2004 Ford Thunderbird consumer reviews

Great ride and styling. The unique styling makes it a special car. You don,t see that many on the road so you know that you have something special to drive. Very tight and solid ride. Handles well has enough pep to "get out of it's own way."

I have wanted one of the new retro Birds ever since they were introduced in 2001. Love the looks, the drive - everything about the car. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone looking for a 2-seater sports car.

Purchased with 8700 miles. Silver with "sand pkg." which matches sand interior with "sand" soft top. Combination is elegant! I have fallen in love w/car and it is a "keeper":. Not a scratch on it. Just like new!

Ford hit a home run with their Retro Bird, recapturing the excitement of the 50s originals. I had a 1956 Thunderbird and purchased this 2004 seven years ago. with over 50,000 miles driven, it has been trouble free and a pleasure to drive. Gas mileage for a V8 is surprizing with city at 19 mpg and highway at 25. The ride is soft and smooth; however this is certainly more of a cruiser than a high performance sports car. The overall appearance is excellent and is a real head turner. While now nearly nine years old, the most common comment is "is that new?" Being such a distintive vehicle, the styling will remain timeless and age won't have the same negative effect as seen with most vehicles. Heated seats and an excellent heater (dual controls) makes top down use extend well into the late New England fall. Simply put, it is the prefect fun car.

I bought this car with 17k miles in 2011 as a weekend fun car. In my opinion it is the best looking American car of the last 2 decades. I also considered a mid 60's XKE 4.2 ltr and test drove both. ( In my opinion the XKE is the best looking car ever designed). The driver position in both seats one between the left fender and the power bulge on the hood giving a great feeling of riding in a performance machine. Granted the XKE is old technology and this one had 50k miles on it, but it was much more loose, handled only fairly, and gave a feeling of imminent breakdown.(There is no way the XKE would reach 162 mph as published with the 4.2 ltr). The T-Bird felt confident, well put together and in it for the long haul. T-Bird likes: stance, grill, hood scoop( a work of art), v8/ 2 seater, options, handling and acceleration, fast convertible top, select shift. Dislikes: electronic controls are painted black like my 05 Ford 500 and paint will likely wear off as it did on my 05 (65k miles), Fear of coil problem which has not arisen for me, fear that heavy doors will result in panel misalignment later on, original price didn't consider competitor options. Overall I love this car and so does everyone who sees it. It will become collectible, but I don't care and bought it to drive. It is the best car to "be seen" in.

Excellent appearance, drives well, handles curves with ease - a true replication of the 50's T-birds with all of today's conveniences.

Ford offered the retro '55s for only 4 years starting with 2002. Unfortunately they were priced at $40K as opposed to the $25K price Ford estimated. At that price, they were not competitive with the BMW's, Porsches and Mercedes, so they did not sell well. Many buyers looked at them as collector cars and kept the miles low. It is possible to find them with as low as 300 miles. The cars are still bringing in the high teens to high 20's, the lowest mileage ones bringing top dollar. The horsepower was upped from 252 in 2003 and again in 2004 to 280 horse. The 5 speed paddle shift was introduced as an option in 2004 for those who still like to shift. It is apparently just added on to the regular automatic because mine has both. The auto stick is useful coming down long twisting grades like California Highway 1. Mine also has dual control air conditioning. I can blow out ice cold air into my seat at the same time my girlfriend directs warm or hot air on to hers. Since I am always too warm and she is generally cold, this is an excellent feature for us. The car has all of the power accessories. It is a comfortable road car as well as easily maneuverable in heavy city traffic. The major draw back is a very small trunk. It would be great if the hardtop folded into the car rather than having to be physically removed. I have not taken it off yet because I have only had the car 3 months and I need to straighten out the garage first. I would be pleased if it got better mileage It delivers between 15 and 17 in the city and 21 to 25 on the hiway. Yes, I tend to drive faster than the epa rating is based on, and I tend to shoot through traffic. I would have to say that I absolutely love the car, and am thinking of buying another one. Mine is equipped with the two tone interior, rather than the straight gray leather the base model comes with. The two tones really spiff up the car and I did not want one without that option. I also have a Porsche Boxster which I also love. The two are completely different cars and the Porsche naturally handles better. However the majority of buyers wanting a Thunderbird are not necessarily looking for pure handling, but rather for a flashy rig to drive to the country club. I cannot imagine a targeted buyer who would not just love this car. All the owners I talked to who were selling theirs expressed a great fondness for the car. No one ever said anything negative about the T-Bird. A great, fun car with plenty of pep!

I have owned this for 4 years. Only recently have I really driven it on a daily basis. It is a 3rd car. Initially I had to replace all 8 Ignitor coils, it is a good thing I had an extended warranty. Overall the car performed well but usually got poor gas mileage. That is the price you pay for the big v-8. Around town I get 15 MPG. On a road trip 18 MPG. I have never gone over 200 miles as I don't like the lack of visibility when the roof is up. I now have 47 K miles THe good features far out weigh the poor features. For example, on the exterior at the top of the windshield the center piece has completely faded, the leather on the inside door handle has separated. The seats are better than my Jaguar. I also had a Lincoln LS which is the frame this is built on but due to the 280 HP engine there is no comparison. I really recommend one particularly if you can keep the roof down. As of today (10/2/10) there are many in S. FL for sale with the hardtop. Get one it is adying breed. ENJOY

Bought for my wife May of "04. This lady didn't want a 2-door and didn't really care for sports cars. That ended quickly when friends dropped by with their new Bird. We were off the next weekend and Vintage Mint Green had to be the one. Here we are 4+ years later and just passed 15,000 miles. The hard top has sat in the garage since 2005. We pretty much have year round convertible weather. This is a great car to drive. We have several other Birds in the area and enjoy getting together with this energetic group

Those of us old enough to remember the introduction of the original T-Birds in the mid 1950s and the excitement they caused can fully appreciate the Retro Bird. Ford really delivered on this one and I have found it to be the most enjoyable car I have ever driven. The performance is all you can ask for in a sport/cruiser and the styling is truly a classic. You won't find another vehicle that is similar to the Retro-Bird. I have been pleased with the 20/24mpg mileage, especially from a high performance V8. The vehicle is a real eye turner, and I have gotten used to the numbers of people who approach to admire and discuss the Thunderbird. While certainly not the most practical car I've owned, it is the one I will not part with. The 2004 Thunderbird put the joy back in everyday driving and the excitement in travel. If you like what you see, you will love what you get.