Meelaan

That think looks like the progeny of a Flex and an ice-cream truck. <BARF> Never happen.

Love the ad. Reminds me of the "I am man" Burger King ads in the U.S. a few months back. How I long for the days when the men of the United States of America would be aptly represented by such portrayal. Screw sensivity--we're a bunch of friggin animals with one gene between us and the ape. BTW: Call it what it is: It's not "metrosexual," it's "men acting like women." The clear pussification of America. Next step: ball shrinkage. No wonder they have such a market for Viagra/Cialis here...

Ford sold a crap-load of 3rd generation (1996-1999) Taurus' in the U.S. Anything you need for your vehicle is likely abundant here. Even the 2000-2006 model years would probably work.

I think it looks fun, in a Robocop/post-apocolypic way. I can definitely see myself doing some off-roading with something like that. Reminicent of the Jeep Comanche. Nice idea. B)

MAKE IT SO! No Photoshop required. Ford has built the Falcon Ute in Australia for decades. It makes sense for them, but why not us? http://www.ford.com.au/servlet/ContentServ...e&c=DFYPage

Dear "Blokes," Please send Utes. It's a friggin' awesome product that we've been starved of since the loss of the El Camino. Love, Yanks

BRING ON THE FALCON UTE! I need another Ranchero! And hell, it may even end up a "segment buster." http://www.ford.com.au/servlet/ContentServ...e&c=DFYPage

I don't know who came up with that rumor, but I heard it too and immediately dismissed it. Milan will always share the Fusion powertrain. Giving it the Lincoln engine--even as an option--intrudes on MKZ sales. It's retarded to think otherwise.

He's thinking of an old VW commercial. Back around 1999, I think. Guy calls his wife outside in the early morning to show her... hits the button on the remote key and all the windows roll down. He thinks it's cool... she goes back to bed, disgusted. I wouldn't be surprised if a salesman fed him that kind of crap. I had a Lincoln-Mercury salesman tell me the headlights on the Milan physically turn when you turn your steering wheel making a corner. B.S.

That is very good for the V6. Perhaps Canadian vehicles are tuned differently for different emissions requirements? My 2.3L Milan gets 30mpg consistently. I only hear complaints from U.S. V6 Fusion owners regarding their MPG.

Be prepared to wait three months for your vehicle. It can be nerve-racking, but that's how long you can expect. Any sooner and I'd be shocked. I can't ever suggest buying a vehicle with such a trendy color paint without having seen it in person. It's a medium orange--definitely not grabber, but more like the SVT Focus Euro package they had a few years ago.

Thanks! Glad you like it. I think what you're looking for is more of an FJ Cruiser adaptation. Rear "suicide" doors that blend their fixed windows into the b-pillar. I don't think it's very aesthetically pleasing, but did occur to me as something this vehicle would have to have to ever go from the "wouldn't it be cool" phase to any hope of production. Honestly, if the Bronco ever re-emerged it would likely take on the look of the original "tub" Bronco that looked like a Scout. I'll try to work something up with the rear side access doors. EDIT: Here's the "Bronco Cruiser" version you asked for:

Nice idea, but MS Paint just doesn't cut it. Version 2.0:

Just noticed Five Hundred has been removed from FordVehicles.com and replaced officially with "2008 Taurus." Five Hundred was up there last week, so this shift must have occured just recently. Adios, Five Hundred. We hardly knew thee.

Fusion looks like an Aura-clone. Front's not bad... rear looks decent. Just not sure it looks like a Ford from the rear. Could be any current mid-sized sedan. MKZ looks great. Good use of the new "wings" grill design. Rear end stays consistent with current vehicle. Milan rear end is unchanged with only new taillight lenses featured. Why fix something that ain't broken, right?

Don't take it personally, man. It happens to just about everyone. Consider how employees of a dealership selling products that for the past 10 years have had quality issues and it's clearer why customers can get bad vibes from them. But you're right--they should have just put new tires on and been done with it. It's part of the culture Mulally is trying to change with FoMoCo... but having it trickle down to Joe Salesman and Bob Partsdesk isn't a realistic expectation. Dealerships operate like mercenaries. The bottom line can get cutthroat. Really though, in your situation, it's hard to diagnose the cause as being the tires, cause its more often not the tires. And there's an argument that the dealership prefers to get paid for warranty work on the car rather than warranty tire replacement.

Thank you. Spent a bit of time on that. Glad you like it. Here's the Taurus Coupe vs. Sedan:

So... now you're back in love with your Fusion right? No regrets any longer? :shades:

Appears to be the same mule posted earlier on this forum... just a lot better pictures. Summing up the exterior: Low-rider, chop-top Range Rover.

Regarding the initial topic, looking at Ford's past rebate/rate behavior, I wouldn't expect to see them deviate from the current offerings. This month's rebates/rates will most likely roll over to next month. And regarding privately selling a car: The amount you get for the sale is income. This is supposed to be reported to the IRS. It's just like when you sell a house. As far as states go, some states charge a tax based on the price of the vehicle when the new owner goes to register it at the DMV. Louisiana is notoriously harsh in this area. For that reason, many people will report the selling price as being much lower than what it was really sold for.

My point was not to aggrevate. It's simply a fact to consider that if you do not trade your old car in on your new car, you now have two cars that must be insured (unless your old car can have the registration removed and get pushed into the woods). Selling a car privately makes the amount you get for the car taxable. It's likely that the difference in your sale price after taxes and the value of it being traded are negligable. If you can afford to insure two cars, great. That is all.

I guess if you can afford to insure two vehicles and maintain them both, go ahead with your bad self.

...and the fact that any engine work that comes up requires that the entire cab be removed from the truck in order to access the engine.

Biggest suggestion I can make to anyone buying new is when they give you their final offer, tell them, "Man, you know... if I could just get another $500 for my trade-in, I could buy the car right now." Worked for me.

If I have to hear someone call this station wagon a "cross-over" one more time, I'll scream. I really was impressed with the second row touch button flip and fold seat. That was cool. What was funny though is when he got in the third row and said it was so comfortable, his legs were in birthing position. There's no way the second row seat could have been put back up with him in that third row. "It makes three hundred... er, two hundred sixty-three horsepower..." Almost had my order!