T'Cal

Mercury is dead. Long live Mercury! Please turn your talents to a T-bird based on the Mustang - a little longer, a bit wider, some retro styling cues but not too many.

Even a two door Taurus or stretched Mustang would be welcomed.

Congrats on the new GT! I don't think I'd change the exhaust system at all. It sounds fantastic just the way it is! I'll bet it's a bit quieter on the inside than it is from outside. That's how my Marauder was. When I had it, I almost put louder pipes on it until my wife drove away in it as I stood by and heard its sweet sound from behind for the first time. Of course, I left the exhaust stock after that.

I'm loving my Kona Blue 4WD Limited although I've got only 500 miles on it. The "is it an SUV or is it a crossover" debate is nonsense to me. It's a large all-wheel drive family mover that is quite capable of moving my family around in style and comfort. I don't care what you call it. I'm learning how to use Sync and MyFord more and more each day and they are amazing features. I've had it two weeks now and I've yet to see another on the road.

I like what they've done with the MKZ's exterior but the interior trim is still a bit low rent in the plastic materials department. Otherwise, it's a handsome car that's a manageable size with some great features. I wouldn't mind an AWD V6 model if they improved the interior. As for the MKS, it's a very good vehicle, tho it just doesn't strike me as a flagship. A stretched model would work, though. The MKT just looks uglier each time I see it. And the thrid row is tiny with very little head room. The Explorer is gobs better over all. The Navigator needs updating - fast. And it needs the new 5.0L V8 or maybe the 6.2L V8. Lastly, Licoln needs a larger luxury/sport coupe that seats five. While I'd prefer it based on the Mustang platform, one based on the D3/4 platform with AWD and the EcoBoost 3.5L V6 could work.

I've thought about this vehicle more as a full sized conversion van alternative. There is so much room in the TC that you could easily replace all the crappy seats with captain's chairs and a folding bench/bed. There's room for a sunroof and a nice lighting system on the ceiling as well as a good sized flat screen TV. Add a good stereo and some carpet/fabric on the doors and walls and it could be as pimped out as any full sized conversion van while returning better mileage and drivability. Many people who use this as a business truck load it up with equipment; I wonder what kind of highway mileage they get. I'll bet as a conversion van, a 2.5L I4 backed by a 6 speed automatic would be a better drivetrain for drivability and fuel economy. Why not make it optional?

That was one of the issues that pushed me toward the Explorer rather than the Flex. The former has the more powerful, more up-to-date 3.5L V6. I'm guessing by the reports that the Next Gen PI Sedan (re: Taurus) will have "280+" HP that all Tauruses and probably all Fords with the 3.5L V6 will get the "Variable Cam Timing to both the exhaust and intake" set up with 280-290 HP.

While I prefer the full width lower grille, your chop is beautiful. From the side it evokes the impression of a high-end luxury GT like a Jaguar or an Astin Martin. We'd be lucky if Ford made such a coupe for Lincoln. I wouldn't mind if it shared its platform with the much heralded Mustang but with an IRS and the N/A and EB 3.5L V6 engines only.

Aren't the 2012 Mustangs a bit early?? I was surprized to see them listed at Ford.com.

I understand that the new Taurus has had some improvements over the 2008-2009 Taurus but the older one is much bigger on the inside. The roof is taller, the greenhouse is larger, the headroom, hip room, and trunk seem much bigger. I wish Ford would've used the '08-'09 body for the PI only while using the new one for the civilian model. They were making the Taurus & Sable and the Five Hundred and Montego side by side for years. Why not the civilian and PI, too?

I don't see Dodge trying to sell the Challenger as a pony car, although most of the media try to peg it as one. Sometimes they'll go the opposite route and call the Camaro and Mustang musclecars, although as smaller 2+2's they are clearly pony cars. That Dodge made the Challenger a larger, five-passenger coupe with a big trunk shows me that they designed it to be a musclecar, not a pony car. I see why people cross shop it with the Camaro and Mustang, though.

I believe that if in fact there is no market for a large two door, it's because the domestic automakers made such crappy ones that they killed the market. Ford could very easily build a coupe version of the Taurus and call it Torino, Thunderbird, or Talledega. Lincoln could do the same with the MKS and call it Mark IX. Ford could also make one of the Fusion and call it Maverick. The Challenger is a good example of a successful coupe. Like the Challenger is to the Charger, Ford would need to do more than remove two doors; they would need to reskin it so that it's a unique, sporty, and handsome coupe. I miss the days when most vehicles were available as coupes and sedans and many could be had as wagons and convertibles, too. I know sedans are easier to get in but I'm willing to give up that little bit of convenience for better styling. I know some aren't but at least give us buyers a choice.

All good points, thanks. We spent several hours at the Detroit and Chicago Auto Shows going back and forth between these two people-movers as well as the competition and we narrowed it down to the Fords. As for my situation, I have four teens who just keep getting taller. Ford lists the third row legroom in both vehicles as the same. Shoulder and headroom is greater in the Flex but the Explorer isn't bad at all. Going with mid-row buckets is a great idea as they adjust fore and aft while the bench is fixed. As much as I like the convenience of a center console, by taking a pass on it, there's room for legs to stretch out in either vehicle. The Flex has the taller roof with vertical pillars and available sunroofs (only the front one opens), all of which make it feel airier than the competition.

To Flex owners: I'm going to be purchasing a family vehicle in the next 3-6 months and have narrowed my list down to the Flex and the new Explorer. Other than the roomier middle row, what do you see as the advantages of the Flex over the Explorer? I'm not interested in the EcoBoost for the Flex due to its higher initial cost. I'll be looking at loaded midline models. Thanks in advance.

You're using civilian Tauruses as squads? Or do you mean that you're using V6 powered Chargers? The PI Sedans aren't out till fall, right?

I'm surprized to read that the Utility will have a different engine than the Sedan since Ford has been bragging about "Performance Commonalities" in their early brochures. The AWD/3.7L drivetrain is a good idea for not only the Utility but the Sedan as well. Why not use it in both? Wouldn't it be less complicated to offer only three drivetrains (Both: AWD/3.7L; FWD/3.7L; AWD/EB3.5L) instead of five (Sedan: AWD/3.5L; AWD/EB3.5L; FWD/3.5L. Utility: AWD/3.7L; FWD/3.7L)? Right now, the cheapest police vehicle to own OVERALL is the Tahoe. It has a higher initial cost but its cheaper to maintain, stays in service longer, and retains significantly more of its value in resale. Time will tell if the Utility meets these criteria to make it worth whatever extra cost it demands over the Sedan. What with the Utility being based on the Sedan, though, the cost of R&D had to be way cheaper than what Chevy doled out to certify three distinctly different vehicles - Tahoe, Caprice, and Impala - so the Explorer might not be as expensive as some expect. The cost factor of the EcoBoost, however, will make it rare in these tough economic times. I'd love to know how a fleet manager will be successful at swaying the city council members or trutees to part with an extra $2500 or so per unit just to go fast. In my area, the vast majority of Chargers are V6 powered due to cost and the fact that they are on par with the CVPI V8s in performance. With the much-loved big Ford gone, there may be an argument for the big Caprice, especially from those who loved the '94-'96 Caprice 9C1 even though they share next to nothing. The new one even looks a bit like a sleeker, lowered version of the old one.

I have to agree about the PI Utility (Explorer). I'll bet it's the sleeper in the group of new squads. Ford introduced it later than the PI Sedan almost as an afterthought or as a secondary lesser option. But, it offers AWD, which the Tahoe does not, and is full pursuit rated with that feature, all at an expected MSRP. I see it as a more direct replacement for the CVPI than the PI Sedan. I'm hoping we get at least some PI Utilitiyies w/AWD for our fleet. Ford was very smart in bringing both it and the PI Sedan out as full pursuit models with available AWD.

I wonder just how much better an EB 2.0L I4 would get over the current NA 3.7L V6, which gets 19/31 with the automatic. Can the current Mustang, which is no light weight, get much better than 31 on the highway?? I would guess right now that this new plant would power one of the next special editions - the 2013 or 2014 SVO. After that, a version might be the base engine for the next gen Mustang.

Thanks! At last year's Chicago Auto Show, before it was announced that the Taurus would be the basis for the next PI, I stopped and talked with a Ford rep. I asked him if he could talk about the next PI and he said he couldn't. I asked if I could give him my take on it and he could respond or not and he agreed. I guessed that the Taurus would be the basis and that the Mustang's new 300+ hp V6 and AWD would be standard. He stated that the next PI would in fact be built in Chicago - the Chicago plant builds Taurus's so that wasn't too hard to figure out. He pointed toward a new SHO and said, "It will be more powerful than that." He said he had heard nothing about AWD as a feature. That threw me off! I began to wonder if Ford would convert the Taurus to RWD and use the 5.0L V8 especially since in Ford's advertising for the CVPI they were bragging about it being RWD and V8 powered. Any way, I'd be happy if they used the 305hp 3.7L V6 and AWD in the Taurus and Explorer. Having the EcoBoost engine as an option is fine but I'll be surprised to see many sold in the Police Interceptors.

I have a couple of brochures I received from Ford while attending an introduction for the Taurus-based PI Sedan last year. In the ones I have, Ford brags that it and the Explorer-based PI Utility will employ the identical drivetrain system (Performance Commonalities) - the 3.5L TiVCT V6 with minimum output at 280 hp, FWD, and available AWD. While attending the Detroit Auto Show last month and the Chicago Auto Show this past weekend, I saw both PIs on display. Next to the PI Utility was a placard that read that the engine in it was a 300 hp 3.7L V6 with AWD standard. The PI Sedan's placard advised that its engine was the 3.5L V6 and it too had AWD standard with FWD optional. In Detroit no one was at Ford at the time to answer any questions. In Chicago, the Ford reps looked at the placards and then mindlessly spewed what they just read without a whole lot of conviction. I was told that FWD was "an option." I asked if that was a delete option and the guy looked at me blankly and then said, "All wheel drive is standard and front wheel drive is optional." Can anyone from Ford confirm any of this?

I have a couple of brochures I received from Ford while attending an introduction for the Taurus-based PI Sedan last year. In the ones I have, it Ford brags that it and the Explorer-based PI Utility will employ the identical drivetrain system - the 3.5L TiVCT V6 with minimum output at 280 hp, FWD, and available AWD. While attending the Detroit Auto Show last month and the Chicago Auto Show this past weekend, I saw both sedans on display. Next to the PI Utility was a placard that read that the engine in it was a 300 hp 3.7L V6 with AWD standard. The PI Sedan's placard advised that its engine was the 3.5L V6 and it too had AWD standard with FWD optional. In Detroit no one was at Ford at the time to answer any questions. In Chicago, the Ford reps looked at the placards and then mindlessly spewed what they just read without a whole lot of conviction. I was told that FWD was "an option." I asked if that was a delete option and the guy looked at me blankly and then said, "All wheel drive is standard and front wheel drive is optional." Can anyone from Ford confirm any of this?

I love both the 2008-2011 Challenger and the 2011 Charger. I think it's great that we can actually choose between a coupe and a sedan, unlike from so many other car manufacturers. If Dodge replaced the Challenger with a Charger coupe I would be a bit disappointed but that wouldn't keep me away. My next "me" car will be the Challenger R/T. With stick. In bright red.

Yes. I'll be making an appointment at the dealership next week.

While the new Taurus is a great car, especially the S-H-O, I actually prefer the previous model's roominess and straightforward styling. I'm tempted to find a loaded black AWD Sable Premier and turn it into my own Marauder. Visually, I'd add a wing-style trunk mounted spoiler and I'd blackout the grille. Then I'd remove the SABLE badges and add a custom made dark grey decal that reads MARAUDER placing it on the lower part of the bumper cover; I'd use the font style and size like that which was embossed on the 2003 & 2004 Marauders. Mechanically, I'd add a cold air intake with a K&N filter and I'd replace the single exhaust with a custom dual cat-back system using the Flowmaster mufflers recommended for the new Mustang 3.7L V6 with a pair of 3" chrome tail pipes. I might even consider a low pressure supercharger if there is one designed specifically for this application. Any other recommendations? Has anyone here done any similar modifications?