Walt

I don't think that this is new. My '07 can go up to 40 mph in EV mode. All that might be new, is that Ford is now officially stating 40 mph instead of 25 mph.

Why would Ford care about customers' income taxes? I doubt that loosing the tax credit would cause hybrid order numbers to drop below production numbers. I don't think that happen to Toyota. Even today, not everyone gets 100% of the potential hybrid tax credit, because the AMT tax laws create a "tax credit floor" which no one can drop below. If example, your potential hybrid tax credit is $2,500, but you are only $700 above your "tax credit floor" after applying all other tax credits you are eligible to claim, you can only get $700 out of that possible $2.500 hybrid tax credit. For me, I only ended up being able to get 1/2 of the full hybrid tax credit.

Ford doesn't sell anything to you. You are not a customer of Ford's. You are a customer of some dealer, and it is that dealer who is suppose to deal with their customers. Yea, today, we really don't care about such business divisions. We expect all manufacturers to support us directly. Ford (and the other US car manufacturers too), just don't understand, let alone embrace, that change. Yet. Personally, I would like it if Ford just took one small baby step in that direction, and allowed customers to check the real-time status of their new car order on line, without the need to talk to any living person.

And Sync is an application running on the already installed Windows Automotive.

Oh, the roof glass slips back and over (on top of) the rear window glass. Pretty ingenious!

Yea, most of my friends tell their wives "its Walt's fault". I am use to it. :sandbox: But I have to admit, the new Sync II system is got to be one the coolest gadgets I have seen for a car in a long time. :stats:

There is basically two lines. :titanic: One line is to simply get a number (your VIN number). That lines is about 14 to 16 weeks long. Once you are luckily enough to get your number, you get to go stand in a new line. I don't know if we have a handle yet on how long that line can be. But eventually, your hybrid pops out. IMHO, Ford used the DMV as a model on which to base its waiting-in-line queues.

Both the coupe and the convertible have a rather small trunk. However, the soft convertible top, when down, doesn't decrease the trunk space all that much. I have been a major advocate of the retractable hardtop, but I have to admit, it never dawned on me that it would use up most, if not all, of the trunk space. That makes me wonder, on the cars which today have a retractable hardtop, are there sensors in the trunk to detect if there is any cargo in there, before allowing the roof to attempt to retract?

I have ordered many new cars in my life, and my MMH was the very first time I had to settle for the color I hated least. I am not too sure who picks the colors for the hybrids, and why it needs to be restricted down from those offered on the non-hybrid models. One would think that if anything, Ford would offer several Hybrid unique colors in order for the hybrids to stand out from the regular Escapes/Mariners. Kermit Green. Electric Blue. Highvoltage Red. Yellow Caution.

Convertibles are really the only way to go. I haven't seen a Civic convertible lately, nor even a F150 convertible. :beerchug: They would probably need to "flatten out" the roof in order to have a retractable sunroof, and IMHO, that would be too high of a price to pay (screwing up the roof's beautifully flowing lines) for even those who choose not to have a sunroof. I would much rather see Ford put is R&D into a retractable hardtop. :shades:

Are you sure about that? The IRS website seems to only combine Ford and Mercury, and sees Mazda as a separate company (ie, Mazda is not a division of Ford Motor Company).

I like the $2.80/gal for gas. :D

You might find watching this, interesting... http://shows.autospies.com/video/2009-ford-escape.wmv

Yea, the Mariner Ordering Guide lists Black Pearl Slate as available, but not on the hybrid.

Roundabout way of saying it has the radio controls on the steering wheel. :D

Are MMH still easier/faster to get than the FEH?

Not until after they are officially available for sale. Ford might be taking orders for the 2009 models, but Ford is still marketing the 2008 models.

Seems like we need a class-action lawsuit against the State of California for cutting the line.

The hybrid's 4cyl is more efficient that the gas-only's 4cyl. So, even when you are on a highway, with the ICE running, you will get better mileage. Plus, just because the ICE is running, doesn't mean you aren't getting any benefit from the hybrid system. If the highway has rolling hills, the hybrid system will re-charge the batteries while going down hill, and draw power from the batteries for assistance while going up hill. That means you use even less gas.

Yep, Cherokee. An XJ.

Are you sure? My MMH takes exactly as much space in the garage as my old Cherokee. Though, both are shorter than my Mustang. :D

See this post. One dealer has claimed to have received (and sold) an '09 MMH already. http://www.blueovalforums.com/forums/index...st&p=368902

Is that one picture the driver of this GT500 mule giving the camera man the "finger" ???

I can tell you as a hybrid owner, that that is absolutely not true.

I don't know how much things have changed, but my V6 Mustang already had two sets of cats (a total of 4 or 6, I forget). It was after the cats that Ford used a "Y" pipe to combine the two sides, into one exhaust. So, for that, a dual exhaust would just be a second muffler, the extra set of cat-back pipes, and the different rear fascia. Though, Ford does offer a dual exhaust option from the factory. It is called "GT". :D