"Praise the Lord and pass the gun powder", finally we get one on the japanese, Consumer reports says ford fusion and mercury milan beat the honda accord and toyota camery in reliability. It's a small step, but a step none the less. I believe ford is prepared to fight and I for one I'm not counting them out. Any good news at this point is verymuch welcomed, also sells were up last quarter by 4.7%, another good sign. I know we tend to beat up ford here amongst ourselves as ford owners and have that right. But how about some optomizim for a change, can we win this battle ?

 

Unfortunately, based on the Camary owners I know, all they have to do is advertise this on a Toyota commercial, and it will be a laugh fest amongst Toyota owners.

"Consumer Reports, places the New Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan, ahead of the Toyota Camary in reliability, OK, so how long have they been around?"

Not saying I'm not happy to see it, just saying, if anything, they will take it as a fluke.

 

For that matter thers's some ranger owners that can laugh at the yoda's as they have over 300,000 care free miles on their trucks right here on the ranger forums. Personally I'm so sick of hereing about how great these fricken japenese cars are. I have put maney miles on many fords over the years with no problems, that never has been an issue with me and ford untill I start reading some of these forums, then it makes me expect for my fords to break down or something. Toyota has thier share of major recalls, so believe it or not, they are not built by God, built by drunken hungover americans like the rest ha ha. If they had to work under the uaw cotract like the rest, they wouldn't be so great anyway. I believe they have peaked, and it's gonna start balancing out. If they gave an award for ugly truck, toyota and honda would win hands down, the older tacoma's weren't bad, but these new ones are hidious and the ridgline is a joke, but the yuppie's will buy them to haul thier golf clubs.

 

They can also laugh at the fact that Car & Driver also scored the Fusion ahead of the Camry.

http://www.caranddriver.com/article....&page_number=1

Ford is taking direct aim at the Camry and Accord with it's new sedans and the new 3.5L V6 engine. Seems to me Ford is off to a very good start in that regard.

 

We bought a Fusion in May and couldn't be any happier with it. Wife gets around 34 to 36 in the 2.3 automatic.

 

In the past Consumer reports were blasted here for being "crap". I think their creditability will soar now.

 

I looked at one the other day at the dealership and that Fusion is a good looking car. I usually dont buy the first year of a new model. Like to wait and see if they need to get the kinks out, but we'll see. Now that gal they use as a model in the Fusion/Milan commercials, that is true female perfection.(Dont mean to change the subject)

 

I started this thread in hopes of getting some positive feedback about ford in general, in this forum they tend to get flamed alot. That ok, as ford owners we reserve that right. I just wanted to say some good things about ford for a change. It doesn't really matter how credable consumer reports is or isn't, it's just the fact were starting to hear some good news about ford, when we so badly need some, thats all !!!

 

I understand your point. My post was only to point out the bias that often creeps into our discussions. I respectfully disagree with "It doesn't really matter how credable consumer reports is or isn't". I bought my first Ranger partially based on a Consumer Report that rated it a "Best Buy" and believe the report you mention carries considerable weight to the benefit of Ford because of the stature of Consumer Reports. My answer to your original question would be "Yes".

 

Well CR reliability reports are a double edged sword. You have the one where the fusion won, which is fielded by consumers survey (and one I tend to go along with) and then you the CR "predicted" reliability which is just the staff at CR saying what they "think" will be more reliable (which I don't tend to go along with). But YES, it is very good to hear positive news about Ford.

 

I think we can all agree that, for good or for worse, periodicals like CR and C&D do help to shape public perception(s).

So it has to be considered "good ink" for Ford, whether or not you (or me) personally take the reviews seriously.

 

I didn't mean that it doesn't mater if consumer reports is credable, I mean it doesn't matter to me personally, cause I don't read it anyway. I do read blue oval news where I got the story and thought it to be good news for ford along with sales being up 4.7% thanks enlarge to the fusion and mustang. Not to highjack my own thread, but I wonder why the retro mustang is doing so well, but the retro t-bird didn't ? I thought the bird was cool and would love to have one if I wasn't finacially challeanged ha ha. A 40,000 two seater car isn't practicle for my needs, but it is for my wants. I think it was sharp and very classey. Now that they stopped making them, I hear people say, "I wish I would of bought one of those", go figure !

 

I think the new Mustang is much closer to the original than the T-bird. Both Mustangs are/were marketed as a daily driver available as a six, eight or high performance eight available with standard or automatic transmission. The original was introduced just when the baby boomers started driving and almost all wanted one. They are now at the age that they can afford the car they always wanted. People like the idea of a performance car even if they elect to buy the six. The T-bird was always a specialty car with a small market and the new drivers when they were introduced are now in their 70s and since it was never a performance car, they never dreamed of owning one.

 

Excellent analysis, osbornk. The original T-bird was only a decade behind the Mustang, so people in their 60's not 70's would remember lusting over them as kids, only a minor point. I grew up only a block from the Ford dealership in town. While we were a GM family, it was amazing to see how many driveways had Mustangs in them.

A big difference is that people want a back seat, even if they never use it and it is a "torture chamber". Price is another one. Mustangs were, and are, a low-priced sporty car for the masses. The T-bird was a luxury product, eventially built in the Lincoln plant with many Lincoln parts, just sold at Ford dealerships. The retro T-bird was a Jaguar under the skin.

A little off-topic, but as far as retro goes, the VW New Beetle leaves me cold, even though I drove a 1967 VW in high school and college.

Jim

 

I don't consider the new VW beetle retro. It's simply a reskined Golf. The engine is on the wrong end pulling the wrong wheels and is cooled by the wrong stuff.