This past weekend I had the chance to check out the new 06's at a local dealership. My overall inpression is that they really cut some more corners to raise profits. For example the door jamb covers for where your feet slide across are now just basically a sticker, on my o4 it was a nice thick plastic guard. Another is the lower front bumper that used to have the black honeycomb stuff inside it, is now just an open space looking at I think the radiatior. I noticed that between the front and rear doors on the screws it used to be this nice gloss plastic panel and now it is almost like a flat black paint or similiar finish.

Has anyone else thought this or am I thinking to much? Could this be the old save a nickle on one truck times 200,000 units thing?

 

Nope its not just you. Ive noticed several things such as the door jamb that they've cheapened. This must part of the cost cutting plan that Bill Ford was talking about. If they save just a dollar by removing just a little piece of plastic imagine what they end up saving on every vehicle they produce. It will come back to bite them in the long run though. The guts of the truck are solid, you just wouldnt think so after seeing a typical interior after 50,000 or so miles. Ford has come a long way in quality in the past few years but they still have a long way to go in my opinion especially with the interiors.

I guess a more positive way of looking at it would be to say at least they put the money into the important stuff where it really matters. (this is what I say to myself everytime I scratch the paint on the glovebox or console.)

 

They changed this in '05 on the ext cabs. I figured there must be some durability issues with the shiny finish. (although I'd rather have the gloss black to match my black truck, and window tint)