Ford has gifted the car community with many well-thought-out and beautifully created vehicles. Because of Ford, we can enjoy muscle cars such as the Shelby Cobra and Mustang. They’ve also made some legendary supercars like the all-famous Ford GT. Not to forget the durable and rugged F-150 trucks that make the best workhorses.
However, not all Fords have been automotive masterpieces. Over the years, we’ve seen some well-built vehicles and some duds that make you question how some cars were ever approved.
10 Boring Ford: Ford Escape
The Ford Escape is a compact SUV that was introduced in 2001. It was based on the Ford Focus platform, sharing most of its components. There are over four generations of the Escape, with the latest iteration promising a compact SUV with full-size capabilities.
The Escape has three engine options, a 1.5-liter EcoBoost, 2.0-liter EcoBoost and a 2.5-liter inline 4 EcoBoost. This qualifies it as one of the least exciting vehicles from Ford. It lacks the fantastic EcoBoost V6 that can turn it into a quick and fun machine.
9 Fun To Drive: Ford Focus RS
The Ford Focus is one of the first names that comes to mind when you think of a hit hatch. There are currently three generations of this lovely hot hatch that was birthed in 2002. Over the years, there have been several changes and improvements.
The current generation Focus introduces advanced performance technologies to help deliver a fun-to-drive experience. The main change is the Ford Performance All-Wheel Drive system with Dynamic Torque Vectoring. This helps with at-limit handling and cornering speeds.
8 Boring Ford: Ford Flex
The Ford Flex is another of the most boring vehicles to come out of Ford’s production line. It was a full-size crossover wagon or SUV in production from 2009 to 2019. There was only a single generation of the model, with only one mid-cycle facelift in 2013.
The Flex was available with two versions of 3.5-liter engines; both mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox. The first option was a naturally aspirated V6 churning out 262 hp, while the other version was turbocharged, giving it a bump to 355 hp. Despite the powerful engines, the Flex had unreliable motors and transmission. It also suffered from crankcase and water pump leaking issues.
7 Fun To Drive: Ford SVT F-150 Lightning
This is one of the best-selling and longest-running sports trucks of all time. The SVT F-150 Lightning has been around for two generations, with the first generation from 1993 to 1995. After positive reactions from the automotive community, Ford introduced the second generation in 1999.
It shared some suspension and chassis components from the F-150 truck, but featured some upgraded dampers. The SVT Lightning also received a 360 hp 5.4-liter supercharged V8 that was later tuned to churn out 380 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque. All the improvements made the truck fun to drive and an excellent drag truck.
6 Boring Ford: Ford EXP
The Ford EXP was a sports coupe wannabe of the 80s. Touted as an economical front-wheel drive two-seater, the EXP was a laughable attempt at a sports car with its mere 70-hp engine. Unfortunately, it's among the vehicles that never achieved what was expected of it.
Ford already had more powerful and desirable competitors in their lineup, making the EXP irrelevant. Besides, other car manufacturers had better, fun-to-drive offerings like the Toyota MR2 and the Honda CR-X. All these options had better engines and generated more power and torque than the EXP.
5 Fun To Drive: Ford F-150 SVT Raptor
The F-150 is the most popular truck in Ford’s lineup. SVT has developed exotic Mustang models like the GT500, GT350 and Cobra. Their F-150 offering was introduced back in 2008 and got into production in 2010.
All Raptor models feature a heavily modified F-150, with the original model taking advantage of the 6.2-liter V8 churning out 411 hp. Other upgrades to all Raptor models include long travel suspension and chunky tires. All these improvements make the Raptor a fun-to-drive truck both on and off-road.
4 Boring Ford: Ford Pinto
In the 60s and 70s, car manufacturers were sticking to what they knew best, building big and powerful cars. However, imported compact cars were gaining traction with people since they were easier to live with and cheaper.
To mitigate this, Ford saw it necessary to create the Pinto, a flaming deathtrap. The Pinto had one horrific flaw: the fuel tank was mounted directly behind the rear bumper, and during tests, 8 out of 11 Pintos had a fuel tank rupture. Ford still manufactured the Pinto, leaving the consumers at risk of third-degree burns whenever they were rear-ended.
3 Fun To Drive: Ford GT
The Ford GT has been around for three generations since 2004. However, it all began in the 60s with the GT40 dominating France by winning 24 Hours of Le Mans four times. Forty years later, Ford revived the GT with a brand-new road-legal supercar.
The GT is considered one of the best supercars from Ford, thanks to its bold designs and daring engineering. The first road-going variant was available with a 5.4-liter V8 producing 549 hp, while the modern variants are available with Ford’s twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 churning out 660 hp.
2 Boring Ford: Ford Bronco II
The Bronco II was Ford’s take on a compact two-door SUV. The idea behind it was to downsize the traditional four-wheel-drive truck. It was based on a pickup truck chassis and designed to maintain the rugged nature of the original.
From the beginning, the Bronco’s future looked bright, but the manufacturer was aware of the potential rollover issues. During this era, Ford was rushing to deliver vehicles under tight timelines, as with the Pinto. This led to the production of a vehicle with a too short wheelbase that was tall and tipsy, with 79 people dying in Bronco II-related accidents in a single year.
1 Fun To Drive: Ford Mustang
The Mustang has been around since the 60s. Over the years, the Mustang has built a reputation for reliable and high-performing versions. Nowadays, there’s a Mustang for everyone, whether young or old. This muscle car is also available as a fastback coupe and convertible.
Over the years, the Mustang has used many engines, the most common being the V8. This muscle car is in its sixth generation and has three engine configurations; a 330 hp 2.3-liter EcoBoost, 470 hp 5.0-liter V8 and a 760 hp 5.2-liter supercharged V8.