My Ford Dreams Classic
SUVs were available before the Explorer, but none sold in the numbers Explorer did. Ford has the ability to pull it together and regain market share and profitability. So here's a question I don't think I've asked before, What do you want from Ford? What kind of new models or features would bring you into a Ford dealer? Do you want more performance? Do you want better efficiency? Do you want bigger or smaller? Make a wish list of what you want and post it to comments. This is especially for those readers that don't drive a Ford now, but also for devoted Blue Oval Fans. Pretend that Ford is listening, let me know what you would like to see in a future Ford line up. Not limited to just Ford, but Mercury, Lincoln, Mazda, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover and Astin Martin also. Primarilly for the US market, but even if you'r not from the US, what would you want for your home market? I've spent the last 10 months telling anyone who will listen what I want from FoMoCo, now it's your turn. Commentors should remember to ID themselves with at least initials, as Anonymous posts will not be published. I've read and discussed here, that Ford and other manufacturers hire consultants to scan web pages, including blogs to see what consumer trends may be. Now it's your turn to sound off. If you want to see Diesels in passenger vehicles or Hybrid trucks, now is the time to comment. And in the least you will have vented some of that frustration.
There are no fuel efficiency numbers for the diesel, but it's probably better than either of the gasoline engines. For either of the gasoline engines, fuel economy is not horrible, but it is slightly below class average. Maximum towing for either of the gasoline engines is 6000 pounds, just under the class average. Towing numbers for the diesel are not available, but are undoubtedly better, as the diesel engine gets 425 pound feet of torque, well above even the V8. Maximum payload is 1345 pounds and cargo volume is 21.9 cubic feet. The V6 gasoline and diesel engines are a little light on horsepower for their class, but the V8 engine cures that admirably. The X5 is shy on front head and legroom, though. As you would expect from the German engineered BMW, the X5 is a very safe vehicle. NHTSA crash tests give it four stars for rollover, which is about as good as it gets for an SUV, and for passenger front crash. Everywhere else it gets five stars. There are a lot of excellent safety features, among them an anti-theft system, BMW's xDrive four-wheel drive system, airbags everywhere, automatic load leveling, antilock brakes with electronic assistance, traction control and a vehicle stability system. Surprisingly, there is no locking or limited slip differential and child safety locks are not available. 8,500 cheaper than the class average for luxury SUVs. Considering what you get, that could make it worth checking out if you're in the market.
I replaced that radiator with a custom horizontal flow aluminium radiator the second time my vertical core radiator needed to be recored. A horizontal core radiator can be mounted on top of the front cross member providing more space for the engine length AND allowing space for a thicker core. The height can be what fits between the cross member and the underside of the bonnet. The width is what fits. Some folks take a wide off the shelf radiator and cut a hole in an inner wing so a tank can fit through. The left side of my radiator rests against the power steering box (with rubber pad between) and I have just enough space on the right side for the bonnet prop rod assembly and for the passage of the headlamp wiring. This radiator sits inside a rubber padded U channel bolted to the top of the front cross member.
2.5 billion to buy Jaguar Cars. March 15, 1990: Ford introduces the Explorer sport utility vehicle. July 1, 1992: Ford buys 50 percent of Mazda Motor Manufacturing and changes that company's name to AutoAlliance International. June 20, 1993: Ford opens its first dealerships in China. Its brand sales in China increased 46 percent in 2005, though it still lags behind General Motors Corp. Germany's Volkwagen AG in China. April 18, 1993: Ford begins production of the Flexible-Fuel Vehicle (FFV) Taurus. FFVs can burn gasoline, ethanol or mixtures of the two. Despite the fact that there are an estimated 5 million FFVs, there are only about 500 ethanol fuel stations in the country. According to the law, if automakers produce FFVs, they can also produce more of other cars that consume more gas. Aug. 21, 1997: Ford sells the first taxicabs run on natural gas to New York City. August 2000: Bridgestone/Firestone recalls 6.5 million tires after 271 rollover deaths in Ford Explorers. May 2001: Ford Motor unilaterally recalls 13 million more tires and Bridgestone/Firestone dumps Ford as a customer, saying Ford was using the tire maker as a scapegoat to deflect attention from problems with the Ford Explorer. Federal investigators ultimately concluded that tire defects were the main cause of the rollovers. July 11, 2005: Ford's new gas-electric hybrid SUV, the Mercury Mariner, goes on sale. 4,000 more than the gas-only version and has the endorsement of the Sierra Club. Dec. 22, 2005: The United Auto Workers agrees to a deal with Ford in which 99 cents an hour of any future wage increases will go towards a health-care fund. Insurance deductibles will rise by as much as 33 percent, and the costs for current retirees will also go up. 650 million a year. 3 billion in today's prices. 2005: Ford loses market share for the 10th year in a row, and also loses its place as America's best-selling brand to GM's Chevrolet.
