roush235

Very cool to have pictures from the assembly line. How did you go about getting them?

Great post Swizco, thanks for taking the time to pull it together. I can make similar comments about the Ford display at the Houston Auto Show. While not of the same stature as the Chicago show, the Ford display at the Houston show was the most compelling, had the most info and best displays, and had the most floor traffic.

Let's just say my boss is not a "car guy." I have worked for him for many years, and we know each other well. He knows I am a "car guy," and knows Fords are my specialty (I have posters of Mustangs on my office walls). He buys new cars very infrequently; his current car is a 92 Accord. A few weeks ago he came to me and asked, "what is Ford's equivalent to an Accord?" My reply was, "it's a Fusion, a very nice car, it has risen to the top of many reliability and desirability surveys, Motor Trend Car of the Year, my daughter has an 06 which has been a great car, you need to go look at one." Soon he came looking for more info. I proceeded to show him how to build and price the car online, and how you can learn much about the car in the process. Then I showed him how to search dealer inventory, and pulled up a couple models I thought he would like. I then described some of the features listed on the window sticker, such as Sync and BLIS. He thought those items were really great new technology. Interestingly, one of the features he thought was most interesting was the rear sensors (the "beepers"). That has been around long enough that I take it for granted, but for him it was something new and exciting. Later I described to him how X-plan works (we qualify through our employer), and how it makes the negotiating painless. After one week of looking, he came back with a few more questions. Then this morning he came in all excited and told me he had bought a new SEL, V-6, Package 302A, Atlantis Green/Camel. What sold him were the technological features on the car, the ease of the X-plan, and the fact that it was nearly $5000 cheaper than the comparable Accord he was looking at. In passing he also mentioned that he was proud to have supported Ford in his own small way, as a reward for their corporate plans/successes of the past year. I found the whole experience fun, and perhaps representative of a typical "non car guy" thought process.

This being a Ford fan site, most (but not all) of us can agree to our love of Fords. Perhaps a second thing that most (but again, not all) of us can agree to is our dislike of Toyota. So, I will admit I have more than a bit of a smirk on my face right now. Just a few years ago, when Toyota was charging past Ford and GM towards the top sales position in the US and world, and seemingly could do no wrong, I remember thinking "no company is invincible, someday they will have problems, for the sake of Ford I just hope it is sooner than later." Well maybe this is "it." That said, I do feel for those directly affected, e.g. salemen. Also I hope no one else gets hurt or killed until things get straightened out. I can barely fathom the intense discussions which have gone on within Toyota among engineering, managment, and legal over the past few days. That could hardly have been fun. To summarize, I guess what goes around, comes around.

The cleaned-up, bundle-of-snakes presentation looks great. The similarity to the Yamaha SHO V-6 is probably not accidental. I like it. The subtle 5.0 badge is great too.

CJ, thanks for creating this thread. You have done a good job explaining yourself in writing. I would be interested in reading comments about your MKT, now and again every few months. We will be looking to replace the wife's MKX next year and the MKT will likely be one of the candidates.

Congrats CJ. What options does it have? Is it a dealer trade? Please post pictures when you get it.

Have you seen one with the Woven Metal applique? I'm thinking I would like that look. Of the 20 or so MKT's I have seen on dealer lots, none have had this option. Aside: I've seen two MKT's on the road over the past few days.

This talk about dealers and sales people reminded me of one other part of the trainer's presentation. Near the end was an appeal for sales staff to be more "useful" or "helpful" to the expected buyer. Suggestions included opening a Facebook account or starting to text. A few of the sales people present said they were in tune with social media.

I received a promotional email from Ford. It specifically talks about how to go about reserving a Fiesta.

On a recent morning I had one of my vehicles at the dealer for routine maintenance. As is customary, I toured the lot and proceeded to the showroom to see what was inside. Upon entering the showroom I saw the sales force having a meeting. I assumed it was a normal sales meeting, but after listening for a moment I learned it was a trainer from Ford headquarters. I asked if I could listen in, and he said it was OK. He started with some points about the Raptor (one was in the showroom) then took the group outside for a presentation about the EcoBoost Flex. Then the group reconvened in the showroom for the main training regarding the Fiesta. Using his PC and a small flatscreen monitor, the trainer went through a slick PowerPoint presentation. He started by highlighting the car itself, focusing on its attractive styling, many desirable features, 30+ year European heritage, etc. He discussed the competition, noting that the Honda Fit is a great car but many other B segment cars really aren't very desirable (e.g. Chevy Aveo). "We are making a car people WANT TO have, not just because it's all they can afford." Speaking of affordability, during banter with the sales force, he asked what was appealing to them about the car. One salesperson said, "it's cheap!." To which the trainer replied, "never say this car is 'cheap.' It may be inexpensive, but it's definitely not 'cheap'." After this, the trainer proceeded to the next part of his presentation: a discussion of the sociology and psychology of the typical Fiesta buyer. Actually this took up most of the presentation. It included a detailed discussion of the Fiesta Movement, information about social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube), and demographics. Some of the statistics were staggering, such as how quickly these social media have become prevalent in society. There were many comments along the lines of --- the Fiesta customer may be young but they are very savvy, many of them have never set foot in a Ford dealership, we finally have something of interest to them so we must get the whole experience right, or within minutes the whole world will know about their bad experience. Apparently there will be info forthcoming after the LA Show about actually being able to reserve a Fiesta. If I heard it right, he explained how those reserving a car will be assigned a "big brother" within Ford who will be responsible for helping them through the process, including keeping them posted on exactly when their car will be built. (Shades of previous well-appreciated insider help on this forum!) At the end I thanked the trainer, noting that as a 'car guy' I found this all extremely interesting. I said that the whole thing had Jim Farley written all over it. He smiled and commented that the Fiesta Movement was a tough sell due to its cost and its out-of-the-box approach, but he noted that it had all the marks of extreme success. An example was that the name recognition for Fiesta is many times more than Flex, even though the car isn't out yet (I guess there are companies which count and analyze these sorts of things). I also found it interesting that this training was being done so far in advance. I guess it will take some time to get the dealer network oriented to a new product in a new segment with a new customer base. You sales folks may find training like this just part of the job, but I was fascinated by it. Hope you enjoyed the write-up. PS The trainer was driving an orange Raptor.

A slightly lighter, metallic version of 1968's Seafoam Green is exactly what I thought of when I saw one of these Focuses recently. What is old is new again?

SEMA is coming up soon, correct? Could be some good looking custom Lincolns. It's interesting to watch Lincoln's efforts at attracting a younger, yet affluent audience. The spaceship-oriented advertising is a prime example, which I think is very eye-catching and appealing.

Interesting that the original poster found the vehicle much more attractive in person compared to pictures. I did too. The rear still isn't my favorite view, but the front looks good as does the side profile. My wife and I were very impressed with all of the new or new-ish technology now available (BLIS, adaptive cruise, Sirius Travel Link). I also sympathize with the whole "need a minivan" thing. We had four, but have now advanced past that stage in our lives.......

I also have had a Kia minivan (Sedona) as a rental. I agree with the comments. It would be an example of the "low end of the market" in my opinion. Nothing wrong with that I guess, something has to occupy the low end. Speaking of low end of the market, my other recent rental was a Dodge Caliber. I always kind of liked how these cars looked, but had never driven one. I didn't know you could even buy a car with crank-up manual windows nowadays!! The car had a CVT which made for an interesting driving experience. I liked the large white-faced gauges, otherwise the car was unremarkable. What was interesting to me was the mileage on the cars. The Kia (Enterprise) had 27,000 and the Dodge (Thrifty) had 35,000. Each was about 1 1/2 years old. It wasn't that long ago that rent-a-cars were regularly replaced at about 15,000 miles?

I was walking into Home Depot last weekend when a new MKS pulled into a handicapped parking spot. Red, 20" wheels, a real sharp car. Getting out of the car was a seventy-something couple. I remarked to the wife, "nice Lincoln." At the same time, another guy was walking by who said to the husband, "how do you like your new Lincoln?" The husband had obviously answered the question before, as he quickly began by bragging on the fuel mileage he was getting. I did not stay for the whole discussion. What struck me about this brief encounter: -- senior citizens in a MKS, which they obviously liked -- that two people (me and the other guy) would made a point to make a comment. For me, if they would have been driving a new Town Car, I would have said nothing. For that matter, I may not have even noticed.

Nice truck, keep up the good work on it. At a recent show I ran into a clean 77 regular cab long bed 2WD Ranger(?), red on red, with a 400 automatic. Always liked the 76-79's the best. Drove several examples while working the oil fields during college. Of course they were work trucks, mostly 302's with three-on-the-trees. I think it would be cool to have a three-on-the-tree pickup or early Bronco. In the not-too-distant future 'no one' will know how to drive one. Just think how many people can't drive a stick shift today.

Several responses have listed late 70's - early 80's Fords with straight sixes. I can attest to their "dogginess", as I have an original owner 79 Mustang with the 200 CID straight six. The car is restored to stock condition and gets its share of attention at local and national shows, but it indeed is extremely slow. And yes, it has never run good either.... it's always had a stumble at 1200 rpm, sometimes bad, sometimes not so bad (depending on how tuned-up it is), and always worse when it is halfways warmed up. Someone once told me the engineers of the era never were able to get this engine to behave with all the smog equipment hung on it. My car is great for nostalgia, but today's cars sure are leaps and bounds better as to driveability, economy, power, and durability.

Recently returned from an 8-day, 2000+ mile family vacation through Utah and Wyoming. Thought I would post some info about Fords I saw: 2010 Fusion: saw probably 20-25 of them. More SE's than anything. Probably several were rentals. This is a very sharp-looking car on the road. Did not see a Fusion Sport. Also do not remember seeing a 2010 Milan. Flex: given the "family" nature of the places we visited, I expected to see several Flexes.... and I did, probably 15-20 or so. I was close enough to a few to note the bar code in the window, indicating it likely was (or had been) a rental. However, most of what I saw were SEL's and Limiteds. Many with California plates. At one point in one tourist town, I could see three at the same time. Perhaps Dean is right, this vehicle is catching on. 2010 Mustangs: saw probably 25. Mostly V6's, evenly split between coupes and convertibles. I'm guessing many were rentals. Frankly I was jealous, here I am driving through beautiful scenery in my rental minivan while others were enjoying the trip in a Mustang convertible.

Just got back from a 2275-mile family vacation to see five National Parks: Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Arches, Bryce, Zion. If you have not done so, you need to see these classic American gems. Our rental was a 2008 Kia Sedona. This was my first experience with a Kia. Above all, I must say that the vehicle got us around safely and with no mechanical issues; for that I am thankful. The best way I can describe the vehicle was that it was "ok." The interior was dominated by cheap plastic, with mouse-fur upholstery and thin carpets. There was adequate room for the four adults and one teen-ager, but I wouldn't calll it spacious. The a/c seemed to have a hard time keeping up. There were a few nice features (conversation mirror, many cupholders) but nothing I hadn't seen before. The motor claims 250hp but it sure didn't feel like it when I tried to make some passes on two-lane roads (granted, the vehicle was loaded with people and luggage, and most driving was at high altitudes). At 27,000 miles the rotors needed turned, and the coating was chipping off the plastic wheel covers. The turning radius seemed really large. It did not have power sliders or a power liftgate, features I would have expected. It did get over 20 mpg. I can see the appeal of this vehicle to 1) those who must have a mini-van, 2) bargain seekers, 3) non-enthusiast types. Otherwise I can't think of anything to commend the vehicle. This got me to thinking about the repeated discussion regarding Ford not being in the mini-van market. The Sedona would represent the low-end of said market, and thus is quite a ways from the Flex's target market. And in comparing the vehicles, the Flex is head and shoulders above this vehicle in several areas such as features and style. Of course it costs more, so it should be. Given my experience and being realistic, I don't see the need to be in the low-end mini-van market; let Kia and Hyundai, along with certain Dodge models, have it. Which brings me to the continuing discussion about mini-vans and sliders. I understand the need for sliders in certain situations (small children, tight garages) but after this vacation experience, I believe that roominess, accessibility, features, comfort, and style trump sliders.... at least for me (and I've owned four minivans). I think my family would agree. One final observation: Sedonas were everywhere! I must have seen fifty. One would be in a parking lot at some park feature, and invariably there would be another Sedona. Now I don't think they are that terrific of a seller, must be that the rent-a-car companies (Enterprise in my case) got a good deal on them for the summer tourist season.

To put a period on the straight six in Foxes question, I have a 79 Mustang with the straight six. I am the original owner. At car shows I regularly answer the question about straight sixes in Fox Mustangs. Watchdevil has his facts right. I'm proud of my humble six cylinder -- all 85 horsepower rarin' to go.

The article in the Houston Chronicle (front page in yesterday's Sunday edition) was pretty interesting. The main points I got from it are as noted above: this is the smuggler's vehicle of choice because it is 1) tough, 2) roomy, 3) powerful, and 4) (!!) easy to steal. I have nearly first-hand knowledge of this stuation. A couple years ago my next door neighbor's crew cab Super Duty Lariat was stolen from a downtown parking garage. He got it back 2-3 months later, with the only damage being to the leather back seat. I forget the mileage it had accumulated during that short time, seems like it was 10-15,000 miles. It was recovered at a border crossing when someone cross-checked it against a stolen vehicle report. That's quite a few trips up and down US 59. Law enforcement commented on the same points as the article, namely the vehicle had been used for smuggling drugs and/or humans. Fast-forward to today, most of the time it is parked on the street or in his driveway in the subdivision. His wife often drives it to work (schoolteacher). I wonder if it might turn up missing again someday. One other point from the article: The Ford stolen vehicle rate is way higher than Chevy or Dodge. No mention of Toyota.....

Within the past year in the Houston area, there have been two standalone L-M stores absorbed into Ford stores. One was a family-owned operation which had multiple dealerships, mostly imports. Their L-M dealership was a small operation in an outlying location, combined with Mitsubishi. The dealership facilities were merely OK and were in need of upgrading. I had bought two vehicles there and used them for service. I was friends with a service writer, and he was pretty sure the dealership was on the bottom of the family's totem pole and would at some time be sold or closed. As it turns out, the nearby Ford dealer with the new multi million dollar facility took over the L-M franchise. I am not as familiar with the other consolidation. I just recently noticed that one of the other mega suburban Ford dealers started advertising Lincolns and Mercurys, I believe out of the same physical location as the Ford store. I assume the L-M dealership up the road has closed. This seems to fit the pattern we have heard from other cities/ situations.

This is a fun thread. What is interesting is that not only car enthusiasts like us, but also people in general, have no trouble remembering what car they learned to drive in, what car they took their driver's test in, their first car, the car they rode in during the big family vacation to see the Grand Canyon, etc. Cars are a big part of the growing-up experience. Also it is interesting that the majority of contributors also note something about learning to drive a stick shift. I also made this a requirement in teaching my (now young adult) daughter how to drive. Unfortunately this skill is becoming increasingly rare. For example, I have one of my cars stored in a friend's garage. I offered to give her a key in case she needed to move it, then I hesitated and said "but I'm guessing you can't drive a stick shift?" She shrugged and said "no I can't." So to answer the questions: Learned to drive in the family car, a 72 Gran Torino. Also took driver's test in it. A bit big but a nice vehicle. Drivers Education car was a 73 Galaxie 500. A tank. Learned to drive a stick shift in a friend's 65 VW Bug. Most of my daily drivers have been stick shifts (VW Bug, Pinto, Mustang, SHO, Lincoln LS).

Thank you.