Here's Why the 2002 Ford Thunderbird Was a Retro Failure 

You know what wasn't a failure? The tent on the back of your 2005 Pontiac Aztek.

ChrisFix's Mom would like to have a word with you

I think the lockable trunk button was a pretty great idea. I don't think it was made with a valet in mind. I think it was supposed to prevent anyone from being able to open your trunk if you wanted to leave the top down on your car. It could also be used in general. Incase someone was able to break into your car, they wouldn't be able to access the trunk if they didn't have the key. Also, just a fun fact, that wasn't the only way to open the trunk in the car. While there isn't a keyhole for the trunk on the back of the car, you were able to open it by using a keyhole that was placed behind the drivers seat if you pulled the seat forward. Since the regular button is power operated, you could use the keyhole behind the seat if your battery was dead, but you needed to access the trunk. For example, to get your jumper cables out of the trunk.

Being a two-seater was the whole point of resurrecting it.

Chrisfix's Mom VS Doug Boxing match coming soon

Car salesman: what about buying this one Doug. It’s a nice car. Doug: No, I don’t really like the way the owners manual is worded.

The headlight dial changes the DURATION of the delay from just a few seconds to as much as a few minutes. It’s actually a great idea. Several vehicles of that era had the adjustable delay time to adjust the time. The lights stay on after you turn off the ignition switch. My mother’s 2001 Grand Marquis has the same switch. She’s elderly and walks slowly. So she turns it for maximum delay to give her time to get into her house. Others don’t need the extra time. So they adjust it to where they turn off almost immediately.

I genuinely like this car. It’s gorgeous and still looks good today. Sure, it’s weird and not practical. But it’s gorgeous.

“Ford only gave the thunderbird one engine” Far inferior to the dual-engine cars of the time

Title: 2002 Ford Thunderbird Doug: "This is a 2004 Ford Thunderbird" Dougscore excel sheet: 2005 Ford Thunderbird Which is it Doug!?

I purchased this car when I was 55, 15 years ago. Stil have it, 53,000 miles and we love it. I bought for my wife and it is a superb car. I purchased it new as a 2005. People of ALL ages still comment on how great it looks as well as my wife!

Doug: the ford thunderbird is shitty Chrisfix mom: listen here you little shi-

Doug: "The 2004 Thunderbird is embarrassingly underpowered, with only 280hp" 2004 Mustang GT: hides away with its 260hp

The biggest point of trivia about that dashboard is that it's lifted almost entirely from the Lincoln LS. The Thundberbird is based on the LS, sharing a platform with the Jaguar S-Type.

Ugh, I absolutely love this car. I have the 45th anniversary edition and it is the greatest car that I have ever owned.

0-60 in 6.5 seconds is really nothing to complain about. It's even quick by today's standards for many cars, and in a small convertible like this I think it would feel like a rocket ship. I think giving it a "3" was way lower than it should have been.

The Thunderbird was a boulevard cruiser; I don't think the target customer was really expecting too much hp, or performance. That said, the cheap interior was inexcusable, and they should have realized that would be focal point. Cool exterior, crap interior.

Doug: "this is why the 2002 thunderbird was a huge retro failure" *ChrisFix has entered the chat*

I've had a 2002 Thunderbird since 2004 and I love it! it's a great vehicle it hasn't given me many problems and it's a beauty!!!

I think the interior is pretty nice for an early 00s ford, same with the styling, and the engine. These cars were designed to be comfortable blvd cruisers and they were very good at doing that.. 280hp was 20 more than the mustang and 40+ more than the crown vic.

Title: 2002 Ford Thunderbird Doug: THIS is a 2004 Ford Thunderbird!

Doug: Ford only gave the Thunderbird one engine Me: *Imagines a dual-engine Thunderbird*

I have a pristine Thunderbird Blue 2002 (2nd owner, low miles) and she's a beaut! I saw her out of the corner of my eye at a local car yard and had to have her. She's great for cruising and I always receive positive comments on what a beautiful car I have. She has get up and go when I want it and only downside is that it doesn't have room for passengers. 8/10

5:00 when, oh whe, will Doug realize that those key trunk/glovebox locks aren't meant for Valets, but for making sure people can't access those things when you leave your car parked with the top down?

ChrisFix is angry you didn’t review his Thunderbird now.

"Hard and cheap plastic" Just like every other American 2000s car.

I just bought an '04, and so far I have no complaints. It accelerates quickly, handles like a dream, and is smooth as silk!

I own a 2002 TBird, Red, 2-tone Red/Blk interior. I really like this car. Bought used for $12,500 with 36,000mi on it back in 2016. So your biggest gripe with the new ones (too expensive) vanished in the used market. This car cost less that the motorcycle it shares the garage with! Since you dont see them much on the roads anymore...I actually get compliments about every other time I drive it. It is a good used car if you can handle the limitations of 2 seats.

"If you stick your ignition key in the button and turn it, it's locks so valets won't have access to your trunk" But they've got the ignition key..

I'd really like to see Doug review a De Tomaso Pantera.

I actually saw one of these on the road last month just a few dozen miles from Ford World Headquarters. He merged onto the highway at about 38mph only to jump right into the left lane and accelerate to 51mph in the 70mph zone. He had the top down and was about 76. He and Betty really thought they were the shit.

I was in my 30s when this car was introduced and I regret to this day not having bought one back in the day. They are AWESOME.

2050: That's ONE MILLION dollars in todays money.

Never in my life have i seen this car driven by anyone under the age of 50

Doug is the type of person who would buy his car with the Manual being a major part to think about

My uncle has one of these 2003..he got rid of the ugly hub cap style wheels & put 18 inch Tru Spoke Chrome & Gold wheels..he also has a Borla Stainless Tru Dual Exhaust system..it's Cherry Metallic so it really looks great & rides well with those 245 series Michelin tires

7:03 “...that’s all we can a-Ford” now there’s a slogan!! 🤣🤣👌👌

Doug the type of guy to not know if he's reviewing a 2004 or 2002

This is a great car. In 2021 it still looks great. It is still the only hardtop convertible American sports car (two seater) with a V8. This is not a corvette. It is everything you want in a car but are afraid to admit. I think I want a tire burner, but what I really want is a V8 that will give me immediate power when I need it but won't throw me sideways. I don't want a 4 cylinder, I don't want turbo that lags. I want 4 wheel independent suspension. I don't want wash board kidney killer. Ii say I want a hard shifting head jerking shifter but what I really want is a smooth shifts and comfort for long backroad drives. You feel like you have a solid car under you. It compares more to a Mercedes coupe 500 series or a jag. That is the correct customer for this car. BUY one you won't be disappointed.

Just traded a 1979 lincoln continental mark v for a 2002 triple black deluxe Thunderbird....My wife and I are already in love with it!

At that price, this should have gotten the Mercury Marauder engine treatment.

Doug, the type of guy that tucks both shirts in.

Like a movie critic, DeMuro has his moment in the sun trying to tear down the Thunderbird. I started selling cars in a Ford store in the late 70's and am still employed in a management position. Needless to say, I've driven just about everything on wheels at one time or another. I bought a 2004 Tbird new and still have it today and find it does exactly what it was designed to do namely provide a classy feel in both retro design and comfort for a roadster. Ford never intended the car to be a world-class offering to compete with other roadsters as the original design motif was followed. That motif was a weekend car to be enjoyed for its style and elegance-not how fast it would go from 0-60 or its speed around the Nuremberg track. In nineteen years of ownership, I have little to complain about. I've never stood on the accelerator nor pitched it wildly into a corner. I bought it because I liked it and Ford never intended to make the car past 2005. It was an image car for them and in that regard, it succeeded. The Roadster design is one of the cool things about its design. Nobody buys a roadster to travel in so the limited trunk space is of no consequence. It's a weekend traveler at best which is just fine for me.

I completely disagree! I love my TBird! And everywhere I go I get great reactions from all ages. I think it’s super fun to drive! I agree about the lack of trunk space. I bought a chrome custom trunk rack that looks great in the car! My TBird is a red 2003!

Chris: Hey guys, ChrisFix here! And today I like to show you how to fix Doug’s attitude by using common hand tools! Now lets get started!

If the automatic headlight adjustment is like all the other Ford's, the adjuster has nothing to do with light sensitivity. It just measures how long the lights stay on after the car is turned off.

My old neighbor had one of these. His was the 50th anniversary edition. They put their heart and soul into that model because it is one of the most beautiful cars I have ever seen. Cherry red with lots of cool little decals and lots of chrome

"they kept it a 2 seater because of a retro design" meanwhile dodge making the charger a sedan

9:19 "ready to receive the power top." heh.

About to own a 2004 thunderbird and I really enjoyed it. i think people were just thrown off guard by the styling but it really is a smooth cruiser to ride around town with the top off.

4:55 “...so valets won’t have access to your trunk when you give them your car.” 🤔 wait, you have to give the valet your key, giving the ability to access your trunk.

Doug: the Ford thunderbird was a retro failure Chris fix's mom: hold my beer

Lights "auto" dial controlled how long they stayed on after the car was turned off.

Ford's management really missed an opportunity with the revived T-Bird.

I own one bought new in 2002, has 24,000 original miles on it and looks showroom new. It gets compliments from all no matter what age and has even won a trophy at car shows. I don’t think I made a mistake in buying it at all😅⚡️

And Doug, the Thunderbird had 280 HP while the Ford Mustang GT had 260 HP

Engine outputs 2002: Merc S-Class 4.3 V8 275hp; Lexus LS 430 4.3 V8 290hp; Audi A8 4.2 V8 296hp; Cadillac Seville SLS 4.6 V8 275hp.

I love my 2003 Teebird it handles beautifully and it rides like a dream and it’s got plenty of torque and power for me. And I get complimented on it every time I take it out and go to the store.

Always enjoy your clearly articulated reviews, with you whimsical walkthrough of details and quirky walkthrough of oddball characteristics... LOVE IT !

I went to buy one when they first came out. The dealer wanted $15,000 over the sticker price. I said no thanks and bought a Corvette instead.

For me the magic of the Thunderbird was the pair of little round side windows in back.

My dad has a 2002 with less than 50k miles. Thing is a blast to go cruising in. And 280hp is plenty for this car, it gets down the road about as fast as a GT Mustang of the time.

I love the look of it without the hard top It seems great as a lower end convertible

“It’s hard to imagine a time when Ford was making one of the coolest cars in the world” - Has a Ford GT

That auto dial is to select how long you want your courtsey lights to stay on after you park your car at night, from 10 secs up to 1 minute so you have lightning while you get to your house door from your car....a lot of that equipment was from Lincoln Town cars and Grand Marquis

Thank you for your video!!! The Ford Thunderbird 2002-05, 11th series, is one of my favorite cars, so I'm glad to learn anything about them. Hopefully I'll have one of my own, one day!

280hp was more than the Mustang GT of the time; it wasn't a low amount of power.

I’m going to keep asking for the Mercedes Grosser 600 until he does it.

Well, this 52-year-old who never saw the original Thunderbirds still loves this car! Learned nostalgia maybe?! I am from the “Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley“ generation. I’d like to note that I also absolutely love the old Metropolitans and this kind of has that feel to me for some reason. Could it be the coordinating colors everywhere? Great review but I’d still love one!

I was born in 1998 and grew up in a town where the vast majority of the people were retired and had money so I saw so many of these as a kid, to this day one of my favorite cars ever even though most people like to tell me how ugly they are when I bring it up lol

“Only 280hp”... since when was that not enough? Do all cars need 707hp? I know the tbird is kinda heavy but i still think that’s enough

"Only" 280 horsepower. He would find a car anemic if it had a Pratt& Whitney turbofan strapped to it.

My son has one. 2005. Great fun to drive and always attracts a lot of attention. Pretty dang zippy too.

I sat in one on the showroom floor in 2003 and really liked the quality of the convertible hardware and window connectors.

I hit 160mph in one of these. Would NOT try again.

I really want you to do an XLR-V... plllllease

I had i think a 92, I can't remember. I bought it used with 60 k miles, well maintained. I loved it it was quick in traffic and handled nice and the bucket leather seats were great. The rear Window was so shallow the frame held water all the time. I had it repaired and painted twice, it rotted and flooded out the trunk every time. I was a nice balance of handling and power.

The first thing that you are failed to mention is that it was one of the highest HP engines of its time and are capable of spinning over 6000 rpm all day long. Not to mention that is was natural aspirated. So the comparison to 6-8 cylinders that were turbo and super charged is not exactly fair. My final thought on that would be you can find these engines with 200-300K on them all day long and still running strong. Not true with turbo or supercharged. Also you forgot to mention that it was mated with a 5 speed auto trans. The car for the day would blow the doors off of most cars as they only had 3 or 4 speed transmissions. The 4th gear was normally O/D only. The light dial is for how long you want the headlights to remain on after the car is shut off. It is not a twilight sentinel. Backseats, Well, I do not know how to respond to that one as it is a roadster and not supposed to have back seats. The owners manual being only in black and white was done on purpose to mimic the era of 1955-57 black and white TV.

I owned an 02. Loved every mile of driving it.

"This is a 2004 thunderbird", *PROCEEDS TO TITLE IT AS 2002*

The biggest issue is the styling wasn’t retro enough….everyone seemed to ask, “where’s the rear fender fins?”

Thanks man. My parents always had Thunderbird's in the late 50s and early 60s. In 77 they bought another T Bird. It was a tank, complete with eyelids for the headlights. I ended up driving it through High School and College. Fond memories. I always wondered about the retro remake. I think they should have added a classic porthole in the convertible as well.

I hear sounds of 70 year olds unsubscribing to both of Doug's channels.

4:45 That's so you can lock your valuables in the trunk, when the roof is down on your unattended convertible.

I LOVE this car. As soon as I make the last tuition payment for my kids, I am going to shop for one - in Thunderbird blue. 😍

The audi at 16:53 watching doug talk to himself in a convertible

First Scotty dissing Chrisfixes hummer now Doug dissing his mums car 😂😂

I've only seen old people driving this car LMAO Doug got it 100%

Hey Doug. I have a 97 Thunderbird and it is the best car I have ever owned. Almost zero maintenance cost. You need to review a 97. Come on do it.

The trunk was "design" to hold two golf bags, that kinda explains the size. The original T-bird was a long hood/short trunk design, the "new" T-bird was just a regular "middle" designed car. Ford really missed the mark on the T-bird. The GT was closer to being something worth owning.

Title: 2002 ford thunderbird Doug de muro: this is the 2004 thunderbird Ford thunderbird: am I a joke to you

So Valets won’t have access to your trunk? When they’re... driving your car, with your key? No, it’s so that you can secure items in the trunk with the top down.

My dad had a late 70s t bird. We drove from Toronto to Orlando in it. Great car. I looked at getting one of those reboot T birds but no manual option so I didn't pull the trigger. The dealer promised me that slim trunk would hold two gold bags however. They could have offered one of those Manu-matic things they have now a days.

I'm 73 and I approve of this review. Only one question, how can a fuel injected V8 of any size be wimpy? The classic T-birds had carburetors. Yuck!

0-60 in 6.5 sec, 280Hp/286Lb/ft V8 and you're calling it underpowered? It makes no sense to me...

Let me guess, next video: "Why the hummer H1 is an awful dream car"

As the owner of a Lincoln LS, you don't want back seats, they are even useless in the Lincoln.

Why does Doug act like 280 hp is barely anything, that is a really solid number, and I would be perfectly pleased with even 160 hp.

Fun fact: This car used so much structural adhesive it was the equivalent of putting 50 gal drum in the trunk. Also the area where the beauty queen would sit had to be reinforced because it was found to buckle when someone sat up there. (on top of the back seat with the top off) It was built on the same platform as Jaguar S-Type[1] (DEW 98) it's Ford code name was M205. I worked 60 hours a week for 2 years laying out all of the body grid lines, locators and measuring points for all the sheet metal. It was my first design job out of college. ALSO it was the first car to be completely designed using I-DEAS CAD program. Rumor had it some Ford execs got huge kickbacks for switching to I-DEAS.

Doug; you didn't mention (or didn't know) that another cool feature of this gen of Thunderbird, is that if if you open both doors at the same time all the way open and look at the car from behind at a certain distance, you will see the thunder "Bird" wings formed by the design of the interior of the doors.