fbmphil

A-freaking-men. In today's market, they are HORRIBLE vehicles. In the 900+ miles I spent in various Grand Marquii (? :shrug: )for work last month, I came to the realization that if you actually BUY one of these NEW, you're most likely brain dead. I tried and tried and tried to find a redeeming value in the damn thing and I just couldn't. The fact that I was quite literally sitting on a sofa and had back pain for days after driving it didn't earn it too many brownie points either.

Well, you live in San Francisco, there's your explanation I bet there's people in California who've never ever HEARD of Ford, and I'm only half kidding.

Verrrry nicely.

I agree, but then there's the issue of how those profits are then spent. Is it inherently wrong to buy a Honda or Toyota and have [some of] the profit go toward investing in the US economy by building more factories in the US, which in turn employs more American citizens, which in turn increases their ability to buy products and support the American economy? Or is it better to buy a union-built Ford and in turn enhance their building of factories in Mexico that employ Mexican citizens? Both of the described scenarios are win/win and lose/lose situations in my opinion. EVERY company's goal is to be profitable and be capable of returning dividends and gains to shareholders. Frankly, I find the idea of corporate loyalty to be absurd. I'm just a demographic to them, and I don't owe them anything. As the American auto industry as shown, no person or idea will get in the way of a corporation's ultimate goal: profit. It is not my responsibility to buy a vehicle from them, but it is THEIR responsibility to their shareholders to PRODUCE a vehicle worthy of my consideration and ultimately, my money. In the end, the company that fits my needs best will be the one that garners my support. There's loyalty, and then there's capitalism and covering your own ass. I choose to subscribe to the latter school of thought, you may not. But hey, that's what I like about America: we can disagree like that.

I just find it funny that you call me a "lemming" and "selfish" because I choose not to do things that you perceive as being "the right thing to do". I support this country and I support those who serve, but to belittle me simply because you served in the military is ABSURD. I owe you no more respect than any other poster in this thread, just as I owe nothing to the faceless corporations that pervade our country. If you call me "selfish" for applying my rights as an American, then I'll call you a commie for insinuating that I keep my mouth shut or "get out" if I disagree with what you're saying. Members of the military like you who play the "respect me more than your fellow brethren because I fought for you" card disgust me. I owe you nothing over and above any other upstanding citizen of our country, and if you believe that your service makes you a better American than me, I'll have to disagree. And for the record, I drive a Ford and the vast majority of purchases I make are American-made items from American companies.

I enjoy the fact that you're attacking me for the exercising the very value that you claim to have personally afforded me: FREEDOM. Your last four sentences sound like they're straight out of the mouth of ol' Chairman Mao, you fucking Commie. I'm now a lesser (and more selfish) person than you because I choose not to serve? Lose the superiority complex, fuckhead. I don't owe anything to anyone when it comes to deciding where and how I spend the money that I earn, and that's the beauty of the United States, CHOICE.

+1 I'm all for buying American and supporting the U.S. economy, but I'm looking out for ME first, and that means buying the best product available for what I'm willing to spend. If that means buying a foreign car over its domestic alternative in a specific situation, well, sorry, but I'm not going to buy an inferior product just to buy American. And like it or not, throughout the 80s and 90s, many American vehicles WERE the inferior products, but the tides are slowly beginning to change and consumers are being turned back on to higher quality of domestic vehicles. Built in Mexico Also, if you shop at Walmart and bitch at me for considering a foreign vehicle, die in a fire.

Thank GOD he's gone.

Gotta do what you gotta do to stay alive.

Reading is overrated. I much prefer conjecture and speaking from my ass.

Hey douchenozzle, read the latest news sometime. From 09 and on, Ford is doubling hybrid production.

Yup. The engine keeps a'chuggin if the battery isn't charged [enough], goes for both hybrids and conventional powertrains. I held up traffic in a prototype Gen 1.5 Escape hybrid a couple weeks ago because I shut it off at a light since the start/stop wasn't functioning and I was wondering if the battery was dead. I turn the key to start it, and nothing. A few choice curse words later I realized that the brakes didn't regenerate enough power to switch over to battery when I was waiting at the light, and it wasn't turning over because I left it in Drive... The More You Know

"Illuminati Pictures"

Actually, that's the whole point of it. Return to profitability then regrow from there.

New manual is a 6 speed too.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Or best left to one's individual interpretation? The bureaucracy sucks and I can only hope more is being done to destroy it.

They're not THAT much lighter, but around 100-200lbs or so IIRC. I'll try to dig up a curb weight somewhere. The only logical place left for the F-100 to go is DTP, and that's where it's been headed all along. I'm just shocked to be honest that NO ONE I have spoken with knows anything but "smaller than the F-150 and no V8".

Refreshed 2010 Fusion debuts at the end of 08 and (for legal reasons) goes on sale ASAP in 09. You'll be able to buy it very shortly after it debuts. We're about to start putting them through the paces shortly, but don't be looking at me for any first impressions.

BREAKING NEWS: FBMphil announces he will not run for the presidency in '08. See what I did there?

I heard a rumbling a year or so ago about it eventually leaving AAI. I don't think it's really THAT far fetched.

Where the fuck do you think these vehicles originated in the first place? You euro-fuck.

Everyone around Dearborn knows about it...but no one really knows anything about it. It's weird.

Belieeeeeve me, it's not. From what I've gleaned by looking through the camo, it should be much more sharp and streamlined.

Or you just move everyone over onto Republic, cut some overlap, and done. It amazes me that SVT did and can do so much with what they have.

Definitely. I've seen some near retards and old geezers figure out how to pair it.