HAVE YOU DRIVEN A FORD LATELY?

I have always been partial to Ford products. Maybe it is because of my initial exposure to my childhood friend’s father’s beautiful black 1957 Ford Thunderbird, or my sitting behind the wheel of a new Ford Galaxy 500 at the New York World’s Fair years ago, or because I was always envious of my neighbor’s 1968 Ford Mustang Mach III. For whatever reason, Ford products have always caught my attention.

My appreciation of Fords has not just been admiration from afar, I have owned three over the years. My first was a Thunderbird of my own, followed by a Taurus wagon for the family, and now our current Windstar van (see July’s blog). All have been well designed, serving with near flawless performance. The acronym, Fix Or Repair Daily has not been the case in my experience. While for a variety of reasons my last two cars have been from Honda and Toyota, I am now once again intrigued by Ford.

Despite the doom and gloom of today’s economy, Ford appears to be working towards a position of strength. Its recent sale of Jaguar and Range Rover gave them the needed cash to keep running. Now it is up to their product line to return Ford to profitability, and that is where the fun begins.

My renewed interest in Ford began with the stunning redesign of the Mustang in 2005, rejuvenating the aging brand. Recapturing the style of its best incarnation, the 1968 Mustang, sales and awards quickly followed. It was impressive enough that I almost bought one. Now in its 5th year, my head still turns every time I see one drive by. Fans (and I) anxiously await its next generation due as a 2010.

Ford’s rebirth continued with the launch of the Ford Freestyle in 2005, then the Fusion in 2006.
The Fusion was the first to feature Ford’s now signature sparkling chrome three bar grill. With a sharp looking design, this Accord fighter attracted attention, and sales, immediately. The owners I have asked love them. Ford’s crossover entry quickly followed in 2007 with the Edge; plenty of room, excellent handling, and another design success. A friend of mine says that it’s the best vehicle he has had in years. Now for Ford, it is the much anticipated launch of their new people mover, the Ford Flex.
It is not a mini-van or a crossover, but seats 7 and drives like a car. Print photos do not do it justice. In person, the Flex is impressive. While I have not driven one yet, the reviews in the trades are glowing. NOTE: The Flex was just placed on Consumer Reports' Top 5 list of crossover SUV's.

Ford faced a public relations nightmare following the Explorer rollover/tire debacle a decade ago. While their F150 truck retained its #1 position (until recently), the consumer’s perception of Ford’s safety and reliability was severely tarnished. That perception is now changing. Many of Ford products proudly wear Five Star safety ratings in most categories. JD Power gave the Mustang their endorsement with an excellent high initial quality rating. In response to high gas prices and a pleasing redesign, the Ford Focus is now flying off of dealers’ lots, selling for less money than the Honda Civic. The quality is excellent. Still have doubts about Ford? My company’s fleet of Ford Escapes has been indestructible. One Escape was retired recently after 7 years old and 220,000 miles with no complaints throughout its proud service.

Ford now offers some genuinely interesting choices in its current line-up. With safety and reliability in its pocket, and deals available in this tough economy, this domestic brand is again worth serious consideration. I will take a Flex for my family and a deep red Mustang GT for me (a man can dream can’t he?). Have you driven a Ford lately? I hope to do so again soon.

UPDATE, 10/24/08: Consumer Reports has just released its 2008 Car Reliability Survey and it places most models of all three Ford brands (Ford, Lincoln and Mercury) ahead of all other domestic manufacturers. Based on Consumer Reports’ Readers’ Survey, almost all models received “average or better” reliability results, placing them on the same playing field as its Japanese competitors.

UPDATE, 1/7/09: Consumer Reports' chief car tester, David Champion, has published the following quote: "Ford has been doing a lot right on reliability for the past five years. It's not immediately apparent that the Ford Fusion would be more reliable than the Toyota Camry, but it is, and the Fusion is one of the more reliable family sedans on the market."