rperez817

If the award prompts at least some Detroit Free Press readers to visit a local Ford dealership and test drive a Ranger, it's meaningful. And lots of Ford dealers in southeastern Michigan and northwestern Ohio advertise in that newspaper.

Analyst at Canaccord Genuity is targeting $515/share for TSLA this year. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/02/the-new-biggest-bull-on-tesla-thinks-the-stock-is-going-to-515.html

Same here. Ford automatic transmissions other than the HF35 eCVT have a reputation for being troublesome. But Mach E is direct drive, no transmission at all. So that's one less thing to worry about.

I agree with you sho94_2000 sir. Ideally, Ford would improve both style and substance of vehicles like Escape and Explorer. But Ford has limited resources as it tries to get fit again. The "lipstick on a pig" approach has the potential to make those models a little more appealing to both professional reviewers and to consumers who don't already own Fords. Jim Hackett spoke about "agile design" used for software in the computer and electronics industries, and how it can be combined with "design thinking" for the automotive industry. Maybe Ford will apply that in the form of quick refreshes to vehicles. https://www.kornferry.com/institute/fords-tech-heavy-future

The feeling of a lighter bank account after purchasing one new. And chimes recorded by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

That's pretty much it. When I placed my Mach E deposit on the reservation website, this message appeared before my credit card was charged.

Do you remember which year that was Gurgeh? I glanced through some CR issues from the mid 1990s and all reviews of Corolla and Prizm had very close ratings for the 2 cars. Here is an example from 1996, CR tested Prizm with manual transmission and Corolla with automatic.

Maybe as Jim Hackett's 'design thinking' becomes more widespread throughout Ford, we'll see future Ford products with good design and user experience to better mask the cheapness. Who knows, the next refresh of Ford Escape might just have that.

Elon Musk admitted last year that Tesla's network of service centers was lacking. This was a big problem as sales of Tesla cars scaled up quickly throughout the world after Model 3 was introduced. Since then, it's been expanding the network (both new centers and increased capacity for existing ones) rapidly. https://electrek.co/2019/09/16/tesla-expanding-service-max-speed-elon-musk/ Also Tesla is opening new one-stop shops (sales, parts, service, tech support, vehicle charging) called Tesla Centers in China. Don't know if Tesla will use this model in other markets. https://cleantechnica.com/2019/11/26/tesla-centers-are-taking-over-china/

Here is the new Kuga interior.

This is not just a Ford thing. All of the legacy automakers have the same problem, clinging to the ICE age.

What mistakes are those in the 2020 Escape review?

Professor Enrique Dans said it perfectly. Tesla "is a company capable of turning entire industries upside down and ultimately changing the world". https://www.forbes.com/sites/enriquedans/2019/12/26/tesla-theres-none-so-blind-as-those-who-will-notsee/#6af8e57a665a No other automaker can make that claim.

Good points mlhm5 sir. All the incumbent global automakers are "not serious about EVs" currently because they can still get away with selling ICE vehicles. And they'll milk that cow as long as they can, getting further and further behind Tesla, which will never compromise on its mission to "accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy." The incumbent automakers including Ford will have to come up with an exit strategy from the ICE age sooner rather than later, or they will no longer exist.

Yes sir 02MustangGT, I think you are correct about that. Here is the instrument cluster on 2020 Nissan Versa SV.

Well said Assmilator sir. The Explorer's main competitive advantage is that the "Explorer" name is very strong. And lots of Ford loyalists (sheeple) will buy new Explorers without evaluating the competition. But your advice about avoiding the 2020 Explorer is very wise, even with the huge rebates and other incentives Ford will put on that model. Beyond the quality issues that always plague new or completely redesigned Ford models in their 1st model year, 2020 Explorer is poorly designed and lacking in value. Assimilator, have you heard anything about Ford doing an emergency refresh for 2021 Explorer?

Where did I say the 3.8L Atkinson Cycle Hyundai Lambda II is a "crown jewel"? It's simply a reliable, smooth, and capable engine that's well suited for what most crossover customers are looking for. Also, your claim that Hyundai and Kia gets my "extreme praises" doesn't make sense either. My family and I don't own any crossover vehicles, or any vehicles made by Hyundai or Kia, and we're not in the market for any. The praise for Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride comes from professional reviewers as well as from customers who appreciate the combination of quality, performance, design, and value that both vehicles provide.

Hyundai Lambda II isn't weak, nor is it lacking in performance or fuel economy. Which engine are you referring to?

Since 2006, when the Hyundai Lambda engine was first introduced. Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride use the Lambda II GDI first introduced in 2012, upgraded to 3.8L and Atkinson Cycle operation for a better combination of fuel economy and performance. The Hyundai Lambda engine may lack the pep of the turbo 4-cylinder used in Explorer, but it's much smoother and quieter. More reliable too.

Exactly, thank you jpd80 sir. Truck classifications in the U.S.

I agree Assimilator sir. Converted ICE BEV designs are always a compromise. Are you sure that Ford isn't coming up with a electric vehicle optimized design for the upcoming BEV F-150 and Super Duty? Ford can't afford to screw this up, and I don't think they will. Especially now that Tesla is competing on Ford's turf.

Well said jpd80 sir. The race to build the first truly capable, mass produced BEV pickup truck is intense. With Cybertruck, Tesla is giving Ford and GM a "poke". The recent announcements from both Ford and GM regarding their BEV and component manufacturing capabilities suggest that both companies are running hard, running to win. The ultimate winners of course will be the pickup truck market and pickup truck customers.

I agree. The article's level of detail is amazing. Phoebe Wall Howard is a very talented journalist, she does a great job combining technical details of the DPS6 fiasco with personal stories from Ford employees, dealers, and customers.

The P2 hybrid transmission in Aviator Grand Touring and Explorer Hybrid is not based on an Aisin design. It consists of the traditional GM-Ford 10-speed automatic transmission (10 discrete forward drive ratios) and an electric motor-generator positioned directly between the transmission and the ICE. Clutches decouple the ICE as needed. The transmission is manufactured by Ford at its Livonia, Michigan plant. The PS hybrid transmission in Corsair Grand Touring and Escape Hybrid is based on an Aisin design. Specifically a parallel axis power-split using planetary gearset to connect the ICE and 2 electric motor-generators. The smaller of the 2 motor-generators controls the drive ratio over a continuous range, that's why it's sometimes called an eCVT. This transmission is an evolution of the Aisin HD-10 transmission used in the original Escape Hybrid. However, the current generation is manufactured by Ford at its Warren, Michigan plant - not by Aisin Seiki in Japan.

Yes sir. A long term plan focused on becoming a Tier 1 luxury brand within an automotive industry that's going all electric, all autonomous. Tesla has already supplanted Cadillac as the world standard for American luxury cars. Hopefully Cadillac's long term plan works. Otherwise it will remain a Tier 2 player, or maybe even be dead after 2030.