AlRozzi

Yeah, I should have been more specific on what I was refering to. I meant Fusion replacement could be an Outback competitor. This is where I think Fusion is headed; Focus Active Subaru Crosstrek (compact) price $21,795-26,295 Dimensions 175.8 L 71 W 63.6 H Weight 3113 lbs. Fusion Active Subaru Outback (midsize) price $25,895 - 38,690 Dimensions 189.6 L 72.4 W 66.5 H 3622 lbs.

Seems there is so much discussion about Fusion going away but maybe it is only the name? I'd be willing to bet there will be a new "car" to replace it although not looking like a sedan. Perhaps it was best to put the name to rest so as not to distort the replacement model, which may be, let's say, more like a Subaru?

Seriously, all major manufacturers are forecast to have lower April sales. More like a market trend. Also doesn't mention relative incentives, transaction prices, fleet volume, etc. Ford's recently announced product planning leaves little need to push sales with big discounts. I'd bet Ford's percentage fleet will be lower and transaction prices above industry average for the month of April. Relative sales stability among Asian brands may be a result of "giving away" sedans.

I recall Alan pondered Lincolns demise. Maybe FMC would be better off with a Jeep type brand?

I saw this coming given the news chatter this winter which is why I bought my new Focus hatchback - don't want a sedan anymore - this month. I will likely get an ST soon. Ford should have dropped Taurus/Flex/MKT at least two years ago. Fiesta sedan should not have been sold here to begin with. Just wish there could continue to be a Focus and Fusion hatchback.

I think you are right about that. I express my angst about autonomous cars and then I'll probably live be 95 years old and wish I had one because I'm an inept driver. However for now, I want to be an autonomous human.

The thing is, I enjoy driving a car. If I could not drive my car I wouldn't even want to buy or own one. I don't think this has to do with anything other than taking away more of our freedoms.

I do not like current Nissan styling, especially sedans. They seem kind of stodgy and old fashioned to me and even too busy. I'm certain I am the only guy in America who sees this when I see a Nissan sedan, like Sentra or Altima, but I get this vibe from the style;

You have just given me the perfect excuse to use with my wife when I don't like the topic of discussion. But serioulsly, maybe it is a miracle that 50% of marriages do not end in divorce!

I'm really only being facetious when I say this, but maybe this is why GM is not going to report sales on a monthly basis any more? I mean, what a disgrace when Cadillac is outsold by Lincoln!

Loud colors do look good on sporty looking cars. Everybody likes the new Focus! I don't think Outrageous Green is as appealing on the SE sedan. Bought the red Focus new on 1/3/13. Would be great if your mother still had the '97!

I encourage my wife sleep on long rides. There is a limit to what I can think of to talk about!

I think so too. When Ford brought out that design it seemed to have opened the door to breaking away from boring styling with midsized sedans, but none have come close to matching Fusions classy lines.

Wow! Both look amazingly nice. I'm glad you posted the photo. I once had a '79 XR-7 I bought in S. Florida in nearly the same color as your mother's car. Not off topic either. I am enjoying the car discussion. Thanks again for the great photo!

Interesting suggestion. I like it. If you hadn't mentioned blue I would have done black without even considering any other color.

Two votes for pinstripe and 0 against it. I must be a go! Thanks for your opinion.

Wife thinks we have a Christmas theme going when the red and green are side by side! Also worth a laugh; I have a blue Sable as well. When I still had the white Cougar a friend of ours asked which car we were taking when we were meeting them someplace. She asked, red, white or blue? Honestly I had not realized the theme until she asked the question that way!

One reason I liked the Cougar was its great handling. It began as my wife's car but it eventually grew on me. I have had over 35 cars. All F/L-M and one Dart as a winter car to save my Fords. Question; Here are photos of my '13 Focus (Race Red) with a pinstripe I put on it. Does the car look better or worse with it? Not sure if I should do the same on the '18 Outrageous Green Focus.

Looks fantastic! You have my new car beat by 1000 to 1!

Considering that the Cruze is a relatively new generation car and that there is a minor freshening next year tells me that GM figured on keeping the car around for awhile. If they have been surprised by current market changes then I think the Lordstown plant may be in trouble. GM's Korean operation is looking shaky as well. That along with the divestiture of Opel/Vauxhall leads to a good deal of retrenchment by GM. The announcement by Marchionne that he will be retiring from FCA next year and media speculation that a new CEO will once again seek to combine FCA with another company leads me to wonder if GM will go for it this time, if for no other purpose than to acquire Jeep?

This is a photo of the Flat Rock built Cougar I got rid of last week to make room for the new Focus. The window sticker shows build date 9/13/99. I think it would look great in Lightning Blue.

Deals like that come along only once in a lifetime!

Nice EXP! I had an '88 EXP and - wait for it - a 1983 LN-7! The drivers seat eventually got trashed in the EXP so I switched the seats out with nearly perfect front seats from a 1990 Escort I parted out. Needless to say, the Escort seats weren't low profile like the seats in the coupes, so heads bumped the roof! I sold the car sometime later and I had to tell the kid about the debacle, but he was ok with it.

I have to admit, this color is really growing on me. I will let you in on a another secret. I wonder if you recall I had the 2000 Cougar I could not part with for all of 18 years? I kind of related the Cougar to Nick's Mustang. I had serioulsly considered turing it into a Rice-Rocket...or whatever an American car becomes when you modifiy it like a Japanese car. Nevertheless, I had to make room for the '18 Focus, so the Cougar is gone. I have issues.