Exactly. This one here is pretty blatant cheating. Highway speeds are exactly when you have the highest NOx because the engine is running lean, but maintaining high combustion temps. I get disabling EGR during regen, and other scenarios where EGR would be detrimental. But highway cruising is exactly when it should be…

And honestly, I would not hesitate to tow 5,000 pounds using an aftermarket hitch rated for that much. It’s the same platform and powertrain as the Explorer which is rated for 5,000. Only downside is the aftermarket hitches hang down lower than the stock hitch, but looking at how they attach, they are definitely…

Same here. But in the Bay Are, I think it may outsell the Explorer. Sure seems like there’s more on the road anyways.

Yeah, that was my one only gripe. And minor at that, considering what it is. Ford knows how to make electric power steering feel right, and it would be awesome if they added that to the Flex, along with the magnetic pothole-avoiding dampers from the Fusion Sport.

4,500 pounds

I just turned my rental 2017 Flex in after 6 weeks. It’s by far my favorite rental. I’m now in new Nissan Armada, and definitely miss the handling and quietness of the Flex. And oddly enough, the Flex carries weight better. I had 1800+ pounds in it last week and it still drove great. I had 1200 pounds in Armada…

You can, and it’s not hard. You do need a Ford part, but you can order online from some of the bigger dealers for much less than retail. Every Ford forum has a write-up for just about every model.

I’ve been in a new rental Flex for the last 6 weeks, and disabled CarPlay. Sync3 works was better for Nav than Apple Maps. In every way. Finding locations, actually getting there, being in the correct lane for an exit... Not to mention the irony that Apply Maps tried to take me through an obsolete road that used to…

GMs inventories seem to be beyond “preparing for a shut-down”, and they have been increasing inventory-days for the last year or so. What’s even crazier, is that instead of adjusting production when it first became newsworthy, they are charging ahead business as usual, and depressing new car prices with their excess…

Reduction In Force by early attrition usually isn’t always detrimental to families. Sometimes, it’s bonus. My mom was several years beyond retirement age, and just kept working because she mostly liked her job. But last year when her company offered 18 months pay, and accrued vacation cash-in for “early” retirements,…

True, but that measure was also reactive, and almost out of necessity.

Ford actually seems to be taking a pro-active approach to the current market correction. They’re reigning in their costs, and reducing production, to maintain steady dealer inventories. GM and FCA already seem to be over-producing and piling on excessive incentives to compensate. We know how that ended last time...

They aren’t though. Many of the same EGR cooler and injector and HPOP problems the pickups had. Really, only the head gasket problems seemed to disproportionately affect the pickups, because of the fords aggressive tuning. Our shop actually rescued more International trucks than Ford trucks, although partly because we…

How so? Ford’s V8 diesel makes 440 HP, and 860 lb-ft at 1,600 rpm.

a reporter in Portland once walked the length of that city’s streetcar line faster than the train itself

It wasn’t necessarily inherent to the design. Early iterations (pre-2008 haha) was over-contrained by the bushings. The 2008+ design went to hyme joints and rod ends, which pretty much fixed the eating-tires problem. Great thing is the new setup on the E-series is a plug and play swap.

Ultra-high pressure fuel systems (for performance and emissions), and complicated exhaust after-treatment systems.

Our Fiesta 1.0 averages 46-50 US MPGs. Our Focus 1.0 does low 40s. I do wish we could get the diesel Focus ST wagon here however.

Does any automaker sell cars that are recall-free?

Yup. Up until this year you could get the Cummins with a manual. Now that Ford is only offering Ford motors (6.7L diesel and 6.8L gas) the 6-speed TorqueShift is the only transmission.