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When vehicles powered by alternative powerplants are superior to current vehicles, people will happily buy them. Henry Ford I didn't push for a ban on horse-drawn wagons to get people to buy Model Ts.

grbeck - that is one of the most sensible posts I have ever read! There is so little common sense around any more that when we finally hear it it seems like some kind of revelation!

I guess it depends on which scientists you listen to doesn’t it.

How come you didn't go the Fusion Hybrid route?

There is next to no demand for a performance 4 door sedan for the most part-the SHO has always had almost $4500 rebate on its entire production run and the Fusion Sport seems similar. If people are going to pay 40K+ for a car, they rather buy a CUV instead. Not to mention the Explorer Sport seems to do well sales wise from what I can tell around me...

I corrected the title. The original title made it sound like they were moving Lincoln production to China exclusively.

Cool article on thedrive.com about a Mustang SSP still being used by Nebraska State Patrol. https://www.thedrive.com/news/28004/nebraska-state-patrols-1993-ford-mustang-ssp-is-still-out-there-nailing-speeders

https://shop.lincoln.com/lab/corsair/#/select/Config[|Lincoln|Corsair|2020|1|1.|......RET.STD.] It's still glitchy/some photos are inaccurate (interior colors aren't working), but still gives a good idea of pricing/options. It starts at $35,945 (MKC starts at $33,995). Reserve starts at $42,630. The biggest single item cost is Reserve II for $11,540, but adds: Elements Package Lincoln Co-Pilot360™ Plus Package Perfect Position Seats (24 Way) Adaptive Suspension Requires 2.3L Turbocharged I-4 Engine and Intelligent All-Wheel Drive (AWD). Pricing tops out near $60k with all the options checked.

Not true. Dust from horse droppings was a major problem in cities (it also attracted disease-carrying insects), and runoff from horse manure and urine was polluting streams and rivers. It was said at that time that a person could smell New York City before he or she could see it. Plus, horses were regularly dropping dead in the streets from pulling heavy loads in the summer months (and the disposal of horse carcasses was a major problem). That is why animal welfare organizations of the time applauded the adoption of cars and trucks. When it's my money, yes, you need to offer me something superior to buy. Shrieks of gloom and doom are not sufficient. The world has been coming to an end for one reason or another since my high school days. It's your responsibility to offer me something better, if the world really is coming to an end. Otherwise, I prefer my to fulfill my weekly need for histrionics by watching The Bachelor/Bachelorette.

And who their paychecks and grants come from... What did they blame 'Climate Change" (right, because Global Warming now includes when it gets real cold) on back in the 1600 -1800's? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Ice_Age

It wouldn't be a ban on current cars, it would be a ban on the sale of new ICE cars. And we are transitioning there, except scientist tell us that if we do not do it quicker there will be catastrophic consequences. This "threat" was in response to Washington wanting to go backwards on fuel economy mandates. And it is not about a "want" it is about a "need".

The U.S. is already behind. A couple years ago, another California elected official expressed concern that China was beating California (and the U.S. in general) with deployment of EVs. Mark Phelan from Detroit Free Press brought up the same concern. The move to EVs is inevitable, and opportunities for leadership in this area are out there. But the U.S. federal government and to a certain extent the U.S. auto industry doesn't seem to be onboard. https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/mark-phelan/2019/03/27/china-electric-vehicles-production/3217195002/

It's not about moving backward or forward. It's the "I want B, so lets ban A and force everyone to have B now" mentality that people have a problem with. Let the market transition to electrics if that's indeed the future. Don't ban 98% of cars on the road with a snap of the finger because.

Sounds like a reasonable response. California and the states that follow are moving forward in the 21st century. The minority of people that control Washington want to move backwards. However, the rest of the world, China and Europe are also all moving forward. The United States will be left behind if the masters in Washington get their way.

I was thinking the same...

Smart thing to do considering the current situation-not to mention I bet the Navigator take rate in China has to be tiny.

Thanks for the update. I thought for sure there would be one in 2020. That was only a 3 year run. Not holding my breath for Ford to resurrect the Sport with the way the downhill trend is going with the Fusion. Looks like if I want one, will need to move by plans ahead and get a 2019.

When you clean it...make sure you lubricate the throttle plate shaft too...thats where the g/f's was sticking...

Depends on how fast it's shipped out and how close you are to Chicago. It's a reasonable estimate.

If anything, the Fusion is going to be a fleet special with limited options that will see sales slowly fall. They are forcing more hybrids to dealerships vs normal gas engine cars and I'd assume the gas cars that are being sold are higher end models like the Sport and the like. I don't think they are planning on more investments into the product and are just running it to ground now, till a new product with the Fusion name comes about.

I drive that hill all the time - make no mistake it is brutal. I agree there were concessions to keep America's favorite mid-size in the game - I think the Toyota was maxed out, could not have done that run one second faster. The Ranger on the other hand was constrained by the TFL ground rules that they are not allowed to exceed the speed limit - and per their own rules they have to back off at a certain speed. The sound meter was the give away -the Ranger was barely breathing heavy and could have gone up that hill 75 mph or better. One thing for sure it proved something I have always wondered about all Toyota trucks - low gears! 3:91 rear, are you kidding me? That Toyota V6 was right at the red line all the way up! When I tow my camper (2500 lbs + internal load) up that very same hill in my 2008 Explorer 4.0 V6 5R55W, 3:55, I just go manually to 3rd gear and run it up till the tach is 3500-4000 and keep to the right hand lane out of the way. The old Ford maintains around 55 mph all the way up. I could push it a bit harder but I don't see why I should.

Using 87 octane is simple, that's what probably 90% of owners will use since it's the cheapest option.

Turbocharged engines are less affected by altitude where as the atmos can lose around 30% of their power. There were a lot of concessions built in to that test just to keep the Tacoma in the game.TFL alsoinsist on running Ford's EB engines on 87 in towing tests and wonder why the FE is less than expected.

Yeah, most I've seen have been Lariats. But as jpd pointed out, higher trims are pushed out first.

I think their TV spots are excellent....promoting the active lifestyle people, showing off-roading, power-sliding through snow, etc. They show the terrain management system, locking differential, and bash plate. At the end of the spot, they say, (paraphrasing) "for going to the grocery store, any truck will do.....for those looking for adventure, there is only one choice - the Ford Ranger." It is almost as though they realize that for a daily driver, grocery getter, the Ranger may be lacking some features and ride quality. However, for those that use it as a fun truck, it is great.