FocusCanada Forums

Hi all, long time no see...

Things are busy for me these days...I'm going on another career course in 2 weeks, just came back from a 5-week exercise in Texas, and now I'm almost done another 4+ week in Alberta. I also recently signed my "IE" contract with the Army...that is, my "Indefinate Engagement", which is for another 19 years to bring me upto 25.

As the topic reads, I'm thinking about jumping ship...meaning I'm thinking about leaving the Ford world, and maybe switching so another brand. Yes, I still have the Mustang, and enjoy it a lot, and would hate to part company with it, but I'm discovering that now that me and my lady need a 4-season vehicle besides my old pickup truck. I was looking very long and hard at Fusions, especially AWD SEL V6's...but I got to thinking that I need something with a larger payload in the back than a car with a conventional trunk, and started thinking SUV's. But then I thought that since I already have a pickup, why get another SUV? So, as of late, I've seriously been entertaining the idea of looking at 06-07 Dodge Magnum R/T AWD's. They seat 4-5 adults with ease, they have an easy access, large payload to put all of our stuff in. They have the AWD system, multiple traction and brake controls, air bags, and a very high crash safety rating. They also have lots of creature comforts, the V8 power with the MDS (multi-displacement-system) that switches to 4cyl mode on the highway, and they look good, handle well, and brake well.

Just wondering what people's thoughts are on these cars...

Thanks a bunch, and it's great to see FC.net is still up and running well...

L8tz

Isn't Dodge supposed to stop production of the Magnum?
I'd think about it twice.
Why not an Edge? Ok, it's SUV/CUV style, but looks great and I bet is cheaper on gas than the magnum!
But, you should trust your instinct.
Have fun shopping... I'm sure you'll miss the stang later on.

Have you looked at the Ford Taurus X? It’s a 6/7 seater with AWD 3.5LV6 and 6spd auto tranny. That's one thing to look at as well if you are looking for lots of space and cargo versatility. Has won the top safety pick award.



If you are looking at a used one, then I would also suggest Ford Freestyle, which is the same as the Taurus. Ford made them from 05-07 again its AWD or FWD, comes with 3.0LV6 and CVT tranny. (This is the one i have) I love it; I’ve got the Limited model with 3-zone climate control, heated seats, leather seats, and sunroof. You get all the toys and it’s great on gas. Has won the top safety pick award.



IF you still want to stick with Dodge, then you can also have a look at the Journey (new this year) 6/7 seater and i think they have a 2.4L 4cyl. So it’s good on gas still.



I had the magnum as a rental; honestly I wasn't very impressed with it. Usually the rentals are the low end of scale and quality of the material used seemed very flimsy and cheap.

What about the AWD Tauras? (500) Those things are so nice. I noticed a demo at Gemini Ford in Hamilton, fully loaded limited edition for $23'000. Mann that thing looks nice.

Canadian ST,May 11 2008, 03:44 PM Wrote:What about the AWD Tauras? (500) Those things are so nice. I noticed a demo at Gemini Ford in Hamilton, fully loaded limited edition for $23'000. Mann that thing looks nice.
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I can vouch for the economy of the Freestyle ... I averaged less than 10L / 100km fully loaded with family of four and all our crap on a trip to Florida (including two roof top carriers!) - and amazing space and comfort.

Not to mention the excellent deals that Ford employees and others on here can get on new vehicles should that be the route you go.

Whatever route you go - good luck and don't be a stranger.

Thanks for the replies guys, and I appreciate the input/advice. I am interested in the Magnum as it's got utility, and it should have enough balls and creature comforts to overlook the fact that it's an autotragic (yes, I love manuals). I also like them because they look pretty cool and aren't as common as other vehicles. After doing research on these cars, they have a very good track record for reliability, being safe, and not overly pricey to fix. I know that the R/T has the 5.7 Hemi, and even with the cylinder deactivation it might not have as good fuel economy as other vehicles out there. I am willing to sacriffice spending some extra cash on fuel a little more often, if that means I don't have to drive something I might consider frumpy, or make me feel regretful for buying/driving. For example, if I bought a Toyota Corolla or Camry with a 4cyl engine, I think I'd hate myself for doing so, every time I drove it, regardless of fuel economy or reliability. I place the quality/experience of my drive, over the cost effectivenes...if that makes sense. Some folks concern themselves with Point A-Point B, wheras I wanna enjoy that trip as much as I can.

With regards to the Taurus X or the Edge, we both like the Edge a lot, but I think we'd only be happy with an AWD SEL or Limited, as I wanna have maximum creature comforts or "poor man's blingage" for my money. I would only be interested in a Freestyle or Taurus X if the misses would let me tint it and put rims on it, etc...and it would have to be Pitchblack in colour (which she might not approve of). I like the looks/prospects of that Flex, but I don't know if those are going to be as good as Ford makes them out to be.

We DO NOT want a Japanese car (her family all own Toyotas and Lex's), coz I like being the black sheep of the family...lol... We'd look at the Volvo S40 or S60 AWD's, or the Wagon (think that's the V50 and V70's), but my dad said that Volvo's are rather dear to maintain/repair. Though I hear nothing but good things about the new generation of their cars.

I know the magnum is being discontinued after 2008/2009 model years, but I want to buy a vehicle like them, or similar to them, that I can rack up mileage on, and not worry about it (I am horrifed that my Stang is already around 46,000+ km's, and wish to put a stop to that and trade it before it's worthless...).

Thanks again for the feedback, and keep the suggestions coming.

L8tz

Ian

ya i know you don't want a japanese car.. but if you are looking for AWD + wagon you should take a look at the new STi hatch. great car

the V8 S4 Avant is a fantastic wagon as well.. not nearly as hardcore as the STi, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing

a good friend of mine has the Saabaru 92-X aero.. loaded up with leather, navi, HIDs and extra soundproofing it is decent inside, and it has fantastic vehicle dynamics as well

personally, i am not a big fan of the non SRT hemi cars.. what's the point in having a 5.7L v8 if you can get smoked at the stop lights and decimated in the corners by turbo/awd import 4 bangers such as a stock '02 WRX wagon

I know what you are saying, with regardrs to stock subies and other small cars being able to beat up on a magnum in the turns and possibly from a holeshot too. I need to have a car that the misses will feel comfortable driving. A car like an STi might have too much torque to deal with in the first few gears (something that is a turn off for her with the mustang). Yes, I know that the Hemi is still a torque monster too, but with an auto, she can accelerate how she wants to easier, and because the power-2-weight ratio of the Magnum isn't as favourable as the Subie or other boosted cars, it should still hustle with little effort.

If I wasn't so against Asian cars, we'd consider looking at something like the Subaru Legacy GT Limited Sedan's. I would even go as far as to look for a 2004 Focus ZTW Wagon, and put a PW supercharger and other kit on it to increase the fun factor for me.

Thanks for the suggestions though, I appreciate them.

B)

Might want to let the missus sit in the Magnum before you go out and buy one. A common complaint with women i hear in the magnum is the high sill height and poor visibility.

There's a reason the magnum is being discontinued, and it's because it's a car I only see men driving because women really don't feel comfortable driving them.

The drive itself isn't too bad -- having taken my buddy's R/T to pick up my stang's tires from the dealership. It's got plenty of balls, but it turns like a battle ship. Compared to the stang, it feels like driving a mini van.. the steering wheel feels like it has a good 3-5 degree dead spot on center, and chrysler puts every function onto the left stalk, so hitting the signals will turn on your wipers, high beams, and set the cruis control, and open the sunroof. ok, it won't open the sunroof...

I just found it less intuitive to drive.

so the magnum has looks and it's got balls. Just be sure you can live with it day to day and that the missus can deal with it.

Legacy GT 2.5XT wagon? Turbo power, 4-cyl economy, AWD traction and lots of toys!

Well, when it comes to things that the misses doesn't like about the stang, she doesn't like the short/narrow height of the windsheild, the long hood, and how low to the ground you sit in the drivers seat. I think all of this is because she's mostly used to driving her mom's Toyota Echo Sedan, which I think is a frumpy tincan (for the most part I hate it). I know that the Magnum has a long hood too, as well as a high beltline, but She's ridden in a couple of SXT's that we've test driven, and she liked the car a lot. My dad went out in one of them with me too, and he likes how the SXT rides and handles for it's size and weight. He thought it would ride like a boat, but it's actually better than we thought. I know that the R/T has larger suspension (less compliant too) than the SXT, has larger rims and tires (with better OEM tires than the SXT, especially on the AWD R/T), and larger brakes too (again on the AWD).

I might have to take a couple more of these cars out and see how we like them, including a RWD R/T, and an AWD SXT and/or AWD R/T. Perhaps there are some attributes of the car we won't like if we have our hands on one for the better part of a day (I know some dealerships will do this, especially on a newer, more expensive model they want to clear from their inventory). It might come down to having to drive an AWD Fusion again, as well as an AWD Edge, and perhaps deciding to stay in the Ford Camp afterall.

Cars are sooo subjective anymore...lol

L8tz

i'm pretty sure the Subaru Legacy final assembly has taken place in north america since at least the mid 90s. doesn't that mean you are still supporting the north american car industry if you get a legacy?

have you actually driven a turbo subaru? i recommend you go drive one, if for nothing else, just to re-affirm your hatred for "import" cars.. you owe it to yourself to drive all the options out there before throwing down $$$ for a car you'll live with for a couple of years

while you are at it, drive a V8 S4 as well. do this all back to back with the 5.7L v8 magnum if you can.

in any case, good luck with your purchase!! 5.7L motor will feel a lot faster than a turbo 4cyl anyway, so the actual performance difference is easy to ignore

The AWD Fusion is a comfortable car (In Canada your only option is the SEL trim level, which means just about everything comes statndard)

Is it fast? Subjectively it is faster than my Focus was, but it is noisy if you floor it. With the six speed autobox you generally don't have to mat it to get passing power.

As a sedan it will not carry as much as a wagon will of course, but with the ability to flatten both the rear seat and the front passenger seat, you can get some damn large packages into the car :ph34r:

Let me know if you want any more Fusion info.

NefCAnuck

One thing I can say about the magnums is the fact they suffer from the stark hard plastics that scrach so very easily, not to mention it looks extremely cheap on the interior with or without the all the toys in there. Over all if you are looking to use this car daily for everything or on long hauls between places, you really need to be able to live with the hardness of that plastic in places you'd use often use when driving.

The Taurus X / Freestyle are virtually the same in the interior features, infact it's almost completely the same other then the addition of a few features in the Taurus X version for the 2008 & 2009 model years, over the Freestyle.

Utility wise, Yes a Dodge journey might be a good option for you as it is more car then SUV, and being designed and enginered in Germany it may not suffer as much as the out going magnum dose for cheap looking / feeling interiors.

Volvos are great for their ride comfort and handling, not to mention the resale value will always be there as it is a premium car company, so you will get what you pay for in a volvo, not to mention they make the safest cars on the planet.

Another option to think about could be the Mazda 5, and 6 Wagon they offer great value for the money and can hold a lot of stuff in them, plus if your thinking of gas prices the 5 would make sence, and if your looking for peppy, and a smooth ride with a sport feeling, then 6 Wagon with the V6 could be a good match.

Well, as ultimately the choice in car is upto me (as long as it IS something that the misses can drive confidently when she has to, and not dislike the colour of). I really do like the 2007 Fusion's, especially the AWD SEL's I've driven. I know that my local dealership was offering ridiculous factory incentives on 07's to clear them out of Ford's inventory (like upto 6 grand off). I've driven 2 AWD's, and about 3 FWD's, and I like the AWD better.

If I was to get a Fusion, I would want one where the exterior is either Pitchblack, Alloy Metallic, or Dark Blue Pearl, and the interior would be black leathers with the oatmeal contrast stitching, and pianoblack trim. I'd also want the car to have the rear spoiler, and would actually preffer one without a sunroof. If it has the NAV stereo in it, that'd be ok too, but not a requirement. Then, I sould spend the extra money and buy a set of the SAP rims, and mount some Bridgestone G019 Grid's on them, and likely swap the grilles for the SAP ones, and tint the car with a 20% all-around tint. Add on a Steeda intake, and then I'd have a car that I was happy with all the time, and it'd look different enough to grab the attention of other Ford Guys (and Gals), but not the attention of knobs out on the road, or theives/vandals, etc.

Basically, if I look at a Fusion that's got the stuff I want, or a Magnum configured the way I want (talking used, 07 for Fusion, 05-07 Magnum, either off lease return), I will see if the dealer would wanna trade my car straight up. I figure that my car is still worth at least $21,000-$21,500, so I should be able to trade my car for a car worth the same, and then just change the ownership, and keep paying my bank back the same monthly payment...and have a 4-season vehicle to actually use while I'm paying for it, unlike the Stang.

Just figured I'd elaborate a bit more on what I'd like to do...

Thanks for the input everyone!

And, Happy Birthday STEVE! B)

it would ROCK to do a straight up trade. good luck man!!

the fusion you described sounds great. i did see one the other day that was white with tan leather interior and it looked pretty sharp! do you have the option of going with brushed aluminum trim for the interior? black leather + brushed aluminum looks good IMHO

The '08's do offer one or two things that might sway you into spending a bit of coin:

1) The '08 SAP is drool inducing on the Fusion, but the hassle is that you cannot get SAP & AWD together :(

2) The SYNC system, say what you will about a M$ developed product, but after working with it for nearly a month now, you will pry it out of my cold dead hands :D

NefCacnuck

5 weeks in texas (gun training ??)
4 Weeks in alberta (wainright ??)

You deploying out in September with everyone else ??

Ian,

I'm getting a black 08 Escape XLT 3.0L AWD (or maybe a Limited if the price is right). I drove one again the other day... I'm really surprised with how it conducts itself around town and on the highway. I even crawled it over a median just for kicks!! :lol:

The number one reason I'm getting back in a Ford? The customer service I receive in town from Stockfish. I can't beat these guys anywhere else in town! It doesn't matter if I bought the car/truck from them, hell I took the RX-8 there for an oil change.

Good luck in whatever you pick bud. Come home safe eh?