Posted by Cody1960;

You clearly have not had any experience with a 5 speed automatic or you would not say that the transmission that they have now is adequate. It is not adequate and is the only thing that keeps it third in performance. A 5 speed auto will make the new truck run considerably better.
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You are right, I have no experience with any 5 speed automatics whatsoever. My personal rigs are sticks only- I have driven a few four speed autos, and they seemed fine to me- adequete I guess is a relative term. I never meant to say that the 5 speed auto should not be introduced to the line up though, all I meant to say was in my opinion Ford really should make adding a manual transmission more a priority than adding a second auto offering.

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Disagreeing is one thing and facts are another. I did not say that the interiors of the Fords were any more durable than the others, I said and will say again that in my opinion, the interiors of the GM, Dodge, and Nissan look cheap in comparison to the Fords. The GM design looks like an afterthought to me, that is my opinion.
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You are entitled to your opinion, and while I dont agree with it I will respect it-but to me the Ford looks too much like the Nissan on the interior, and I while I'm not particularly biased for Ford, Dodge, or GM over one another, I will admit to being biased in favor of all three in comparisons with Japanese Manufacturers.
I know my thinking in this regard is outdated and unfair, but it's not something that can change and it will always be so.

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As for the Dodge not being able to increase their sales with the current 1/2 ton offering, I am willing to bet that they will not increase their market share by any drastic amount, regardless of what you are looking for in a half ton truck. If you don't want to believe that, that is fine, but look in the sales numbers at the end of the year and you will see what I am saying to be true.
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I cannot say whether they will or not, but probably you are correct- I can see them increasing market share possibly as a result of alot of buyers who are like me and will not settle for being forced into an automatic transmission, but like you I do not feel that they are going to sell near as many 1/2 tons as Ford will, regardless of this fact.

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As for your comment about the diesel, you obviously have no experience with them either. Most diesels will have an increase of at least 30% in fuel economy over a gasoline equivalent. That would mean about a 5 mpg increase. That is why I would like to see a diesel. A half ton truck that would make in the mid 20's for fuel/gas mileage would be a good thing for consumers.
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I have plenty of experience with diesels, probably no wheres near as much as someone who has always or frequently owned them as all my personal rigs have been gasoline powered.
I do not know where in my post you got the idea that I was saying a diesel would be a bad idea? I was only saying that there have been alot of rumors going around for along time about it, and for all intents and purposes Ford is no closer to putting a diesel in the F150 today than they were 5 years ago.

Rumors about International , and then caterpillar, Cummins, and now John Deere....until it happens those are just that-rumors.

Although they are working things out to maintain profitability, Ford and International are not very happy with each other presently, at this same time however Dodge and Cummins are more pleased each other than ever before. It is a VERY real posibility that the smaller and more manageable Cummins motor will find its way into the lighter Ram pickup- and should this happen I would be more than willing to take you up on any bet you'd be willing to make against Dodge increasing it's market share. A diesel engine option along with manual transmission availability would far outweigh any interior elegances or frame stiffness Ford could offer.

Also what I meant by "ESPECIALLY" in my post, was that while many diesel buyers opt for automatic transmissions, just as many would really want a manual behind that diesel. There are many people who could'int care less either way (auto/manual) in gasoline applications but would really prefer a manual when it comes to diesel.

Thank you.

 

ck1404, Have you driven the new model F-150? That's what changed my mind over any of the older models or the competition. Same thing for one of my coworkers, who was headed towards a foreign truck. The ride sold him.

Also, have you seen the crash test video comparison between the new model and the older model? I didn't realize the old model colapsed like it did, until after I bought this Ford. Quite scary. Either way, good luck!

 

for 2005 ford needs to offer satellite radio as an option, and include a tach on the stx as standard equipment. A locking tool box in the rear quarter panel (like late 1960/early 1970 f150's and just like the 2004 nissan titan) would be real nice.

 

Try

http://shop.bizrate.com/buy/superfin...&url_id=516394

http://www.customtruckandsuv.com/wheelwells.htm

 

F-150s did not exist until 1975...
67 thru 77/78 Ford long bed styleside pickups offered a passenger side bed tool box; much bigger than the new Datsun's behind the wheelwell toolbox. Why they discontinued it is another "better idea"- just like discontinuing heavy and medium duty trucks, not offering a manual in the new F-150, etc.
I would like to see a return to the standard 1/2 Ton lug pattern in 2005- 5 lug on 5.5". After 50 plus years of that pattern and a lot of copycats (IH, Jeep, foreign makers), Ford goes to a 5 lug oddball pattern (metric diameter?) in 1997, then just as everyone buys new wheels and gets used to that pattern, they change AGAIN- to a 6 lug pattern. Is anyone awake at Ford Trucks?

 

Yeah, i'm sure they did that so that guys weren't trying to bolt on their old wheels and tires to the new trucks with bigger brakes. Likewise with the new new f150. not gospel, just an opinion.

 

Some creature comforts I would like to see.

1. Make the armrests adjustable. They do it with seats and other things, why not armrests?

2. Pad the door top where you rest your arm,especially with window open.

3. Have a panel in the dash that is removable, so you can easily install stuff like CB's etc.

4. Bring back the windshields that are smoked/tinted at the top. On my 01 I hardly ever had to use the visors with the tint.

5. And yes I too think the availabilty of a diesel would be good.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by kingfish51
[B]Some creature comforts I would like to see.

1. Make the armrests adjustable. They do it with seats and other things, why not armrests?

2. Pad the door top where you rest your arm,especially with window open.

Darned good ideas on both, I have always complained about the armrests on nearly everything I have ever owned, and it never occured to me that something should and could be done about it. Maybe you should market something like that. Like the "jelly" bicycle seat material.

 

I don't see this ever happening. Deere builds engines for tractors. Who cares if it weighs an extra 500#. But you throw that in a pickup and you will feel that extra weight right now.

Navistar has a v6 based on the new 6 liter powerstroke. That would be the perfect marriage in my opinion. 235hp,350#'. I don't think the off the line acceleration would suffer at all. I have also heard the test trucks were getting 26 mpg! I would be at the dealership in a heartbeat to get one of these!!!!!

 

Navistar V6 ain't happening. Ford has already tossed that out the window. They never said why exactly, but rumor is that the emissions weren't good and screwed up Ford's ratings. Also, Ford isn't as pleased with the new 6.0 as it seems. The initial injector problems and a few other things lead Ford to cancel the V6 from Navistar, which is why they are scrambling to find a different one.

Ford ended up having to pay off Navistar for it's research into the V6. If you do some searching on the forum and web, there are some links to this Navistar V6 being squashed.

But I'm with you! V6 230HP and low to mid 20 mpg for mileage would be exactly what I want. I don't need 300HP. I would rather have a bit more torque than the 4.6L and better mileage.

 

But I'm with you! V6 230HP and low to mid 20 mpg for mileage would be exactly what I want. I don't need 300HP. I would rather have a bit more torque than the 4.6L and better mileage. [/B][/QUOTE]

If Ford is smart, and I think they are, they will look at what we are talking about here and offer the fuel mileage that they NEED to offer. And since a diesel is the only way that I see it happening I would hope that they can find what they need. I have extensive experience with John Deere, and they would make a great addition to the Ford truck. Back in the early 80's the company that I worked for purchased John Deere rubber tire loaders and we were all PO'd about it, we thought that we wanted Caterpillar, and we were all wrong. The John Deere equipment that we bought was far superior to anything Cat had to offer at that time. The motors were superb, and the most dependable motors that I have ever been around. They started when it was cold, were fuel efficient, and they were also very quiet in comparison to the other heavy equipment manufacturers. I truly believe that if Ford offered a John Deere diesel in an F150 that sales would increase in a big way. Provided of course that the engine option would not cost more than the benefit of the increased fuel mileage. It will all come down to emissions and money. We can thank the EPA for this.

 

yea i had the money waited for ever for the new f-150 and then what no manual tranny. so i didn't buy i decided my older model was good enough. if i bought now i would get the heritage. but i'm holden my money in hopes of a manual in 05 which will be out in summer of 04( not that long away ) better to wait then to regret) also want a standard cab on the f/x model with an 8 foot bed.

 

desratt,
I'm awaiting THE very same setup for '05! Hope it happens.