Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums  

I see Ford stock rising as we speak. :)

I think our Vue is one of the very last models with plastic panels. Was there another, besides the '04 update? I'm not all that upset about the change. I always liked Opels much more than I did Saturns. Some times a half inch panel gap is just too much panel gap.

Next-generation Ford Explorer - with unibody construction, EcoBoost, six-speed, weight savings and improved aerodynamics for up to 25 percent better fuel economy - in 2010

Personally, I like the plastic torpedoes because they don't rust (in visible locations, anyway - I've already patched my front subframe and floor). That's pretty important in the $500 car market

I think the Ion, discontinued in '08 and replaced by the Astra, was the last plastic Saturn-badged car.

Oh, you're implying that you're not supposed to be able to get your thumb in between your trunk opening and quarter panel? See below: :hick:

why does anyone car about saturn? arent they GM any way?....the new focus st looks so much better then the american spec cars

I care about Saturn because A) I own one for a daily driver (can't beat 40+ MPG in air conditioned comfort) and B) I was a Saturn tech for six years. Four of the six T-Bird/Cougars I've owned were paid for with Saturn money.

You should care about them because they look to be Mercury's new direct competition.

why does anyone car about saturn? arent they GM any way?....the new focus st looks so much better then the american spec cars

...Hopefully Mercury can do it better. I say this with mixed feelings, because as much as I'd like to see Mercury (and Ford) succeed, I still think Ford will screw this up. They'll end up bringing us "almost" Euro-cars. They'll look European but Ford will dumb them down for North America.

I happen to think that Ford may be looking at past failures to plan for the future, so what you're insinuating may certainly happen.
Remember the success (or lack thereof) of the Festiva? It was lightweight and zippy with its Mazda-sourced mill, and it also returned phenomenal fuel mileage.
It didn't sell too well, so it was eventually replaced with the Aspire, a chunky replacement that also returned excellent fuel mileage. It, too, didn't place any sales records.
Diesel models never took off due to suspect reliability in certain domestic cars, especially the rear-drive GMs in the mid-'80s, so Ford was left with what would sell - big American cars for big American people.
We must ask ourselves how long it will take to reverse this trend.

Here's my other thought:
You suggested that Ford would "dumb them down for North America."
Well, I think that will certainly happen to some degree. Most of the cars in Europe not only have efficient engines with smaller overall dimensions, but most have manual transmissions, which usually return better fuel mileage over slushboxes.
How likely is it that Americans will gracefully accept such a drastic change? It's a far cry from a V8-powered SUV with an automatic transmission. How many cupholders will it have?

It's sad to think that an American family will include cupholders and other unnecessary amenities into their buying decision, but I'm sure it's happened more than once. After all, they need more interior space for the McDonald's toys and their ever-expanding waistlines.

I've been an enthusiast of the Fox cars since the late '90s, but I'm fully prepared to shift gears (so to speak) and get into a fuel miser. Hell, I haven't driven the Coug' in over a week; I've been walking everywhere.
The question is: What will it take for Joe Consumer to relinquish the keys to his Denali? Will we have to pry them from his cold, dead hand?

The jobless logger won't be able to afford a Mini Clubman or an Astra. He'll drive a used car (because there's no such thing as a dirt cheap car anymore in North America) that he bought for next to nothing. The way the market is right now, that'll be a large car or SUV.