The Ford Mondeo Estate is in trouble with one Swedish automotive publication, thanks to how much it weighs.
Teknikens Värld reports the Mondeo Titanium Estate equipped with the 150-horsepower 2-liter TDCi and six-speed manual is supposed to weigh 3,530 pounds. However, when the publication’s test subject was placed on a roadside scale, the weight came out to 4,145 pounds, 615 more than what Ford said it weighed.
This is a problem in Sweden, as loading a vehicle above its total gross weight is illegal, something that would occur if a family loads the Mondeo to what they believe is the gross weight, only to find they’ve exceeded it.
The extra weight also proved to be dangerous, as the Mondeo failed the publication’s moose test, faring better at said test when the load dropped to 220 pounds above the maximum load limit.
Swede people problems…
Poor you with your wide variety of readily available manual diesel wagons.
Agree 100%. Would love to see Ford make that model available in Canada.
Me three. One in the sky blue they offered the Fusion Engeri in sitting next to the Taurus would be awesome, instead of brown. But who am I kidding; I’d have better luck standing outside and scanning the skies for flying pigs, rather than hoping the dealership will one day have these rolling pigs.
Swedes really still talk like that… someska howska, that’s cool.
People in your part of Wisconsin talk like that
I learned about these things from Rose Nylund.
St. Olaf is real at least in my part of the world. You should hear the people from Little Chute speak (real place)
There is a guy working at my company from St. Olaf, literally. When he said where he was from the first time, I was very shocked and explained how I thought it wasn’t a real place.
He was surprised at my age that I knew what Golden Girls was.
They must not have re-runs in St. Olaf
“People in your part of Wisconsin talk like that”
Nay, laddie… up here we get the Finnish influence from da yoo pee up dere, eh? It’s like a blend of Superfans and Canadian. No real sing-song to it. Very funny long-Os, kind of like the Norgies in Stoughton.
Ever been to New Glarus where the old folks try to keep a little Gaelic alive?
My bad, I always mistake Finnish and Swedish
I went to high school with a bunch of Fins. They all played hockey there eh. Bunch of hosers. That’s why the high school I went to wins State Class A hockey championships.
They all had names that ended win “inen”.
>They all had names that ended win “inen”.
..
Yep, and “enen”, some with double-a’s in them. I know several families like that.
My best friend is of pure Finnish stock from the UP but his name sounds blandly English. Go figure.
There is a series of books about the 20th Century UP called “The Northwoods Reader”. Talking about Finns and the UP made me think of it. I think you may like them.
Thanks for the reference. I *am* interested as the ones I know are some damn tough, quiet people.
They tend to not say much but when they do it’s laser beams.
There are a few volumes in the series. Each one is filled with 25 or so short stories about the old UP. It’s a quick, but enjoyable read. You can pick up copies for under $10 now on Amazon or eBay.
All I know about the Finns is that they make some damned good heavy metal.
It was funny when Clarkson tried to have an interview with Mikka Hakkinen (I think, and (sp)). Answers so short and blunt to everything, he seemed like a cool guy.
Or maybe that was Kimi Riekkenen (sp).
bball,
I found several volumes of Northwoods on Amazon and ordered Vol. 1. The blurbs sound very interesting.
Thanks again.
No problem Pete. I hope you enjoy them. I know that both my father and I did.
New Glarus was settled by Swiss immigrants. Who’d be speaking Gaelic there?
Elderly lady I knew in Madison said she was from there. Wrong town?
She sure as hell spoke Gaelic, anyway. Sounded like Vulcan.
I heard Gaelic for the first time in Dublin. On the street and on TV. It is an alien-sounding language to my ears.
I worked with a Swedish guy for a few years. He spoke English with a very heavy sing-song accent. Most of the time, it took me several moments to realize that he was speaking English (or attempting to) and not speaking Swedish.
In either case, very little communcation occurred.
“the weight came out to 4,145 pounds, 615 more than what Ford said it weighed.”
The two fat guys have to get out of the car first
They’re not fat, they’re just Stockhy.
Their meatballs are good, but their fish are awesome.
Mmm, lunch at IKEA. If you hate IKEA it’s because you’ve never eaten there
I have a POÄNG chair from IKEA – there’s definitely a “weight limit” for that design… so, easy on the Sveedish MEETBALLS, you chubby Americans.
I have a Poang, too. At 250lbs it seems unperturbed. It’s unnerving, but strong enough.
If there’s a weight limit, someone very large would probably not be able to fit into it to find out.
If I pronounced the Swedish word for meatballs, you would think I was cursing at you. It’s spelled kottbollar (with the double-dot o which is close to the French vowel sound in “oeuvre”) and the k is actually a sh.
My mom, who was a Swedish professional cook made killer kottbollar.
By the way, Swedish and Finnish are two completely different languages that happen to share similar accents (Swedish is the second language of Finland as the western islands have a lot of ethnic Swedes).
Nice looking wagon. Now we know what a Fusion wagon would look like, something we will never see.
Mae West was nice looking, too, but I’d think twice about letting her sit on my lap. :-)
Really? Mae West? Once one of America’s most beautiful actresses? I’d let her sit on my lap any day. By the way, did you know she was really short? I highly doubt she ever weighed what you think she did.
She was bawdy not a beauty
She was a bawdy beauty. I can’t help it that the global standard for beauty changed so much when Twiggy brought in the “waif” look. Personally, I prefer some real shape to a woman, not a skinny stick.
Maybe I’m thinking of her when she paired with W.C. Fields – unless it was the camera lens, she appeared, well, er, “Rubenesque”
Part of it was the camera angles. Because of her short stature, they rarely showed her from head to toe unless it was a solo shot or with another, equally-short actor.
This sounds like part of a side plot in a Simon Pegg comedy. Two fat guys get murdered and dumped in the back of a Mondeo estate that is about to be road tested by Swedish journalists.
So when Ford cheats with mpg numbers they just had adjusted to what mpg would have been with spec weight?
Now we know where those Nazi sympathizers are keeping their stolen Jew gold. Check the body panels of that Fusion.
Weren’t these the same Einsteins that failed the Grand Cherokee over their so-called “moose test”?
Don’t mock the moose test. If you’ve ever seen the results of a car/moose collision, you’ll understand the appeal.
It isn’t pretty.
My car flunked the hippopotamus test, bought it anyway. I’m just the crazy daredevil type, I guess
I hear you aced the windrow test, though.
On my first try
My god, the risk you are taking. There has got to be a hippopotamus leaping out into the street on every block in my town.
You know how it starts. Buy a baby hippo for your kid’s Easter present, they tire of it, you don’t want to clean up after it anymore, you end up flushing it instead of taking the time to bring it to the local hippopotamus recycling center, and before you know it they are everywhere…
I thought they bought them as Christmas presents, thanks to that song. Turns my commute into a real obstacle course; the hippo whistles I bought at Pep Boys for the Blue Goose don’t seem to work any better than the chrome stick on side vents do.
A few years back, I rented a car in Sweden. It didn’t take long to see my first Alg (Swedish for moose) crossing the road. Having hit a few deer in PA, seeing the moose was a whole different level of possible terror. Laugh all you want, but Swedes are incredibly practical people. Few places in the world work as well as Sweden does.
Put it this way–a head-on collision between an 18-wheeler and a moose will have the truck dropping its engine. The moose might still walk away.
Checked data for Finland: last year 1500 accidents, 3 people dead, 15 years ago 3000 accidents, 11 deaths per year was usual. Finns have built fences and cars are getting better, too. Hitting half-ton animal is no joke.
Also, 13,000 moose had died in collisions with Norwegian trains since 2000.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moose#Vehicle_collisions
The Swedes couldn’t read the weight label on the Grand Cherokee either, I guess the whole country has a reading problem.
Most Swedes can read English.
Hur mycket kan du läsa svenska?
Jag tänkte så…
Lite , jag tillbringade en del tid där som tonåring
Crap, that’s a 17% difference. How or why would the weight be so inaccurate?
Makes me wonder what other manufacturers are under quoting vehicle weight.
It’s not. The 3,530# listing is for the base-model Fusion, not the optioned-up diesel wagon.
>>supposed to weigh 3,530 pounds. However, when the publication’s test subject was placed on a roadside scale, the weight came out to 4,145 pounds, 615 more than what Ford said it weighed.<<
Sorta like what happens when reviewers check Ford's mpg claims.
That still weighs less than my sedan. I do no see problem. LOL
Europe can keep the Fusion wagon with it’s 1.5L diesel engine. I will take the new Edge, with the 2.7TT V6, over this any day.
“150-horsepower 2-liter TDCi ” This is the fast one we’re takin’ here
No won’t people in Europe are always rioting and protesting. I may not like some things about the local, state, or federal government, but I can go down to my local Ford or Chevy dealership and buy a 400 HP pony car for around $30K. Hell, my suppository shapped hybrid has 25% more HP than this thing.
hold my beer, and watch me do this smoky burnout with my non-Subaru-brat-pickup-truck.
Exactly. ‘Merica.
You probably could have purchased two 5.0 equipped F150s for whatever this Mondeo costs.
I saw quite a few Escalades (and Pickups and Suburbans and Mustangs) in Sweden a couple of years back. Your point is what, exactly?
And what’s your point? That some people want American horsepower freedom enough to spend a ton of cash importing a vehicle from the US?
My point is that if a Fiesta or Polo diesel was considered a family car in the US, like it is in much of Europe, I would be a sad panda.
That I am gald I live in a country where a 1.2L diesel subcompact hatchback is not considered a family car.
People spending a great deal of money to import American horsepower freedom isn’t the same as being able to purchase a V6 sedan for the mid $20Ks.
My point is stuck in the spam filter.
Nope. There’s also 180 hp diesel and up to 240 hp gas motors.
Yes I know. The Fusion (Mondeo) has ten different engines fitted to it worldwide. In most European countries, there are multiple diesel and gas engines available. I didn’t expect the 1.5TDCI to be the range topper, but like the 1.5T gas engine in the US, it may be the volume engine.
I wouldn’t trust that pub’s figures. I bet they were using that made up kilogram stuff, anyhow.
That’s quite obese. If you want an upside to that, this Fusion would plow through a welterweight 3200lb midsizer in the accident that you couldn’t avoid because of all that mass.
Drop a 3.5L Ecoboost in this thing and all of its problems are solved. Heck, even a 2.7L Ecoboost would do it.
That solves any problem with all Ford cars/CUVs. Just drop the 2.7TT or 3.5TT in everything.
I’ll take an AWD Focus hatch with the 3.5TT please.
The problem with that is that once you go over 2.0L in Europe, you’re taxed out the … Why do you think Ford is working on much smaller EcoBoost engines for their global cars? How about that 1.0L 3-cyl EcoBoost they can carry in a suitcase and yet cranks out some surprising horsepower?
I don’t want the 1.0T, or a 1.5L diesel, in a 4000 pound car. Actually, I don’t want either in a 3000 pound car. I am still disapointed that Ford doesn’t offer the Duratec35 V6 in the Fusion here.
Remember, Europe isn’t a country. Every country has its own set of tax regulations and brackets etc.
And there are plenty of ~3 liter cars up here in Sweden and Finland. Over 3 liters, not so much. But fuel economy and emissions is very important in the Mondeo segment, so its obviously important to have a selection of competent engines around or below 2 liters.
The Mondeo has always had an optional V6, which nobody bought. The previous generation got the excellent 210 horse Volvo 2.5T, which, you guessed it, nobody bought. The V70 2.5T sold rather well, though.
And 150 hp might not sound like a lot in a big wagon but remember, this is not a Honda. :) The shove is available on the kind of rpm where you actually sit all day long, not two gearchanges away. It will be very competent as a daily driver, but will obviously run out of steam at some point. And it is hardly the range-topper. I don’t know what kind of hp the fastest one makes but one of its main competitors, the new Passat, will get a 2.0 TDI with 240 hp.
Aren’t the Swedes coming over to American and scouring our junkyards to buy 50’s American cars to ship back to Sweden as donor cars for their restorations. Those old American cars with their tail fins are not light weights.
Yep, both American cars and even some old English cars, I find it interesting how a country known for harsh climates and practical engineering has a thing for old Detroit iron.
It always has. Back in the ’60s, the two most coveted cars in Sweden were the Mustang and the Cadillac.
in 1965, long before founding ABBA, Benny Andersson was in a very successful band called the Hep Stars. Their first album cover featured the band standing around their new black Sedan De Ville. The album was named “We and our Cadillac”.
I spent 3 mos there as a teenager with a friend and his family. His dad had a SS396 Malibu that we drove all over Northern Europe. Needless to say the car got a lot of attention, but no place like Stockholm where it was like a rock star
I wonder if they’d like some of those old American sedans that get thrown out, might be a good market for them.
Yea they are by today’s standards. What I found shows a 1957 Chevy tipping the scales at about 3,250. Step up to a Lincoln and you are only about 100lbs more. Remember they didn’t have 5mph bumpers 27 air bags, crash bars in the doors, ABS, 10,000 watt 20 speaker 10″ Infotainment systems, seat belts ect. Plus instead of a heavy unibody they had a full frame.
3530 pounds is obviously a mistake. Even a rental-spec US Fusion sedan weighs more than that, and this is a loaded diesel wagon. I wouldn’t have expected 4145 pounds, though–more like 3900. I’d look for the cocaine hidden in the door panels.
I’m shocked theres a mid-sized wagon that weights more than my Volvo 240, how did Ford manage to pack on so many pounds?
Because it’s bigger and has more equipment, and because its crash safety is on a whole different planet.
A 240 is a 40 year old car by now. It was probably considered heavy when it appeared on the market in 1975, but it weighs about as much as a modern day Golf.
For the record, I have a run of the mill compact euro-box (Skoda Octavia, close cousin to the mk6 Golf) which weighs 1345kg according to the specs. A “heavy” 240 is around 1400 depending on spec.
I replied before but is was marked as spam, dunno why.
The new Mondeo is bigger in every direction, a lot safer and has a lot more equipment. Of course it’s going to be heavier than a 40 year old car.
Your “heavy” volvo 240 is around 1400 kg depending on spec. This was probably considered heavy in 1975, but these days it’s nothing.
My own car, a Skoda Octavia (which is a close cousin to the Mk6 Golf) weighs 1350kg according to spec. That’s fairly normal for a car in the C segment these days.
“I replied before but is was marked as spam, dunno why.”
Thats been happening more at TTAC it seems.
I dunno why you’re trying to drill it into my head that the new Mondeos a better car, I’ve already admitted that it more than likely is.
Sorry. I posted a few times in a row thinking my comment was eaten by the spam filter. Apparently it was delayed, not deleted. I’m not very used to the TTAC comment system, especially now that it seems to be a bit glitchy.
Anyway, I’m just curious as to why people think the Volvo 240 is a heavy car (by modern standards that is). I’ve seen the exact same thing before in other places around the internet. “Of course it has disc brakes in all corners, it takes a lot to stop a vehicle that heavy” etc.
Its no problem
I see it as being heavy by the standards of its time (1976-1987), maybe not Detroit iron heavy, but still somewhat heavy.
The disk brakes all around aren’t there for the extra weight, its moreso Swedens obsession with safety. Volvos were “higher up” cars back then too so disc brakes were a big selling-point in an era of ho-hum drums.
Why people think they’re heavy I’m not sure, I blame Gran Turismo though. The 240 in those games was really heavy and people seem to think that GT is the end all for determining whathow cars are.
“Why people think they’re heavy I’m not sure, I blame Gran Turismo though. The 240 in those games was really heavy and people seem to think that GT is the end all for determining whathow cars are.”
Most people probably think it’s heavy because it looks so big and solid. But I’m sure some have been misled by GT. I haven’t noticed too many inaccuracies with curb weight in those games. That one is probably, by far, the worst. They have it at 1890 kg, so almost 500 kg than it actually is.
But that’s not even the biggest problem with that car’s game version. Like dozens of other vehicles in the game, the weight distribution is the most egregious error. They have it at 63/37. I suspect it’s actually close to 50/50. It’s possible to get the weight into the right range with weight reductions, but adding as much ballast as far back as possible only gets it to 56/44, and then it’s back to being 200 kg overweight. It’s so bad it’s not even worth keeping.
Transmission ratios are another thing that are often grossly inaccurate. While the driving simulation and track details of the game are quite good, and the simulation of the vehicle dynamics of specific cars seems quite good once you get the specs right, I really have to wonder what sort of idiots they have compiling the vehicle specifications. They’re often not even in the ballpark for what a vehicle with a certain layout could possibly be. Thanks to their ignorance and Car and Driver’s archives, I’ve developed quite a mental database of vehicular weight distribution over the years.
At rpn:
Criticize Japanese cars over at youtube and people will list off their Gran Turismo garage garage as good examples of Japanese engineering.
The weight distribution for a 240 wagon is 4951, more weight in the back. 54-46 for sedans.
6347 is more Volvo 850 range, and its true that GTs gearbox ratios are weird, same for Forza.
What gets me is that these errors have been in the game going back to GT4, 2 games later and 200 patches later, same bugs.
Because it’s 40 years younger which means it’s safer. It’s also bigger in every direction and has more toys.
A 240 weighs around 1400kg depending on spec. That’s what a Golf weighs these days, ie nothing.
Witness the modern car warrior, read to pounce whenever one dare be foolish enough to compare their old beater to a modern vessel.
A regular Mondeo doesn’t have to lug around a driveshaft, metal bumpers, a 2-litre tractor engine, so even if they are bigger, safer, faster, comfier, better, grippier, effecianter, toughier, brakier, complicatedier, newier, runs and driveier, you would think that 40 years of engineering could shave off some weight.
I’m NOT trying to imply that my 240s in anyway better, its really quite crude, I’m glad that VW Golfs aren’t too heavy though.
*applauds*
Automakers need to concentrate less on stupid tiny turbo motors and fuel cells and more on using composite materials and such to bring the weight down. Weight goes down, fuel economy goes up automatically.
I always wondered why aerodynamic kit packages were only available on “XFE” models and not standard across the line.
Smaller engines means less weight and better handling.
They’re working on better metals and carbon fiber, only thing is if they’d let engineers have more input into car design we could probably make lighter cars. We could certainly do away with 17 inch rims on family cars.
At Mandalor:
Same reason why the newest Z06 has a “Performance Exhaust” option that adds 5hp, or the Golf GTi with a “performance package”, its a reason that I do not know.
Large wheels are a necessity to give the braking performance desired nowadays as well as to deal with the weight of today’s vehicles. Larger diameter rotors are simply the best way to increase the braking force available.
Larger rotors don’t provide more braking force. They provide more braking capacity. Regardless, very few modern vehicles use the smallest wheel size that will clear the brakes. The wheel sizes on trim levels above the base models are typically chosen for reasons of fashion, with the s*de benefit of improved steering feel and handling on perfect roads.
Alloys should be standard for that reason, on top of usually being lighter than steelies.
No the larger the rotor the greater the braking force that can be generated. The larger the diameter of the rotor the greater the leverage that the caliper and pad have.
On most cars the base model wheels are sized so that they just clear the brakes. Yes the optional sizes or those that come with some packages are bigger than they need to be to clear the brakes. However the plain and simple fact is that the brakes on modern cars won’t fit in the wheel sizes of yesteryear.
My point is that the actual decelerating capability of the brakes is limited by the tires. Any somewhat modern brake calipers are easily capable of grabbing the rotor firmly enough to lock the brakes; even the ones that fit under 14″ wheels. So any more leverage than that is unnecessary for a single stop.
My side point is that most vehicles I notice have larger wheels than what is necessary to clear the brakes. However, it is possible I underestimated the sales of base model vehicles when I used the term “very few”. I probably just pay less attention to those vehicles. But are there any “family cars” that actually require 17″ wheels to clear the brakes?
My point is that the actual decelerating capability of the brakes is limited by the tires. Any somewhat modern brake calipers are easily capable of grabbing the rotor firmly enough to lock the brakes; even the ones that fit under 14″ wheels. So any more leverage than that is unnecessary for a single stop.
My other point is that most vehicles I notice have larger wheels than what is necessary to clear the brakes. However, it is possible I underestimated the sales of base model vehicles when I used the term “very few”. I probably just pay less attention to those vehicles. Regardless, are there any “family cars” that actually require 17″ wheels to clear the brakes?
We ship many big old american cars to both Sweden & Norway. They love american cars.
When i used to visit Norway every year when they were buying american goods and my agents salesman drove an old Ford station wagon with a large V8. He was a big man not fat just big and would only drive a large car. Just last year we shipped a 1954 Caddy convertible restored to Norway of all places.
That’s a sharp wagon and Mae West can sit on my lap anytime she wants.
So either Ford lied, Ford got it wrong, or both. Not surprising. I don’t know anything about Swedish culture but Swedish women are so so HOT. :-)
Also interesting is Teknikens review of the ’14 Honda CRV AWD, they argue that it is actually a FWD despite the AWD components being present.
They took a brand new CR-V and put the front wheels on rollers. It wouldn’t go anywhere. I wouldn’t call that AWD.
A properly done FWD biased AWD system (Haldex among others) lets the front wheels turn a fraction of a second before the rear drive is engaged.
If I recall correctly, Teknikens Värld had the same complaint about the current CR-V back when it first came out a couple of years ago. Honda apparently admitted that there was a flaw and gave them a new review unit with an updated software version that performed a lot better. They also claimed that new cars would have this going forward, and that old cars would receive the update as a silent recall. Wonder what happened with that?
I just watched the 2nd test with the 2014 CR-V AWD on Teknikens Värld, it flat out did not work. They then did the same test with an Escape AWD and it performed as it should. Anyone considering a Honda CR-V AWD needs to see this. You are not getting what you’re paying for
See for yourself…
http://teknikensvarld.se/honda-cr-v-4wd-system-is-not-working-again-163708/
I just watched the 2nd test with the 2014 CR-V AWD on Teknikens Värld, it flat out did not work. They then did the same test with an Escape AWD and it performed as it should. Anyone cons1dering a Honda CR-V AWD needs to see this. You are not getting what you’re paying for
See for yourself…
http://teknikensvarld.se/honda-cr-v-4wd-system-is-not-working-again-163708/
The idea that it provides exactly enough torque to hold position until the wheel speed difference is too great and then it rolls backwards is not credible. Honda is selling an AWD system that (at least in some conditions) is in no amount functional. I’m not a lawyer even in my home country, but it sure smells like fraud from here. Those toothpick the rear drive axles have been a source of visual amusement for a very long time; now I KNOW they’re window dressing. This will likely bump the Accord hybrid from my list to consider. You can’t spend your credibility twice. And now it’s gone.
I typed cons!deration without semi 1337 substitution. I doubt it gets fished out, I’m not that popular. Not typing it again.
@Ka-ru-bin
Ninja come for you, Honda Hate Boy!
“They also claimed that new cars would have this going forward, and that old cars would receive the update as a silent recall. Wonder what happened with that?”
I can only assume that was more of a “hush hush” method, that or not that many Honda owners went in for the recall.
I don’t mean to offend, but Honda owners are well known for being the “whats an oil change?” type, if they’re not souping up an EK Civic with a teggy stage 3 clutch and teggy F22B engine swap.
Honda owners need to take some responsibility about getting their cars fixed. They paid for the AWD and when they need it, it won’t be there, but then again if what you say is true they probably won’t notice the AWD isn’t working until they actually get stuck. Perhaps not even then
Hilarious fail. I would assume that anyone who buys a vehicle with part-time electronic AWD wouldn’t know enough about what’s going on at the wheels to notice whether it’s working under any conditions.
Sometimes I think that AWDs just a placebo, people get worried about snow so they get something with a AWD badge regardless of the shape of their tires or anything.
Honda owners have an interesting polar, either they’re VERY nutty gear-heads, or they’re so apathetic about car maintenance they shouldn’t really have a car.
Hopefully their dealerships will contact them in some way before the roads get slushy.
It sounds like the drivetrain can’t handle much torque to the rear, so Honda would just prefer to leave it as-is. Unless, of course, a quick reflash of a short-term magazine test vehicle results in better publicity. Then it’s worth reducing the lifespan of a single vehicle’s drivetrain. It’s not like there’s any legal requirement that an AWD has to function anywhere near as well as a true 4WD. As long as there’s a trace of power going to the rear wheels, it technically qualifies for the label.
The only CR-V owner I know is a retired guy who occasionally drives into stationary objects. I’m sure he hasn’t noticed that it’s somehow incapable of power oversteer on snowy corner exits!
Interesting trivia I heard about Honda, I cant recall wear exactly I read it, but there was a bit of controversy where they would simply disable CELs on some customers cars so they wouldn’t get worried.
Probably applies moreso to the late 90’s-recent.
//Honda owners are well known for being the “whats an oil change? type”
Well, what? That’s why we buy Hondas… they put perfectly good oil in their cars at the factory. Why would we need to change it?
Jeez…
Perhaps that was the Toyota type then, I’d verify what I read at Jalopnik but that would mean going over to Jalopnik.
That reminds me of a story. My Cousin had recently graduated from college and was in the market to buy a new car. She asked me what are good brands of cars. I told her it is hard to go wrong with a Toyota. Her boyfriend (now husband) chimed in that they were junk as he had to have the engine replaced in his Celica at only 40K because it seized up while cruising down the freeway. I asked him how frequently he changed and/or checked the oil. He replied that he did the free first oil change and then didn’t do anything but put gas in the car until it left him on the side of the road. So my bet is it burned most of the ~4qts off and what little that was left was goo.
Crap comment was eaten.
My Cousin’s then boyfriend (now husband) told me how Toyota’s were junk because the engine in his Celica seized at ~40K. When pressed he admitted that he had only had the free first oil change that the dealer gave him a coupon for.