Does anyone have any views on this car (clue - I just bought one !). It does seem to get decent reviews other than having a 'small' engine.

Whilst I'm on the subject, what abvout a Ford Escape - seen what looks like a decent deal on one as a second car

They are nothing like the Ford cars in Europe. We have a Ford truck and I'm very unimpressed with it. Has cost a small fortune in repairs (2 months out of warranty), pales in comparison to our Toyota truck and VW car (older German built, not the Mexican built).

Maybe I'll just stick with the one Ford and see how we get on !

=Bomproof!

Had Toyotas in NZ... on-road and off, winter/summer.... just kept on going

I've leased numerous Escapes for 3 years each and returned them with 100,000-120,000 clicks on them. Nothing went wrong with them. I did have a window motor break on Mustang, that was fixed under warranty. That's my complete experience of Ford failures over, I dunno, 500,000 miles.

I have spent more on repairs for my 2007 VW than all the Fords put together and it's spent more time in the shop, however it's never left me stranded nor developed a life threatening fault, the 2004 Honda with 50,000 miles on it has done both countless times. It's not safe because it's not well designed and it's not well assembled.

I don't conclude that all Hondas are junk but I note that it took a class action suit before Honda acknowledged that the windshield popping out was a design fault and agreed to warranty it forever. I'd consider a Honda again but only if it was markedly cheaper than a Ford.

We also have a Toyota and while it is as dull as it's possible to imagine a vehicle being there's no denying that for reliability it beats the Honda and VW hands down. It runs like a Ford.

If Toyota ran like our Ford, we would have got rid of it long ago. Toyota build quality, ride and noise levels are way better than the Ford. Never again would I buy a Ford.

I think that's old age creeping up with you. So long as one can stay awake at the wheel the Toyota may be a sensible choice but there's more to life than sensibly plodding along. A passion for Toyota would be like a passion for Frigidare.

Na, my Toyota truck leaves the ford in the dust! Six speed manual tranny, V6 wipes out the V8 Ford automatic. Depreciation is half that of Ford, my passion is to hang on to my cash, so I can spend it on my plane. Never tried driving a Frigidaire (which is Electrolux) though, what's it like? You are only as old as you think!

I bow to your superior knowledge of white goods. I guess there are people who can be excited by such things.