Category: Ford

AutoPacific had a recent opportunity to spens some time in a 2021 Lincoln Nautilus Reserve.  Does the 2021 Lincoln Nautilus achieve Lincoln’s objective of “Quiet Flight” and “Sanctuary”.  Pretty darn close.

Lincoln Motor Company, the luxury brand for Ford Motor Company is now an all SUV brand:  Navigator, Aviator, Nautilus, Corsair.  The Lincoln lineup is a demonstration of strong group of products.  Even though the 2021 Nautilus is its latest update, in reality it is the oldest vehicle in the lineup.  Back in the bad old days when Lincoln thought alphanumeric naming was “the bomb”, the Nautilus was the MKX (the Corsair was the MKC).  (Funny, they never changed the Navigator’s name because it is “too strong” – Cadillac made the same decision with Escalade).  But I digress, back to the Nautilus.  [...]

The 2020 Ford Transit van has become the ubiquitous delivery vehicle across America. AutoPacific was given the opportunity to drive one for a week. Here is a brief review of this outstanding commercial vehicle.

The 2021 Ford F-150 is Ford's most important product. Competition is gaining fast, so Ford is launching a new F-150 for the 2021 model year. The sheetmetal is new, but the styling is familiar. The interior is all new, substantially upgraded. It should be more comfortable, higher technology and more functional. This iteration of the F-150 keeps Ford in the lead over the Ram 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado.

The 2020 Lincoln Corsair is an excellent compact luxury crossover SUV. It is the right size. It looks good. It goes fast. It is very quiet. It's not perfect. Getting ALL THE OPTIONS turns out not to be a good move. Some extra features are not as good as standard features.

Ford Sedans Gone  When Ford announced years ago that it was dropping sedans, the industry gasped.  In the November 18, 2019 issue of Automotive News the monthly summary of North American production showed goose eggs for Ford sedans for the first time.  Zero for Fiesta.  Zero for C-Max.  Zero for Focus, Zero for Fusion, Zero for Taurus.  Since the Lincoln MKZ is built alongside the Fusion, it too shows Zero.  The only 4-door sedan left in the Ford Motor Company lineup is the Lincoln Continental.  One interesting data point on the chart is a last gasp surge in production for the Ford Flex.  Ford produced almost 3,000 Flex XSUVs in October.   That is more than twice the rate in September.

Using 2018 production as a comparison, Ford has dropped 365,345 units from its production.  All are [...]

The Mustang Mach E adds a needed electric vehicle to the Ford lineup. It uses iconic Mustang DNA to give it emotional appeal. It is more than an appliance, it is a fun to drive sporty crossover SUV.

The reveal of the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach E shows that Ford is finally serious about entering the electric vehicle space. They have chosen to introduce an electric crossover SUV with the styling DNA of the Ford Mustang pony car. The performance specifications and price positioning of the vehicle appear to be spot on. At first, the Mach E will be eligible for the federal $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicles. It appears that Ford has not missed a trick with its new electric XSUV.

Ford just officially announced what the industry has known for years.  The Ford Flex has been discontinued following its eleven year run.  2019 is its last model year.  I owned two Flex models.  A 2009 Flex Limited and a 2011 Flex Limited with EcoBoost.  While the 2009 was an outstanding vehicle, the EcoBoost powertrain in the 2011 transformed the product.  It was extremely fun to drive.  It was one of those vehicles that you could just think of where you wanted to be on the freeway and, voila, you were there.

They used to call them "ASAP Running Changes". That is what the all new 2020 Ford Explorer needs in relation to its high volume base 2.3L EcoBoost 4-cylinder engine. While the powertrain, mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission, feels pretty good. All of the goodness is dampened by engine noise. This needs to get handled before word gets out that the high volume XLT is a noisy alternative in the competitive SUV wars.

Cadillac enters the 7-passenger premium brand crossover SUV market with the 2020 Cadillac XT6. With a distinctive Cadillac front end, but otherwise conventional styling, XT6 will not offend anyone. The interior package is generous and comfortable. Finally, Cadillac gets a 7-passenger SUV with a fold-flat 3rd row seat. That is a big, big deal.