StevenJ Posted December 11, 2005 Share Posted December 11, 2005 (edited) The exterior isn't so sharp, but it's not without its virtues. Slippery and smooth is still a welcome design statement. The interior is an amazing advancement for Toyota, they have really outdone themselves with some innovative HVAC controls and instrumentation. If it goes over well, I expect more companies to pick up on some of the design elements. The lighting effects must be pretty sharp. The door trim is also very nice. All in all, they really nailed ergonomics, materials, design and style in one go. Now we'll see how much it costs. It seems Camry prices keep inching up. I would definitely prefer the Camry to the Fusion....or Zephyr for that matter Well that's you... I for one think the center sack sucks and hate the light blue techy theme in the interior. I perfer the much more traditional upscale and mature look of the 500 and the Fusion with the nice chromed rim gauges and analog clock and so forth. This camry is nothing to get excited over. So it's got a refreshed exterior with a techy looking interior. The airconditioning controls are okay but the radio controls are down right abysmal as all the buttons look the same and are very tiny. The gauge cluster looks good but the 500 and Fusion's is 10x better. Sorry just not impressed. This is not a car, it's a toaster. The 500 is a car as is the Fusion. Edited December 11, 2005 by StevenJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01FOCI Posted December 11, 2005 Share Posted December 11, 2005 (edited) I agree with the zoom zoom mazda 6 front end and the rear apperas to look BMW'esc... I am interested what the dash and cener stack look like lit up at night, some sort of EL-ish apperance perhaps? I'm sure all the toyota drones can't wait to trade in there current cars.... Also who the hell buys a cramery and needs a 160mph speed-o-meter. Rediculous, now we are going to have idiots trying to drag race a mustang! and even better yet the kiddies are going to be riceing out the cramery cause it has a "fast" speed-o-meter... Edited December 11, 2005 by 01FOCI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted December 11, 2005 Share Posted December 11, 2005 they have really outdone themselves with some innovative HVAC controls and instrumentation Hmm. Where have I seen those HVAC controls before? Ah, yes. the 2006 Chevy Impala And I don't like rotating rings for detented switch settings. There's a reason why, ever since the dawn of time (or UHF TV sets), rotating selector switches have used lever-type knobs. They're easier to use. ... Ford has the right idea with a/c controls on the panther car. Simple, select the exact tempature you want along with the fan speed, real simple. That's actually an extra cost option on most vehicles. ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenJ Posted December 11, 2005 Share Posted December 11, 2005 (edited) That's actually an extra cost option on most vehicles. ... Really, which ones? Edited December 11, 2005 by StevenJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted December 11, 2005 Share Posted December 11, 2005 Really, which ones? Well, the Crown Vic for one. http://www.fordvehicles.com/cars/crownvictoria/features/ ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricers-shaft-blueoval Posted December 11, 2005 Share Posted December 11, 2005 Man... that car is going to kick Ford and GM in the balls. I entirely agree! and very hard too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OAC_Sparky Posted December 11, 2005 Share Posted December 11, 2005 I entirely agree! and very hard too! I'm sure you'll be there to kiss them better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2005Explorer Posted December 11, 2005 Share Posted December 11, 2005 If everyone wants Japanese cars anymore why doesn't Ford just drop their car line and plow all of their resources into Mazda. The dealer network then could market Mazda cars and crossovers and Ford Trucks and BOF SUV's. I bet if Mazda's dealer network was expanded like that and Ford sent a lot more money over to the engineers in Japan, they could compete a LOT better with Toyota, Honda and Nissan. Even if you took the same exact car and applied both names to it, one Ford and the other Mazda, the Mazda would be seen as a better car not only by many people, but by the press as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted December 11, 2005 Share Posted December 11, 2005 Can't be done. 'Twould cost billiions to either add Mazda franchises at Ford dealerships, or to settle with Ford dealerships for lower volume. Then you'd end up having to manufacture all those 2 million cars someplace (here), and in the end it'd just be an expensive shell game. People would wonder why Fords were suddenly called Mazdas. They wouldn't assume that Mazda had grown that quickly. Moreover, Ford's dealership network is about 4-5x the size Mazda's is. ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2005Explorer Posted December 11, 2005 Share Posted December 11, 2005 Can't be done. 'Twould cost billiions to either add Mazda franchises at Ford dealerships, or to settle with Ford dealerships for lower volume. Then you'd end up having to manufacture all those 2 million cars someplace (here), and in the end it'd just be an expensive shell game. People would wonder why Fords were suddenly called Mazdas. They wouldn't assume that Mazda had grown that quickly. Moreover, Ford's dealership network is about 4-5x the size Mazda's is. ... Well I am just trying to come up with ideas for Ford to improve their automobile sales. No one wants a domestic automobile anymore and I don't think that will ever change. The domestics marketshare will just keep eroding no matter what they try. Ford could be building the same exact car as this 2007 Camry, same everything and once they slap the blue oval on it, it would be a dud. No one would want it. I have already seen media reports that so far initally the Fusion looks to be a major flop. That's not me saying it, that is the media. Maybe replacing the Ford car brand with Mazda is not the answer, but they should look into slowly over time expanding Mazda. Everyone says if Ford builds a better product people will come running. I just don't see it anymore. Go ask anyone under 35 years old what they would rather drive and my guess is 75% will tell you Toyota or Honda. These people are getting older and the younger generation is getting more and more wild about Japanese cars. Ford can build the best product they want, but it is just not trendy to drive a Ford anymore. You don't know how many jokes I have to suffer through from my buddies for driving a domestic vehicle. They like my Explorer just fine, but they tell me how uncool Ford is and how much better the Pathfinder and 4Runner are. That is just the trend and it is only getting worse and worse. You can do everything you want, but Japan has pretty much totally took over the automobile industry. The midwest is the only area that has held out on the move to Japanese vehicles, but my guess is that it will slowly more toward an import direction. We sit here and can debate this all day. I do believe that Ford has some good products out. World class in some cases (ie...F150), but in the end, it is just not the right thing to do anymore. The bandwagon hoppers are in full force and they are jumping left and right on the Toyota bandwagon. Futhermore, most claim that Toyotas will never break down and when people are running around preaching how reliable they are, people buy right up. Once they leave, you will NEVER get them back. Sure I have seen a few here and there come back to domestics after a Toyota, Nissan or Honda, but that is getting to be less and less. Sometimes I worry myself that even though I really like my Explorer, built by the good folks in Louisville that I am missing out on something. It seems there is so much passion in the owners of Toyota, Honda and Nissan. Last, who wants to be uncool? I mean are we at the point where Ford are for nerds? I don't know, but I am 29 and I have friends who are my age or a little younger and all they can talk is Asian cars. There is NO WAY you will ever get them to look at a domestic. There is one positive in all of this...of all the domestics, most Japanese auto lovers seem to be most likely to at least give Ford a look where most have completely written off GM. These people I know have said real positive things about the Fusion, but in the end they will never buy one because it says Ford on it and that makes it the unpopular thing to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 I have already seen media reports that so far initally the Fusion looks to be a major flop. Don't believe them. Believe the c. 50k in additional production scheduled for Hermosillo. ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2005Explorer Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 Don't believe them. Believe the c. 50k in additional production scheduled for Hermosillo. ... Well Richard...I hope you are right. It is nice to have someone like you on here, you seem to make everything about Ford seem more positive. It is a great Company that I hope will be around for years to come. Hopefully you are right and better days are ahead in a few years as long as we can get through the next year or two. Ford has some good products right now and they are priced right, I hope people start to see that there is more value in a Ford then some of the asian brands. I don't know if many will, but maybe as their pocket books get tighter they will see there is no reason to spend that extra money for a Toyota when a new Ford like the Fusion is just as good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjeffers17 Posted December 15, 2005 Share Posted December 15, 2005 Oh really? Then how come I have seen approximately 12 different Fusions driving around in my area in the last month or so? I could care less about the Cramry... I wonder if their entire exhaust system is still designed quite shabbily; meaning that it hangs down kinda low and at risk if the car bottoms out! I thought I was the only person who noticed that.....Imagine if Ford designed that???? Oh really? Then how come I have seen approximately 12 different Fusions driving around in my area in the last month or so? I could care less about the Cramry... I wonder if their entire exhaust system is still designed quite shabbily; meaning that it hangs down kinda low and at risk if the car bottoms out! I thought I was the only person who noticed that.....Imagine if Ford designed that???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01FOCI Posted December 15, 2005 Share Posted December 15, 2005 I thought I was the only person who noticed that.....Imagine if Ford designed that???? Imagine if Ford designed that! haha you would never see the end of it! both toiletota and lexus have the whole exhaust pipe running under the ear axle. guess its cheaper than routing up and around the axle, that are they forgot about the whole exhaust thing during the design process and had to tack it on later. Oh I know crapanese enginnering is so far superior but we still kicked there butt's in WWII <-- haha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted December 15, 2005 Share Posted December 15, 2005 Imagine if Ford designed that! haha you would never see the end of it! both toiletota and lexus have the whole exhaust pipe running under the ear axle. guess its cheaper than routing up and around the axle, that are they forgot about the whole exhaust thing during the design process and had to tack it on later. Oh I know crapanese enginnering is so far superior but we still kicked there butt's in WWII <-- haha. The 03-04 Cobra has exhaust routed under the rear axle too. Didn't hear anyone complain about that. I will say though, I do see a disproportionate number of older Toyotas and Nissans with exhaust components dangling precariously beneath the undercarriage, only inches from the road surface. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 Wtf?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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