I Absolutely Love My New Mercury Milan

Actually it is chassis version, of a Ford design, first used on a Mazda

mike

Ford builds a far higher percentage of its vehicles in the US than does any other manufacture, with the exception of GM of course.

mike

Jaguar is the premium brand, with Volvo second.

Jeff z

As a percentage of take home price, Toyotas and Hondas retain more of their value.

Of course, if you get more value for the buck for the take home price of a Ford, you're still ahead.

Jeff

On the other hand, the you might be able to buy another car off the lot of the same model for less that value of the car that the dealer wants you to pay to keep the car. The cost of the lease figures in the depreciation of the car's value over the lease. If the car's value goes down more than is accounted for in the lease, then the value of car will be less than what the price to buy the car is in the lease.

jeff

Thats impressive.

What do you do for work Hunter :P

Mike Hunter wrote:

Ok wise man, why then do Lincoln and Mercury exist? Lincoln was once Ford's top-of-the-line brand before the disasterous purchase of Jaguar. What exactly has Ford accomplished with Jaguar? Nothing.

You forgot Aston-Martin which in theory sits above Jaguar.

John

Have any proof Mike, or is this another one of your typical unsourced, unbacked up assertions for which you will simply say that other lesser mortals need to do their own research for?

Everything I read about the Mazda 6 was that primary development happened in Japan and Mazda's facilities. Sure Ford was an investor and was involved perhaps, but you really cannot call it a "Ford design".

John

I read and went 'Huh?' Then realized I'd said the GM hadnt changed for thirty years... obviously it has and I meant that the CV and GM have been twins, for at least that period

In some models GM is a little longer, as Merc insisted on actually having some back seat leg room

The drive home prices for Toyota and Honda are higher, not only the MSRP. So as percentage of the actual drive home price, they are not as good. If I were buying Solara convertibles it would cost my far more every two years. Been there done that, a V6 Solara would cost me $5,000 more than my 2005 Mustang GT V8. NADA lists a 2005 Mustang GT premier convertible, with 15K on the clock, a $30,500, that is thousands more than I paid for the car.

mike hunt

Work? I'm eighty years and old retired. I worked as an engineer for GM, VW and Ford until 1986. Then I was Group Sales Manager for one of the largest mega-dealership groups on the east cost. While doing that a started a fleet service business, that operate in six eastern states, until I sold it in

2000 ;)

mike hunt

That is because you don't know how Fords design teams work, I do. Don't believe everything you read in the buff mags. For years MT has insisted the Escort was Mazda, it wasn't. I was part of various chassis design teams, when I worked at Ford. The last chassis' I worked on was the first Taurus and the last Probe, the 1998, which eventually came to market as the 2000 Mercury Cougar. My degree is in metallurgy, I worked chassis structures, focused on crumple zone designs for the most part..

The GM was not actually longer, but the rear seat was set back an inch and

3/4 because of the more formal roofline and both front and rear ends were different. Eventually the CV was switched to the GM body and the CV body was discontinued. The front end, forward of the 'A' pillar and aft of the 'C' pillar, was always different on each body. Most people did not notice the difference, unless they sat side by side. Lamps, grills and end caps, for example, we not interchangeable.

mike hunt

Lee Iacocca once said calling a chasis based on the K-car chasis (after a few rounds of development) is like calling that ax my grandfather's ax after changing handle three times and the head twice.

As for calling the Ridgeline a truck, it has a unibody construction, which means it has a miuch higher torsional rigity than other trucks. In addition, this gives it better handling and a lot less rattles than regular trucks, according to Business Week.

On the other hand, it is not meant for heavy-duty use. It is meant to be used the way most people use trucks.

If you don't like the Ridgeline, you don't have to buy it.

I am not sure why you seem bothered by the Ridgeline, however. If it's not for you with its smooth ride and torsional rigity, then don't buy it. There are plenty of people who do, however.

Jeff

I never said that Ford accomplished much with Jaguar. Only that it was it premium brand.

Then I was mistaken. Thanks for the correction.

Jeff

Even accounting for this, going out to five or ten years, the used price as a percentage of the take-home price of a car is higher for Toyota and Honda than for the domestics. Not sure about going out 2 or 3 years. You're also not comparing apples to oranges. The Mustang GT is a specialty car, like the Corvetter and Viper. Plus, NADA may not be 100% accurate. You need to compare the Ford Fusion against the Toyota Corrolla for most of us.

Jeff

No, it started life as a Volvo XC70 chassis, which itself was based on the Volvo 850 wagon. That's why there's a Freestyle variant - it's the full wagon version.

D

From what I've been told by some Ford of Europe engineers, it started life as a Mondeo (2nd Generation) which was reworked by Mazda for North America. Ford took the reworked Mazda design, and widened and lengthened it. It is a superb machine, handling far better than my Mercury Mystique verision of the Mondeo or my Mercury Sables. I'd love to make it the replacement for my wife's 2001 Sable, but she has her eye on a Mercury Mariner.

D

It is built on a chassis version, designed by Ford engineers, first used on a Mazda. The Mondeo chassis has no connection, The '07 are available in FWD with a 4cy and a 3.5L V6 and AWD with the 265 HP V6. The 06 V6 was a 3L with 221 HP

mike hunt