1997 Ford Thunderbird Reviews - Page 3 of 11

Car has been nearly bulletproof! Only breakdown ever was intake manifold cracked around 100000km, fixed under hidden warranty.

Has had the absolute bag driven off it for years, by me and my kids. Pulls a 18' boat in the summer.

Great handling, especially in winter on ice and snow with 150 lbs in the trunk! I park the SUV and drive this, as it will turn instead of rocketing off the mountain curves!

Gets 30mpg highway, and with the cat back, chip, and cold air, it moves out decent for a heavy car. Will pull away from my stock 99 Mustang GT from 70 kph on up. It really pulls good once it gets moving. Not many cars that have the comfort and the quiet this has, with the power and the handling for all it cost.

Seats are great, and it's one of the few cars out there where everything fits; you can actually put your elbows on the rests, lean back, and steer, unlike half the new ones out there.

I expect to drive it till it rots, as nothing came along that replaced it yet.

The moonroof leaked uncontrollably.

Passenger power window control from the driver's side is extremely temperamental.

The trunk latch broke twice within my first three years of ownership (covered under warranty both times for free).

The rest of the car's issues have been regular maintenance. I have changed:

A. The tires once.

B. The battery once.

C. The spark plugs once.

D. The wipers twice.

E. The headlights once.

F. The taillights once.

G. The gasoline and oil, and.

H. The interior dome light once.

The T-Bird has never left me stranded to date.

APPEAL

The car is easily one of the sexiest out there.

Mine is loaded with every option except leather.

Fun to drive. It 'returns the favor when I turn the key'.

PERFORMANCE.

Handles curves like nothing else (in a good way). 10/10.

Acceleration is superb. 10/10.

The brakes are spongy but responsive. Stops could be shorter and do require planning. 8/10.

The turning radius is not too bad, but I have seen better. 7/10.

The ride is as smooth as pure water.

I only get 16 MPG. This is okay for a V8, but there are more efficient vehicles out there (been perfectly reliable, this is the only reason for a 8/10 in running costs).

CONVENIENCE

The control stack and controls are straight forward. They are located well. 10/10.

COMFORT

The cloth front seats are easily the best in the business. 10/10.

The back is good on hip room for two, cramped for three, and leg room is lacking no matter what the configuration of the front seats is. The armrests on the side of the walls in the back seat are ingenious. 7/10.

The interior is warm and inviting, but it is 'boring'. 9/10.

COSMETICS

The paint was applied evenly and still shines (red) eleven years later! But, it scratches too easily. 8/10.

The body is rust-free (northeast climate, no rust-proofs)! 10/10.

The interior plastics are entirely too hard and there is too much plastic inside the car. 2/10.

THE VERDICT.

My Thunderbird is my favorite car. I have owned a Toyota Camry, Mercury Capri, Chrysler LeBaron, and Ford Taurus.

I love everything on the Thunderbird. It shows that Ford did a good job designing it. The few flaws that I find could have been easily remedied and do not detract from the overall vehicle. I will be looking to Ford when this car dies. At less than eighty thousand miles, however, I might have this car a decade or two more!