Topnotch

especially the Mustang!

I noticed that Ford seems to trickle in it's new parts into the mix.

FIRST Picture:
Shows 2004-08 F-150
Familiar Switches for HVAC and Headlights On-Off and Block Radio.
Notice the lates 90's power window switches!!

SECOND Picture:
Ford Flex
Nice Switches except for Headlights On-Off...it's the same style that's been there for years and doesn't fit well!!

THIRD Picture:
2009 F-150
Nice New Switches and Headlights On-Off IS NEW TOO!! HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE!

COME ON FORD!!!

Zastava_101

I never noticed how nice interior in Flex is.

05fordgt

Just so you know, the window switches have to be changed over from the "rocker-style" to the "push/pull" style per the governments safety standards by 2009 (I believe). The new switches prevent little kids from accidentally pushing up an open window and having the possibiltiy of a dangerous situation occur (like being caught between the window and door frame).

Topnotch

GOOD TO KNOW!!!

Moosetang

One of the major selling points. Lets hope others notice as well

05GT-O.C.D.

I'm going to give you the benifit of doubt and assume that wasn't meant for humor.

Hollywood_North GT

I assume it WAS meant for humor.

Gattguy47

Is it just me, or is the steering wheel on the 2009 F-150 not fit with the rest of the interior. The interior seems silver and flashy. Which I love, but the steering wheel is just black with a ford symbol

TJ4Cam

I must be old school, I prefer the good 'ol push/pull headlight **** like in my '03 Stang...1st pull park ights, 2nd pull headlamps and twist for interior lights and dim....perfect design and always works!

poldrv

I prefer the current interior as it is more inline with the 1968 theme, however Ford should have used stainless steel chrome instead of cheap aluminum that scratches and dents easily. To this day I cannot figure out how my IUP steering wheel inserts became so dented. The factory door sills scratch easily also. I just ordered new door sills last night but not sure what to do about the steering wheel inserts do to the airbag issue.

American Car Craft Ford Mustang Stainless Steel Door Sills With Lettering 05-UP - AutoTruckToys.com

Cheese302

i see what your saying. i however do not like the new integrated radios at all. I understand that it makes for a nicer looking interior, but i do not like the fact that in ten or twenty years when my radio gives out, i need to source a ford computer or circuit card or whichever to fix my car when the part is out of production and costs hundreds of dollars.

also i do not care much between the nicer switches or whichever as long as ford starts to give me a ford "feel" i know its something that Mullaly wants to see. I like the idea of getting into my flex, or my focus, or mustang, or f150, or fusion, or taurus, or edge, or mondeo, or fiesta, and have the controls in a similar place and function similarly. For example from the late 60's BMW 2002 all the way to the most recent BMW, across the entire range, you can get into the car and the headlights are in the same place, the gauges in the dash are the same, the stalks work the same, it has a distinct bmw feel to it.

however i get into my sisters explorer or my fathers marauder, or the family's 95 f150, and i have to learn a different vehicle again. So far it looks like ford is going in the correct direction and if it continues i would go so far as to request a ford made product at a rental counter when on a trip.

however newer ford interiors, are so far superior to older stuff.

TMSBrad

The Flex interior is very nice. I got to ride in one last week and was very impressed. And the Sync system is undersold in the ads. You don't see how you can find local gas stations and sort them by price, or view live weather radar, or get sports scores, or that the screen is 8" corner-to-corner.

Ford is making a conscious push to share interior parts between vehicles. It's an initiative to create a Ford "DNA", which will give all Ford vehicles a similar feel and will save tons of cash.

lowblustang00

"save lots of cash"

That is something that kills me about american auto makers today. They have very few parts that work across vehicles.

My grand fathers 1930 ford phaton and his 1929 A-400 have many identical parts. Back then it didn't even matter if it was a new model or year if it was a left over part it would find a place. ie. the the wood panel on the back of the 30 phaton, that the convertible top is nailed to, is from a 1929 phaton not a 1930 phaton.

How many I4/v6/v8 engines does Nissan have?

How many I4/v6/v8 engines does Ford have?

I feel that maybe that the american auto makers are trying to change this. I hope so anyway.

Vermillion06

That's because the car magazines, blogs and the fanboys that read them will complain about "cheap corporate partsbin" switches and controls if the domestics use standard parts throughout their product lines.

If they use a DIN standard radio, which is supposed to be an industry standard spec, then it's an "ugly brick". According to them, every car has to have unique parts, otherwise, it's "cheap".

Hollywood_North GT

I don't recall anyone saying that they need to have "unique" parts, they just need to have quality parts.

Re DIN and Double DIN, that's pretty much what everyone uses, as you point out. But it was never the size of the radio that mattered, it's the fit, finish and presentation (i.e. still using old green LED displays from the '80s in the '00s, for example).

Cheese302

exactly

lowblustang00

They could still look unique and have some of the same components on the inside. But I was thinking more along the lines of things that aren't seen from the outside. Why does Ford have more than one V6 engine? If you need one with different performances like low end torque or high RPM power, why not just take the same engine and tune it differently. They could take that one engine across all there brands making it very cheap to produce. Am I right or confused on this?

But yes nav systems, instrament panels, and even air vents could all be the same and I don't think any one would care if they were really nice. I know I wouldn't

Vermillion06

What's the biggest complaint about the upcoming Challenger's interior? That it's not "unique"; it's same as the Charger's. How many times does the phrase "raiding the corporate partsbin" come up in a review of domestic?

What does almost every single mention of the Ford corporate stereo include? Its referred to as a brick. Why is called a " brick?" Not because of a green display but due to it's shape. It follows follows the Double DIN standard for dimensions exactly and is rectangular, unlike some other stock headunits, like late model Hondas for instance.

People seem very impressed with stereos that don't follow the DIN standard, that is, until they decide to get an aftermarket stereo and find that the DIN standard head units don't fit without extra $$

Vermillion06

Right now they're phasing in the Cyclone V6 (3.5L and 3.7L) and trying to phase out the Duratec 3.0L V6, but they just don't have the capacity to build enough Cyclone V6 for all V6 applications yet, so the 3.0L lives on for a few more years.

They used the Duratec 3.0L in everything from Jaguars & Lincolns to the Taurus and Mazdas, all in different states of tuning. An interesting fact is that this engine family was engineered by Porsche and Cosworth...

Cheese302

i have to disagree, if the challenger had unique, but still bland interiors, it would be just as terrible. but that they took a bland horrible interior from another car and dropped it into the challnger, they shot themselves in the foot. as for radios, i think a standard DIN sized radio would work just fine if it was easy to use and looked nice.

you can have a unique interior that still has gauges layed out similarly, and switches work and feel the same while still having a car that is nice to sit in.