Ford Focus - yes? No?

[voluptuary_manque]

My 150 Pickup ran faithfully for 15 years and they guy I sold it to still loves it. Now I own a Freestyle (currently renamed Taurus X, I believe) and it has been a dream. Of course, it was damned near a Volvo with a face lift . . .

 

[Katyusha]

My 150 Pickup ran faithfully for 15 years and they guy I sold it to still loves it. Now I own a Freestyle (currently renamed Taurus X, I believe) and it has been a dream. Of course, it was damned near a Volvo with a face lift . . .

I was wondering what a Taurus X was supposed to be. We have like five of those in our entire fleet, but we do have them. The Ford 500 was renamed Taurus, after the public's total outrage at their discontinuing the Taurus. We have maybe ten of those. *snick*

 

[voluptuary_manque]

I was wondering what a Taurus X was supposed to be. We have like five of those in our entire fleet, but we do have them. The Ford 500 was renamed Taurus, after the public's total outrage at their discontinuing the Taurus. We have maybe ten of those. *snick*

The Freestyle was the most undermarketed model Ford ever came up with. It was originally sold as a "crossover" and the few ads Ford did for them said something like "We've been making cars and SUV's for years, just never in the same vehicle." I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean but basically its a beefy station wagon. Around town it's no gas-miser but out on the road I frequently get a honest 28 mpg . . . and this in a car two six footers can sleep in the back of ('cause they're too cheap to get motels every night when they're crossing the country!). Then, after two years, they renamed it. Go figure.

 

[AchtungNight]

I too had a bad experience with a Focus way back when. It drove okay but it came with promotion equipment I didn't need and had to sell (hassle), needed numerous manufacturer recalls, and then was totaled in its first wreck (hit a rubbernecker). Since then I've driven a pickup and never looked back.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

I too had a bad experience with a Focus way back when. It drove okay but it came with promotion equipment I didn't need and had to sell (hassle), needed numerous manufacturer recalls, and then was totaled in its first wreck (hit a rubbernecker). Since then I've driven a pickup and never looked back.

And just as soon as Dodge provides a decently fuel-stingy powerplant for the Dakota, I'll go right back to one. Unfortunately, Rangers are too small, 150's are too big and only Dodge has the Goldilocks "just right", and it gets terrible mileage.

 

[AchtungNight]

I drive a Ranger. It works for me.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

Fix Or Repair Daily? I thought it was Found On Road Dead, but that's me. And a friend of mine swears the acronym is actually Fucked Over Rebuilt Dodge, so who knows.

Don't forget Ford backwards. Driver Returns On Foot.

 

[Weird Harold]

Fix Or Repair Daily? I thought it was Found On Road Dead, but that's me. And a friend of mine swears the acronym is actually Fucked Over Rebuilt Dodge, so who knows.

Fix Or Repair Daily is the only derogatory acronym that has any relationship to actual performance as far as I know. Fords tend to be fairly reliable while under warranty -- about two years or so -- if you ignore the recalls as reliability indicators. After about three years, they get traded in because a new car payment is cheaper than the nickel-and-dime problems that start killing the budget at about that age.

(FWIW, the last time I looked up tha relevant statistics, Mopar/Chrysler products tend to start nickel and diming at about 18 months and GM products at about 30-36 months, so Ford is actually middle of the pack in this regard.)

 

[ishtat]

Buy Japanese, any brand of small car will do. We have a 20 year old Mazda 323 that has done 420,000 kilometres (250,000 miles).We use it as a shopping trolly now though all the kids learned to drive in it. It gets one service a year and will be scrapped if it ever needs more. The AC which is crucial in our climate has never been touched.

Japanese cars last so long they bore you to getting rid of them.

 

[starrkers]

In 25 years I've owned 9 Fords, only two of them from brand new, although another was bought new by my father.
Only one of them was ever a problem.
The rest we've either driven into the ground or changed over due to changing circumstances (two door cars and baby capsules are a pain in the butt).

 

[Lady_Fiona]

Recently driven the new Ford Fiesta, really roomy. The new Vauxhall Corsa, again quite big. The Nissan Note, great car, boot is crap, as in there isn't one. The Honda Civic is a nice car, drives well, good space, enough room for 4 and doesn't look bad. But then thats just my opinion.

 

[slyc_willie]

Forget Ford. Find a nice little used VW Golf. I've owned two VWs (an '88 Fox and a GTI) and they've been faithful, virtually indestructible, and completely reliable. They're spacious, good on mileage, and comfortable.

 

[Vermilion]

Forget Ford. Find a nice little used VW Golf. I've owned two VWs (an '88 Fox and a GTI) and they've been faithful, virtually indestructible, and completely reliable. They're spacious, good on mileage, and comfortable.

I *hate* my parents' Golf. Fucking uncomfortable.

 

[Weird Harold]

I *hate* my parents' Golf. Fucking uncomfortable.

Comfort can be as important as relative reliability statistics. I personally would never own a Ford because, with the exception of the 1980-83 Mustangs, I've never been able to get comfortable in a Ford; I am just not the same shape as the archetype they design their vehicles around.

I would second the suggestion of a Volkswagen as far as reliability is concerned -- My daughter has a Jetta station wagon, my son-in-law has a late-70's vintage camper-van, and the eldest granddaughter has a 1972 classic Beetle she inherited from her late paternal grandfather (even though she isn't old enough to drive yet.) All are very reliable despite the age of the latter two.

 

[jeninflorida]

yeah, we got lucky with our truck...but last year we did not purchase an american car. its sad and we tried but it was too expensive to buy american. granted i bitch about Walmart but there was a 10k difference.

i think the big 3 and the uaw are in fantasy land...but reality is starting to sting for both of them.....

150K miles isn't all that much, not like it used to be.

Ford trucks are decent, but I still wouldn't buy one. Every Ford we've ever owned but one has been nothing but a money pit. The one exception was a 1977 one ton truck.

I hate to say it, but American-made vehicles are mostly shit. I'll spend my car money on foreign-made vehicles. In my experience they last a lot longer, and require much less maintenance. I've had two Nissans that went over 300K miles, and were still going strong when I sold them.

 

[slyc_willie]

I *hate* my parents' Golf. Fucking uncomfortable.

I never noticed any comfort issues with the ones I owned. But everyone's different.

Ever considered Audi? The A4s are pretty nice, though I've never driven one.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Mama needs new wheels and we're looking at a Merceds C class. Compact, great mileage, reliable, made in the U.S. and appropriate to one of her professional status.






I'd rather have a diesel powered Dakota, though.

 

[jeninflorida]

Can’t we get GW Bush to invade Germany and the government can give every American a Mercedes?

Mama needs new wheels and we're looking at a Merceds C class. Compact, great mileage, reliable, made in the U.S. and appropriate to one of her professional status.






I'd rather have a diesel powered Dakota, though.

 

[cloudy]

Can’t we get GW Bush to invade Germany and the government can give every American a Mercedes?

A lot of Mercedes are made right down the road from me - in Alabama, in other words. Didn't you read what VM said?

Mama needs new wheels and we're looking at a Merceds C class. Compact, great mileage, reliable, made in the U.S.

 

[jeninflorida]

I was making a very bad joke

A lot of Mercedes are made right down the road from me - in Alabama, in other words. Didn't you read what VM said?

 

[jomar]

Comfort can be as important as relative reliability statistics. I personally would never own a Ford because, with the exception of the 1980-83 Mustangs, I've never been able to get comfortable in a Ford; I am just not the same shape as the archetype they design their vehicles around.

I would second the suggestion of a Volkswagen as far as reliability is concerned -- My daughter has a Jetta station wagon, my son-in-law has a late-70's vintage camper-van, and the eldest granddaughter has a 1972 classic Beetle she inherited from her late paternal grandfather (even though she isn't old enough to drive yet.) All are very reliable despite the age of the latter two.

I have had a Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and VW Passat. The Passat was more fun to drive, but had more problems and cost more sooner for maintenance stuff - nothing major, though. I found the Toyota and Honda to need less attention.

 

[Elianna]

I've had two Nissans that I've literally driven into the ground. As a girl who won't even open the hood, it was important. I wanted reliability. I've never been stuck on the side of the road. Many people I know have owned the Altima. My stepmom's is from 1996 and it's still going strong driving through rush hour in stop and go traffic. She has a few hundred thousand miles on it.

I hate to say it, I wouldn't buy American except in the big trucks and where Ford, and GM have always specialized and dominated the market. The sedan has been taken over by German/Japanese builders and I think they're great.

JMHO