akirby

That's what the flashy lights and siren are for......

Basically we liked the unique aviator interior and cooled seats and grille. I actually drove the aviator about a year before it appeared in a focus group and loved it. We probably would have gotten another explorer had it not been available. Never cared for the mountaineer. When we looked at the 08 mkx we didn't like the styling and it wasn't worth $5k just to get cooled seats. I suspect she'll wind up with a mkc next - love the styling. I just got a 2013 fusion titanium and couldn't be happier.

The problem is those "real world" experiences are yours and your opinions which are perfectly valid for YOU. But if you stop and look at the "real world" opinions that count the most - sales - it's clear that Ford knows far more about what consumers want and don't want than you do.

That was the plan from the beginning. Unfortunately they got screwed so badly by Bsquare on the development side they haven't been able to get to it (or the built-in web browser, etc.) because they've been too busy just trying to get MFT stable. I don't see it as that big of a deal though. If you want navigation it's available. If you don't want it you don't have to get it.

This is the procedure. Drive the car per the EPA regulations and record the average fuel economy. Apply the formula to come up with the window sticker numbers. Publish the numbers on the window sticker as required by law. Unless they're tampering with the vehicle itself (they're not) or running the test wrong (they're not) then there is absolutely no wiggle room for them to "game" anything. Please provide a concrete example of how Ford is "gaming" the EPA test and what they should be doing that they're not doing.

If you drive it EXACTLY like the EPA test (70 degrees ambient temp, no hills, very little A/C, fully charged battery, 4000+ miles, pure gasoline, no E-10, most common wheels and tires) you will get EPA mileage. If you deviate you won't. Ford's hybrids and EB engines are more sensitive to driving style and conditions than other vehicles. As other mfrs catch up they'll have the same issue. It's not the vehicle, it's the test that doesn't yield the results you expect.

It's more accurate to say that the current 6 LOOSELY shares a platform with the last gen Fusion - definitely not a rebadge. Even the wheelbase was different. And it has absolutely nothing in common at all with the current CD4 Fusion.

Not even close.

It was the same thing that killed the old Explorer - customers moved away from BOF SUVs and moved to crossovers with better NVH, ride, handling and fuel economy. We moved from the Aviator to an Edge and except for the cooled seats we really didn't miss anything.

If the vehicle behind me is hitting their brakes, why would I care?

But without line of sight, how would your car know the signal was coming from a car in front of you and not beside or behind you?

There won't be a problem. Ford knows how to run those tests better than the EPA does and they are very very very very vigilant about them. Ford has already asked the EPA to change the tests and/or the formula for the window stickers.

Does anyone else remember the 2005 auto show where Ford had 3 Tungsten cars with Silver racing stripes: A GT, Cobra concept and Mustang GT? I can't find a picture of all 3 together but they were stunning and helped me decide to get a 2006 Fusion in Tungsten (only slightly slower than those other 3 Tungsten cars).

They were $175K new with some going for as much as $225K in the early days. Towards the end of the run they were probably going for $160K or so but never less than that.

Bobby - the 1.6L is an ecoboost and it compares almost exactly to the competitors engines power wise. It was a perfectly valid comparison.

The EPA never intended for their fuel economy numbers to be representative of the actual mileage one could expect to achieve because there are too many variables to consider and the range of real world results is too large. It's really about CAFE and providing a standardized test for comparing 2 vehicles. Just because people continuously misinterpret the meaning of the window sticker mpgs isn't really the EPA's fault.

Degeneration achieved. Commencing shutdown in 3......2........1..............

I don't remember other complaints about the interior - is it that bad? Luckily these comparison tests mean nothing to potential buyers. Otherwise the Camry would be dead last in sales.

Why on earth would you change your lease to 2 years because of one or two oil changes? That's the only maintenance you're getting free in the first 3 years anyway?

I think you just misinterpreted the manual (or it had a typo). It only "enables" the airbag if there is something in the seat. If that something is small enough it will "disable" the airbag and the light will illuminate. If nothing is in the seat the airbag is never "enabled" so the light won't be lit. In other words, the light should only be on when there is something in the seat but it's too small - all other times it will be off.

I only have one person on ignore. Best decision I ever made. I really should do the same for FMC.

If it does it at all, it does it when you put it in reverse. My 03 Aviator did that. There won't be a button.

Just because you THINK something should be illegal doesn't make it illegal. Zimmerman did nothing illegal by following Trayvon even if it wasn't advisable and even if the 911 operator told him not to. That's simply not the way the law works - and a jury must uphold the law not their personal beliefs. Had Trayvon continued home instead of confronting Z-man nothing would have happened. Had he not started beating Z-man's head into the pavement nothing would have happened. You can't absolve Trayvon of any responsibility just because he ended up dead.

So it did. I thought the Suburban always outsold it.

Thank goodness you're not on the jury. While you are correct that the situation could have been avoided had Zimmerman not pursued him, that really has no bearing on the verdict. This is the problem with finding impartial juries. Just because it's a tragedy doesn't mean it's a crime. Ask yourself this: If Martin was faster and had a headstart, then how did Z-man catch him unless he either stopped and/or came back to confront him? Had it not been for political pressure they never would have filed charges.