Like to explain why our '96 Explorer tranny crapped out last year at 58,000 miles? We performed all the routine maintenance, and tranny maintenance as per the owner's manual. Check out NHSTA and look at the number of complaints for these vehicles. My brother in law has a Windstar that is on it's 3rd engine (head gasket issues - all under warrantee) and is nursing a bad tranmission. I am glad you have had a good experience w/ Ford products and hope you continue to do so. The sad thing is I like our Explorer and would have bought another one if this didn't happen. This was our 1st experience w/ an American made car, and probably our last. My next SUV will be a Nissan, Toyota, or Honda.

 

Back to the ergonomics thing: June 2002 C/D review of 2003 SVT Cobra -- Lows "usual Mustang ergonomics"

 

LOL, your Explorer has been good because it has a lot of highway miles, and you've only had it for 2 years. It hasn't had the chance to fall apart yet. hehe

Just look at Consumer Reports reliability data. Or look at JD Power & Associates long term dependability studies. Why are there hardly any American companies anywhere close to the top of those lists?

As was posted earlier, American auto makers don't make money on selling their cars. They make money on REPAIRing them, and to do that they have to fall apart. My fiance's parents have a 91 Buick Regal that just crossed over 100,000 miles a little while ago. And it was pretty reliable up to that point, which was actually surprising for a GM car. However, the tranny is now on its last legs, everything electrical in the car is failing, brake system failure, window motors are all broken, A/C is completely shot, engine is leaking oil from some seal that would cost $1000 to fix, etc, etc....

Your Explorer may be good now, but don't jinx it

 

OT, but Steve, Are you going to get the MEVI?

It sounds like a pretty simple mod for some NICE gains.

 

Having owned an 87 GT since 1993 and having a bunch of friends in the NESHOC car club (I used to own a 94 SHO) I can certainly say that while not being a BMW on the inside, the Mustang is a ball to drive. I have driven everthing from the underpowered 94-95 Cobras (240 hp) to the all new 03 Cobra, which when I drove one for a friend two weeks ago at New England Dragway I was able to rip a 13.4 @ 106 on street tires with only 2 times behind the wheel. He has since found out it is running rich and yes he has the vibration problem too. I have to say after having driven the new Cobra they should have stayed with the same engine from the 00 Cobra R which was the 5.4 pumping out 385 for HP and TQ. This engine was a lot more fun from what I hear. I wasn't impressed with the 03's blower...it felt very linear and boring like a naturally aspirated Porsche does...I am not complaining of lack of power...just the seat of your pant feeling IMHO.

Lastly, Please don't bash Mustang Owners and say Ridonkulous things like they're dorks and the cars are POS...I am 6' and never bang by head on the my 87 GT, but I have to watch out when I get in and out of my 00 and my wife's 02 MAX...also, the 00 brakes on my MAX leave a lot to be desired and there are plenty of little Idiosyncrasies about the Max that could be better too...much like all cars...lets just praise the Max, as this is a Max forum and not bash everything else like so many other donkeys do on other forums.

 

Again, Mustangs give you good bang for the buck, just like the LS1 Camaros and Firebirds.

The problem with the Mustang is quality control and their $20 dollar interiors. Sorry, but I refuse to pay $35K for a rattle box with a lousy interior just because it has a big *** engine. There are other cars out there, and until American car companies figure out what quality control is, their share of the market will continue it's downward spiral.

 

I tired of this lame A$$ coment. Go drive in an Altima, or many other imports and look at the POS interiors they put out. Don't even get me started on the issues Im having with my 2K2, Paint chips, warped rotors, rear wind noise, vibrating hood, rattling sub. So keep your Japanese engineering where it belongs.

 

I'm 6' 0" and I have never come close to bumping my head on my 02 Maxima, and yes I have the sunroof.

 

I would be the first to complain about lack of quality of mass-produced American cars, but some of you fail to understand that we are talking not about a Ford, or even a Mustang in this case. The Cobra is built in limited numbers by SVT under much higher quality control standards. Do you know that each engine is hand-built by a two-member team who sign their names on the engine?

 

Let nissan, toyota, honda build a 4.6, 5+ liter sportscar engine and theyll be hittin 400+hp easily!without supercharging too! check this out:
http://www.freshalloy.com/site/cars/...ept/home.shtml
American muscle is nonsense. Why do you think they are so dirt cheap?! People dont want them! American sports cars for the most part rely on humongous unrefined, torque-heavy monster engines that resemble truck engines in technology. ironic that until relatively recently, thaeyve used leaf-spring technology on suspension. The japs and euros finally egged american companies to break the 1960's technology barrier 30 years late. Sure theyre fast, thats the only way theyll entice a buyer. Im referring to the firebird/camaro/stang group (though stangs to a lesser degree b/c of their japanese inspired post 1960's technology known as variable valve timing "SVT"!!)Man, i bet if YUGO was still around and had the money, they'd be able to create a 6,7,8,9 liter engine that would be comparable to the "american muscle" They just wouldnt be so stupid this time. Thats exactly the american muscle mentality, a "my engine is bigger than yours" mentality that requires no engineering or technological advancement much less a modicum of design and quality refinement. just "no replacement for displacement" right?.
To those who say japanese cars are "knockoffs" of american cars I have one word..."Zetec"

 

*** edit: clever pic , not appropraite ***


Haven't we already beat this topic up enough??? Just let it go.

 

Speak for yourself buddy. Id take the Cobra over my car anyday.

 

You guys who say ford is junk are idiots!! Ive driven fords all my lfe and ya know what I do??? Go and by a nissan! Let me tell ya I own a 99 ford F250 superduty powerstroke deisel and it rocks! Its never been in the shoop and I have 150000Km on it!. I also have a 2002 Maxima with 20000km on it and it spends more time in the dealership then in my drive way! Ive had it in 8 times to be fixed! Suposedly its my 02 sensor but I think there feeding me BS... And In all i have had it in to the dealer 13 times!!! And dont let me get started about nissan paint! I take my truck up to the farm every weeked on gravel and I have 1 paint chip! And the Maxima has NEVER seen gravel but I have 34 paint chips last count!!! Ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!
And my SES light came on again today so the Maxima is soon going to be traded in! EX: ON MONDAY!

 

All I can say is I am in sales and I am in and out of my car all day long...if I get in (never when getting out)without thinking I will sometimes catch the sun viser... I am not putting my head through the roof or anything and it doesn't happen often...but it does happen...at least to me. My point is that I am open minded enough to realize no car is perfect, and rather than bash this car and that car, lets just try and praise the Max for all its good and figure out a way (as a group) to overcome the not so good. Luckily with the Max the "not so good" is not that much.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Jeff92se
Well with RWD, IRS, ability to run 285mm or larger tires, A SUPERCHARGED 4.6 LITER DOHC V8, I hope to anything holy it BETTER run faster than most anyone here. x 100

[/QUOT

Maximas are tough but let's get real they are front drive and "small motor" sedans.
Got one, but do not mess with the big boys.

 

You are an absolute idiot Newbie. Whenever you would like. I can go borrow my previous 5.0 89 Mustang, that has no NOS or SC , and I will blow anything you own away with it. It ran a 12.5 last timje I ran it. So I hope you can tell me how sh!tty it is !

 

thats exactly the point idiot. I spent the whole last post explaining how american "Sports" cars need either 1000liter engines, s/c, or nos to make those clunkity-hunk-o-junks fast. You got a big engined piece-o-junk man. Im sure its quick. Doestnt change the fact that it smells like sh**, Chugs gas like no tommorow, and has technology from before my grandpa was born. And when i say people dont want them, Im talking about demand and supply folks. If you paid attention, demand is the reason Cobras/camaros are <35k and m3's, other cars have 20-30k markups on them and still draw waiting lists. (even over corvette which is quite respectable i might say) I dont care if YOu want a stinkin cobra!! I care what AMERICA wants, and on average, people dont wants them if theyre more than 35k. ya get it?. So next time you ever wonder why american sports cars are so "cheap", think back to your college econ class discussion about how demand makes prices go up, b/c Ill bet you odds are that the cheap 35k price tag isnt fords charity work to junk-car-fans like you! Ford has to make $$ too.

 

[/B][/QUOT

Maximas are tough but let's get real they are front drive and "small motor" sedans.
Got one, but do not mess with the big boys.

[/B][/QUOTE]

(cough)1996 300ZX Twin Turbo(cough)...(cough)Tuned w/Blitz Boost Controller (cough)...(cough)runs 12s(cough)..Damn Cold!!