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Thread: Talking DDs

  1. #1

    Default Talking DDs

    Alright, so we currently have the Transit Connect and the Fusion, right? First a little history. We first got the Fusion to replace the '04 Aviator as THE family car for trips and stuff when we go places all together. At the time we also had a pretty low option '13 Focus as a commuter car. It was a proud moment bringing the Fusion home though because we were an all-manual family. The Fusion made an excellent family car, great trunk space and SUPER comfortable for long trips. So, fast forward to the Focus's lease ending. We'd been researching the Transit Connect, and thought IT would make a great family vehicle. Plus we'd regain the hauling capability we had with the Aviator. Begin lease on the '17 Transit Connect. End of standard time we generally "own" our cars for the Fusion comes and goes. We did have to buy the Fusion rather than lease because it had been sitting on a lot for 6 months. We decide to keep it. '14 was the last year Ford offered a manual in the Fusion, and there was really nothing available that would do its job better. The first paradigm shift.

    Second paradigm shift, Ford sh**cans all the car models we might've been interested in.

    And that brings us to today. I think when the lease ends on the TC, the wife would like to lease another one. I on the other hand, believe now is the time to go after a Focus or Fiesta ST. I'd been hotly anticipating the ST's release back in '13, but decided not to get one at the time because the lease rates on them were not good, so they didn't really fit our pattern of lease 2-3 years and then "release". We liked doing that because it kept us under warranty, and the payments were reasonable to maintain long term. BUT... the dreaded end of coverage has come and gone on the Fusion and the world has not ended. So, maybe we can do this. In all fairness, I feel that the Fusion made a BETTER family car for us than the van, and it is being underutilized now. It's more comfortable on trips than the van, and really has all the space we need. And we hardly ever haul stuff in the van. I think the time has come to go back to owning cars for the long haul, and having Fusion + commuter car. Only the commuter would have a little more fun baked in, an ST.

    This is about a year out, unfortunately because the van's lease goes that long. It will be very difficult to find a NEW ST at that time, I think, although maybe not impossible. But perhaps if we go used, that will be easier to swallow.

    How do I convince the wife this is the way to go? I just found out the ST's stability control is totally defeatable making it possible to again whip sh**ties in the winter. Something I always disliked about the previous Foci. ESC would kick in and kill the fun. This is important to me. Anyway, finding that out, has me wanting one more than ever!
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  2. #2
    FEP Senior Member BMW Rider's Avatar
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    I like people who lease cars for a couple years then move on to a new one cause it provides us with great nearly new cars for much less than new and usually with remaining warranty. We tend to keep our cars for 5-7 years and have never had serious issues with any. My wife's current 2014 BMW 435xi was dealer demo car and is just reaching the end of it's warranty. Its been a fantastic car requiring nothing in the way of repairs other than a new windshield. It has the M sport package as well which has more options with the suspension and traction control systems even as far as full race mode. Lots of fun to drive. No manual though, but it has paddle shifters to make up for it.

    As for how to get your wife on board, well I took my wife car shopping years back and after driving some other more ordinary cars (Honda, VW etc.) we ended up at the BMW dealer. One drive and she was hooked. Never looked back, the current is her third BMW (not counting her motorcycle). She is a driver though and likes a nice sporty car.

  3. #3
    FEP Super Member mmb617's Avatar
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    Our son just bought a 2018 Focus ST a couple months ago, and he loves it. When he was shopping for a new car and wanted a manual transmission, there weren't a lot of options. He briefly considered a Subaru WRX but decided the Focus was what he wanted. He had a hard time finding one because he was firm on wanting the option package 402A ($5,680!), and the triple yellow tri-coat paint. Those were not negotiable to him. A local dealer had to bring one in from another dealer a couple hundred miles away, but he got exactly what he wanted.

    He only has about 1000 miles on it so far but says he's really glad he chose it. Here's the proud owner:



    408/T5/3.73's

    We're not fast racers, we're more what's known as half fast racers.

  4. #4

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    Honestly c my dad fiesta rides like a truck. The seating position is crap, and I barely have any room inside the car for my knees. For a short (less then an hour) commute its fine. After an hour, I can't wait to get out of the thing.

    Now that you factor in that it is often mentioned how much stiffer the st is (which I can't imagine, the rear wheel doesn't even move when you jack up the car on my dads car) I'm not sure it would make the best daily driver.

    Now keep in mind, I am 6'5 and around 200lbs. If you are under 6', you probably wouldnt have the knee issues I do. But I do still find the car unreasonably stiff and harsh on all but the smoothest roads. I find even an old f150 to ride much better. There just doesn't feel like there is any suspension travel on dirt roads or when you hit a pot hole.

    That being said, it has been extremely reliable and we haven't had any major problems out of it in over 150k miles now. Just tires, a battery, one set of brakes and a bad o2 sensor.
    2 1986 cougars (both 4 eyed and 5.0)
    1 1987 cougar

  5. #5
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    Yeah it sucks that most vehicles these days are not available with a manual transmission, I own nothing but sticks, although I don`t mind driving my wifes automatic 2009 Corolla now & then. But everything I myself own has a clutch pedal. My daily driver is a 2010 Ranger, that I had to factory order exactly what I wanted, and not pay for things I did not want. When I ordered the truck, the salesmankept saying the resale value would be less with the standard, but considering I tend to hang onto my vehicles, hardly a concern. (I owned my last F350 for 26 years, and have owned my 78 Fairmont for over 30 years.) Funny thing is, pretty much every time I go back to the same dealer to buy parts, the sales guys are always asking me if I want to sell my Ranger, or trade it in. Considering a F150 thru 350 has not been available with a stick, and the new Ranger is showing to be available as an automatic only, Ford doesn`t have anything I am interested in. I do like the fact that the Mustang is still available with a standard trans. Too bad they are so overpriced, and I think, ugly. I think if Ford would come back with something like the late 80s-early 90s Mustang "LX" package, where you could get the performance car without all the pricey fluff, they would sell a lot more Mustangs. I just wish that Ford would offer a RWD 2 door sedan with a V8 and manual trans, kinda like what the Fairlane was in the 60s, or the Pontiac GTO was about 10 or 15 years ago.
    1978 Fairmont 2 door sedan, 428CJ 4speed. 9.972ET@132.54mph. 1.29 60 foot
    Replaced the FE big block with my 331/4 speed in my Fairmont, best 10.24ET @128 MPH.
    1985 Mustang LX hatchback NHRA Stock Eliminator 302 4 speed best in legal trim 12.31@107 mph, but has gone 11.42@115 with aftermarket intake, carb, and iron Windsor Jr. heads.New for 2012! 331 cube SB Ford, AFR 185 heads, solid flat tappet cam, pump gas; 10.296ET@128.71 mph, 1.37 60 foot.
    1979 Zephyr Z7, all original 302 auto, 2nd owner.

  6. #6
    FEP Senior Member
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    I would think it would be better to buy a used car than to lease a new car. At least you have something tangible.

  7. #7

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    I'm not TOO concerned with ride quality on the commuter. My commute is very short. I am under 6 feet, so that's not too much of a problem either. I think it will probably come down to which car available for sale we like better when the time comes. The Focus will win points for our familiarity with it and better utility. The Fiesta would be cool though because then we'd have two VERY different cars with the same drivetrain. Plus the critics seem to think it's a bit more fun than the Focus. We'll see.

    My wife is not a car person. Like, at all. Maybe I'll get her behind the wheel of the Zeph this summer and see if I can't change that though.

    Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  8. #8
    FEP Senior Member BMW Rider's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ZephyrEFI View Post
    My wife is not a car person. Like, at all. Maybe I'll get her behind the wheel of the Zeph this summer and see if I can't change that though.
    That does make it a bit harder to convince her. On the other hand, my wife really wanted to buy the BMW M6, I had to talk her down from that to the 435xi. The M6 is a great car, but no way it's a daily driver, and the price tag would have killed the budget badly.

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by BMW Rider View Post
    That does make it a bit harder to convince her. On the other hand, my wife really wanted to buy the BMW M6, I had to talk her down from that to the 435xi. The M6 is a great car, but no way it's a daily driver, and the price tag would have killed the budget badly.
    Haha, sweet. The 3/4 is supposed to be more of a driver's car anyway, right?

    I'm laying the groundwork. I made an off-hand comment today about "making a car person out of her yet" patience... patience...
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  10. #10

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    Too subtle?

    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  11. #11
    FEP Super Member AT6svo's Avatar
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    I picked up an Orchid Green 11 Fiesta SE hatch (not ST) earlier this year to supplement the 84 Wagon daily duties.

    Its not fast, I don't care that it isn't, and I don't drive trying to make it fast. Its a put-put car. l Gave it a few small mods, mainly aesthetic.

    Its the newest vehicle I've ever owned or purchased. I like the OBD-II * bought a ScanGauge for it to keep an eye on engine parameters.

    The wagon is still dependable and sold as ever. Makes +300 mile round trips often and she's far from stock.
    -Mike Malone
    69 Mach1, 81 LX, 83 GT Turbo, 85.5 SVO 9L, 86 SVO 2A, 86 GT, 90 LX 5.0 - and a badass 84 LTD Wagon

  12. #12
    FEP Power Member Ray Dog's Avatar
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    My current daily driver is a 05 Volvo XC 90 I acquired a year ago. It has a few electronic gremlins at the moment,
    like a bad ABS sensor that has taken down the all wheel drive. ( Nice time to lose that here in New England. )
    I have to hit a local Volvo shop to see if he will scan it for me. What I have read they have a unique system in the Volvos.
    It replaces my 84 Capri that was my DD until front frame issues and tired 2.3 has sidelined it for now.
    2005 and 2008 are the newest in the fleet here. The last new car I bought was the 86 Vert.
    I tend to hold on to things for a long time. Some of my work tools date back to my apprentice days.
    One of my hammers I made in my trade school days some 40 years past.
    Ray
    86 Mustang LX 3.8 Convertible (bought new}
    65 Galaxie 500 XL 390 auto
    2A

  13. #13

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    I like a car that is paid in full. Hate payments but sometimes you have to do what you have to do.
    Attached Images Attached Images  

  14. #14

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    I had thought of maybe looking for a '90s Escort GT (I'd had a couple of them in the past and they were great cars) or maybe a ZX2 to buy for winter driving. One advantage would definitely be it would be easy to pay off. Another, no stability control for quality sh*****-whipping.

    I actually worked on vehicles from the late '90s, early aughts at the dealership, so there would be advantages to going back to that era. Having to work on anything newer than that scares me a bit, hence keeping our DD fleet under warranty. I mean, obviously most maintenance items don't really change much, but there's plenty that has gotten pretty complicated.
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

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