2002 Ford Lynx: Not that you couldn’t, but would you?

When Ford Group Philippines launched the 2002 Lynx, the company used an advertisement that featured the new car slicing through a pack of motorcyclists with the caption, "How do you overtake a 60-man convoy? Easily." Local biker groups protested against the ad, fearing it may send wrong signals to drivers of four-wheeled vehicles and worsen the already-dangerous situation of motorcyclists in this country. In a compromise, Ford’s advertising agency added a disclaimer that the ad was done with professional stunt riders, hence should not be imitated by others.

To a car and motorcycle enthusiast like me, the ad was nothing more than a fantasy shot. I mean, would anyone in his right mind really overtake a 60-man convoy? Not that you couldn’t, but even with a very powerful car, you’d have a hard time getting past these bikes by their sheer number (plus, these guys can gang up on you if you hit one of their fellow riders). Unless, of course, you try to overtake them on the passing lane of a 4-lane highway while they are lined up two abreast in one lane, which is what disciplined biker groups do anyway when touring or cruising. Unfortunately, some of our drivers, and riders lack the maturity to separate reality from advertising fantasy, thus the protest of the local bikers is strongly justified.

So when I was given the keys to a 2002 Ford Lynx Ghia, I felt duty bound to evaluate the car through a motorcyclist’s point of view. While the 2002 Ford Lynx really isn’t entirely new since there were only cosmetic changes, the overall effect is that the car looks like an all-new model. The front, for example – with its new quad projector halogen headlamp, clear fog lamps and chrome grille – gives the car an aggressive yet elegant look. The projector headlamp and the clear fog lamps are aimed towards the road in a more defined lighting area. This arrangement is beneficial to motorcyclists when riding towards the 2002 Ford Lynx at night since glare is reduced and the light is more focused on the car’s lane.

The clear combination tail lamp cluster with its round internal lamps continue the theme started by the headlamp cluster and evokes a look that is both custom and factory at the same time. The tail lamps emit red light throughout its park light, brake light and turn signal functions, something hard for most Filipino motorcyclists to distinguish when riding behind. Not particularly dangerous (the Americans use the same system), but somewhat confusing considering that we are used to the amber turn signals of Japanese and European cars.

Inside, the 2002 Ford Lynx can be ordered with new graphite-colored cloth seats (GSi and Ghia) or with the upper-end two-tone leather interior (Ghia only). While the cloth seats are aesthetically pleasing, it is the leather interior that gets more rave reviews.

Our test car came with the Panther Black exterior finish, and mated with the light-colored interior, which gives the whole car a decidedly elegant look. If you place two police motorcycle escorts in front of the car and squint your eyes a little, you may picture it to be a smaller version of that expensive luxury car made in Stuttgart.

The availability of a moonroof option, with its tilt and slide function, moves the 2002 Lynx Ghia a notch higher in the desirability scale of people who want to feel the sun and wind when motoring around town. Sun worshippers have the option of getting a tan through a large opening in the roof, or have the sun peek through the same hole, albeit through a glass cover. The latter may be the fix for people who want the sunshine but don’t want the heat, with the tinted glass roof helping the aircon cool the interior.

The 2002 Ford Lynx gets its motivation from an EFI-controlled, DOHC 16-valve, 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine inherited from the previous Lynx. Coupled with the distributor-less ignition system for optimal efficiency, the engine produces118 PS at 5,500 rpm and 14.8 kg-m of torque at 4,000rpm. Acceleration is brisk much like a mid-range cruiser. And although it feels powerful enough to overtake a convoy of motorcycles, you’d have to think twice since the power-to-weight ratio advantage clearly belongs to the motorcycles. Thus, if they won’t give you the room to pass, you’ll have to cruise behind them and wait until there is an abundant length of road to safely overtake them.

While waiting for the opportunity to pass, you may not notice that the interior is much quieter due to the Ford’s improved NVH system. The front and rear independent MacPherson struts and stabilizers give the car a comfortable but firm ride, much like a big touring bike. Once you swerve to pass though, you will notice that the suspension system limits body roll in tight turns and gives good road feedback, much like a good sports bike. The 14-inch disc brakes (ventilated in front, solid in the rear) do a good job of scrapping speed, further augmented by an available anti-lock brake system.

However, the best news about the 2002 Lynx is its affordability. Prices, which range from P660,000 for the GSi with 5-speed manual transmission to P798,000 for the Ghia with leather seats, moonroof and automatic transmission, are so competitive that they undermine the real value of the car.

But hey, these prices give the two-wheel enthusiasts more reason to park their bikes, at least for a while, and take a close look at this four-wheeled value. Most of them will probably agree that the 2002 Lynx would be a great (and cost-effective) alternative to motorcycling, more so, now that the rainy season is here.