Its funny how much people say ford is a p.o.s. well working on the force for a couple of years i have to come to disagree. My partner is a "mopar or no car" guy and after showing him this youtube clip he I work mainly with fords and let me tell you something guys (no car is really bullet proof strong) but working on fords is the best... We just got a couple of charger (as patrol cars) and i thought alot of my family members own chrystlers and tell me a lot of bad stuff about them. Anyways enjoy...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=VFW2owoXgwQ

 

Silliness.

I could make the same horror show video with Fords or GMs, or any other manufacturer. People who say "Ford sucks" are no dumber than people who say "Chevy sucks" or "Chrysler sucks." And none of them can hold a candle to Japanese and German cars in build quality, so why bother comparing them?

Brand loyalty is boring, and just another way for the insecure to try to find some semblance of status in their lives. There are great and exciting cars and trucks being built by many manufacturers. Open-mindedness is much more interesting.

 

Can't agree with you more Tim. Jap and german cars as far as reliability.
The only reason I like working on fords is because thats what our station normally uses. I have gotten use to them. I do some mechanical work sometimes for them but usually try to leave it to the real mechanics.

(the only reason i put the video is out of humor)

 

I wouldn't touch a German car. They're electrical nightmares.

 

lol

 

Yeah i also agree, some of those german cars are nice (bmw 745i, mercedez sl500 amg) but once something goes bad normally something very high tech. You can kiss all that money that you saved good bye. Rather stick to cheap american muscle.

 

How about a 425 HP American V8 mated to a Mercedes E-class tranny, driveline, steering, and suspension?

 

I do not consider myself brand loyal. My father is loyal to GM, and it rubbed off on me some. I purchased GMs while in High School, and still living with my parents. After I got married I bought my 1st new car. It was for my wife, and a dodge. That car was nothing but trouble. I told myself I would never buy a dodge again.

I have since owned 2 Chevy's, 5 Fords, 1 Toyota (wife's dodge replacement & she is still driving it today) and a Honda. Other then the Honda I had no major problems not caused by my own modifications. Last year I started looking for a diesel, and after many recommendations for the Cummings I bought a dodge. Over this past year I've had the ac, dash cluster, and driver side mirror replaced under warranty. At least the motor is not built by dodge, because the way it's going that will be the only thing that I don't replace.

 

Ditto.

Like Ford hasn't had a recall or two lately

From the cruise control recall letter...
"This condition may result in a vehicle fire, even if the vehicle is parked"

 

That WAS true. It's not anymore. The US makers have gotten better. Ford is now very close to Toyota and better than the Germans in "build quality" (actually it's termed initial quality). I believe Honda is still the #1 initial quality manufacturer.link

There are other "quality" measures such as reliability, appeal, dependability, etc. which can show more of a gap but the gaps are narrowing in virtually all measures.

 

Auto Racism. Can't we all just get along? LOL

 

I don't disagree.

I think the initial build quality gap is closing because them dam ferners are now using the same crappy American labor to build their cars.

The other gaps are closing because American car manufacturers are learning supply chain lessons from the Japanese. Imagine that -- Americans copying the Japanese. The world is surely ending.

I still prefer "American" cars (like any of them are still built in the U.S.), but there are lots of cool cars out there. Even Lexus is getting into the factory hot rod game.

 

Too bad Ford continues to style their vehicles for 60 year olds, minus the Mustang and maybe the Edge..

 

So leaving work tonight, I have my $47,000 300C SRT8 parked next to a stripper 3-series Beemer. In fit and finish, the low-line Beemer blows away Chrysler's top-of-the-line 300C.

• The Beemer's seams line up with typical German precision. The 300C, not so much.
  
• The Beemer's moldings and gaskets are perfectly aligned and flat. Almost none on the 300C are. Not to mention the SRT8 rear spoiler, which I am convinced was applied by a marginally trained primate.
  
• Oh yeah, and the Beemer isn't leaking tranny fluid from an easily remedied main seal defect that DCX has known about for years, but inexplicably has not implemented a fix.

There is just an element of build quality that continues to elude American carmakers.

But the 300C is a prime example of American cars getting better. The chassis is pleasingly stiff, the interior panels line up nicely, and the doors shut with an almost-German "thunk" (especially when compared to the $&^#*ing cheesy sound of the Lightning doors, which sound cheap just when opening the door handle).

I hope for the best for all American car manufacturers. I'm just as happy to see the new Challenger and Camaro as I was to see the new Mustang.

 

maybe one day i too will appreciate correctly lined panels, solid shutting doors and a quiet interior. but for now, a vehicle that has A/C, a stereo and an engine that doesn't require dropping down two gears to hold the speed limit on any hills on CA freeways is a luxury to me.