A fellow editor, after driving the Ford GT, commented that, "It's almost like a Lexus inside." That statement may be a bit strong, as the parts bin switchgear and hard plastic on the inner door panels don't really feel up to Toyota's premium brand. However, there are aspects of the GT that could have been pulled from a premium luxury brand. One of these is the climate control panel on the center console. First, the console itself is made of magnesium, so you could say these controls start with a good foundation. Adding to the upscale effect are dials made from polished metal that offer a solid, reassuring feel when you rotate them...
Finally, the lighting of these dials is simply majestic, with soothing white light emanating from the dials' circumference. They even use staged light levels to slowly brighten up when you turn on the headlights. Lexus interior designers would approve.
Karl Brauer, Editor in Chief, Edmunds.com @ 6,430 miles
kurtamaxxxguy says:
01:48 PM, 12/ 7/06
Wrt interior plastics, doesn't it make more sense to have soft plastics where the driver / passanger routinely make contact (arm rests, door tops, etc.), and hard (easier to clean, less outgassing, etc.) plastics where they don't?
Hard plastics seem fine in right places so long as they've a decent texture, no flashing, and don't rattle or squeak.
ahightower says:
02:08 PM, 12/ 7/06
Don't the rest of the symbols light up too (i.e., fan speed, temp, setting), or do you just have to read them from ambient light coming out from under the knobs?
sddoc07 says:
09:06 PM, 12/ 7/06
Karl - what's your opinion on the constant trouble that Jeremy Clarkson has had with his Ford GT? He always talks about how he's never been able to complete a roadtrip without it breaking down and Top Gear loves to show him constantly filling it up with gas...you should track him down at Ford GT events and see what's up!
blueice4589 says:
01:39 PM, 12/ 8/06
This headline should read Lexus-Like: Not Quite, Not Close, Not Ever.
tsgeisel says:
05:49 PM, 12/ 8/06
Since this is your car, and not an official Edmunds car, will it ever be off of long-term review status? Frankly the idea of a long-term review that lasts multiples of years appeals to me...although moreso with a more ordinary car.
But I like the idea of a long-term review of a highest-end car. Maybe a Bentley or something...
editor_karl says:
06:45 PM, 12/ 8/06
The other symbols don't light up, but you can see them clearly from the ambient light (hard to tell with this photo because the camera was exposing for the lighted dials, and the dome light was on).
Clarkson seems a bit schizophrenic about his GT. He says it's his dream car, then he gives it back because the NON-FORD alarm system doesn't work. Then he cries when they come to get it, and eventually he decides he'll grace the GT with his ownership again. Then he yells about how hard it is to drive in London (hard to imagine -- it being such a car-friendly town and all). As for fuel mileage/range, I got 300 miles out of a tank on my recent drive to Palo Alto and back, and at 7,000 miles I had one issue (door rattles that were fixed in a few hours by the dealer -- over a year ago). I can hardly find a reason to complain about that... Ultimately I think they use whatever foibles they can create about the car to provide humorous effect for the show. And because that's the basis for the entire show I can't claim surprise.
Don't worry, the Ford GT's long-term reporting will end soon -- certainly before the decade runs out...
playdrv4me says:
12:46 PM, 12/31/06
I would venture to say the GT is probably without a doubt the closest Ive ever seen a domestic automaker come to Lexus standards (though I could spend an hour disputing the validity of Lexus as the measuring stick). The Corvette Z06 is undoubtedly cheaper, but still feels like its made of Tonka parts. The attention to detail in the GT is refreshing, albeit at 120k...