os121

AMEN Brother !!! Mustangs Rock !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :worship:

FrankBullitt05

I sat in the '05 with the IUP, and the quality of the materials was definetely on par with German cars. The seats are an easy match to my uncle's 2003 AMG S55, and the dashboard was, dare I say, better than my 2000 VW. Ford has really stepped up to the plate in terms of making quality interiors, and with Mazdas being built on the next line over, you know its being built to Japanese standards.

ponyboy66

Observing some of the posts, its obvious there are a lot of the younger generation here. Not there is anything wrong with that. It's just some of you guys grew up with a major influence of foreign cars, some of us older folks didn't. It's like comparing Shaquel O’Neil to Sammy Sosa and asking who the better player is. Well if you played basketball as a kid and never got into baseball guess who would win? The mustang represents what a lot of as are. I don't mean that we like them necessarily because they are fast, or they have fancy. Primped interiors. It's what we grew up with. It was the car that we took our first dates out in. It's the car that all our buddies piled in and went looking for girls or fights at the drive-in with. It represents our formable years. The mustang, purely and simply, is who we are. That will never change for some of us. Certainly not for me.
All the above stated of course IMHO.

bdunosk

Of course it's your IMHO, you said it!

I agree, there's tons of history surrounding the Mustang. What excites me is that the American brands are making a run for the top. Remember that JD Powers recently ranked them as more reliable than the Germans. Honestly, in a time when there's so much turmoil in the world and it seems like a lot of people are ripping America, it's just nice to see the "big three" rallying around an icon that this country grew up with - the car. It's a small source of national pride, and I really hope this Mustang is a small part of our history we can rally around as being #1.

Robert

Yeah, of course you're right. My mistake.

This gets to the core of what I'm trying to say. People who may have always WANTED a Mustang but bought imports because the quality was better are waiting for better quality from Ford. Ford MUST deliver to increase market share among those buyers.

Well, actually, if you check, they don't. And I'm not a big BMW fan.

Let me tell you what I don't understand about that: I'm old enough to remember when a 1967 Mustang was as well built - or better built - than ANY BMW. As I stated before, we used to build the best cars in the world. That began to change in the mid-70s. During the period of cheap gas, the big three began building "disposable" cars that people were expected to replace every four years. Suddenly, the price of oil began to spike up. Shortly thereafter the imports entered the picture, building smaller, more fuel efficient cars with less of the "built in obsolesence" that was becoming a hallmark of American build quality between 1975-1980 (a pattern we're only now beginning to address). So for the past 25-30 years we've been getting our clocks cleaned on our own continent. Frankly, I'm sick of it and see no reason for it.

WHY can an Acura TL be designed and built in the United States to have far superior quality interiors to anything coming from the big three? It's NOT a price-point issue either, so get that out of your head right now. The Thunderbird and Lincoln LS were FILLED with cheap bits, and they're more expensive than the better equipped Acura TL. (Oh, and if you check Consumer Reports or Edmunds.com, you'll see that reliability and customer satisfaction on the TL is waaay higher too.)

That's exactly why Ford has been losing money. No company can survive by adopting a "status quo" business strategy. I'm in business for myself, so I know. Businesses are like sharks. If they don't keep moving forward, they sink and die. When you're a vehicle manufacturer the size of Ford, and 50% of your corporate revenue is being generated by ONE vehicle (a pickup truck) you've got problems.

A few points:

1. The imports are gaining a bigger foothold all the time. Toyota and Honda both build better quality vehicles right here in North America. Why can't we?

2. Ford USED to be the number two automaker in the world. Most experts now rank them at number three; they've lost out to Toyota. Why? Because they're not selling as many vehicles proportionately. Why? Because they're getting the tar beaten out of them quality-wise. Why? Because the tradtional North American model of selling tons and tons of less expensive, cheaper quality products and turning them over more often (there's that "built in obsolesence" thing again) ISN'T WORKING ANYMORE! It's a whole new world with a whole new paradigm. (Ford's in Europe are better built. What does that tell you?) No insult, but the current generation Mustang has one of - it not the - worst quality interiors in the automotive industry. In fact, it's overall build quality is worse than a 20 year-old Toyota! Enthusiasts and devotees who want cheap bang for the buck will still buy them, but in a global market with severe competition, it's hard to get new market share with that kind of a strategy. (And again, the 60s Mustangs didn't suffer from these kinds of problems.)

3. Ford has been in financial difficulties for the past few years. Why? See # 2 above.

4. A friend of mine sells Toyotas and wishes he had a dollar for every time a customer has come in and told him a domestic horror story. All too often they say: "We'll never buy another domestic vehicle again." These stories are backed up by the stats of Consumer Reports. As if that wasn't evidence enough, he has a friend who sells Fords, and remarks that the salespeople there are unhappy with the quality of the products they sell.

THAT SAID, I see reason for hope. I think the new Mustang is a step in the right direction. And I'd like to see Toytota design and build a car the caliber of the GT in 24 months! (Well, actually, the probably could.) Ford seems to be adopting a can-do attitude, and I remain optimistic. I've wanted a "real" Mustang since I fell in love with those late 60s models way back. Now, finally, perhaps we have a genuine spiritual decendant to carry the baton.

But, yeah, I would like a few extra goodies, because the imports have spoiled us by providing them at a reasonable cost. So why can't we? Maybe that's the next step. Let's just get the quality up to snuff first.

Man, I hope you're right, but I doubt Accord Couple customers are the Mustang's target demographic. I also think it'll be tough to get back customers who may have been burned once already in the domestic arena. Oh, and given the SN-95's current interior quality, you need a lot more than a "LITTLE boost" in quality, trust me.

Precisely. And it ought to worry companies like Ford.

Less material...less plastic?? I don't know what you mean here. The import plastic is vastly superior in most cases, and I certainly don't undersand how a well built car is "less."

I'm hopin'.

That sounds like an honest appraisal. 2000 VW Jettas actually had fairly good quality interiors so if the new 'Stang is better, that's cause to celebrate.

Now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about. I'll now say, "amen."

StevenJ

That's great and all but I think you are forgetting about the late 80's and early 90's when Ford was on a roll. Anyone remeber the late 80's Taurus? It was a quality car that saved the company. My dad owned an early 90's Taurus, which later went to my grandma. Ofcourse it all got screwed up when some idiot by the name of Nasser was highered. I'll let someone else explain. I also own an Accord. They are not perfect. I have door seals that fell off on the back right passanger door and my passanger side mirror shakes violently at highway speeds. It's an 03' model btw. I had a Sable before that. I actually perferred it a good bit more. Thoose 3l Duratechs are strong motors. Too bad I crashed it though.....

Tony Alonso

I have a few questions, based on your statements -

1) What specifically did you think were "cheap bits" in the T-Bird and Lincoln LS? My quick impressions from looking at the cars were that their interiors were attractive.

2) I am curious as to what interior you think is "best" and "worst", given that there are over 200 different vehicles on sale in North America.

3) Why do you say the build quality is worse than a 20-year Toyota? Are you talking about the gaps between panels, the alignment, the paint durability, etc?

4) What makes "import plastic" superior? Is is the grain, the feel, the color?

In general, when I hear these statements, I wonder what specific aspects about quality form the impression. I've read many Nissan 350Z owners complain about the "cheap looking interiors" in their cars. As I've studied it, they appear reasonable.

I've been in BMWs, Infinitis, Porsches, Audis, VWs, and Mercedes Benzes. I see certain aspects in each that might contribute to the overall perception. I've also sat in a number of '05 Mustangs and found interior to be aligned better and the materials to be improved from the current car. I've seen aspects which cause me to form the "great interior" opinion.

I look forward to additional clarification - thanks!

PS - On a tour of the AAI facility in April, it was quite apparent that the level of automation and the assembly line ergonomics was vastly upgraded from the Dearborn plant. Those alone lead me to believe the new car will be great.

38special

:flag2: :flag2: :flag2: :flag2: :flag2:

I for one do not forget that Americans who work for FORD should drive a FORD.

Touring one of their factories in the 80's made me very angry at their work force. The employees parking lots were filled with Japanese cars

Buy American means nothing to some. It may not be important to you, but if you want to become a nation of shopkeepers and hamburger flippers, keep buying foreign stuff.

With that said. Quality issues is the excuse people use to S@#T on their country.



What quality assurance do you get from an employee who drives the competition?
No doubt that Ford's robot spot welders are loyal Americans!

If I am ranting, do not ask me why stores and restaurants now force you to go out the LEFT side of their doors. I've been told that it is a immigration Latino thing.

Robert

First of all, I just want to clarify that I'm not trying to start a fight with anyone. I merely want to generate some healthy discussion that might spurn the domestic automakers to retake the quality crown from our highway-infested imports.

I'll tell you, specifically. For example, in the T-Bird, take a look at the sun visors. They are cheap, flimsy cardboard with poor quality cloth covering them. And the central console and radio are similarly cheap looking in both aesthetic design and execution; the radio with simple, ugly green (IMHO) primitive LED digital readouts. The T-Bird cost $60K here in Canada and wasn't even available with NAV or xenon headlamps. The Infiniti G35 couple had better assembly quality, better paint, and many more options - including the aforementioned - and cost $51K here in Canada. Gee, I wonder why the T-Bird didn't sell very well?

The Lincoln LS suffered from the same uninspired, generic-looking center stack and cheap-looking center gauges. Also, a friend of mine - with very little effort - accidentally pulled the entire driver's headrest straight up and out of its assembly. As it tumbled to the floor, he just looked at me and shrugged, wondering if that might accidentally happen in an impact.

Both of the above cars, while having great seats, used many plastic pieces that felt rough, hard and cheap to the touch.

I would rank Chevy Cavaliers and SN-95 Mustangs amongst the worst. The best? That's easy. Audi sets the bar. Have a look at any Audi, from the A4 all the way up to the new A8 and you'll see what I mean. The richness of the plastics and the way the engineers have taken great pains with the aesthetic ergonomics are truly inspired. On the other hand, too bad Audi's have worse than average reliability.

Again, easy. Compare the interiors of a current SN-95 Mustang and a 1987 Supra - side by side - and the difference in quality is brutally self-evident. External differences are not quite so dramatic, but here too, I would give the nod to the Japanese car on the very points you mention: paint, panel gaps, etc. We own a 1986 Toyota Celica GTS (unbelievably well made and reliable vehicles), and I find it astonishing that the current Stang's interior is dramatically inferior.

All of the above. Domestic plastic feels rougher, thinner, harder and reminiscent in texture of plastics used 20 years ago (many GM interiors have Playschool-style ***** and buttons). The imports are using smoother, softer, richer-feeling plastics - and do a MUCH better job at integrating the whole interior as an ensemble and making certain that the different textures are applied to the appropriate locations. They are also better at highlights and detailing of interiors, not to mention interior panel gaps. IMHO, the weak point in the new Mustang is the center stack. It's all black (no highlights), the radio looks cheap, and the plastic looks hard and flimsy with sharp edged surfaces flanking the console.

Yup, many of the Nissans have cheap looking interiors too. That's not an import brand that impresses me in that regard. Exterior fit and finish on the Z car is pretty impressive, though.

Me too. Mercedes' leave me rather uninspired, to be honest. And the new BMW interior designs look like the designer was smoking crack at the time, IMHO. I hope the new Mustang interior is better. But I believe it has to be MUCH better than the current car to win converts and compete with the imports, "cause the current car has one of the cheapest, ill-fitting interiors of any vehicle on the road" - and that's a quote from a close friend of mine who actually owns one!

You're welcome. Hope this helps. Again, I don't want to offend anyone. I just want better quality domestic cars so we have a legitimate alternative to the imports.

My fingers are crossed cause I really do want one!

Robert

Dude, what does that tell you?!

You should read the following (from Edmunds.com), cause it just ain't that simple anymore:


Import vs. Domestic

What is an American car?

Pop quiz time: which of the following is the American car?

1. The coupe designed, engineered and assembled in America.

2. The hatchback designed and engineered in Europe but assembled in Mexico.

3. The sedan styled in America but designed, engineered and assembled in Germany.

4. The upscale convertible designed, engineered and assembled in Europe.

5. The sports car designed, engineered and assembled in America.

To properly answer this question, you must have a clear-cut idea defining an American car, because "all of the above" or "none of the above" are both realistic responses. These days, with mergers, acquisitions and controlling interests muddying the picture, it is getting quite difficult to determine what is to be considered a domestic car and what is to be considered an imported car.

Government regulators at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) say that a domestic car is one that contains 75 percent or more parts content sourced in the United States or Canada. But that means that some Japanese-brand models are technically "American" cars. Patriotic consumers wishing to support American business often claim that if the profits on the car go to an American company, then it is a domestic car. So that means a Volvo (Ford) is "American" and a Dodge (Daimler) is not?

Continued globalization of the auto industry means defining what is an American car and what is an imported car is sometimes impossible. Nearly a decade ago, costly federal legislation was passed requiring auto manufacturers who sold cars in the United States to post a "domestic content label" in the window of every new vehicle. This label showed what percentage of parts were sourced from the U.S. and other countries, and was intended to give consumers a fair understanding of how "American" their set of dream wheels might be.

Recently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted research to see if these domestic content labels were making an impact on car buyers. According to the NHTSA, only one out of every twenty consumers looked at the labels, and most didn't even know they existed.

Now, let's try to answer the question posed above by discussing the vehicles described:

1. Toyota Camry Solara. Though some engineering on this vehicle was handled in Japan, Toyota's Technical Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, played the starring role in the development of the Camry Solara. It was styled by Toyota's California design studio and is assembled in Georgetown, Kentucky. Profit made on the sale of a Camry Solara goes to Toyota, but thousands of Americans collect paychecks for creating this vehicle. Is it American or import?

2. Ford Focus ZX3. Ford of Europe designed and engineered the Focus, and the ZX3 model sold in the U.S. is assembled in Hermosillo, Mexico. Profit made on the sale of a Focus ZX3 goes to Ford Motor Company, but few Americans collect paychecks for the creation of the vehicle. Is it American or import?

3. Cadillac Catera. Based upon the Opel Omega MV6 and assembled in Russelsheim, Germany, the Catera is a European sedan through and through. Designed and engineered in Europe by Adam Opel AG, the Catera's styling was penned at GM's Warren, Michigan, world headquarters. Few Americans collect paychecks for the creation of this vehicle. Is it American or import?

4. Volvo C70 Convertible. This drop-top version of the Volvo C70 Coupe, a joint-effort project between the Swedish automaker and Britain's Tom Walkinshaw Racing, was designed and engineered in Europe. It is assembled in Uddevalla, Sweden. Ford owns Volvo, so profits go to an American car company, but few, if any, Americans collect a paycheck due to its creation. Is it American or import?

5. Dodge Viper GTS. C'mon, this American icon's gotta be full-blooded red, white and blue, right? That depends on how you define an American car. Dodge is a brand underneath the DaimlerChrysler AG corporate umbrella. DaimlerChrysler AG is a German company, so profit made on the sale of a Viper goes overseas. However, it was designed and engineered in the U.S., and is hand-crafted in Detroit, Michigan, allowing many Americans to collect paychecks on the creation of the Viper. Is it American or import?

It's not so easy to tell the difference between an American or import car these days, is it? The result, supported by the research conducted by the NHTSA, is that lots of people have stopped worrying about where the car came from and are more concerned about getting the car that best serves their needs, regardless of its origin or whether the profits flow overseas. Those who are concerned about such things can truly buy American if they conduct thorough research — the Saturn S Series is full-blooded Yank, for example (but not the Opel-based L Series, so be careful!).

Import vs. domestic quality? Well, there’s plenty of common myths here, too. For example, based on annual owner surveys conducted by Consumer Reports, a publication produced by Consumers Union, a Honda Passport is not likely to be as reliable as a Ford Explorer, but a Honda Accord is expected to be dramatically more durable than a Ford Taurus. Of course, when it comes to full-size pickups, well, the Ford F-150 is the best selling vehicle in the world, and well built, too. Guess Ford’s doing something right there. Historically, Hyundais and Kias have not been as well built as Chevys and Dodges. And Buicks consistently rank amongst the most reliable mid and full size vehicles on the road today.

Robert

Don't you mean to say that if my country is consistently peddling inferior quality products to make a few executives rich, that my country is S@#TING on ME?!

Dan

Sooo...about the 05 interior plastic quality.....maybe we'll take a break from nationalism and politics for a while eh?

ManEHawke

I think it rocks, and people over-analyze.

kevinb120

I spend a lot of time in a lot of cars, name it, I've been in them new, and with 50k miles on them. You give a lot of imports WAY too much credit. And as for quality at its core and where it comes from? Its the ratio of money invested in development and quality control versus what the manufacturer figures in as its 'cost' before profit. Meaning, if you sell a product that is say 25k retail, 22k dealer cost, and 16k mfg. "cost" (as an average over the platform's full run before redesign-about 5 years) and comparing it to what you get. You can look at a vehicle in detail and determine if they truly 'spent' what its 'cost' is per unit, and how often it’s updated. The Mustang had become the epitome of not making the cut, it was reliable, sporty enough to live with, and had enough following to keep its cult status, and Ford just let it run on........and on.........and on...... Not to say that there are not imports like this. All Mitsubishi are like this, but other ones like CRV, Corolla, Sentra, 4runner, Frontier and more come to mind. They are built well, but are quite long in the tooth as far as value vs cost. You're buying a well-built, but outdated car.

In the case of some of Ford's newer models, such as Expedition and F-150-if you look clearly at the overall product, Ford spent MORE then they needed to achieve a believable level of value to its retail consumer. Overall engineering, quality, and quantity of materials used, such as actual body panel and frame component thickness, quality and thoroughness in welding and build techniques, quality of unseen items like bushings, brake components, insulation, quality of electrical components-even harness connectors are MUCH higher then its competitors from Japan. One shortcoming to the average image-conscious American buyer however, is that Ford spent too much money on hardware then interior/visual software, which is much cheaper. Import SUV's in particular skimp on the U big time and put a ton of cheap(but 'cool') gimmicks in them, and it works to sell units. Japanese companies capitalize on our buying vehicles to show how cool the thing looks to carpool buddies rather then any real ability to do what it theoretically was designed to do-like ummmmm go off-road or tow 'WOW, COOL! THE NAV TALKS!

As far as the nuts and bolts of the Exped/F-series; Sequoia/Tundra are not EVEN CLOSE at the elemental level of vehicle construction, they are actually about 10 years behind with riveted-tack welded unboxed frames(versus gap-free full welds, full through frame double welded crossmembers, hydroformed and of nearly double thickness frame rails), live axles(versus heavy duty fully independent double wishbones on the exped-and an exponentially larger live axle on the F), cheap stamped suspension bits(versus Fords cast aluminum bits), basic rubber bushings and isolators (versus tuned hydro-bushings), multi piece stampings with spot welds(versus single piece bodyside stampings, two piece doors twice as thick, sandwich 'quiet-steel' engine bulkheads). I could put an F-series and a Tundra on a lift and point out well over 100 short cuts on the Tundra underneath the truck. I GUARANTEE you can not point out something under a Tundra that in ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM outclasses the F-series. I have seen the core frames off of the vehicles and they are laughable, actually quite scary to see how insufficient they are. Sure they can make pretty plastic parts for the interiors and stick a few more gizmos in the sequoia, that's the cheap way out. Interior quality between the two is more of personal taste then of quality, although the F-series looks 15 years newer-F-series is on par with Acura products on fit and finish. Sequoia is a little closer to Exped overall, but there is no comparison to interior volume and of course its third row seat, Exped has the best in the business by a long shot, and everything is beefier(as in the bits under the leather). The debate between an F-series engine and a Tundras is up for debate all day long, but each have its strong points. All of the 3v's strong points will favor use in a truck though. Toyota makes sure its as difficult as possible to actually USE a tundra AS a truck, so its difficult to exploit its deficiencies. Although on paper its a lot tougher. In magazines you would think that the Tundra would make a good pickup, but in reality there is a reason why you do not see them in commercial use unless its a foreman's personal ride. Its not a BAD vehicle, its just NOT a real truck by any stretch.

I thought the Titan was going to be a more worthy competitor then it turned out to be, other then the engine which is fantastic in the Nissan, there is nothing remotely close to F-series. It’s a cheap copy in every way, down to the elemental construction techniques. They do go for the gimmicks though. I've spent quite a bit of time in them, and under a few in the shop, I have yet to find a reason someone would choose one over an F-series. Maybe in 7 years they can redo the platform and try again.

The main point is that F-series goes WAY beyond the effort needed to justify its price and 'get away with it' with consumers. And in typical fashion, already selling over half a million units, rebates are beginning to appear as costs are offset, even though there is no need to do it at all to sell the truck. There is considerably building interest almost measurable by the week for the truck. Ford did not miss a single trick with this one, I have sold at least 80 of them and have not had a SINGLE issue with any of them in 9 months. I have not seen ONE break a single part in the entire dealership yet, I walk the shop daily, and every single one that has gone on a lift has been up for an oil change, its absolutely amazing. Not an electrical glitch, not a rough idle, not a vibration or interior rattle or noise, NOTHING. Ford covered every base and spent three years making its staple truck as perfect as possible, and nailed it.

Ford has also put the same level of effort into their staple Mustang. If you think Ford, you think of F-150 and Mustang before anything else. The F-series change is one of the most dramatic I have ever seen for a same-nameplate update, not one bolt was left untouched, as is the new Stang. If you look at the components at an elemental level, there is an artfully simplistic beauty to its chassis and suspension design. There is no apparent under engineering nor over engineering, everything looks tough, simple, and to the point. There is nothing compromised, nor nothing omitted, and nothing shared to save money. The old platform was a logistical nightmare, everything worked against each other and it was a jumble of haphazard cost-cutting pieces. The last modern mainstream(sub 40k) car that was so purely designed to do only one thing was the original Mazda Miata. Neither of these two had an approach that screamed "we have this engine, this subframe, this suspension architecture, this dashboard and gauges, now go make it into a sports-car version". I think car is much more revolutionary then even the biggest fans here realize. It will shout loud and clear "WORTH IT!"

I would never in a million years say that Toyota is a BAD car, but you have to be realistic too, they DO make 11+ cars based on 3 platforms and a handful of suspensions and powerplants. They are lego cars. The kicker is, Toyota or Honda NEVER give a dime back in rebates for technologies and platforms they paid for YEARS ago, BUT hey, the stuff sure as heck WORKS well.

American companies need to each do several 100% clean-slate platforms promptly and virtually start over with new approaches to investment $'s that make it all the way into the actual PRODUCT. The Japanese really began to do this in the early 90's, when they had made the move to let all of the early-mid and some late 80s platforms and production techniques completely die out and start over. There is a great opportunity here thanks to computers to make a leap for the better. They waited WAY too long to change habits, but the modern tools to start fresh are incredible(plastics/composites, robots, cnc machines, computers, etc). A company could come out of nowhere and build an ultra high-tech and reliable car these days. NOW is the time to catch up, and in some places go ahead. In some ways they have an advantage since just about every 'hand' has been played by the imports. They need to completely rid themselves of the old stuff, there is NO future in one single part of a current Taurus, Ranger, or Crown Vic. Make them go away as fast as possible.

A little bit of 'old-school' crept into the 02 Explorer, but it has become a worthy competitor after only a few minor updates-its actually funny because every single piece you could find that looked like the few corners they cut were replaced for 03. The Exped was much more 'complete' right off the line in 03, and should reach full maturity to its potential for 05. F-series nailed 100% it from day one, I would expect Mustang to follow suit. 500 and Freestyle look like ringers too, the only thing "missing" from them is the Duratec 35, which should appear shortly.

Even if say, Ford made 5 vehicles 'better' then all of their import counterparts tomorrow, the hardest obstacle to overcome is PERCEPTION, and that is a long, hard road ahead. Ford definitely has chosen F-series and Mustang to force feed a new image down everyone’s throats this year. I think they made the right choice to choose the right vehicles at the right time to make a stand. These two in particular have what it takes to back it up.

Not to mention the phenom GT appearing to make a very clear point. Its ironic that the GT(40) and Mustang aim to make the same one-two punch they did the first time around. To become both the dream cars a young kid would want-the one they would get when they got 'rich', and the one they were dying for their father to bring home one day

TampaBear67

Well Seeing as how I got to sit in an 05 for 20 Minutes, Uninterupted due to Rain at the Show at Legends Field in Tampa, I must admit, the 05 might not be a lexus, but it's far from unrefined!

This Car looks better and feels more comfortable and solid inisde than the Infinity G35 Coupe, the Quality of the Materials and their Tactile Feel are really impressive, No B.S.! This car is going to set GM and Chrysler on their Ears!

Just to name some minor features that most would tend to overlook, the 05 is offering things at a Sub $20,000 level (for the V6) that have untill now been the exclusive domain of Imports or Higher Priced Models, such as One Touch Up & Down Windows for All Windows.

The Window sealing system from the T-Bird, where the Side Windows Drop 1/4" automaticaly to open the door and then close to ensure a proper seal, like most of your fine European cars.

The Locking system is goint to be like those found on Most Imports where you turn the key once to unlock the Drivers Door and Twice to open both, as well as being able to open the windows with the key in the door lock cylinder.

The Materials inside are also Light Years Ahead of anything I have Seen Made in America and Nearly as, Or as Nice as Most Euro or Japanese Imports. Even the Leather on the Seats is Closer to BMW grade than anything I have seen, Lexus and Infinity included!

The only real gripes I Do have with the interior, are that I wish they would put some Aluminum on the center stack to match the Aluminum on the dash, but even the Plastic used is much more tactily friendly than materials used before (In other words, it feels nicer.) and the Parking Brake handle needs to be Leather Covered with the IUP, like the Shifter, with an Aluminum or Chrome insert along the top where it has the recess.

Honestly though, go look at an Infinity G35 Coupe and then at an 05 Mustang, I'll take an 05 GT any Day over the Infinity. It doesn't hurt that it's A Lot More Roomy Inside Too!

Purple Hayz

Amen, Kev

Robert

So, what I hear you saying is that Ford has taken great strides with the F-150 and now the Mustang, to address quality issues and improve its products to compete more equally with the imports?

If so, this is very, very good news indeed.

Robert

Hey, cool, where'd you hear this?

And can you do all of the above with the remote, as you can with many of the cars that now offer this feature?

Also, a question about the security system. As it uses a separate siren (not the horn), what happens when you activate the alarm with your remote? Does the horn just honk, or is there a nice "beep" sound? Anybody know...?

Wombert

I don't understand why you all like Audi/BMW/Mercedes interiors. Sure, they are all good quality, but...
BMW interiors are simply boring, very, very boring and uninspired (or a bit ugly, like the 7 series interior)
Audi has, for my taste, way too many little buttons, switches etc in the interior
and Mercedes has, until a couple of years ago, built incredibly ugly interiors. If you ever sat in a premium-edition last generation E series, you know what I mean

Know how's building nice interiors? Ford is. The Mondeo over here in Germany has a really sweet interior.


Robert: the locking thing has been like this for years on Ford Europe's cars...

Robert

Actually I wanted to know if you can lower the windows with the remote on the new Mustang.