Assimilator

Lincoln ordering has always been pretty simple, especially compared to Ford. Most exciting thing for me is the Chalet Black Label theme which I would want. I like that we finally have a Metallic Black again and some new interior colors. Wheels look good. I still wish it got the HUD, that might be a deal breaker for me this time since it's available on virtually everything in this segment.

This is the Global Ranger Raptor, there are no active plans to bring this here. You'll notice that the Global Ranger also has different design elements which were modified for the US even if they generally look similar (Tailgate, Taillight Shape and Design, Rear Glass, Bed Sides, Metal bumpers and frame mounts, CHMSL, etc.) You can also hear the Diesel clatter when it revs. I'm told the Bronco gets the 2.7L V6, but nobody is calling the platform new. The reason the Ranger can't get a V6 is because of the engine bay packaging which has been redesigned for Bronco. I think it's likely we'll get a redesigned Ranger eventually but Ranger and Bronco share the same updated 2019 T6 most likely (extended frame mounts for the front bumper and tow hooks). I'm actually hoping the NG Ranger evolves from the Bronco like the Jeep Scrambler, the global Ranger has no charisma or style. I'm very curious to see if the Jeep Scrambler overtakes the traditional mid-sizers and if that's the direction Ford should take...eventually.

Audi is not for everybody because it's not the typical luxury-car design, it's a little more technical and stark. Mercedes is doing great things inside and out if you prefer something more overtly ostentatious and luxurious. BMW is just BMW, it's neither here nor there but they are a little Ford-like in their slow design evolution while the others trend more toward innovation and excitement. Lincoln is starting to show up with interiors like the Navigator, none of their Exterior designs are standouts however and I don't see that changing soon even with Aviator which is attractive but not exactly moving the needle on design originality.

In order to qualify as a lemon under most state laws, the car must (1) have a substantial defect covered by the warranty that occurred within a certain period of time or number of miles after you bought the car, and (2) not be fixed after a reasonable number of repair attempts. This is what qualifies under the Lemon Law in Michigan. (1) Either four times for the same defect or condition and the problem must continue; or (2) The car was out of service for 30 days during the first year of ownership due to repairs. I know Ford had to repurchase many Focuses and Fiestas under state and Federal Lemon Law because of the DCT.

For the record I'm extremely fond of what Audi is doing, favorite designers in the business.

I buy new cars pretty frequently and I have yet to encounter the break-in period phenomenon with any of them. Usually fuel economy gets worse as time goes on...probably because driving habits change as you get more confident with the car's performance.

Once it's fixed I would probably unload that sucker pretty fast.

The EcoSport is the the originator of the segment and the bestselling vehicle in its class worldwide so it's tremendously successful, but Ford may be trying to cover too many markets with one vehicle. And it's probably true that lower fuel prices is one of the reasons they are bringing it to the US market now since poor Highway economy is less of a crippling factor. I think what I'm concerned about the most is that the EcoSport really is just another aging Ford product that's not very competitive which seems to be the accepted norm at the company right now. So in an aging fleet, adding another old car to the mix just seems suffocating at this point and helps to magnify their current product crisis. I'm still waiting to turn that corner because I know things are about to change so you have to give them some time to fix their business.

Lincoln is also a very tiny carmaker, they don't need the alpha numerics to scale their vehicles and customers so giving them names makes sense for their small US and Chinese audience. It makes sense for Audi, Mercedes, and BMW which are enormous by comparison. I'm actually very doubtful Lincoln has the potential to be a volume luxury carmaker which is why I think they should focus on exclusivity and names might help. Lincoln brand is also very weak so focusing attention on the vehicle instead of the brand is probably helpful. Navigator is a much stronger brand than Lincoln for example.

I'm not a fan of a corporation looking back so I don't mind if Ford never has its own Museum, which is why I like the relationship with The Henry Ford. But like most car makers, Ford is very much tied to its past and celebrates it frequently since it's fundamental to many vehicle brands.

Try pricing up the competition, believe me it gets much worse than what Lincoln is doing. It's one of the reasons I'm still a Lincoln shopper despite the fact I am not a fan of their designs.

I also agree that the EcoSport should not have come to the US, but they are also in the middle of a new vehicle drought while phasing out models so they have to do something to hang onto some customer diversity since their new vehicles are still years away. Focus Active will certainly help somewhat, but Maverick should finally deliver some decent volume with production facilities closer to the US. What's interesting is that Ford is by far the least prepared right now to phase out cars because they have no competitive small utilities, but they are working on it and have some confidence they can sort it out.

I have ALWAYS said Ford and VW should be married, they tend to develop technologies (especially drivetrains and platforms) in sync with each other, although I would say VW has a clear lead over Ford on just about everything besides the US market. I wouldn't even question a merger...I would actually welcome it...not that it's happening here of course.

This segment tends to perform poorly because of small engines coupled with poor aerodynamics. That's particularly a problem with the EcoSport and its tiny boosted 1.0L in a relatively large blocky vehicle. The overall MPG on EcoSport is competitive but it's by far the worst in class when it comes to Highway which makes it a terrible car on US/Canada Highways. EcoSport is just not intended for the US market but it's still a fair value when you consider how much you can get in a fully equipped EcoSport for the money, and I would certainly prefer it over the Fiesta which also has relatively terrible fuel economy. Is it true the EcoSport has a hard time keeping centered in a lane on the highway? Some reviews have complained about the vagueness at high speed which makes it unpleasant for highway cruising which would certainly be my biggest concern.

"Trailblazer"....solved!

So two systems failed, the Human and the AV.

Goodness I hope not, Active/Hatchback is the only good looking one IMO. The sedan is bland/ugly.

I do think the Focus branding might be a limiting factor for Focus Active sales which is why I was hoping they would just name it something else for the US. Alternatively they might want to get those existing customers with the Focus name. If they want to compete with Subaru they can't call it Focus, that's a huge buzz kill IMO. The only reason to keep the Focus name on it is if you plan to sell other versions of the Focus, like the RS.

I remember a time when GM always made the fastest competitor in each car segment, but now Ford just outright owns everybody on fun factor across the board. It's one of the reasons I still love this company, I'm never disappointed when I get behind the wheel. I love Ford's consistency, they seem to understand what their returning customers like and it's that vision I appreciate even when they are struggling.

Awesome to see this, although it seems to coincide with the age of the fleet since Ford always tanks when they are releasing new products (especially under Mullally). I think what's really impressive is Chevy which launched a TON of new products and is still top of the charts, not sure how GM pulls that off but they never seem to have the huge problems Ford and FCA have with new vehicle launches.

I'm normally a customer for this sort of vehicle and even though it's undeniably striking, it's definitely not my style. It does have a ton more personality than the aging Edge and I'm sure they'll put a dent in Edge sales. It is something of a hodgepodge of modern design motifs from the floating roof to the stacked headlights and the wide lower grille. Generally speaking everything works, I really like the belt-line and transition to the low flat hood along with the details in the fascia. The rear is a weak point for sure and the car still looks like a class below the midsize interms of customer targets. To me this looks like a small fun utility and not an adult utility...if that makes any sense. I would rather have an Edge or Jeep Grand Cherokee than something that's trying to hit the "Millennials" so hard. That being said, this is probably the only Chevy crossover I would buy which is saying something. Technologically nothing here really stands out but besides the AWD system but the Edge will be much more fun, especially the ST. I agree that if Chevy wants to respond to Wrangler and Bronco, they probably should have saved the name. But it's probably best to see if Ford can crack the Bronco, I have my doubts right now that it might be an exercise in design nostalgia instead of the versatility wonder that is the truly outstanding Wrangler.

DEW is ancient ancient history and played no roll here, CD6 is actually more closely related to CD4 sharing many of the suspension and steering systems.

Generally speaking do we know how much that clutch repair costs?

The Wheelbase is clearly longer but overall length appears similar but they've chopped the height down so it looks much less short and boxy. It's hard to tell you what interior spaciousness will be like but Explorer and Aviator look much less 'bulky' in their packaging than the current Explorer. You can tell the interior cabin 'box' has been pushed to the edges of the design with slimmer sidewalls, doors, etc.. It's definitely not as big as the Traverse and I would say it's not a big departure from the current Explorer but the rear overhang looks slightly longer so my guess is that there is going to be an increase in overall length. 2020 Explorer seems to split the difference between the low and sleek Durango and the the mainstream utilities.

Lincoln's sedan business is losing money, those investments are not working out for them so I"m not sure if they are going to invest forward in those segments or not. I know the 4 new nameplates from now through 2022 are classified as "Utilities".