Not cool, Ford. Not cool.

[PNWbrit]

Good thing the Explorer is so notoriously safe!

There is zero connection between the current Explorer and the old ~2001 roll over controversy.

[AdironRider]

You are approaching old guy "get off my lawn" level status with your ranting about this Austin. People want bigger cars, you aren't going to convince them otherwise, certainly not with the safety argument. You can't completely engineer physics out of the equation.

Wants not needs man, if we stuck only to what we need, we'd still be hunter gatherers.

[I've seen black diamonds!]

Not going to read the whole thread, but... who cares. Focus, Fusion and Fiesta have all been nothing but shittier versions (and sometimes older shittier versions) of Mazdas for a long, long time.

[liv2ski]

You are approaching old guy "get off my lawn" level status with your ranting about this Austin. People want bigger cars, you aren't going to convince them otherwise, certainly not with the safety argument. You can't completely engineer physics out of the equation.

Wants not needs man, if we stuck only to what we need, we'd still be hunter gatherers.

Agreed, I like a larger car, err, I mean wagon so I can haul all my shit and two big dogs around. Now that Bosch has come out with an exhaust system for diesel cars that lower the emissions well below CA guidelines I am praying I can get that 540xiD wagon in the near future, as I want the bigger car with 36mpg on the freeway.

[MontuckyFried]

You are approaching old guy "get off my lawn" level status with your ranting about this Austin.

Sigh... I suppose you're right. Still don't like it. I never have been one to follow the crowd, though. Physics be damned. I still refuse to drive bigger and bigger vehicles just to be bigger and higher than everybody else around me who's also sizing up to be bigger and higher than everybody else. What's the end game to that? I guess I do just need to relegate myself to old man status as perhaps I simply just don't get it.

[Skistack]

Those Smart Cars should come with a funeral wreath as standard equipment.

[Rideski]

I have an RV? Hmm. That's news to me.

I thought you just recently sold a super cool miracle van, but maybe that was someone else and that's why I didn't see it in search, my bad if so.

re: safety, I don't have a dog in the fight, just explaining from an outsiders perspective (one of the reasons) lots of people are ditching tiny cars. I know lots of parents, its something they all talk about. Lots of other parents safely transport themselves and kids in little cars, that's fine.

As I said in my first post, I agree with both sides of this. I wish we had 50mph vehicles, and hope we get there soon.

[PNWbrit]

some degree of controllable rollover risk

PM Pio.

[skaredshtles]

<snip> What's the end game to that?

Self-driving cars.

[Conundrum]

I
As I said in my first post, I agree with both sides of this. I wish we had 50mph vehicles, and hope we get there soon.

Yes, cars need to slow down.

[iceman]

I was just driving home and hit nearly 45 mph. Terrifying I tell you.

[Mazderati]

Not getting anywhere soon at 50 MPH.

[ill-advised strategy]

My favorite is the spotlessly clean, lifted trucks with yuge aftermarket wheels and tires, towing shiny campers. Can you say repo man?

I have a similar favorite: the brand new lifted one ton mall crawler with a plow. You lifted it, then put a low ass plow carriage on? Either lift it or run a plow, not both.

[Rideski]

lol, the new speed limit governors are how they're gonna get 50 mpg, you didn't read that yet? retrofitting all vehicles at next emission test.

[Aldo]

Have they said anything about what's happening with the factories where they currently make the fiestas etc.?
.

I'm pretty sure they are seriously considering bringing back the Gran Torino wagon.


Hold on, did gravity lover call his BRX a sports car??


Ducking

[gravitylover]

I'm pretty sure they are seriously considering bringing back the Gran Torino wagon.

Hold on, did gravity lover call his BRX a sports car??

Ducking

BRZ c'mon Yeah I called it a sports car, why wouldn't I? Sports cars are historically marginally well powered and able to be driven to their limits fairly easily. Look at some of the classics and they were all 200hp or less, relatively lightweight (sub 3k#), well balanced, quick steering ratios and RWD. I'm thinking cars like BMW 2002/3.0, Fiats, Alfas, Triumph, MG, Z cars, and similar. Over the last 20 years or so having unnecessary HP has been equated with being a sports car but before that high HP was called an exotic or supercar or something similar. They typically weren't as streetable without higher risk.

[jono]

Sports car people have long known it is much more fun to drive a slow car fast than to drive a fast car slow.

Regarding safety, how often do you decide to skip a drive for safety? And how often is cost a consideration? I don't skip a drive to save gas often, but it happens. I'd bet 90% of people don't ever skip a drive for safety's sake unless it's weather related. You want to be safe from accidents? Stay off the road. Drive less. Telecommute. People stay home to avoid head colds. Unless you're that scared of driving your excuse to buy a bigger car for 'safety' is bullshit.

[Self Jupiter]

You are approaching old guy "get off my lawn" level status with your ranting about this Austin. People want bigger cars, you aren't going to convince them otherwise, certainly not with the safety argument. You can't completely engineer physics out of the equation.

Wants not needs man, if we stuck only to what we need, we'd still be hunter gatherers.

I disagree. He’s saying we usually don’t ‘’need’’ a yuge car that is less easy to control on the roads than a smaller, hatch-back style car. All things equal the roads would be safer if we all drove vehicles that were built most purposefully for the purpose of.... driving. Smaller and easier to control. That’s physics too amirite?

[mecc69]

There is some serious tilting at windmills going on in here considering you can buy a small car akin to any of Fords offerings from Hyundai, Kia, Honda, Toyota, Mini, Fiat, Mazda, Chevy, etc.

[Rideski]

There is some serious tilting at windmills going on in here considering you can buy a small car akin to any of Fords offerings from Hyundai, Kia, Honda, Toyota, Mini, Fiat, Mazda, Chevy, etc.

So this is the part where I actually do agree with the OP. For one of the major automakers of the globe to head in this direction isn't good. I was previously just expressing why I felt it was happening. And I'm in the camp of it not happening. I have a Jeep and a truck. Might switch to a car and a truck. Isn't gonna be a small car. As Ice and others said, have you seen some of the potholes around here? Wanna toss two bikes and camping gear in the back?
But they make sense for people in dense areas commuting for work daily, which again I don't currently do.

[Rideski]

[PNWbrit]

I just got off the phone with Ford.

They called to say they're going to buy back my Wife's '14 Focus as part of the settlement over dual clutch auto-trans fault.

Purely by coincidence It's currently at the dealership for what will likely be it's third clutch pack replacement in less than 44k miles.

So I guess she's in the market for another commuter car.

Update: I was expecting something around a good blue book trade in for it and would have taken that happily to get rid of car fast approaching end of warranty, plummeting resale values with never ending DSG clutch replacements down the road.

Just got their formal offer yesterday. I'm getting back full purchase price, down to even dealer origination and paperwork fees, every single cent in interest I've ever paid on car, all registration and tag fees paid. Less 12 cents a mile I've driven it.

They're going to end up giving me about $12k more than I was expecting. And more than the original sticker price of the car.

Crazy.

Top contender for her new commuter car currently a Mazda CX3

[PNWbrit]

Sure beats setting it on fire behind Denny's.

That plan B was rapidly becoming plan A

[DBdude]

lol, the new speed limit governors are how they're gonna get 50 mpg, you didn't read that yet? retrofitting all vehicles at next emission test.

lol - they also will follow you home and take your guns

[Mazderati]

Ford to cut 7,000 salaried jobs, or about 10% of its white-collar workforce.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/20/ford...this-week.html