Solid and chunky-looking, Fiesta feels like an even more substantial car than its size suggests.

Offered with three or five doors, with a variety of engines and transmissions which cover most customer expectations or requirements in this sector, Fiesta’s rigid body shell helps to ensure that the handling and ride remain well-controlled.

New in the end of 2004 is a pocket hot-shot, the 150PS 2.0-litre Fiesta ST. This promises a mix of accessible performance and driving dynamics for which Ford call rewarding, everyday fun.

Only in the three door form, the vehicle revisits the legend which was XR2, but brings it even date. There are also ideas being bounced around that suggest a hotter-still variant might be on the way, in the form of the Fiesta RS.

Offered in classic and sporting variants with a choice of engines from the high torque 250PS straight six to the sharp and powerful Boss 260 V8 with 350PS, the Falcon is Ford’s everyman car for Australian drivers.

The Classic is a modest package targeted at family drivers, however the Boss-powered XR8 is not modest, it is an overt performance car that feels only a short way taken off a race car, with crisp handling and considerable road presence because of input from Ford’s team of enthusiastic designers and engineers.

Falcon’s success like a race car helps maintain its image a significant performance contender.

America’s best-selling sports utility vehicle (SUV), Explorer is well into its second decade. Offered in two-door sport and 4 door variants, with either V6 or V8 engines, the large machine is a competent performer, with acceptable on-road behaviour matched towards the capability to cut it when pointed into fields and forest tracks.

You have the expected quantity of body roll from the high-stepping machine, but drive it with due regard also it is a not-unpleasant experience.

As usual with Ford SUV products there is a wide range of trim and option choices which could cater for everyone, from the functional to the absurdly luxurious.

Another giant 4×4 utility vehicle, but much more geared to the image-conscious than Ford’s Excursion.

In a position to accommodate as much as nine people and all sorts of their luggage, but to waft them along in quite decent luxury.

The entry-level engine is a 4.6 V8, and there’s also the 5.4 litre V8 available. On-road handling is better than may be expected; the suspension is a sophisticated ail-independent system available with traction control and electronic stability control.

Made to satisfy the leisure user market, this is just the ticket if you reside in a town but wish to head up-country for many fishing and shooting most weekends.

Ford’s giant utility vehicle includes three rows of seats, seats nine, and occupies marginally less road space than the usual double-decker bus.

Everything relating to this car is matched in scale; the bottom engine is a 5.4 litre V8, there is a 6.0 litre V10 available, and there’s – unusual in these kinds – also a diesel option.

But don’t expect this to become the typical little four-banger; Excursion’s diesel is a six litre V8 with 325Ps and also over 500lb/ft of torque.

Four wheel drive can be obtained, and the monster can tow as much as five tonnes. Don’t expect a great deal in the method of driver involvement or crisp dynamics – the Excursion is utility overkill, no more and no less.

Created like a go-anywhere vehicle family for emerging markets and built in Thailand as a joint venture with AutoAlliance, Everest is determined to be a global product.

A mid¬-sized sport utility that is built around a four wheel drive chassis that will take whether 2.6 litre petrol or perhaps a 2.3 litre turbo diesel engine and only manual or automatic five speed transmission.

Sitting high in road, this provides you with plenty of ground clearance, Everest delivers better handling than may be expected in this sector, yet it achieves this without recourse to complex electronics.

Ford understands that simplicity and easy maintenance is important since it rolls out the product into emerging markets.

Ford’s mid-sized (by American standards) sports utility continues to be completely redesigned.

The V6 engine is joined in the line-up with a 2.3 litre four, which although short on absolute grunt, is a surprisingly torque-rich engine that integrates neatly with Escape’s automatic four wheel drive system (meaning it switches from front drive to 4×4 since the situation demands) use a reasonable degree of performance and good economy.

A hybrid, with electrical assistance, can also be on the way. Your body is cleanly styled and provides an adequate impression of tough, and also the interior similarly appealing.

Don’t expect startling performance – just solid, reliable transport once the going gets tough.

Beloved of taxi operators and traffic cops in addition to Mr & Mrs Middle America, Crown Victoria is a substantial and very traditional sedan.

The styling is deliberately conservative, and underneath the lengthy hood lies a V8 with 224PS (however, there is a non-ironic performance and handling pack that takes power up to 239PS) feeding out via a slushy and soft-cushioned auto transmission.

Ford makes great mileage from the fact that the vehicle is officially rated as one from the safest on the highway, in the event of the front-on crash.

This may be because there are several yards of bonnet between your windscreen and also the industrial-sized front bumper bar. No matter its insufficient adventure, Crown Victoria is a mainstay from the Ford United states operation.

It would appear that Ford’s designers are looking backwards a great deal – the 2005 model year Mustang takes all its cues in the original 1964 Mustang that single-handedly invented an entire market sector for sports cars depending on mediocre saloons.

The brand new model might seem like the old car, but in common with Ford GT the nostalgic styling conceals a thoroughly modern driveline. There is a V6 engine in entry-level models, but that’s for cissies; true fans will be purchasing the excellent V8 version, using its 304PS V8 along with a five speed manual gearbox.

Best news of all may be the value for money that the car represents – cars start at a cheaper $19,000 as well as the V8 is just $28,800.

The blue oval has lost its coveted second-biggest car maker in the world status (behind General Motors) to Toyota, but that has not triggered any sense of panic within the marque’s Dearborn headquarters.

Instead, it comes with an air of unbridled optimism that they’ll soon not only regain the 2nd place, but will overhaul GM to the bargain.

The number of Ford cars available all over the world is excellent (even though it needs the aid of its prestige brands for example Jaguar and Volvo to boost credibility) and there are signs that it is going to go into the Chinese market having a low-cost derivative of Focus which supports the large picture.

Mustang and GT, each of which hark to a golden age of performance cars in looks, but look forward in relation to driving dynamics. Ford accustomed to declare that being # 2 in the world built them into go the extra mile. Being # 3 appears to be making them continue to work harder still.

A jointly-developed model (similar machines can be found from Peugeot, Citroen and Fiat subsidiary Lancia) the Ulysse is Fiat’s big people carrier.

Sliding rear doors enhance safety, there is a mass of space inside for passengers, and also the dynamics are superior to its light van looks suggest they should be.

Just like all Fiats the very best is gained once the options list continues to be raided – a fully-loaded 3.0 V6 automatic is definitely a impressive car to possess and drive.

Unfortunately that pushes the invoice price to the stratosphere. Handling and ride on all purchases is good thanks to the tried-and-tested suspension carried over in the first-generation car.