dford36

We got our first Edge on Monday, and sold it yesterday. A very nice Carbon Clearcoat SEL AWD for $32k. Bought by 2 80 year olds! Not exactly Ford's target market, but they are pretty spry for their age.

Just drove an MKZ yesterday. It has plenty of power, regardless of the numbers. The tranny is a little funny though. When you take it easy, the tranny is a little slow to upshift, but when to put the pedal down, it has wicked quick down shifts. For kicks, I took it up on the highway to about 75 mph, then floored it. The tranny downshifted what had to be 3 gears (couldn't feel it or hear it at all) and the needle swung around the tach faster than I have ever seen in a car to 6000 rpms. It was like the engine wasn't connected to the tranny the needle moved so fast. Of course, the car did also!!

C&D also says that the traction control is not defeatable - it is. All Fords with TC have a button on the dash to turn it off.

A loaded Legacy 6 cylinder with navi is $29k? The Legacy 3.0R LL Bean AWD w/ Navi starts at $32,295. That's almost MKZ money - where you'll get the bigger v6 and more hp.

The Fusion SE AWD V6 starts at $23800. Totally loaded it's $29900 - including navi, leather etc..

The great thing about the MKZ's AWD combined with the traction control is that it will transfer torque from front to back and side to side in 1/7 of wheel rotation. This means that as you go around corners and the inside and outside wheels are turning at different rates, the AWD system is redistributing the torque from wheel to wheel.

I drove the MKZ today and the AWD Fusion last week. Both have a very smooth engine/tranny combo, but the 3.5 is definitely smoother. More of an expensive mechanical sound than the 3.0, which growls nicely. I took the MKZ up to about 65, then floored it. The tranny dropped down a couple of gears - absolutely could not tell how many - the engine revved up to 5000rpms, and the car took off, winding right out to redline before shifting. Very nice. The Fusion reacted the same way to similar treatment. BTW, the loaded Fusion AWD was $29k, the loaded MKZ AWD was $37k. I think there is enough of a difference to support the price. The MKZ has the 3.5, THX surround with 14 speakers, MUCH better leather, heated and cooled front seats, upgraded materials throughout the interior. Both had navi. The Fusion painted black with all the chrome accents was hot though.

The Edge starts at $25,995 for the SE FWD and goes up to about $36,000 for an all options SEL+ AWD (base $31,xxx).

Drove a 2007 Fusion SEL AWD today. It has the 3.0L V6 still. This one was loaded, heated leather, navi, etc and stickered for $29k. Overall very nice car, looks awesome in black w/chrome exterior. It would be the rare person that pops for this Fusion, esp. considering a very nice 2007 MKZ AWD with the new 3.5L goes for $32k, w/out navi, though. The MKZ also looks great in black.

Does anyone remember that Ford pulled the same disorganized stunt 10 years ago? They redesigned the Escort for '97 - totally new exterior and interior, then replaced it with the Focus in '99.

Thank God Mulally drives a Lexus. Maybe he can finally explain to Ford why people stopped buying Fords!! I'd love a compare/contrast with him and the engineers comparing his Lexus vs a Town Car. Or an ES350 to the MKZ. I hope he drives that Lexus to work every day until Ford develops something comparable for him to replace it with.

Don't dealers who run out try to get some from a dealer that has extra? That would seem logical, so it probably doesn't happen....

let's see: In May Honda sold 29000 Civics - a new design, Toyota sold 41000 Corollas - a 3 yr old design, Ford sold 20000 Focus - a 7 year old design with a minor facelift in 2005 I wonder how Honda and Toyota desperately pumped up sales of the Civic and Corolla to boost their CAFE - oh wait, they don't need to give them away - people WANT them!! New design sells Mazda sold almost 12000 Mazda3's through a much smaller dealer base than the others have Why are people defending Ford's refusal to renew it's #1 selling car???

The Focus sold for full price when it first came out, while Chevy gave away the older Cavalier. My point is, if Ford gives away $3000 on each of the 240,000 Focus it sells this year, thats $720 million!!!!! Isn't that enough to retool the plants and pay for the crash tests? And that doesn't take into account the cost of lost reputation with the public. The Focus and now the Fusion proved what the Taurus did 20 years ago: people will buy an up to date Ford product - the brand is not damaged, only the product is - by Ford's neglect. Go look at Edmunds - the Mazda3 is selling for close to sticker with no cut rate financing or rebates - and that's 3 years after introduction!! Ford's MO has consistently been to wait about 10 years between total redesigns, the Focus just continues this. Look: Explorer - intro in 1991ish - next total redesign 2002 Taurus - intro in 1986, total redesign in 1996, replaced by Fusion in 2006 Escort - intro in 1981, replaced by Mazda 323 chassis in 1991, replaced by Focus in 1999

If you go to Ford's website and build a Focus, Ford lists a total of $3000 in discounts. Today they also added 0% financing. Alot of people wish Ford would bring the C1 based Focus to the US, which also underpins the Mazda3 and Volvo S40. Ford says that platform is too expensive to bring to the US. I priced out a 2006 Mazda3s Touring with leather and moonroof. it came to $19,655. I priced out a 2006 Focus ZX4 ST with the same options IT CAME TO $19,655!!!!!! then subtract $3,000 in rebates. The Mazda3 is selling like hotcakes, and if you go to Kelly Blue Book or NADA, you'll see that the Mazda3 barely depreciates in its 1st year - actually a 2005 Mazda3s with 15000 miles had a higher price used than new on KBB!!!!!!! So Ford can give away $3,000 on each Focus instead of selling them at full price. That's what they call too expensive?? Ford's gonna give the Focus a new grill for 2007 so it looks like the Fusion. I am sure that will cut the rebate expense.