Lincoln is getting the Zephyr next year, and it's FWD/AWD... unless they change things around at the 11th hour. Oh, I agree how boring the FiveHundred's "style" is: it's a Blue Oval Audi! But... look where J Mays came from: VW. Ultraconservative stodgemobiles with a few niche cars once in a while. Timeless, they say. They want a style that isn't out of date three years from now... regardless of the fact most people don't keep cars that long, choosing to lease them for three years on average and then getting the next flavor of the year.

I wonder what exactly has gone wrong with Ford. Look at the Focus: the edgy styling has been watered down, a slab pretending to be a dashboard is sulking behind the windshield, and they don't even try to keep the Getrag 6-speed, even though it's the most modern MTX design (yes, I know it was in the SVT, but it still fits the engine formerly known as the Zetec). What travesty will the real 2nd gen Focus suffer? Then there's the Freestar: looks just like a Windstar, doesn't it? Same unibody, too. So... what's with the name change? And doesn't it sound so much like Freestyle? (Ooh, that's gonna be fun at the dealer!) I think Ford's going for alliteration: Focus, FiveHundred, Freestyle, Freestar, Fusion, yada-yada-yada. .

Black/tan early '98 Contour SE Sport; dead-dead-deadsky (gone, split, outta here, afterlife kids) '05 Pontiac Sunfire; 2.2L Ecotec, ATX, well-equipped Mom also has black/tan '98 Mystique LS; V6, ATX, Alpine CD deck