King Neptune

I have had my XLT Wagon for a year now. When I picked it up from the dealer I noticed some of the nastiest funk smell ever. Not the usual new car smell. I actually filed a complaint with the Ford Rep. over this (never heard a thing back though). Anyways, after about a year of ownership the smell is mostly gone, unless it sits unused for awhile with the windows up, then I can notice it again. Makes me wonder about the manufacturing process of the interior components and how safe it is to breathe the air in the vehicle.

Amen! U.S. automakers dug themselves into a hole while the foreign competition was digging themselves out. I owned a number of Jap and German vehicles during the seventies and eighties. They were worse then what the US automakers were turning out. They were rust-buckets, repair part prices were sky-high, sounded as solid as a tin can when the door was closed, vibration was horrible, as was wind noise. They sold because the were cheap and got great gas mileage, not because they didn't break......they did. Having said that they did make huge strides in the past 20 years. I regret ever buying Jap, German and even Italian made vehicles. Well, let's hope the new features Toyota includes for 2011 include reliable accelerator and braking and a newfound-candor for addressing potential safety matters and resisting the urge to suppress them within a super-secret vault somewhere in Toyota City. I'm personally looking forward to a going forward marketplace in which Toyota will likely have to compete amid a more "eyes open" public rather than historical lore extolling Toyota vehicles as devices based upon the mystical principles of quicksilver inspired by the philosopher's stone. It's a whole new world out there; and few phenomenon have illustrated this fact better than the decline in value Toyota has delivered to customers in each passing year's Camry as Fusion has improved to the point of surpassing it in virtually every respect. When Fiesta arrives this year and European Focus arrives in 2011, Toyota had better hope it budgeted sufficient development capital for its own products as far back as 2008 to remain competitive. Hopefully for the sake of Ford, it can begin making more hay out of marketing its own virtues and the fact that virtually any American brand, vehicle regardless of where it's made, contributes several times the amount to America's economy than a foreign-brand vehicle assembled here.

Wow! I think I'll stick with my loaded TC at 23K. The extra 37K I save will buy a lot of fuel and another TC after this one wears out. Ford should give serious thought to the turbo-diesel with optional manual trans.

My company color on my trucks and vans are silver, therefore I also was stuck with the windowed wagon version in order to have silver. The TC is my own personal company vehicle. I too thought that after I lived with it for awhile that if needed I could remove the rear seat (so far that hasn't been the case). I will pick the TC up today from the graphic/sign shop. I'm having a partial body wrap installed with company lettering and logos. The wrap will also cover the cargo side and rear doors. The wrap that covers the glass will be perforated (you can see out but not in). I have this on my other company trucks and it works great. You can also have a solid wrap installed on your glass if you or your rear seat passengers don't mind the lack of vision. The plus side of the wagon version is I can run car tags (cheaper). The lack of rear vision at the vertical meeting rails of the rear doors is just a common van trait that you need to get used to if you have not driven a van before. My only complaints are 1. I wish they offered a more upscale interior option. 2. A kickin stereo. 3. A more powerful engine or the UK turbo-diesel. A month or more into my XLT Wagon, I've made several discoveries, many born of my rush to purchase. While I enjoy the flexibility of the second passenger row, it's very-much at odds with my preference for solid sliding doors. While the matter can be remedied, it's a $1,100.00 modification. I've also been sorely disappointed in the implementation of the FWS computer. I suppose it's not an altogether poor proposition given its price point and my negative sentiment may be colored by the technical problems I've been encountering by its repeated and continual crashing; but I'd much rather invest in a more feature-rich, better implemented solution, even at a considerably higher cost. The fact of the matter is that apart from the convenience of being an in-dash system, it otherwise has no integration into the vehicle systems (as Ford's top-tier Navigation systems), so it really doesn't provide the same kind of bang-for-buck slickness (apart from Tool Link or the fleet management functions). It also happens to have been a rather amateurish implementation as it stands that has really left me flat despite my having made it such a primary criterion for the vehicle I chose. Another negative aspect of the configuration I chose is the very-odd obstructed rear view field of vision the windowed rear door frame creates. It's more distracting to me than functionally limiting; but given the additional cost of "caging" the rear (using the OEM Accessory part which is quite elegant) and the inherent security compromise the windowed doors create, I think I'd much prefer a TC with solid rear doors, foregoing the rear window altogether in favor of either a "live view" rear camera (something that would have been a real knock-out feature for the in-dash computer) or or just relying on the rear-view mirror and Reverse Sensing System altogether. While no other solution would have provided me with the 2nd row of seats I'd like to have to option of having/removing from the vehicle (by virtue of 6 bolts), I've decided I'd be much better-served by owning a very different TC configuration rather than the effort and expense of converting my present XLT wagon. I'd begin by buying an XLT 110A with all of the optional features, including RSC, save the in-dash computer, and I may have the opportunity to do so. I may very well choose to simply remove the second row of seats (and seatbelts) and trade-in what will essentially be an XLT Cargo Van without the floor extension and rubberized floor overlay. The cost delta between adding the floor extension and side window plugs to modify my existing and the trade loss would be nominal, especially given the additional existence of the in-dash computer which still has its original protective membrane covering its screen. I will then have the flexibility of installing the second seat row (and shoulder belt mounts) when it suits me given that the TC's primary use is for cargo rather than carrying additional passengers (any of whom I could tell to stop whining about the lack of windows on the sliding doors) I should be able to walk away having spent less than $1,000 for my lessons learned, all of which will be a fully deductible 2009 business expense, once all of the additional up-fitting costs to my current vehicle and other related expenses are taken into consideration. All in all, it's not a bad proposition at all. My only real regret, going forward, is the unavailability of Black or Silver in anything but a fully side and rear-windowed configuration, as the Panther Black has really grown on me.

Contact Trevor Porter at trevor@fordpartsuk.com or www.fordpartsuk.com Fog Lamps Part #1209177 (Qty. 2) Lamp Screws Part #6707417 (Qty. 6) Lamp Clips Part #1369539 (Qty. 6) Headlamp Switch Part #1323829 (Qty. 1) Trevor can email you pics and diagrams of these parts along with pricing and methods of payment. All the parts will be shipped from the UK, with the exception of the switch, which will ship from Germany in order to have the proper set-up for LHD as opposed to the UK's RHD. The switch replaces your stock switch. The US fascia is different then the UK version. You will have to cut out the existing blank-out, as it is molded into the fascia. Even though the UK fog lamps come with the mounting bracket attached, you will have to fabricate some way to mount them from the back side of the fascia. I am going to fab my from aluminum and epoxy them to the back side, unless you want to spend the money for a UK fascia. There appears to be no existing plug-in in the existing US model harness (although there may be). That being said, there may be a need to run a few wires. If you are not versed in automotive electrics, and want everything to work properly with the new switch, I would have the installation done by an expert. Of course you can always just use a proper diameter fog lamp and simple rocker switch from any automotive parts store for an inexpensive installation. One thing about the TC that makes me just shake my head is the presence of the completely non-functioning fog lamp apertures. To me, it's absolutely lame, and something the TC wears as the same kind of badge of shame as the wholly cosmetic and completely non-beneficial Pontiac G8's faux "hood scoop" and Mustang GT Appearance Package's "Side Scoops". Hell, you might as strap one of those "rice rocket" spoilers to the top. In fact, even if I could manage to overcome my GM disgust enough to allow myself to enjoy the incredible performance car (not to mention value) the G8 GT happens to be, I still wouldn't own one out of sheer contempt for a maker that can't simply let a great vehicle be a great vehicle without resorting to spinning bow ties and clown shoes. (And the same goes for the Mustang until they no longer offer wholly fake side scoops). But I again digress. Anyway, I'm a BIG fog lamp proponent. I've already enabled my Flex's DTRL program to allow its fog lamps to become its DTRL's. But I MUCH prefer the yellow variety that actually increase visibility by cutting through fog instead of just making a vehicle more visible to others at the expense of additional glare. Plus, given the existence of the rear-facing fog lamp switch, it seems like the TC already has the control infrastructure in-place. In addition to correcting the fundamental wrong of a cosmetic-only feature, this seems like a terrific opportunity. Has anyone investigated adding aftermarket fog lamps to the TC or perhaps offer any guidance for doing so? Thanks!