Why I'm not buying a Ford
I'm a Ford guy. You know how some people love Chevies, or some people just like Levis? Well, I like Fords. Growing up my parents had a Ford LTD II and a Mercury Cougar. The first car I bought was a new 1991 Ford Escort that I loved and put 130,000 miles on before giving to a cousin, who then put another 80,000 miles on it before it gave up the ghost in an accident. And when I saw my first Ford Escape, I pulled up along side it on the hightway for several miles just looking at it.
However, even though I really need a new car (as I just have a motorcycle now), I don't see myself buying a new Ford. Which is very depressing for me because as I said I'm a Ford guy. It's not that I have some wierd obsession with the blue oval, it's just that I feel very comfortable with the interior designs of Ford products. I like how the instrument clusters are laid out, how the buttons feel under my fingers. They are clean, uncluttered, and rounded. On GM products they tend to be squarer, more anuglar, and busier. I took good looks at BMW and Volvo too, but the controls were so numerous and so small that I couldn't figure out what to push without putting on my reading glasses, and found the cockpit more confusing that a 737's.
But there are no good Ford products anymore. Let's say I want to buy a basic commuter car. What is Ford's answer? The Focus. Hmmm, let's compare my 1991 Ford Escort to a brand new Ford Focus:
Gas mileage: the '91 Focus got 40 miles per gallon on the highway and I was able to get 32 in the city. The '05 Focus gets 35/26.
Winner: Escort
Leg Room: in my '91 Escort I could sit my 6' tall self in the back seat with the front seets pushed all the way back and not have my knees touch the front seat. In the '05 Focus, my knees are burried into the driver's seat.
Winner: Escort
Price: my '91 Escort cost $9000 with every option but air conditioning & automatic transmission. An '05 Focus similarly equipped (no airbags, no traction control) is $16,000. Even including inflation that's a big jump.
Winner: Escort
Hmmm, so Mr. Ford is asking me to pay more money for a car that gets worse gas mileage and has less legroom that what he offered 15 years ago? I'll hold on to my money, thanks. I mean, how hard can this be? If you can do this 15 years ago why not now?
I don't see why I should pay more money for an inferior car. What's my solution? I'm checking out ads for 10+ year old Ford Escorts :)
However, even though I really need a new car (as I just have a motorcycle now), I don't see myself buying a new Ford. Which is very depressing for me because as I said I'm a Ford guy. It's not that I have some wierd obsession with the blue oval, it's just that I feel very comfortable with the interior designs of Ford products. I like how the instrument clusters are laid out, how the buttons feel under my fingers. They are clean, uncluttered, and rounded. On GM products they tend to be squarer, more anuglar, and busier. I took good looks at BMW and Volvo too, but the controls were so numerous and so small that I couldn't figure out what to push without putting on my reading glasses, and found the cockpit more confusing that a 737's.
But there are no good Ford products anymore. Let's say I want to buy a basic commuter car. What is Ford's answer? The Focus. Hmmm, let's compare my 1991 Ford Escort to a brand new Ford Focus:
Gas mileage: the '91 Focus got 40 miles per gallon on the highway and I was able to get 32 in the city. The '05 Focus gets 35/26.
Winner: Escort
Leg Room: in my '91 Escort I could sit my 6' tall self in the back seat with the front seets pushed all the way back and not have my knees touch the front seat. In the '05 Focus, my knees are burried into the driver's seat.
Winner: Escort
Price: my '91 Escort cost $9000 with every option but air conditioning & automatic transmission. An '05 Focus similarly equipped (no airbags, no traction control) is $16,000. Even including inflation that's a big jump.
Winner: Escort
Hmmm, so Mr. Ford is asking me to pay more money for a car that gets worse gas mileage and has less legroom that what he offered 15 years ago? I'll hold on to my money, thanks. I mean, how hard can this be? If you can do this 15 years ago why not now?
I don't see why I should pay more money for an inferior car. What's my solution? I'm checking out ads for 10+ year old Ford Escorts :)
posted by Daetrin at 12:32 PM
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