Soon... very soon.

[CometFlash]

Got a great deal on a "slightly used" FFH today, if you could really call her used at all. Previous owner made 1 payment, then decided she was too small for his 2 newborns (still had two car seats impressions in the back seat leather). Pristine condition, still smelt brand-new inside as well. I'm a huge stickler for my auto being perfect and never buying a used vehicle. Took her out for an hour & a half alone and went over her in parking garage stem to stern, then did some driving too. Ingot Silver, Stone interior. Fully-loaded, 502a w/remote start. Got him to throw in all-weather FFH mats for free.

 

I stopped in to have my tires inflated (Low Tire Presuure warning from TPMS system). Never intended to do anything for the next two months at least. I planned to wait until March or April to order one. But no way I could pass up this deal. My whole reason for wanting a hybrid was to save money. Well... :) Who would imagine, walking in to a dealership, and then walking out with a fully-loaded brand-new hybrid car and $2,000 richer in my bank account as well. Just doesn't seem right, but there it is. :happy feet:

 

She JUST got traded-in, so until he gets rest of paperwork and 2nd key I'll stiull have my truck. About a week I should have her.

 

I'll try to post more impressions later, but it's almost 1am and have to work tomorrow. Guess I'll enjoy my truck through one more snowstorm up here tomorrow morning. :P

 

One quick thing - I love the welcome sound it makes when you start her up, when you open door, etc. :headspin:

[Zzyzx]

Got a great deal on a "slightly used" FFH today, if you could really call her used at all. Previous owner made 1 payment, then decided she was too small for his 2 newborns (still had two car seats impressions in the back seat leather). Pristine condition, still smelt brand-new inside as well. I'm a huge stickler for my auto being perfect and never buying a used vehicle. Took her out for an hour & a half alone and went over her in parking garage stem to stern, then did some driving too. Ingot Silver, Stone interior. Fully-loaded, 502a w/remote start. Got him to throw in all-weather FFH mats for free.

 

I stopped in to have my tires inflated (Low Tire Presuure warning from TPMS system). Never intended to do anything for the next two months at least. I planned to wait until March or April to order one. But no way I could pass up this deal. My whole reason for wanting a hybrid was to save money. Well... :) Who would imagine, walking in to a dealership, and then walking out with a fully-loaded brand-new hybrid car and $2,000 richer in my bank account as well. Just doesn't seem right, but there it is. :happy feet:

 

She JUST got traded-in, so until he gets rest of paperwork and 2nd key I'll stiull have my truck. About a week I should have her.

 

I'll try to post more impressions later, but it's almost 1am and have to work tomorrow. Guess I'll enjoy my truck through one more snowstorm up here tomorrow morning. :P

 

One quick thing - I love the welcome sound it makes when you start her up, when you open door, etc. :headspin:

 

Congratulations! :headspin: :headspin: :headspin:

[Fuze-ion]

Congratulations! Can't pass-up a good Deal.

[Jaradel]

Awesome! Mine's the Sterling Grey with the Rapid Spec 502A. It's a great car - I think you're really going to like it!

 

(And for the record, there's plenty of room for two kids once they're out of infant seats. I have two boosters in the back of mine and it's not crowded at all.)

[rfruth]

I guess doing your research and waiting works - way to go :drool:

[CometFlash]

Thanks, everyone. Can't wait to take her home.

 

I did notice the roof is a bit low with the moonroof. Luckily I'm on the short side, but if a small guy like me noticed it, I'm sure a tall person might find it irritating; even uncomfortable. Probably best to get it w/out the moonroff if you're tall. I have a moonroof on my truck now and could care less about having it one way or another. Honestly that would be the only negative I took from my time with her; was really surprised at how low the roof seemed, especially for a guy my size. I think the moonroff comes with the 502A, so you're stuck with it if you want all the cool stuff like NAV, which would be crazy to do without.

 

Just like my truck, the NAV is absolutely fantastic; no way I'd ever get a vehicle without one. Not just for the directions, but for all the info it displays about every function in the vehicle. Not only that, but because it's a hybrid, it has that EV Mode screen, which is just perfect for getting the most out of your hybrid driving experience! All the doo-hickey's on the LCD screen are great, but that mode on the NAV screen is the best, and I have only driven the car for like a half hour or so. By far the best way to see exactly what the car is doing at all times, be it regerative braking, EV mode, gas mode, recharging, etc. Love it!

 

On the F150 forum, every time someone says they don't want the NAV, those of us who have it try and tell them it's a LOT more than just the directions piece. And then those that don't buy it, try to add it aftermarket, but it's never as good as the factory with everything interconnected, and they always regret it. Just putting that out there. :shades:

 

I didn't put her in reverse, so I'm not sure if the reverse camera has the new zoom function or not; I think they added the zoom to the reverse camera for the F-150 in 2011.

 

Forgot to look for the HD Radio, will have to try that out.

 

I think I already mentioned how smooth it was, very quiet (even with gas engine running), and the integration of gas to EV and vice versa is completely unnoticable. They really put this vehicle together right. Everything is so much more relaxing and enjoyable than in my $52,000 Platinum F-150. Acceleration is great. The only thing I missed is the big side view mirrors from my truck, those were fantastic. Surprisingly I didn't miss the height advantage, but I think it's because I was having fun driving and watching all the MPG gadgets 'n stuff rather than looking around me. I'm sure the ride height is something I'll miss, but it's a tradeoff I'm willing to make, same with A/C seats, though those I can do without easily (the heat never bothers me, but the cold for a skinny guy like me... chills me to the bone so need those heated seats & remote start for winter).

 

Hmm, what else. It'll be interesting having the Stone interior, as I would never choose it given the choice. [Why they call it Stone I've no idea, as I would think grey and yet it sure seems tan to me] The black is always so easy to maintain looking like new. I've seen too many tan interiors with black scuff marks that just DON'T come off. Luckily the floor is still black, which will help a lot. I know in the past the tan F-150's even had a tan floor, and man did that get dirty and scuffed real quick. But it looks nice brand-new; will just need to make sure it stays that way. I'm real picky, always want my vehicle looking brand new at all times. But passengers, as we all know, aren't nearly as careful, so I'll have to keep my eye on 'em! :ninja:

 

The wheels are a lot nicer in person. That was a concern and a part of reason I was looking at MKZH instead. The FFH wheels actually have a sparkle to them when clean and in person, plus they are real. Where the MKZH chrome wheels are, well, just a thin cheap chrome plate over a steel wheel. I looked at them in the dealer showroom, was surprised at that for sure. How can they charge so much for them, if all you have to do is get super-cheap steel wheels and then buy a thin chrome snap-on and you're done. That's really crappy for an upscale Lincoln. The FFH wheels actually reminded me more of my Platinum wheels, which are Polished Forged Aluminum and look really nice, much richer looking than chrome clad wheels. So I was pleasantly surprised by the FFH wheels. Pics online and in catalogs make them look cheap and crappy, but they actually aren't at all.

 

Played with the ambient lighting, pretty cool. They didn't put that in the F-150 until 2010, so I never had that. Bet it's neat looking at night while driving, especially if you have a passenger to enjoy it.

 

I noticed the BLIS kick on when a car was aside of me, but with your mirrors properly adjusted it's not really necessary but fine nonetheless. I bet the CTA will come in handy though in a small car. I can picture plenty of scenario's backing up where you can't see anything because of big vehicles parked on either side of me. In my truck that's not an issue, obviously. Then again, the F-150 accelerates like crap, lurching from start to stop all the way to work and back stop n go, where the FFH accelerated smooth and quick, no feeling like you could hear the gas get sucked into nothingness like every time you get that huge truck moving, only to hit the brakes 3 seconds later in 9am and 5pm traffic everyday. :bike:

 

Not sure what else at the moment. Did I mention in the spring/summer/fall I'll get 3x the MPG of my F-150?! :hyper:

 

{Still strongly considering picking up some Winter tires since winter in MA isn't fun unless you own an awesome pickup... which I soon won't :P }

[Zzyzx]

Thanks, everyone. Can't wait to take her home.

 

I did notice the roof is a bit low with the moonroof. Luckily I'm on the short side, but if a small guy like me noticed it, I'm sure a tall person might find it irritating; even uncomfortable. /quote]

 

I am 6' and since the seat is adjustable, I lowered the seat and there is ample room between the roof and my head.

[AptosDriver]

I did notice the roof is a bit low with the moonroof. Luckily I'm on the short side, but if a small guy like me noticed it, I'm sure a tall person might find it irritating; even uncomfortable.

 

I am 6' and since the seat is adjustable, I lowered the seat and there is ample room between the roof and my head.

I'm 5'11" or so (I usta be 6' or 6'1', but age is shrinking me as it does everybody). I sat in a fully loaded FFH with moonroof and noticed that the headliner is kind of low for me. But that was after I raised the seat to make it more comfortable. Since my wife would be the principal driver of this car, I could live with it, I guess.

 

Good for you CometFlash. I hope this car turns out to be a great decision for you and I'll be watching for your updates re. your experiences with it.

[ralteredstates]

Personally I couldn't possibly work around not having both my F150 and the FFH. One could not replace the other (until I can put the plow on the FFH and go to Costco for both home and office). I think the seats are far superior in the F150. Of course, the FFH gets great milage and use it when the truck is not necessary. I am fortunate to be able to have both at the same time. They have very different functions. If I was forced to pick one, I would replace the trucks engine with the FFH system! :blink:

[AptosDriver]

Personally I couldn't possibly work around not having both my F150 and the FFH. One could not replace the other (until I can put the plow on the FFH and go to Costco for both home and office). I think the seats are far superior in the F150. Of course, the FFH gets great milage and use it when the truck is not necessary. I am fortunate to be able to have both at the same time. They have very different functions. If I was forced to pick one, I would replace the trucks engine with the FFH system! :blink:

Our other car is/will be a Toyota RAV4 (AWD, 6-cylinder; drives like a rocket!)

[CometFlash]

Personally I couldn't possibly work around not having both my F150 and the FFH. One could not replace the other (until I can put the plow on the FFH and go to Costco for both home and office). I think the seats are far superior in the F150. Of course, the FFH gets great milage and use it when the truck is not necessary. I am fortunate to be able to have both at the same time. They have very different functions. If I was forced to pick one, I would replace the trucks engine with the FFH system! :blink:

 

Agreed about the seats. The headrests in my 2009 are the best ever, sooo comfy. But working in retail in a day & age when jobs dissappear without any notice, I can't even think about having both vehicles at the same time. Not unless someone has an extra 30k or so they want to send me as a Gift of Being Cash Poor. :P

[rfruth]

Stone cause thats the color of a rock (tan would have worked) - ambient lighting is cool & useful, so what do you think (about everything) ?

[CometFlash]

Stone cause thats the color of a rock (tan would have worked) - ambient lighting is cool & useful, so what do you think (about everything) ?

 

I won't have her until sometime next week as it's looking right now. He needed to wait for all the paperwork to be finalized and get the title and all that for the FFH before he can give it to me. He said they are allowed to sell it but not hand it over until they had all that. The previous owner had literally just traded her in a couple days ago, still hadn't even given him the 2nd key yet. I think he traded her for an Escape, because he needed more room for his two newborns and all the baby stuff and carseats and all plus his wife too of course. Said he just found the FFH too small for his needs. He had only made a single payment on the FFH, then brought her back so as to lose as little as possible on the deal so he could get a bigger vehicle.

 

So she's parked out back behind another vehicle with a sold sign on her so no one else test drivers her or anything, plus he's getting me a set of official Ford FFH all-weather mats for free. Still has that new car smell and all. :) It gives me a few more days to say goodbye to my truck I suppose, plus I've got to be sure and delete all my data from my hard drive in the truck, plus all my pre-programmed NAV routes, and the Universal Garage Door opener too. With all the tech in my truck got to make sure none of it ends up in the hands of someone else. :stop:

 

My very first step will be to get all the mirrors positioned properly, as one thing I'll have a lot less of compared to my truck is field of vision. When test driving the FFH I was a bit timid in changing lanes with the mirrors so small (plus needed some adjustment for me) compared to the huge side views on the truck that are just awesome. I quickly adjusted to the brake feel, which was very different than my truck. What's weird is that a $33k car felt much more like a luxury ride than my $52k truck. Can't get over how quiet and smooth it rode compared to my truck, never mind the acceleration which is 100x better than the F150. It was obvious from that short drive that she'd be waaay better not just on MPG, but on pure comfort of ride/drive. Most of my driving is at 8-9am and 5-6pm, which means stop n go traffic about 2/3 of my way home. That's a LOT of lurching from start to stop in my heavy truck - you can almost feel the gas being sucked into nothingness, never mind the brakes getting tired of working overtime (and my comfort as I lurch around in there from the stop n go).

 

Once I have her in my driveway, I'll be sure to post real-world impressions on everything that comes to mind. After that, any questions from prospective owners will be welcome as well. But right now I don't feel right about giving any FFH advice until I actually own one and can speak from firsthand experience. :play:

 

I wonder if they'll clean her up before I take delivery? This time of year every vehicle is covered in grime up here in MA. Would be cool to have her clean for one day to drive her home for the first time.

 

EDIT: Just realized, that because I am paying outright for the FFH (and getting $2k back), that's probably why he needs the title in hand, to give directly to me instead of to a lienholder. I still can't believe I'm walking out of a dealership with a new car completely paid off and extra money in my pocket, instead of the typical 5 year loan with a huge payment every month. :victory:

Edited January 29, 2011 by CometFlash

[ralteredstates]

Agreed about the seats. The headrests in my 2009 are the best ever, sooo comfy. But working in retail in a day & age when jobs dissappear without any notice, I can't even think about having both vehicles at the same time. Not unless someone has an extra 30k or so they want to send me as a Gift of Being Cash Poor. :P

 

Check's in the mail! :work: