mustang84

This $h! is creepy This one's kinda funny, watch about 1/3 of the way in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78krbfy9hh0&feature=dir

For Chrysler's sake, I hope someone wises up...this just has "bad idea" spelled all over it. The only part that doesn't sound to bad is Jeep selling the company's SUVs only...I could see that. But getting rid of Dodge cars...are they frickin' nuts? http://www.autosavant.net/2007/11/chrysler...nd-changes.html

Congrats to Chevrolet, hopefully MT gives them a running chance this year for COTY. Personally, I feel the Malibu is more deserving than the Accord, because the leap made by the Malibu lends far more significance to Chevy than the updated Accord to Honda.

Thanks for the pics Ted! The taillights are starting to grow on me after seeing these pictures.

C&G chopping contest...? j/k

So the search function causes that error?

Stereotyping happens all the time to places all over the country. The Midwest commonly gets called the fly-over states by the coasts, and we're portrayed as a bunch of pickup-driving farmers and hicks that don't have any culture or sophistication. I used to get annoyed by it but now I just laugh it off...people that stereotype are usually the ones that don't get out much anyway, so there's no real point in taking offense.

Here's my experience with Jiffy Lube. Last summer when one of the gasket seals blew on the Lumina, spraying coolant everywhere, so I limped it to a Jiffy Lube to get it fixed and barely made it before overheating the engine (I had buckets of water with me, but the five mile trip to Jiffy Lube sucked through them fast). At Jiffy Lube, I asked if they could repair it and they said yes, but I needed to pick up a gasket from an auto parts store. They pointed me toward O'Reilly which was about two miles down the road, but I said I didn't think the car could make it that far and asked if the Napa literally 500 feet away would have it. They said yeah, but he thought they would overcharge me. Honestly, I had no idea that the gasket was a $2.60 part, so I started driving to O'Reilly and after a block realized there was no way I would make it there without overheating the engine, so I drove back and walked down to Napa. If I had known it was that cheap, I wouldn't have even bothered trying to drive to O'Reilly. My thinking after the fact is that they were hoping I would overheat the engine or further damage the car to give them some extra business...apparently they didn't realize that I can read a temperature gauge! Anyway, so I was there with the gasket and since I was living in Des Moines, I had no tools of my own and asked them if they could fix it since I was sorta stranded. The guy was kind of a grease ball and said yeah. I said what's your price? He said "I don't know, I'm poor." I looked at him and asked him again what his price was. Ten bucks he says. Obviously this was not on the books if we were having to negotiate a price, but I just wanted to get done so I could get out of there and get home. After he was done, they took it into the bay to inspect the engine and I asked if they could flush the water out and fill it with coolant. I was watching them from the window and there were three or four guys standing around the car, but I didn't seem like much was being done. About ten minutes later, the guy came in and said it was all done and I asked how much he was going to charge for the coolant and flush, he said nothing...it was on them and they just wanted my business again the next time I needed an oil change. I thought to myself that I change my own oil, but whatever. After I left, I drove a little ways to an auto parts store and checked to see how much coolant they put in. To my surprise, they had touched not a single thing...didn't even flush the water out like I asked. That really pissed me off. For anyone that wants to know, this was the southside Jiffy Lube on SE 14th Street in Des Moines.

I rode in a 2003 Corolla CE and it was the cheapest feeling and looking car I have ever been in, and I've been in some cheap 80s cars. "Buzzy" and "plastic" are the only two words that need to be uttered.

They won't do anything because pop culture says global warming is human-induced, SUVs kill babies, and all American cars are gas guzzlers. The media tells the people what they want to hear and the politicians will do anything for a vote, so facts and reason kindly give way to sensationalism and boneheaded solutions such as CAFE. This country is pretty much a joke anymore.

100% spot on.

Put that baby into production and just make a limited run of Plymouth 'Cudas...maybe 10,000 or so. Sell it under Chrysler dealers as a Plymouth! Plymouth did not deserve to go out as decontented Breezes and Voyagers.

I don't get it...they're killing the Magnum, Pacifica, and PT Cruiser which are all still selling decently...and keeping duds such as the Aspen, Compass, and Commander. It makes no sense!

God, it does sound like a Toyota press release. The second paragraph is always them tooting their own horn.

I've heard the same too, and it makes sense if it is true. Ford wants the UAW to see it as weak, so if sales continue to stay down like they have they can push the UAW to give them a better deal.

People will say that the Taurus' 5,000 sales looks bad, but when you add the Taurus X in it comes out to 9000 which really isn't that bad, especially considering the Fusion is taking away 11,000 potential sales. That's 20,000 Ford midsize-large car sales which fill the void left by the last Taurus, and the last Taurus was a major fleet queen. People always seem to forget this and call the Taurus / Five Hundred a flop, but when you put things into perspective Ford is just offering more diversity in its lineup while still getting the sales (without heavy reliance on fleets).

Nah, most are saying sales will be flat in November and December and then up in '08. Most of the loss for October is attributed to the Taurus, which was 95% fleet at its death. Ford's new cars and crossovers are picking up the SUV slack.

Note that Mercury sales are up quite a bit vs. last October. The Milan seems to be selling pretty well around here since I see them on the roads quite a bit. http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=27105 RECORD SALES FOR NEW CROSSOVER VEHICLES FUEL SOLID RETAIL SALES MONTH FOR FORD * All-new Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX crossovers combined to achieve their highest monthly sales ever. * Redesigned Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner crossovers posted double-digit increases compared with year ago. * Overall, sales of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury crossovers were up 145 percent. * Lincoln’s winning streak continues with sales increase of 17 percent, marking the 13th straight month of higher sales, with more good news on the way. * Land Rover dealers report record October sales. * Ford, Lincoln and Mercury retail sales nearly matched year ago; total company sales were 195,462, down 10 percent, primarily reflecting planned reduction in daily rental sales. * Ford updates second half North American production. DEARBORN, Mich., Nov. 1 – Ford Motor Company’s (NYSE:F) all-new crossovers continued outpacing the competition in October, achieving their highest monthly sales to date. Combined sales of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury crossover vehicles in October were 36,852, up 145 percent compared with a year ago. Year-to-date through October, crossover vehicles were up 59 percent, the largest increase of any major manufacturer. Ford Edge sales were 14,133 and Lincoln MKX sales were 3,787. Over the last six months, the Ford Edge has been the top-selling mid-size crossover vehicle in the U.S. The redesigned Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner crossovers posted higher sales than a year ago. Escape sales were 12,174, up 27 percent. Mariner sales were 2,554, up 19 percent. “Our new and redesigned crossovers continue to surprise and delight customers, demonstrating that Ford is building more products people really want,” said Mark Fields, president, The Americas. “We’re building quality into the Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX and are equipping them with features rivaling the best in the business, including SYNC, our industry-first in-car connectivity technology that fully integrates Bluetooth-enabled cell phones and MP3 players into customers’ daily drives.” In October, Lincoln continued winning. October marked the 13th straight month of higher sales for the premium brand. The month’s sales totaled 10,229, up 17 percent compared with a year ago, with retail sales up even more – 38 percent. Lincoln’s next new product will debut at the Los Angeles International Auto Show later this month. The company’s mid-size sedans also contributed to the strong retail showing. Total sales for the Ford Fusion were up 13 percent, Mercury Milan 45 percent, and Lincoln MKZ 29 percent. Land Rover dealers reported record October sales of 4,237, up 6 percent. In October, Ford reduced sales to daily rental companies by 12,000 units, a 38 percent decline compared with last October. Year-to-date, Ford sales to daily rental companies were 142,000 units lower than the same period a year ago, reflecting planned reductions.

http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleD...=45079&vf=2

Did the Corolla actually lose MPG's? I seem to remember it getting better than 35 highway. So this is what they delayed the original release for? I was expecting something a lot more daring after the way Toyota talked about it.

I hate those Coachcraft Sevilles...they look so goofy. But yes, Biarritz Eldorados are awesome looking machines...I have a '78 in GTA San Andreas right now. You can see some bad 70s build quality in those photos though.

I'm in favor of either dissolution of the Republican and Democratic parties or establishment of a major independent party that falls between the two. Both parties have too much power; there are probably others more fit to run the country that don't have the financial backing to compete with the juggernauts within. I'm tired of the division in this country and having two opposing parties rich in cash will keep that division alive. It seems like you have to buy your way to the White House anymore, rather than being the person most fit for the job.

I kind of do the same thing as well.It mostly depends upon the driver...if they drive like a tool (any make or model), they're not getting by / getting out. For some reason, Acura drivers seem to be a larger percentage of tools than other brands (especially older models).

You left out the Prius and complaints of unintended acceleration possibly due to the same drive-by-wire system as the Tacoma. Also, there were complaints of the traction control system causing the car to stall out in snowy weather.

New 20/20 video about the global warming debate and why it is not over like Gore claims http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FI0U5JOtoo