[bertwert]

Yes, Dave, 14 days, due to contact tracing.

Eh that sucks.

I'm partway through some isolation here, lots of solitaire and computer chess...

[robtcorl]

I'm partway through some isolation here, lots of solitaire and computer chess...

Play your pipes, that'll insure complete isolation.

Hope you and Racer stay negative.

[dbs]

I'm sure Bob meant it in a positive way.

Stay safe rest of the world.


Dave

[MarkJerling]

I for one, am sad to see the sedan go. I like sedans.

Up to February we had two sedans, both large, one, a 2007 with 6 passenger seating and a 90 degree, 3800cc V6. The other a 2015 (the last generation) with the 3.6 liter, 305 hp, DOHC V6. Both were quiet, comfortable, accelerated well, handled reasonably well, got very good mpg at constant cruise on the highway.

We wanted another big sedan when it came time to trade in, but nothing similar to them was available. I've had European, Japanese vehicles, but I prefer American vehicles for our climate and great distances traveling we do across western Canada. I kind of need a vehicle with a big cabin, I'm XL and I don't fit in many smaller/mid size vehicles.

The market now seems mostly pickup trucks, SUV's and variations on these themes.

So, we got our first SUV/CUV . Somewhat reluctantly.

It is fairly large, lots of room in the interior, both cabin and cargo area. It has 2WD which we can switch to AWD and then something called off road AWD (if I recall correctly), Tow/Haul for pulling trailers. I would never take it off road....I mean really off road, where there is actually no road.

So far it is really good in a prairie blizzard or the aftermath of snow drifts. It plows through snow much better than our sedans, due to higher ground clearance, larger diameter tires, etc.. Being able to switch into a mode where all 4 wheels have drive, makes a bigger difference than I thought.

It has 300 + hp, a 9 speed transmission. It us tow rated @ 5000 lbs., the payload is 1600 lbs. plus, has a useful roof rack, and 255/65-18 P series, light truck tires, and 7.5 " X 18" wheels . It came with the optional tow package...larger rad, transmission cooler, 730 CCA battery..I like a big battery for our cold winter starts. It weighs in about 4500 lbs. and the gas mileage on the highway @ constant cruise is not bad, not bad at all.

I find it very easy to load/unload stuff from the flat floor cargo area. I don't have to lift cargo over the typical sedan 'lip' at the back of the trunk., nor do I have to bend to fit under the trunk lid which never seemed to raise high enough to accommodate my head, shoulders, etc.

Lots of room with the rear hatch raised, no lip to lift over. Kind of nice actually. Really nice and easier on the old bod.

I really didn't want a SUV type vehicle. But after the past 6 months or so, I have to admit I can understand why sedans are dying off. When you think of it, having a SUV/CUV type vehicle makes sense for joe average. A box on wheels, many with all wheel drive capability for inclement weather. Easy to load unload a box, when the hatch end flips up for access.

Don't know why I held on to sedans for so long. I really don't.

I get that sedans are no longer popular. They are useless for transporting stuff. Which is why a hatchback is such a great compromise. When you open the back door and put the back seat down, you can get huge stuff into a hatchback.
Having had a Discovery for many years, i know that SUV's can be great vehicles, but when it's usually just two of us in the car, that seems a bit of a waste, plus it's not exactly economical. Also, big tall vehicles do not corner well on our winding narrow roads, so a lower slung car with great handling characteristics seem to be the better choice for us.

And, having an older Mondeo already that has served us well, and it's an easy upgrade for us. So, the car lineup over the years, several simultaneously: '57 Custom 300, another '57 Custom 300, a '57 Ranchero, a '77 F100, a '96 Escort, a '97 Escort (not like the USA model, the European model) '03 Mondeo and now this '17 Mondeo. And, inbetween all those Fords one GM car and a Landrover.

[dbs]

Station wagons have morphed into the hatchback design, just less space.
The 70s station wagon were at least 6 feet in length after the front seats, great for camping in inclement weather.
And the drive - in


Dave

[MarkJerling]

Station wagons have morphed into the hatchback design, just less space.
The 70s station wagon were at least 6 feet in length after the front seats, great for camping in inclement weather.
And the drive - in


Dave

They sure have. Although, there's a fair bit of space back there. Not sure if it's 6 feet though. Will need to measure.

You Tube

You Tube

[Racer X 69]

They sure have. Although, there's a fair bit of space back there. Not sure if it's 6 feet though. Will need to measure.

2018 Ford Mondeo Review | Space & Practicality | What Car? - YouTube

Nice biscuit.

Does she come with the car?

[dbs]

Nice biscuit.

Does she come with the car?

I don't think so ?

But who knows what Fords we well get in the future in Aus and GM, since our car industry has been made obsolete ( ^%&%&^^ s ).

Contrary to some beliefs the Australian manufacturers were all making a profit unlike there overseas bosses. ( little rant over ).

Dave

[MarkJerling]

Nice biscuit.

Does she come with the car?

I'm not sure Annie would approve.

[lesmore49]

I get that sedans are no longer popular. They are useless for transporting stuff. Which is why a hatchback is such a great compromise. When you open the back door and put the back seat down, you can get huge stuff into a hatchback.
Having had a Discovery for many years, i know that SUV's can be great vehicles, but when it's usually just two of us in the car, that seems a bit of a waste, plus it's not exactly economical.

I agree. On many of our trips to see relatives, even though there are only two of us, we are approaching full load of cargo. Some of our kids (30's something) are out there and no matter what we do, we're always taking 'stuff' out to them. Probably a lot of stuff they would rather us not.

Also in my case, I'm a big guy...6'3" +, 245 lbs. with hockey injuries that plague my knee. As a result over the years, we look for vehicles that I fit into. I find many smaller vehicles too small in the cabin. My shoulders rub on the side pillars, head hits the roof, can't stretch my legs out, etc. So I like a roomy cabin. In a small, cramped vehicle I can't drive for very long.


Also, big tall vehicles do not corner well on our winding narrow roads, so a lower slung car with great handling characteristics seem to be the better choice for us.

Over here, most of our prairie highways that we use, are long and straight. Having said that, one of the cars we traded in on our new SUV, was a 2015 Impala...the last generation. The Impala was low slung....good for handling, but the front end was so low, that it acted like a snow plow with new fallen snow of 5-6 inches or more. But it was big inside, very comfortable, great leg room and very quick (14.6 seconds @ 98 mph in the 1/4 mile in a magazine test) with it's 3.6 liter, DOHC, 4 valves per cyinder, 7,000 rpm redline...305 hp engine and 6 speed automatic. MPG on the highway, @ constant cruise...say 110 kph on the Trans Canada (prairies) was excellent. I liked it a lot, when I cracked the throttle, it took off and wasn't bad in the corners.

I used to factory order...when that could be done....vehicles with heavy duty/performance suspension, wider wheels, up rated tires, big engine, etc. Because they were much easier to maneuver in difficult situations. I believe that you can get out of dangerous situations ...not just by braking...but by judicious use of the gas pedal, performance suspension, etc.

In other words, drive yourself out of trouble rather than just braking and hoping for the best. I've always liked performance vehicles, because of their ability to go, stop, handle and respond well, to driver input.


And, having an older Mondeo already that has served us well, and it's an easy upgrade for us. So, the car lineup over the years, several simultaneously: '57 Custom 300, another '57 Custom 300, a '57 Ranchero, a '77 F100, a '96 Escort, a '97 Escort (not like the USA model, the European model) '03 Mondeo and now this '17 Mondeo. And, inbetween all those Fords one GM car and a Landrover.

Now this is where we differ. You see, I'm a GM guy, mostly Chevy, not Ford.

Nice cars. My dad had a '26 Model T, '41 Merc convertible, '46 Ford Tudor, '56 Ford Fairlane (312), '58 Ford Ranch wagon. I had a ' 60's Mercury S 22.

I may be a Chevy guy, but I also like Fords. I've probably told this story before, about my favourite Ford .

When I was about 12 years old, very early '60's, there was an old man who rented a garage on our lane. He had about a '50 Meteor (Canadian market Ford clone, different trim, badging), 2 door post sedan. He had souped up the flathead V8...couple of Stromberg carbs, a 3/4 race cam, had done some porting, installed true dual exhaust...think he said the mufflers he used were Smithee (?). He would go at a fast (uneven ) idle down the lane and there has never been a nicer V8 burble IMO, then a souped up Flattie 8.

He was a retired mechanic, originally from the states, Indiana I think. He was in his 80's and in the 19 'teens' , early 1920's of the past century had also been a pit mechanic on pit crews of early race cars in the states. One race driver he pitted for, in fact whose name is still well known to this day. I won't mention it, because no one would believe me.

A wonderful old man who used to take time and talk about old American race cars to a young pest like me, who was car crazy, even then. He had a scrap book filled with old newspaper clippings and photos about early races he had been involved in, as a mechanic.

Makes me think about how nice it was for a young kid like me, to have an old man (80's) as a buddy. Don't see much of that in modern days.

His '50 Meteor was immaculate. About 1964 he stopped driving, and I understand turned his old hot rod Meteor over to his son, who traded it in on a new Mustang.

[MarkJerling]

You can tell us who the racer was Les, we believe most anything in this thread!

I'm 6'2" so need leg room in vehicles too. I forgot to mention my daughter's Ford Ka which I swapped off her. Notwithstanding it's silly looks and tiny exterior dimensions, it's actually roomy enough inside for someone of my size.
And it corners like it's on rails. Back seat is useless unless you have no legs. But, since I'm now using Annie's old Mondeo this one had to go.

[bertwert]

Play your pipes, that'll insure complete isolation.

Good point

[Racer X 69]

[B] . . . . . . a 3/4 race cam, . . . . . .

A 3/4 race cam?

So he never finished a race, did he?

[Racer X 69]

I'm not sure Annie would approve.

What does Annie care if I get a car with a sweet biscuit?

[Racer X 69]

You can tell us who the racer was Les, we believe most anything in this thread!

I'm 6'2" so need leg room in vehicles too. I forgot to mention my daughter's Ford Ka which I swapped off her. Notwithstanding it's silly looks and tiny exterior dimensions, it's actually roomy enough inside for someone of my size.
And it corners like it's on rails. Back seat is useless unless you have no legs. But, since I'm now using Annie's old Mondeo this one had to go.

Is that a Sport Ka?

You Tube

You Tube