub-par IRS design, but it was still better in most every situation than the '96 Impala SS which it replaced. As I mentioned earlier, I have driven the new Mustangs (most recently over the Thanksgiving holiday) and the solid axle shortcomings are still very evident. Of course, the 2006 Explorer is significantly better than the 2002 Mountaineer.