WC-MAN

Panthers will rule forever! BWA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!! That said, here's your future cop car: Cop Car Ran across the article the other day. Even if a current manufacturer produces the next cop car, I'll bet this is far closer than others. The Impala has been most successful in small towns and rural areas, where high speed pursuits are rare and curb hopping is at a minimum. That said, my town and county are still 100% CV. The Impala's back seat is small compared to the Fusion! I drove an Impala when I bought the MGM, as well as a Montego (and yes, it's back seat and trunk are bigger in length, not width though). I honestly told the dealer he should keep that Impala on the lot and put EVERYONE in it before he put them in a Ford. I would say GM and Ford had an equal chance of becoming my new brand (I used to drive Chryslers) until that test drive.

You should probably stop thinking now.

The status improves after the first couple dozen 6 cylinder Mustangs and Civic you waste at the stoplight wars.

I have a 96 Villager that needs a power steering pump. I have a repair manual with instructions. How hard is it to swap the part out if you don't do that sort of thing every day?

No freakin *&%^! Toyota builds the cars people want, and regardless of what Psychos would have you believe, It isn't the Prius! That car sells so well because its basically the only player in a niche market. Toyota's bread and butter remains the Corolla and Camry, efficient, yes, but not revolutionary. And its not like Toyota and Honda are psychic. Toyota poured millions into the Tundra which has become a dud, and Honda had to withdraw its hybrid Accord. I hope you guys under 30 studied the 70's good in history class, because this is the kinda crap we put up with then, and we're getting ready to live through it again. Unfortunately, Obama looks more like Carter than Reagan, and the congress may be worse.

I've tried to make that argument before, but it never works. However, its true that BOF is better for towing because you can in fact abuse it more. I don't see what the change would help though. Look at the GC, its not like its thousands of pounds lighter. It's simply impossible to produce a 2,000 lb. vehicle with a 40 mpg four cylinder that will tow 7000 lbs. I know those are absurd numbers, but the fact remains the same.

I stomped on the MGM to pass a car yesterday and felt like I was shot out of a cannon. The thing will go 40-70 in less than no time.

I've yet to comment on the new 'stang. I have to say VERY VERY nice. A wonderful job of updating without reinventing the wheel. Its obviously a new car, but it doesn't try to scream "I'm a new car!" with radical styling changes. One thing, I wish they would have gone with more of a classic flat back. I'm not a fan of big rounded butts with oversized bumpers.

Mines a 2007, I drove on the lot in A DODGE NEON, and the dealer was practically begging me to buy. Now, for those you who don't know, only vintage Korean cars are more of a pariah on a car lot than a Neon. The tranny was heading into perpetual crap-out and even with the 70 K warranty, I didn't think I could ever hope to get anything out of the car, but boy did they want it. He had it sold day after I left it with him. Right now is the time to buy anything with a big engine, lots just don't want 'em.

Chinese interest in Chrysler is old news. Been hearing about it since the Dhiamler days. I don't think the Chinese could pull it off though. GM, no way, won't happen.

We appear to be on the verge of a minivan revolution. That's right, the mommyvan that was so reviled may soon again be finding its way into our hearts. Think about it. A minivan was created by placing a van body on a FWD sedan (the VW Type 2 was made the same way). SUV's have been hard on minis, with sales off and GM and Ford abandoning the platform. How, do you say, could we be poised on the cusp of a minivan revolution? Well, the CUV is, like the minivan, based off FWD car architecture. The primary difference is that the CUV emphasizes AWD and has an SUV's station wagon body. CAFE and fuel cost have crushed SUV sales and hurt pickup sales, however, people still need to buy TV's and go to Home Depot. Obviously, a vehicle that can handle 3/5 of the job a Pickup can do would suit most people, especially if it delivers decent fuel mileage. Now, I'm not saying that everyone is suddenly going to find a sliding door van body sexy. The station wagon never disappeared, it just grew 4wd and a tall riding stance. Today's CUV's have brought the ol' station wagon nearly full circle. I see the Flex as the first step. The new minivan will possibly lose its sliding doors and "flying wedge" shape for a more wagonesque body. The difference will be height. CUV's still do not offer a minis vertical storage. So imagine a Flex stretched a bit taller possible offering the elimination of the awd option in favor of minivan style disappearing seats making a tall flat load floor. And there you have it, it may not "look" the part, but every bit a minivan. Let the revolution begin! :happy feet:

First off the best thing that can happen to the big three is bankrupcy. That said, I don't think it is an issue of current union pay at all, I think its the huge pension liability that was set up when GM held 60% of the market and sold more Impalas than Dodge sold cars. That is what the Japanese do not have over their heads. Secondly, we have to quit glad handing foreign countries. Just compare what a Toyota cost verse a Chevy here verses Japan. If other countries are going to be protectionist with US automakers, their automakers should be treated the same way in the US. Finally, any bailout should include a clause that says anyone who has even seen the top management offices should be fired and banned from working for other US automakers. But that won't happen. They'll all keep their jobs, or be "fired" with enough parting cash for any 6 of us to live comfortably the rest of our lives. INstead, the govt. will stick a bunch of asinine "green" restrictions on US makers. All of which won't apply to the Asians because they don't belong to the government! :titanic: And on top of that Americans will HATE the "green" cars. 100 years of history proves that. I work in Education, a field the Government has been "helping", "fixing", and "improving" for 60 years. Trust me, YOU DON'T WANT THE GOVERNMENT IN THE AUTO BUSINESS!!!!!!!

The rear is Buickish, but then, so is the current car. It has a lot of new Lincoln in it, but its overwhelmed by the current Mercury Milan. I guess the money went into the mechanical bits instead of radically different styling.

Toyotas, they already do. Toyota is what Buick was when I was a teen, an old persons car. Why do you think Toyota needed a Scion brand and Honda doesn't? Even that has failed, 3 out of 4 Scion's I see have gray hairs behind the wheel. Your right about MKS, its too much for older drivers. My father-in-law didn't adopt CD until the car before his current one, and he wouldn't use it if it weren't for his wife.

All Toyota's are ugly. They should jack-slap their styling department. And yes, it looks like the Edge with uglier styling.

What is the point of the flex then. I don't understand the advantage of having two or three identical crossovers on the lot that will only compete with one another.

Would rather see a Blue oval on the grille. Otherwise YEAH BABY! Beautiful truck!

Can we all agree its time for the Taurus to die already! Good Lord, its the second worst performing year to date, off 53% this month, and selling worse than CV! Look, I pay more attention to YTD numbers than monthly. In Sept, you would have swore everything bigger than Focus needed to be cancelled. BUt the D3 is pathetic. Obviously, the Fusion has the family sedan market covered for Ford. If they intend to get rid of the Panther, they better come up with a large RWD platform to put on the road, or they will be religated to a small car and truck company. I agree on Flex, Edge et. al. Sales will recover as the panic over the economy settles and the political scene is more stable. I applaud Ford for not jumping the gun and canceling proven vehicles like Explorer due to soft sales. There will always be a market for this vehicle, and GM is getting out, Jeep is questionable, and Nissan will probably go. If Ford holds on, and doesn't make the unibody, just another Flex mistake, they will have the kind of control over mid-sized BOF SUV's the way GM does in the large SUV market.

See if they will check it. It might be worth a few bucks to get them to check, write up what's wrong, and have something in hand to take to the shop, or their superiors if they continue to say nothing is wrong.

right now, get the hybrid execution right. Then, as new batteries and components come online, you worry more about extending bat only driving time and fuel mileage. Costs will come down as hybrid becomes a standard option across the line.

Unlikely. Lack of durability, drivability, etc. If the Taurus was capable of replacing the CV, the Impala would be doing far better in sales now. If CV goes, I suspect the Falcon will come in on its heels to take over the police market.

Eyes wide shut my friend. Your right, take away the minivan and Kcar, and Chrysler doesn't survive the eighties. The cab forward cars and Ram kept them alive in the nineties, Jeep until the SUV boom busted. Chrysler has been far too reliant on niche markets that can dry up quickly. Not that Ford is innocent. They were the ones who announced the SUV was the new sedan.

I'm glad somebody else does! I hadn't seen a digital speedometer since the GM "Pole Position" all digital dashes of the late 80's. My MGM has one and I LOVE it! Don't get me wrong, I like the analog gauge and I don't need digital for my tach or gas guage, but the digital is wonderful.

Well they sure aren't going to use the Taurus to replace it. The name Dodge St. Regis comes to mind . I see two possibilities, Ford replaces the CV with a new RWD platform, or GM creates a Chevy out of the G8 as a police package. However, there is still a lot of life left in the CV.

That is, If GM honors it, which they won't. Plus, what about down-time? Doesn't it cost money for a cop car sitting in a dealership repair bay instead of serving and protecting?