petty, i hate to say this but good deals can be found....just look in the classifieds or for craigslist....good deals are found all the time, just gotta know where to look and dont give up and settle for the first thing you come across
for example...

another example...

 

Hell, I wouldnt trade Bravadiva for either one of those with 2 grand added. I MIGHT trade her even up for an Escape or Exploder XLT same options and mileage. Wife'd prolly be very unhappy though.

Sigh... non-negots: NO DINGS, No rust >>>>>>Fully loaded. <<<<<
those dont even come close.
I camped on craigslist dayton and Columbus for over a month. Plus the few private ads on autotrader.
You dont believe I know a guy with a car dealership? Or you think he lied to me?

Finally i started cruising car lots. I always figured if it's meant to be it'll be there. It was. Just wasnt a ford.
I did not make a quick decision. After I signed the deal, I even asked the lot owner what I'd have to pay for an equivalent Explorer XLT She said the last one she had like it went for 7 grand.

 

I've got so many comments reading all this & having owned a 85 Toyota SR5 4x4 to a GMC Sierra Grande 4x4 & a '85 Capris & an 86 Capris (one was a V6 & the other was a 4 banger), to a 70 barracuda that did 145 mph... it's not the manufacturer, it's the previous owner!
GF's father passed away & that is what I'm dealing with.... Bitch about Ford vs Chevy & Nissan & Dodge & if global warming (72F yesterday in Winnipeg, Canada WOW) has anything to do with the price of Chex in Switzerland.

I'll get back to this after giving my pillow some head tonight.
cest la vie

 

Eh, global warming is a myth. All made up for corrupt politicians. If anybody on this forum disagrees, why are you driving a blazer, jimmy, or bravada anyway then? You get 15 mpg. 'Nuff said.

On to other issues. I don't hate Ford, I just like pickin' at people who take the whole manufacturer thing so seriously. I guess you can say I like getting under people's skin sometimes. I know it's a cheap thrill, but some people get so heated over it.

It all comes down to whether your vehicle was made on a nice Friday afteroon or whether your vehicle was made on a nasty Tuesday morning. We all know workers would slack off on Friday (and probably Monday too).

 

Hi P-Fog, i am an ole fart too and have owned a few fords. Very few, the old Mustangs are neat, but the ford cars that i have had really turned me off from wanting another. The Ford trucks are great but not the Diesel. I have two S10s, one 99 Blazer, one 2000 ZR2 Truck. Both have over 160K on them. Had to have trans built at 130K on Blazer, Truck has give no major problems. ALSO have an HHR. Chevy, only way to go

 

hate to be a troll but remembered this pic and thought it would fit in here ^.^

anyone notice it?

 

Amazing how trends come back around...

Or even swiped... (dead sexy car)

(the stupid clip art was someone else thats how i found it)

 

I don't understand fierce brand loyalty but growing up my dad wasn't like that either. I don't buy new so I look for vehicles that are reliable and look good to me. All brands have their problems and no brand has more than the next. I currently own two Fords a Toyota and the Blazer. Honestly, I spend the most time working on the Blazer. Am I to conclude that Chevy's are crap? Not likely.

 

To go to the main topic you know that ford's reliability rating dropped from 5 to 10th this year in consumer reports. They also had to send out thousands of usbs to Ford touch owners to fix bugs in the software... So yea ford is doing better

 

I was looking into purchasing a 2010-2011 Ford Focus SEL/SES sedan. Their prices are reasonable for a 1-2 year old car, even with sub 10k miles. I attribute this to the short production run before changing to the new body style. I rented a 2012 Focus and while ugly, the gas mileage was insane. Gas station in Camden to gas station a half mile from my house was 91 miles. Filled it up with 2.0xx gallons when I got home. So 100% highway miles put me in the 40+ range. Unfortunately my right knee was sore because I rested it on the center console and didn't have much room.

Test driving a 2010-2011 here soon to see if the last 'generation' has the same dimensions for the driver. From a cursory look at neighbors' cars, it looks roomier. Plus my brother's girlfriend had a coupe, 5 spd and he's taller than me. Said he loved the car, plenty of room, great engine, fun to drive and great gas mileage. And we were both raised to bleed Bowtie!

I'd love to check out the new turbo Sonic, but I just can't bring myself to buy GM again on principle. Perhaps I'll buy a used Sonic or Buick Verano (when the turbo comes out) so the money doesn't go DIRECTLY to GM ;-)

EDIT: Just in keeping with the theme of this thread.

Ford Escort/Focus progression:


to:



small facelift for ZX2 coupes:



to the ugly mobile



ZX4 version



to the style I'm interested in, but with the ugly chrome fake fender vent:



sans chrome fender vent with factory tinted headlights and tails:



aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand back to Uglyville: