[Shotimes] First look at the new 500

[alfitz@alfitz.com]

IMHO, VW has brought it on itself with their lousy service, high priced
parts and probably the worst warranty in the business.


Al Fitz
alfitz@alfitz.com

GET YOUR YAMAHA-SHO EMBLEMS AT:
http://www.alfitz.com/sho/yamaha-emblems.htm

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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ron Porter" <ronporter@prodigy.net>
To: <shotimes@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, October 06, 2004 10:51 AM
Subject: RE: [Shotimes] First look at the new 500


> The styling (500 & Freestyle) is the most bland & boring that I have ever
> seen!! The grills look like something that I would cobble up in my garage
> with Home Depot parts.
>
> It is technically not the Taurus replacement, although it was going to be
> built at the plants that built the Taurus until they gave Hapeville a
> reprieve at the Taurus will live on for a little bit.
>
> It's like they allowed a bunch of the stylists' kids to design them!!
After
> having great styling on other cars (as well as the Taurus), IMHO they have
> seriously missed the boat WRT the competition in that price segment for
> style and performance. They should at least have made all of them AWD,
> instead of having an option.
>
> I'm driving one of the cars in that price range, and the 500/Freestyle
would
> not even be on my radar screen for $30K.
>
> BTW, VW is having a bunch of trouble just staying afloat. Looking more &
> more like they may hire Wolfgang Bernhard at VW:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/4v3ou
>
> Ron Porter
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net [mailto:shotimes-admin@autox.team.net]
> On Behalf Of kerbyh@netzero.net
> Sent: Wednesday, October 06, 2004 8:01 AM
> To: dmall@mwonline.net
> Cc: shotimes@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: [Shotimes] First look at the new 500
>
>
> I haven't seen one in person, but I think they are really banking on the
> wagon/SUV version, and the car is an afterthought.  But neither one have
> enough power to make it big time.  If this is the car to save Ford, I
wonder
> when VW will end up buying them?
>
> Kerby
>
> -- Donald Mallinson <dmall@mwonline.net> wrote:
> Replacement for the Taurus?
>
> Huge step forward from the Taurus?
>
> Well my first look up close at the new 500 was underwhelming
> to say the least.
>
> At first impression the car seems HUGE!  Very tall, long and
> wide.
>
> First impression at getting into the car is "where did they
> hide all the extra room?".
>
> Less headroom by far than in the Gen III SHO at least, seats
> in front are very narrow compared to any year SHO, and
> positively skinny by typical Taurus or any other mid/full
> size car I can think of.
>
> Overall fit/finish inside is not a big step forward, but it
> does seem at least as good as my '96.
>
> Outside, my '96 has much better fit/finish than the 500.
> Usually after 2-3 years of stamping you start to see waves
> in the bodies as the dies get wear/tear.  If that is so,
> then the new 500 will look like a lake surface on a windy
> day after a year or two.  Rear quarter panels have massive
> waves (compared to the quality you would expect today).
>
> Paint quality was iffy, with much more orange peel than I
> remember in any Gen III Taurus (I am not that familiar with
> the Gen IV Taurus, or gen III if you count they way Ford does).
>
> The trunk was huge, and if I could play 8 games of golf at
> once, I would love the new car.
>
> For now I am waiting to see what else Ford comes up with,
> because this isn't the big step forward that I was led to
> believe.
>
> Didn't get a chance to drive the new one today, so I will
> have to reserve that evaluation for later.
>
> Others get a chance to see this car yet?
>
> Don Mallinson
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