regfootball

diesel here is like 40 cents more. if a lot of folks start driving diesels, then big brother/big business will just hike the price up to the point where the money you spend on fuel will be comparable to gas. they always seem to find a way to take it from your pocket. i would never want diesel to be truly mainstream here for that reason. lets hope it gets more popular but does not become so accepted that they really jack the price up just because they can.

all those model names are legendary and have tremendous brand equity. the CX-9 is postively killing the MDX. it undercuts the MDX by like 10 grand for equal or superior funtion.

the mazda5 doesn't sell. a ford version would do no better. cute utes will outsell it. ford does need a true minivan. the new chrysler is a dud.

congrats. the focus is a fun car.

amen

sales dud.

i had 2 diamantes an 02 and 03. the mks front end looks dangerously similar maybe moreso to the 0405 version. it's also fair to say there is some galant in the side profile and even a bit of it in the front also.

why not buy one off the lot?

Mine....... new interior w/ new radio and climate controls and new center stack, console and guages and cupholders, more seat bolstering, nicer door panels manual shift mode with paddle shifters single panel sunroof available for those who don't like the huge one body color lower trim available SVT version or sim. with lowered suspension (reduce ground clearance a bit) direct injection 3.7 engine and turbo as an option not sure i can wait. need new vehicle in oct 08. will the 09 have any of these changes?

i think the one i saw at the dealer had white stitching but i don't remember 100% for sure.

Igor, when does the flex hit the showroom? My 500 lease runs out Oct 08 but I would like to move up and maybe get into one asap before summer. that or an edge/taurus/taurusx will the flex have manual shifting?

maybe its available as a ford accessory?

i currently have 30k in my 06 500. it's a great car. i think it needs a more sophisticated interior and seats with more lateral supports and a console that cuts less into your leg. the center stack needs to lose the brick. overall, i love my car and it gives unmatched safety, utility, value in the sedan segment. for so many reasons. alas, the styling is a let down for so many people. i tested an 08 taurus. it is improved in many ways and they attempted to clean up the looks. i think it comes down to looks and 'ford's old rep'. but then why have my 3 new fords all been totally reliable (95 tbird, 99SHO, 06 500)? And the 89 SHO I bought used was reliable except for having to replace clutches. The engine was bulletproof. Ford needs to get drivers into this car. Everyone who sits in my car says 'wow, nice car' and then is shocked when i tell them its a Ford. Ford needs big promotions to get people into these cars and once they do, i think the solid virtues will have to come out. I passed on a Maxima to get my 500. The Maxima was sportier but had an evil interior and felt cheap. The taurus now outlcasses so many cars in the sedan segment in many ways its sick . People just cannot get past the unresolved styling I think is what is hurting it now. I would recommend a taurus to everyone I possibly could.

the dealer i bought my 500 has exceptional salespeople. they are one price and have non commission educated sales assistants. my best experience ever buying a car. Don't judge Ford, judge the dealer. if he wants a wagon, why didn't you look at the taurus x? the dash is slightly different and it has the rear jump seats. the cvt tranny is no longer offered. it's up to you to seek out a dealership whose employees know what they are talking about. Your dad abandoning the prius confirms what i have been saying all along. the prius only end user benefit is good mpg. that alone, once it wears off, is not enough to satisfy what people want in a car. I would really push your dad and emphasize all the great things the taurus line has to offer. unmatchable utility, safety, value and reliability. AWD....great mpg (i get just shy of 30 on road trips in my 500) . Your dad may just love a Taurus X with the chrome and carbon dash accents and the dark dash / light colored door accents and contrasting perf leather. Show him the fold flat front seat and split folding third row. Show him the crash test scores with the taurus line saying 'best full size car'. Did i mention 'ward's ten best engines'? Then, show him how easy it is to dent the sheet metal in his prius. with ford, you can at least lean against the car and not dent it.! taurus X would be the perfect vehicle for your dad's needs i bet!!!!!!!!!!!! 5/60 roadside......... SYNC...........

i sat in the new 08 focus today. i also played with sync. the 08 focus is a job well done. Its a very appealing car. I liked the interior. sync is great. the critics of ford's redo of the 08 focus were not the ones what had to write the checks to pay for it. it's nicely done. stop your euro-whining and go check it out. for commuters, its a very appealing package.

that orange flex looks really sweet to me. mmmmmmm someone ought to photochop that flex and move the door handle on the rear door up to the front and draw a sliding door track on the rear quarter so we can see what it would look like.

the whole center stack is unimaginative. yuk. i like the flex, but cmon, wow us with the center stack. this is a half effort.

the side of the center stack will cut into my leg more than it does on my 500 already. some padding and a softer shape please? we all hate 'the brick' but this new round of radios and climate control is even worse.

my 500 3 year 45k lease was 52% or something after 3 years. i have seen great ads for 08 sable leases. maybe sables have better resids. edge does indeed lease well. edge taurus / x and flex are all on my radar when my 500 lease is up in about ayear

gm's single multi function stalk is the worst.

try an edge too

i don't like that. it works much better on its own stalk on the right.

i left my .02 worth -reg-

rdx gets TERRIBLE mpg

honestly the reason the crv sells like it does is its a darling vehicle for women. always has been, right down to the cute little folding console between the front seats. check out a new cheaper cloth crv and the interior is dreadful. the leather crv's are tarted way up and pumped with leather smell which pries the money out of a woman (or whipped man that is chained to them) pocketbook. crv lacks a decent cargo space behind the rear seat. will not swallow a stroller and pack and play like the escape can. but the crv is so much cuter than the escape. soft cuddly liberal and feminine, is why the crv can gouge big bucks for a shortage of hp and bad gas mileage. the people buying the crv are comparing them to the kia sportages of the world. personally the rav4 makes a lot more sense than the crv but the ladies like the over the top feminine quality of the crv and the audiesque greenhouse. its exactly the wussiness of the crv that makes it so attractive. funny thing is the rav4 v6 gets really good real world mpg, probably better than the working too hard crawling recreational vehicle gets.