I grew up in Ford family. Though we joked "Found On Road Dead" all the first cars I drove were Fords.

(I now drive a Honda, but Dad doesn't have to worry when I call ... he's not expected to be able to fix Rice-burners.)

I can only say that the Fords I personally owned (and I'm counting a couple Mercury products in there, as we all know they're Ford's in cheaper clothing) were all at least 11 years old when I GOT them, and were good cars. They were cars with character, yea, but if you knew how to talk to them right, they'd just keep running. And running and running and (*&$% - reattach the durned vacuum hose) running.

And while a certain individual may not mention it, I was glad his Escort was built well enough so that, when he rolled it after hitting black ice on an exit ramp at o'dark hundred, he was able to walk away.

And as a matter of fact, glad that Grandpa's '69 Ford Falcon, which by the time I was in college had been passed down to my big sister, was sturdy enough so that when we were hit at highway speeds on the passenger door - where I was sitting, I just kinda bounced and ended up in the middle person's lap.