I'm also much more enthusiastic about the Ford 500 than the Chrysler
300 -- we had a 1978 Ford Fairmont wagon for my mother, and it had very
good visibility and a good (high) seating position. Sadly, the rest of
the design was crap -- I always got a back ache driving it as I was
always sliding off the seat forward and butt friction was all the kept
me in place. Makes for a sore behind. Turning radius was larger that
that of an ocean liner in shallow water, etc.
I was behind a Ford 500 yesterday, and it could EASILY be mistaken for
a W124 chassis benz from behind -- I'm not fond of copying, but at
least they chose to copy a good car! They look pretty good to me, but
I'm not by any means in the "center of opinion" in the US. Sad, as I
suspect it, like the older Crown Vic styles, are basically decent
quality IF they would just get out of the early 1950s for suspension
and drivetrain design......
Now if they can just make the running gear anything like the European
stuff they might sell some cars -- a young friend of mine was looking
at SUVs (which he needs much like a hole in his head, he's in grad
school!), and he was astonished and the manuverability of the Land
Rover. I laughed, since I've driven far more German cars than anything
else, and will now never go back. Needless to say, I DID suggest he
not buy a Rover (pre 2005, anyway) -- they are not reliable.
Peter
