A little OT for a Sunday...
In the past week, we've taken delivery of two new cars, our daily drivers. My wife works for Ford, so Fords we drive; she gets (and pays for and evaluates) 2 new vehicles every model year. Further, because of her particular job situation at present (at a UAW/Ford joint programs facility) she can only drive Ford/Lincoln/Mercury branded vehicles that are assembled in the USA or Canada. Rules out UAW made vehicles such as the Mazda6 made alongside the Mustang, and a Fusion made in Mexico.
The 2009 vehicles we just received are a Ford Flex and a Lincoln MKS. The Flex is Made in Canada (Oakville, Ontario) and the Lincoln in Chicago, Illinois.
In our 20 years of driving new vehicles every year, never have I seen such a quantum leap of technology and features bundled and integrated together, and even brought downmarket to vehicles such as the Flex--whose target market is Gen-X Soccer Moms and families. As we all know the automotive market, no matter whose vehicles you prefer, is extremely competitive and you'll see more of this kind of integrated technology reaching downmarket into lower priced vehicles across the board.
Aside from the Microsoft Sync system--which is available in just about every Ford product,
none of these features are particularly new or innovative, so that's not my point. It's
how they have been all brought together. In the past, I've seen all these innovations, one by one, option by option, available on select models, in a variety of makes and models. My 2008 TaurusX, only 8 months old, seems like a dinosaur in technological comparison. Interesting, the TaurusX and Flex are supposed to appeal to the same target market.
A few years ago I drove a new S550 with Bruno Sacco, and it was so techno-heavy that I had to be shown how to start it and how to shift it as these normal controls were different. The kinds of technology normally found or offered on $100,000+ vehicles is now making its way to $35,000 vehicles, in a big way all at once.
What are these kinds of features?
- Sync system, integrating hands-free voice control of phone, nav system, iPod, MP3, cd player, radio, satellite radio with real time traffic info, gas prices, etc.
- HID lighting, steerable
- LED lighting (not complete, but getting there)
- Heated and cooled seats. The cooling is faster than the heating.
- fully automated power seating with memory
- push-button start/stop; there is no key!
- no fuel filler cap
- ambient accent lighting in 7 color choices
- integrated refrigerator in back seat; hold 8 cans/bottles
- plenty of 12V power points AND a 110VAC, 150W plug too!
- vista roof
- cup holder and storage bins all over
- rain-sensing wipers
- adaptive cruise control
- traction control
- rear backup sensors
- front parking sensors
- rear backup camera
- low tire pressure indicators on dash
- 6 speed automatic transmission standard
- integrated garage door control
- fully automated driver and passenger climate controls
- fully automated rear passenger climate controls
- lots of other little "S&D" (surprise and delight) items having to do with interior comfort and convenience.
You may hate and despise American automotive manufacturing and that is your choice; I'm not selling anything. Be prepared however, for a tidal wave of technology from all manufacturers in increasingly-performing bundles, making its way down market to lower priced vehicles.
I'm just so very astounded by how quickly all this stuff has been brought here at vehicles in this price point. Every year, there has always been something new; this year, instead of incremental changes there are big ones, and lots of them. No, these vehicles are not priced like a Honda Civic, nor are they priced like an S550 either.
On the downside, the Flex is
way overweight, still gets just 24 highway MPG. Hopefully they'll be working on some of those things that you can't see--except at the gas pump!
