Nickname: Alex

Review: I might consider a domestic car one day - when they come up with something comparable to XC70 - my 3rd Volvo in a row. Until that - Ford can only have a consolation in the fact that they own Volvo.

Date reviewed: Aug 30, 2006 8:50 PM

Nickname: J Dub

Review: For a country that prides itself on its free market economy, it's funny how often you hear Americans proclaim that we should buy domestic automobiles simply because they are domestics. If domestic automobiles aren't in tune with consumer demands for cost, quality and design, than it's their responsibility to change. I'm all for supporting the American worker if that is the deciding factor, but a car is also an investment and investing in the American economy shouldn't come at my own loss.

Date reviewed: Jul 28, 2006 7:41 PM

Nickname: Anthony

Review: So how do we make it front page news?

Date reviewed: Jul 25, 2006 3:19 PM

Nickname: Tom

Review: I was amused with the comment by Callibabe on "proud to be American " decals on Toyotas. Pretty sad state of affairs when an American drives an import most likely made in Japan or at the least the profits going to Japan, then slaps an American label on it. More and more, Toyota is positioning itsef as an American company, which it is not. When will Americans wake up and support American companies/workers? My last three new cars were Lincolns and I drove each over 130,000 miles with no problems. From what I read, BMW and Mercedes' owners have a much different experience with reliability. Toyotas recent recalls for airbags and steering problems from 1996, which could be fatal, have received very little attention. Toyota says they're sorry but they knowingly sold these vehicles for nine years at the cost of American safety. If this were GM or Ford it would have been front page news.

Date reviewed: Jul 23, 2006 5:41 PM

Nickname: Bryan

Review: Who would have ever thought that Toyota and Honda would be eating GM, Ford, and DC's lunch. And from what I hear they are looking over their shoulder at Hyundai. If only GM would have listened to Ross Perot instead of paying him off and telling him to get lost. This time it won't be so easy to get rid of the Kirk. Count on a good many heads rolling in the next year GM. Ford will form an alliance with an Asian car maker before GM as it is going south at a faster clip than GM. It's just that GM is in the news nore often. As for DC, it will continue to come out with one-hit wonders like the 300C's and I wouldn't be surprised to see them bring the European diesel success to North America. And after that every company will follow DC's lead. I have driven diesel cars and SUV's in Europe and I was really impressed.

Date reviewed: Jul 8, 2006 5:04 AM

Nickname: alex

Review: GM has too many brands selling too few of products, the same with Ford. Ford sells the same cars across Lincoln, Ford and Mercury with different emblems and brands. GM needs to combine GMC,Buick, and Saturn into a new brand so that it can have a full service name like Chevrolet that offers a car style for everyone, instead of 8 different brands that sell too few cars with no direction or style. Ford and GM need to wake up quickly. I believe GM has a great new product line but its 8 brands are really killing it, they need to change the way they do business fast.

Date reviewed: Jul 5, 2006 3:33 AM

Nickname: 351W

Review: I am one of the many baby boomers who are getting up there in years, although I am on the tail end of the boom. Getting in and out of smaller cars just ain't gonna happen for me. I can afford something more than all these tiny new Hondas and Toyotas. Ford and GM certainly should be spanked for not updating their products. My Ford Windstar was a great van! I leased a Freestar thinking that it would be better. It wasn't. It is making me think twice about my loyalty to Ford. I started late, have a young family, and won't be attempting to cram them into a Yaris or Saturn. Maybe there is a Chevy in my future, but there will certainly not be a Japanese, Korean, or any other imported, assembled here or not, econobox in my future. Ford and GM had better stop ticking off their core fans in North America, get with the program overseas, and start winning back market share with new exciting products instead of the bland crap you've been pushing out the factory doors the last several years.

Date reviewed: Jul 4, 2006 1:42 PM

Nickname: oblio

Review: Huh? Aging baby-boomers are "less inclined to haul themselves in and out of high-off-the-ground SUVs?? It's a lot easier to get in-and-out of most SUV's than some squashed down sedan that you have to crunch-down sideways to squeeze into. However, Ford's trucks and SUV's are a bad exception, because the seats of the F150, Explorer, and Expedition are so tall off the floor that you STILL hit your head on the roof even though you have to climb-up to get in - it's 100% dumb design. The easiest SUV to get-in and-out of is the Saturn VUE. Perfect seat and roof height, no crunching and no climbing needed?too bad it shakes, rattles, and (unimpressively) rolls like so many other GM products.

Date reviewed: Jun 30, 2006 1:05 PM

Nickname: artboy

Review: My brand new Ford that my dad talked me into buying when I was a young woman was taken to the dealer 29 times for service in just 4 years. Each time I left the shop, it mysteriously developed a "new" problem. Clearly, the dealer service department saw a young, dumb woman and a money tree. Since 1997, I have been driving a Toyota (without a single problem). Not that I trust the Toyota service department any more than Ford - when the car was two years old, dealer service told me my front and rear brakes were bad and my tires were dangerously worn. I told him basically to give me my car back immediately. The tires were new (2 months old - I'm a new tire freak) and I drove on those "bad" brakes for another five years before having them serviced. What worries me most is now that the Camry is being built in the U.S. (beginning 2007) will the quality control standards fall? Car companies need to quit looking at customers as suckers and build cars that continue to run well.

Date reviewed: Jun 28, 2006 3:11 PM

Nickname: Gary

Review: It is really sad to see that an institution as highly regarded as Business Week cannot get the facts straight on the Crown Vic/Grand Marquis/Town Car. The Panther family of vehicles received major engineering upgrades for the 2003 model year despite having few sheet metal and cosmetic changes. These changes included new steering, suspension, and brake components as well as the use of a more rigid hydroform frame. And why should Ford have worried about the CV/GM until 2004 with the launch to the Chrysler LX Cars. Until then, the full size Fords operated without competition from any domestic automaker.

Date reviewed: Jun 19, 2006 1:00 PM