Consumer Reports rates the 300 and 300C

"Dave Gower" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Bill 2" > wrote
>
> > The big test will be how these cars hold up in five years.
>
> The interesting question here is not I think what happens to the 300,
which
> is fairly conventional, but the CVT transmission in the Ford. If it
doesn't
> have legs Ford as a company worldwide could be in big trouble. CVTs aren't
> new - they've been sold in Europe since the 50s - and Ford has been
> experimenting with then for the past 40 years, but the problem as I
> understand it is they don't scaled up well. They're OK on a 100hp car, but
> on the 200-hp engine standard in the Freestyle and 500 that's where the
> question mark lies, even more so for the 250-hp 3.5 engine option to be
made
> available in a couple of years.
>
Audi has been using CVT's in ~200hp cars for a few years, and as far as I
know, relibility has been ok. Unless Ford is using the same ones Audi uses,
they are probably a new unit and I, for one, wouldn't want to buy one for a
couple years. On a related note, does anyone know the source of the 6-speed
used in the FWD 500? It is from Japan, so I would guess the supplier might
be Mazda, but that's just a guess.

Bill 2 wrote:

> "Joe" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>>I pity anyone who regards their vehicle as merely a "transportation
>>
>>appliance"
>>
>>>but can understand how any Ford product (excluding the new Mustang)
>
> could
>
>>>be/would be/is regarded as merely an "appliance".
>>
>>If you want to study a group of them, these people are easy to spot by
>
> their
>
>>Hondas.
>
>
> And Toyota.
>
>
Or any other UGI (universal generic import).

Bill 2 wrote:

> "Joe" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>>I pity anyone who regards their vehicle as merely a "transportation
>>
>>appliance"
>>
>>>but can understand how any Ford product (excluding the new Mustang)
>
> could
>
>>>be/would be/is regarded as merely an "appliance".
>>
>>If you want to study a group of them, these people are easy to spot by
>
> their
>
>>Hondas.
>
>
> And Toyota.
>
>
Or any other UGI (universal generic import).

Dave Gower wrote:

> The interesting question here is not I think what happens to the 300, which
> is fairly conventional, but the CVT transmission in the Ford. If it doesn't
> have legs Ford as a company worldwide could be in big trouble. CVTs aren't
> new - they've been sold in Europe since the 50s - and Ford has been
> experimenting with then for the past 40 years...

For the record, also Subaru's Justy in (IIRC), late 80's/early 90's.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
adddress with the letter 'x')

Dave Gower wrote:

> The interesting question here is not I think what happens to the 300, which
> is fairly conventional, but the CVT transmission in the Ford. If it doesn't
> have legs Ford as a company worldwide could be in big trouble. CVTs aren't
> new - they've been sold in Europe since the 50s - and Ford has been
> experimenting with then for the past 40 years...

For the record, also Subaru's Justy in (IIRC), late 80's/early 90's.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
adddress with the letter 'x')

"Bill Putney" > wrote in message
...
> Dave Gower wrote:
>
>> The interesting question here is not I think what happens to the 300,
>> which is fairly conventional, but the CVT transmission in the Ford. If it
>> doesn't have legs Ford as a company worldwide could be in big trouble.
>> CVTs aren't new - they've been sold in Europe since the 50s - and Ford
>> has been experimenting with then for the past 40 years...
>
> For the record, also Subaru's Justy in (IIRC), late 80's/early 90's.
>
Yep the Subaru CVT did not hold up and GM just closed the design shop on
their CVT. Will be interesting if FOrd can make it work.

"Bill Putney" > wrote in message
...
> Dave Gower wrote:
>
>> The interesting question here is not I think what happens to the 300,
>> which is fairly conventional, but the CVT transmission in the Ford. If it
>> doesn't have legs Ford as a company worldwide could be in big trouble.
>> CVTs aren't new - they've been sold in Europe since the 50s - and Ford
>> has been experimenting with then for the past 40 years...
>
> For the record, also Subaru's Justy in (IIRC), late 80's/early 90's.
>
Yep the Subaru CVT did not hold up and GM just closed the design shop on
their CVT. Will be interesting if FOrd can make it work.

"Art" > wrote in message
k.net...
>
> "Bill Putney" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Dave Gower wrote:
> >
> >> The interesting question here is not I think what happens to the 300,
> >> which is fairly conventional, but the CVT transmission in the Ford. If
it
> >> doesn't have legs Ford as a company worldwide could be in big trouble.
> >> CVTs aren't new - they've been sold in Europe since the 50s - and Ford
> >> has been experimenting with then for the past 40 years...
> >
> > For the record, also Subaru's Justy in (IIRC), late 80's/early 90's.
> >
> Yep the Subaru CVT did not hold up and GM just closed the design shop on
> their CVT. Will be interesting if FOrd can make it work.
>
Apparently Audi's works, but I think the biggest engine they use it with is
the 1.8 turbo of about 170hp.

"Art" > wrote in message
k.net...
>
> "Bill Putney" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Dave Gower wrote:
> >
> >> The interesting question here is not I think what happens to the 300,
> >> which is fairly conventional, but the CVT transmission in the Ford. If
it
> >> doesn't have legs Ford as a company worldwide could be in big trouble.
> >> CVTs aren't new - they've been sold in Europe since the 50s - and Ford
> >> has been experimenting with then for the past 40 years...
> >
> > For the record, also Subaru's Justy in (IIRC), late 80's/early 90's.
> >
> Yep the Subaru CVT did not hold up and GM just closed the design shop on
> their CVT. Will be interesting if FOrd can make it work.
>
Apparently Audi's works, but I think the biggest engine they use it with is
the 1.8 turbo of about 170hp.

"KokomoKid" > wrote

<...does anyone know the source of the 6-speed
> used in the FWD 500? It is from Japan, so I would guess the supplier
> might
> be Mazda, but that's just a guess.

It's someone called Aisin. see
http://www.autonews.com/files/sae/saec.htm

The best source of info on the Ford 500 I've found is
http://www.myford500.com