I have been commuting in a Ford Windstar minivan for 6 years. I have to say, I love the van. It has been solid and has 124,000 mi. I want to replace it and here is why Edge is in first.

After having driven in the van for six years, when I get in a car I am absolutely claustrophobic. The roof is on my head, my shoulders on the door. I commute from New Jersey into NYC. I definitely like being up higher to see. I like having something substantial around me. I don’t drive windy roads, so comfort and safety is the main thing.

I have two kids, so having a third row would be great, but that is the vehicle my wife drives. Yet, I like the flexibility a CUV offers for space versus a car. I always end up driving the foursome to golf, because they have Mercedes and BMW’s, and can’t fit four guys and clubs and pull carts. They also get in and love the reclining rear seats and leg room. I don’t want to give that up.

I don’t like the Rav because because I don’t like how the rear hatch opens. Wrong direction and in NY, with so much parallel parking, you can’t open the back.

I like the CX-7, but don’t need the handling and don’t want to pay for premium gas.

I am looking at the CV-R because of the room, good size for the city, good gas milage. I don’t really like its looks, and I feel alittle like it is a chick car. Same sort of problem with the Forrester.

Have never liked the Murano.

Would like the Freestyle without the second tier engine and transmission. This is clearly a combo about to disappear.

Most of the others I do like are too expensive, Infinity, Lexus, Acura, all too much money.

Therefore, for a CVU, I think the Edge fits the bill nicely. The glass roof , and the ipod connection are just gravy. The car type of handling without the car claustrophobia. And I do think it is a great looking vehicle.

Thank you for your consideration

Thats the whole point.

Only if Phil is blind in one eye, and cant see out of the other. The WRX is ugly, plain and simple. A nose job here and a tummy tuck there every year by Subuar can’t hide it. The only thing (now that the Aztec is dead) that is worse is Subuaru’s only B9 Tribeca. *Shudder*

The Edge is a great family vehicle, but great for a single guy too. If “Phil” is out cruising for chicks (or guys? LOL), they’re going to find him more of a resnponsible man for driving this Edge and not some slammed, riced out, loud, slow, ulgy Honda Civic. The Edge doesnt sceam “FAMILY!” like a Caravan, but it does say “hey, I could be a family guy..”.

It’s not aimed at you.

It’s aimed at young folks pre-kids and “empty nest boomers.”

The Fairlane will be for you.

But then the Freestyle is there, and it works for what I’d want in such a vehicle. Of course, it’ll work better if they fit the 3.5 and tighten up the suspension a bit.

On the floorpan thing, the CX-7 supposedly draws quite a bit from the Mazda3/5, with some Mazda6 bits as well, while the CX-9 and Edge are based more on the Mazda6.

Why did Mazda go through the expense of engineering two different platforms for the 7 and 9? Beats me. They don’t have a ton of resources to play with.

I guess on the bright side we can look for a return of the Falcon, Futura & Fairmont!

John

Gerry Seinfeld I ain’t.

And what the **** is it that causes Ford to keep throwing away product names and inventing new ones, which names also have a cutsie thematic element. Apparently all Ford SUVs start with “E” and all Ford cars start with “F”. How many overpaid marketing idiots did it take to come up with such irrelevant nonsense.

Ford is a company which is deeply in love with only itself; a form of group narcisim which is slowly but surely eating the company alive.

Edge, Explorer, Excursion, Expedition

Fusion, Five-Hundred, Freestar, Freestyle, Focus …. Freaky!

Mercury seems to be getting it on with the letter “M”: Milan, Montego, Mariner, Monterey …. Moribund!

If these people can’t even take brand history and product naming seriously how are customers supposed to think they take the product or customer service seriously. Maybe all customers will be given new names starting with “C”!

I guess we now understand why the Taurus had to first be maimed and then be killed; Taurus starts with T and cannot be a Ford automobile!

She is probably in the bulls-eye of the previous SUV demo. Give her a high driving position, enough power, leather, luxury-type appointments, solid feel, and she’s happy.

We’ve had many discussions about the less-than-perfect driving and tipping dynamics. I would have to pry the keys out of her hands.

Maybe this Edge will appeal to this demo just fine, when they’re ready to ease out of their SUV’s.

I’m not sure if it is too late. Time will tell, but this Crossover market might just be heating up.

That’s what Ford is betting on, at any rate.

Enough to save Ford? Or does the company have enough other (hopefully very desirable) product in the chute?

“Suspension tuning and good workmanship on the frame give the Edge an almost Honda-like solidity and tautness.”

Now, is that a compliment or what!!! Death Watch be damned! Har har! (that’s sarcasm, by the way).

I believe my regular glasses are polarized, so I did not notice the glare.

Fairer, fuller disclosure — Mr. Neil did not notice the giant silver reflective batwings on the steering wheel in the Saab 9-3 which do in fact create tons of dangerous glare.

So…

And Seth — I hardly trashed the vehicle.

Full disclosure, boys.

Wow.. and you still trashed the vehicle *grin*

Aw, and I like Dave and Phil. They were such a cute couple.

Who’s getting the kids, er, the schnauzers? And who gets the Edge?

For some reason I don’t see very many Ford Five Hundreds, Freestyles, or Mercury Montegos around. I’m sure they would have sold better if they had had the 3.5 liter V-6 available from day one. Can’t wait until they offer it in these vehicles.

I don’t even see many Ford Fusions, Mercury Milans, or Lincoln Zephyrs around. They sure do not seem to be the hit Ford was hoping for.

I, personally, don’t like jello-SUVS but this works. It does indeed have presence.

August, 2006 was the best Mustang month in over 25-years.

The new ‘Stang is monster hit for Ford.

What’s special about this vehicle and how and why should I be excited about it? Is there anyone in the world who’s job isn’t hanging on the success of this vehicle who is excited about it?

Those are the questions Ford needs to ask themselves about all of their vehicles.

I saw a new V6 Mustang today. Whoopdy do. Are we excited?

I saw a mint Buick Grand National at a light yesterday. Huge Mickey Thompson Drag Radials in the back. He got about half way across the intersection before I could audibly hear his turbo spool up(indicates it was likely a larger then stock turbo considering the spool time and the sound level(loud)).

Those cars were an absolute freak of nature. 3500 lbs, full frame, turbo V6, 200R4 trans…

Stock, it ran high 13’s? Basically just crank up the boost and your in the 12’s? A turbo upgrade and a few other small mods and in the 11’s. 10’s is where it starts to get expensive.

When they built those ‘84-’87 Buicks, did they ever imagine what those vehicles were really capable of?

When Toyota built those ‘93-’98 Supras, did they know how easy they could be made to have over 1,000hp?

An electric Lotus is pretty exciting…

http://www.teslamotors.com/ (it’s different at least) (sort of fast too…)

What if the Edge was electric, faster then the new Mustang, got 150 miles a charge, and was the same price? Any takers?

If the Edge had a 450+hp turbo V6?

600hp 5.4 mod motor?

Maybe it just comes down to we don’t want/need the Edge in our life? I get by without it(and will continue to do so)(though I am most likely not their target market).

When the 1964.5 Mustang came out; that was a pretty exciting time. Remember the marketing blitz/ad campaign that went on for that car on both TV and print? Those cars were everywhere! Most exciting thing that happened in years. And those fresh product updates/changes/refinements(kept things exciting and from going stale):

1964.5-1966 – All the same and a good run.

67-68 – really nice.

69-70 – nice, different, and fresh.

71-73 the fastback was nice. Still can’t stomach the coupe.

74-78 – Might not have been so bad had they not had those crap motors in them(not a prob for me though).

79-93 Good cars(for gear heads/drag racers), pretty insane model run. I’ve got an ‘87, but if it ever got stolen or destroyed, I’d get a ‘79 cause it’s the lightest one they ever made! Or if all these cars run out, I’d get a newer(sadly heavier), more available and more aerodynamic model.

94-95 the bastard child of mustangs. New body, old motor.. (and stock, it was heavier and slower(less power) then the 1993’s!)

96-04 all the same to me. Doesn’t matter what motor is in it cause it’s coming out and mine is going in!

05-07 Tanks!! Absolute tanks. Ford, why does it have to weigh so much! Are the aerodynamics better/worse/same then the 04? Are these “mod motors” really better/simpler/cheaper/superior then the older style V8? Them Chevy boys have a wicked little push rod motor in their last gen Camaro/Trans ams/Fire-birds!

Where did I read yesterday that Ford is going to run these current models unchanged until 08 or so? If these cars aren’t selling well today, they sure aren’t any time soon. What would change and how to make these cars sell? They can’t and won’t in their current state.

Suggestion:

2 suspension options for every model car and truck(springs is all I’m asking for!): Performance(stiff) and cruising/touring/commuting(soft).

3 motor options for every car and truck:
Extreme economy, standard, extreme performance.

Colors: Ability to order any custom custom color. Here is how you make this economical for you. Say I want a Sonic Blue F150. You buy some Sonic Blue paint in your normal volume, you paint an entire run of trucks with that color to use it all up. You send me my Sonic Blue F150, and distribute the rest out through normal channels.

Exterior refinements: When you make front and rear clips and front fenders, how long do the molds/dies last? When it’s time to replace the worn out one, tweak or redo it slightly to change it up!

Don’t sell the exact same vehicle for an entire decade. Change it up a bit:

http://www.mrbodykit.com/

Not a lot, just a little.