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Ford Five Hundred/Mercury Montego
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Comments
I believe it is a 2005 model, not 2004. So it will come out sometime during calendar year 2004.
-Andrew L
Ones that are into cars only care about flashiness, 0-60, and a smooth ride
Honda plants in Ohio moving to Mexico.
US goes to war with China and since all manufacturing is now in China, we lose.
I too prefer RWD for the handling advantages and precision.
When is job 1?
When can we expect to see the car at dealers in the USA and Canada? Is the vehicle even going to be sold in Canada?
And what does this thing mean to the long term viability of the civilian Crown Vic?
The Crown Vic will be mostly pushed as fleet sales such as livery/rentals/police/taxis' etc. This is in NO means a vehicle to replace the Crown Vic since it's Body On Frame, RWD, and V8. The 500 is a vehicle to complement those who wish for a large FWD/AWD sedan, unibody, with V6 engines. And a vehicle that will be geared towards consumers, hence, they will not saturate the market (such as the Taurus), nor will the depreciation be as being this will not be such of a high volume product.
The 500/Freestyle/Montego will be built in a new assembly line that can easily switch from one vehicle production, to another. If there's more demand for the Freestyle, then more can easily be built. What this allows it to build JUST enough vehicles for consumer's demand, without having the need of pushing them onto consumer's with heavy discounts, that at the end can lower the depreciation of the vehicle. In this method, they can build what the market needs more of, while keeping the same worker's working.
The only worse case senario to this might be ALL 3 vehicles not meeting ANY of their sales targets and having to push them unto consumer's to keep the factories and worker's working, but that's highly unlikely.
All the while his wife looking back and forth at us, while my relative was raising her eyes at me in a clue-ish way of saying "be nice". While no one convinced one or the other, point was gained for me stating their were "choices" and there's a bit for everyone in this market depending what their needs are. While there's many vehicles I would recommend to others for their attributes, many of those I wouldn't drive myself because it just simply doesn't fit me. And FWD just happens to be one of them.
Funny part, was he (from what we spoke earlier, waayyyy before the automobile conversation) expected me to drive an Audi, he perceived me as being unique without following the crowd. I told him I was actually educated, well enough to know their reliability (along with VW) was a joke.
Luckily dinner was soon served.....
Enjoy!
thank you
"Will GM yet design a car for the masses with DOHC and V6 format."
This isn't an area that GM will concentrate on. They insist on using OHV designed engines, and try to save face stating publically that in the future they are able to implement (displacement on demand-cylinder deactivating for fuel efficiency). Then about a month later Honda stated it could do that with it's OHC engines.
Now they revamping their OHV engines and improving it in other ways, YET there's no mistaking it for anything but a OHV, specially how they sound. Yet while they work this plan out, they are offering OHC engines on their Buick Rendezvous (previously had a OHV) stating that it's what their customer's want.
The Saturn VUE Redline will use Honda 3.5L OHC engine, in a deal with GM. Saturn has always used OHC designed engines. This a brand that they started to woo import lovers back to GM.
Is this to say their lower branded customer's actually want OHV while ALL the other competitors are offering OHC ? Or can we view this as other's could get a better engine offering at the competition ? Or is GM trying to say that they'll please those willing to pay for a Buick and Cadillac, but not those of the lower makes ?
http://www.chriszx3.com/f500.jpg
LOVE the Mustang!!
Unlike the current Taurus which is about 200inches long, but the interior volume doesn't maximize that exterior potential.
It'll be FWD, Optional AWD. 6 Speed Auto and CVT.
I'm posting another link to it, since the previous one must have been bombarded with hits or taken offline...
http://server5.uploadit.org/files2/231203-106016541HjnnQE_ph.jpg
After the Thunderbird, I wondered about J. Mays, but the new Five Hundred, Freestyle, and Mustang show that Ford is staging a massive turn-around.
Ford has really done the difficult reaserch and design work to meet the needs of the marketplace. The easy entry, excellent visibility, and comfortable driving position, coupled with the interior space and large trunk will allow many people to buy the car they really want, rather than an SUV or minivan. The handsome Limited all wheel drive model will really appeal to people who can't or won't spend $50,000 on a car.
Chrysler is going down the road to ruin with high beltlines and lowered roofs. Toyota's Camry / Highlander do not have the advanced safety features, size, looks, or other advanced features of the Five Hundred / Freestyle.
http://www.car-data.com/xpage.preview/pre.template.asp?mfg=ford&a- mp;model=fivehundred
http://www.wieck.com/public/*2PV_047211
The final details aren't out yet, but this vehicle will simply outclass it's competition in the full-size class. You can't begin to imagine the techonology and engineering that's being placed upon this vehicle. More importantly, largest trunk of any passenger car (this beating Ford's own Crown Vic/Town Car/Grand Marquis). As well as a large interior for it's very small exterior porportions (3 inches larger than a Taurus). Just as how the Focus set an example in it's class, for this similar point.
The rear seat has twice the kneeroom that of Ford's own CV/GM/TC, even more than Rolls Royce Phantom, while the truck at around 21cu.ft can fit about 8 golf bags.
The official unveiling will reveal more information/specifics, pertaining to this.
As for the Montego, it'll feature items standard, that might be an option over the 500, as well as different trim pieces. Just as most Mercury's have been, in the Ford family.
http://www.thecarconenction.com
has more real photos and reviews of the Five Hundred / Montego / Freestyle, plus the new Mustang.
ANT14 - I agree with you that the Five Hundred rear end look very similar to the latest Mercedes-Benz E class, and is very handsome. However, I think that the front end looks far better than any of the overly-rounded Audi models, and the whole car looks far better than any of the Volvos.
I'm not sure about that at this time. Although don't let the regular 3.0L Duratec 30 full you, it's acceleration will be aided by the transmissions which will/can be geared up to 6:1 ratio, much higher than the currently high 4:1.
There was already a 2005 mercury Montego discussion which is READ_ONLY, why not just open that one up?
http://media.ford.com/products/model.cfm?vehicle_id=1051
Source: Ford Media
What does everyone else think?
:-)
http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=6727
http://www.wieck.com/public/*wieck_search?ws4d_nav=true&opera- tor=and&source=wik&source=wka&source=wkt&Page=1&a- mp;operator=and&search_criteria=hundred&operator=and&- search_criteria=&keyword=&Sort=import_date&submit_but- ton=Search&URL=index.html
It is crazy how much VW influence J Mays has put into this vehicle. The window up/down buttons are almost exactly like the ones in my Jetta...
Fine by me...