2002 Ford Thunderbird Premium Roadster Start Up, Exhaust, Test Drive, and In Depth Review

[@kesando84]

My mom just received a 2004 vintage mint green T-Bird as a gift from my father. It only has 2600 miles on it and is practically brand new. It's the car she's always wanted and I'm happy for her!

[@ATCRyderX]

One of the very few "Modern Retro" vehicles done right!

[@mikequinn900]

This and the Jaguar S-Type!! Love the retro styling on both cars. My first car was a 2001 S-Type and I wish I never got rid of it

[@rexjolles]

Japan has a company that made a few retro cars

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Really love just how retro Ford went when they revived the Thunderbird. Such a cool car. Love the two tone interior too, so beautiful. It's a shame that sales dropped off, I think Ford should bring it back! Nice video Kyle! Enjoy the car Mrs. Lindsey!

[@saabkyle04]

Thanks again man! I'll be sure to pass that along to Christal :)

[@PeRRXX]

***** does your wife know how to drive stick

[@00lexuses300]

I know! I wonder what the thunderbird would have looked like now if they were still around

[@TimDaCorgi]

+David Hodges they just brought back the thunderbird nameplate this year

[@00lexuses300]

Timothy Fuller what?! Show me a picture

[@darthgamer6080]

One of the most underrated cars of all time.

[@kentchr76]

This is one of my dream-cars. Modern but still classic. Beautiful.

[@gracefhl]

Nice video with lots of info. We just bought a 2003, desert sky blue, with 24,000 miles last July. This car gets more smiles and waves than anything else out here on the tip of Cape Cod. People are always taking photos and asking "what year is the car?" I love the fact that only low numbers were made. Has made me forget about my other dream car; a 1972 Porsche 911. A true classic.

[@perlewitzaudio]

Ford needs to bring back this large beautiful roadster! Very cool ride indeed!

[@clarkgriswold5903]

What a gorgeous car, my brother has the exact same car and he bought it brand new, he's a member of the Thunderbird Club and goes to a lot of the events they have, he has over 110,000 miles on it and loves diving it everywhere. Great job on the Vid!

[@jameswalsh9637]

i just picked on up 2003 34000 miles black on black she’s a beauty

[@michael85225]

I always see old guys driving these around my town and I love these cars. They're so unique on the road.

[@SouthwestAirlines335]

Im surprised Ford didn't keep making the Thunderbird!!! It would look awesome for 2014!

[@diego750il]

Too expensive when it was new.

[@paintedbird]

I always thought these were very pretty cars. I loved the retro styling of it. These came out just a little before I started driving and I remember wanting one of these very badly. The reason I didn't get one and probably the reason sales suffered for this vehicle was because of the price. If I'm remembering right these were being sold for around $55,000. These were nice but not that nice. You guys found a very nice one with low miles. Great car, great video.

[@mrberry7950]

I wish Ford still made this... and good looking Lincolns.

[@taitai907]

The discontinuation of the T-bird was definitely a mistake. Unlike most classic cars which get an economy image if they are revived, the T-bird kept the same iconic image it had back in the old days.

[@MrCantGetRight313]

It was slow, ugly, and impractical when it came out, even though I know it was originally a 2-seater in the 1950's, so it was building off its heritage. It still looks pretty modern today, and they probably will be collector cars, but that's the only good things I can say about it.

[@charlesnorte]

De acuerdo contigo los modelos siguientes a los primeros TB, se apartaron del concepto primitivo, un auto sport para competir con los europeos, con grandes dimensiones y orbamentos innecesarios. Este 2002 volvió a las fuentes afortunadamente.

[@vmf216]

MrCantGetRight313 Not slow at all and very practical for the type of car it is. Turns heads and evokes LOTS of smiles.

[@valenciah3690]

***** These T-birds weren't slow compared to a lowly Chrysler Sebring or VW Beetle convertible of the same era, but even a PT Cruiser GT turbo would virtually match one of these things 0-60 for roughly $10k less & 4 less cylinders (it was also meant to be a semi-upscale retro convertible as well), and every other convertible in the T-bird's price range would either walk away from it or blow it into the weeds. Styling is subjective, but I doubt many would disagree that this model's stance/profile was very dumpy/droopy-looking with the saggy-butt-syndrome that a few other Fords (namely the Taurus/Sable) of the same period were inflicted with. Resale value on these T-birds is pretty good & the overall design has aged well for better or worse, but ultimately it's to each their own.

[@WitchyWhale]

I always love these generation of T-Birds, massively underrated.

[@cbiscuit73]

I have the special 2005 50 th anniversary collector's edition. Bought it used on eBay in 2007. I love everything about my car. The looks, the V8 engine. Especially the low engine rumble that the video doesn't seem to capture. It flies and is so much fun to drive. Get compliments every single day. Still.

[@Bigfrank113]

i just got 1 to very nice car!!!

[@TheK24Kyle]

last year a senior in my high school drove one of these in black and i thought it was pretty badass. im joining the convertible game too, with a rare 97 celica GT convertible. can't wait!

[@DiecastFreak]

I ABSOLUTLY LOVE this car!!!!!!

[@patwentworth129]

this car brings memmories. ik it was 2002 and all but i remember riding down the road with my parents in 05 and they were SO popular then and i always wanted one. now i havent seen one since 09 :(

[@jamelmoore4356]

One of my favorite cars of all time! Thank you Mr. Kyle for posting this masterpiece!

[@J-W.-]

Kyle you are impressing me everyday with the cars you own I love the look of the ford thunderbird when I get older I want to take my dad 67 camaro and rebuild it. Thanks to you I look forward to it

[@Dogboy1960]

My wife drives this exact same car, in the same color, every summer. We've owned the car since 2005. We picked it up for $19,000 at the time with 20,000 miles on it. If anyone wonders why these GREAT little cars didn't sell well after the original enthusiasm wore off......the problem was found in the price tag. In 2002-2005 a new T-Bird was priced like a Corvette yet has performance and luxury more in line with other 2 seat roadsters priced $5,000- $10,000 lower. It's a great car and a wonderful second hand buy but when new.......Ford blew it on the pricing.

[@starxlr7863]

Hmmm......I actually thought these cars were priced very appropriate when new. Average price between $37-40,000 was not really that bad. Especially when comparing this to any european coupe convertible, they make the Thunderbird look like peanuts. I love these cars very much myself and would love to have one very soon. I have a 1993 Cadillac Allante with the 32 V Northstar V8 and I love that car very much. I never thought that I'd love a convertible so much. Now I'm hooked!! :) My Allante is red and black leather interior and would like my Tbird either in red or black myself.

[@Dogboy1960]

The Market for cars in general disagreed with you. Like you I also purchased a similarly priced car in 2002. That Corvette comparison I made was no accident. These cars made a HUGE impression in their first year. Dealer mark ups were common.....but before the '03s came along the truth about how this was neither a sports car with muscle nor a true luxury car had been figured out. The price tag was too high. The proof is found in the sales numbers. The decline from year 2002 -2005 is all the proof you need to argue the cars were seriously mispriced to the upside. That said.....we love our car ....or at least my wife does. It's a SOLIDLY built convertible that would likely still be in production today if Ford could have found way to either add more luxury and power or failing that.......price it in the $30,000 range rather than closer to $40,000. It's easy to think of $40,000 today as barely over average but in the early 2000s that was enough to expect a lot more car than "underpowered" / "near luxury" for the money ......both descriptions of the car at the time I not only saw in print when the car was reviewed but I also found myself in complete agreement with.

[@starxlr7863]

Dogboy1960 To me I love the Thunderbird way more than a Corvette. Corvette's are very nice but its like a belly button because everyone's got one. But the Thunderbird is one of the few cars that brought back that retro vintageness of the 50's just like the Volkswagon New Beetle. Being luxury is what is was meant to be. To be honest, I'm glad they were limited production and adds to the uniqueness just like the Cadillac Allante. The Allante was another great car with the best intentions towards its competition the Mercedes SL. And I really don't think these cars are underpowered at all. It's a slightly smaller varient of the 4.6L 32 valve that used in the Lincoln Continental/Mark VIII and produces great power and speed. Thunderbird's were never known to be extremely fast but more for luxury cruising just as you stated.

[@Dogboy1960]

You just made the SOLID ARGUMENT for buying one now while good, low mileage examples are still available......but when we were talking about NEW in 2002-2005 the argument that the approximate $40,000 asking price was simply too high as the sales number decline throughout the short 4 year run tells us with certainty. This car was supposed to be Ford's "halo car".......the argument that a "limited production run" was intentional is pure non-sense. That limited run is now in your favor if you already own one.......in terms of resale and collectability......but Ford is a car company. They aren't interested in anything beyond a successful, profitable sales run and forecast. The car is no longer in production because it simply failed to compete on price, performance and luxury vs it's closest peers at the time. Me? We own both and no question about it. Every summer there are Corvettes at every intersection and red light you pull up to.......the T-Bird is far more the exclusive club.......but you could also drive a Yugo and probably say the same thing! :) .......again I'm not slamming the car. I like the T Bird too......but.it is the mispriced MSRP when they were new that gives you exclusivity today.

[@alanolson6913]

I own an '02 "triple black", hardtop,body & interior. It has 20,000 miles thus far. Its a terrific car and I'm the only one driving one at cruise nights. From what I could surmise,one reason the car dropped off the radar was it was introduced around the time of 9/11. Suddenly no one was too hot-fired interested in a new vehicle, no matter what it looked like. True, the price was a factor,but it was never a big secret how much it cost.

[@bowserkoopaking9355]

Mr. Saabkyle04, I cannot tell you how much I love your work, it's in depth and very professional. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and all these beautiful cars. =)

[@MichaelTJD60]

Those retro Thunderbirds are awesome! My mom had a '94 but this one is different. I saw one of these yesterday, it was pretty cool how they combined the 1955 style with the later style.

[@Sparksterfu]

I love this car

[@jeffpuha8187]

Beautiful car, Kyle. Is this your fiance's ride? It's a shame that this 11th-generation T'Bird was so under-appreciated. I always thought they had lovely styling. The look is appealingly retro, with clean, simple lines. She seems to be quite quiet when cruising along. I think you made a nice purchase. Thanks for sharing it with us.

[@GermanCube]

This car is in excellent condition, especially for its age! At first I didn't like the retro thunderbird, but after watching your video, i think its a good car!

[@myutube523]

This is a great inside-and-out look at the car. Now I want one.

[@brspeedysgarage]

Kinda shame this car never took off, nice design.

[@CEOkiller]

love the color combo

[@gkelbo]

My first car is a 1965 Ford Thunderbird, so seeing Thunderbird's, even the new ones is really cool.

[@Mr2pint]

I absolutely love this car I live in New Zealand and I've only ever seen one over the years. I hope one day to own one of these.

[@ivys.wooldridge4484]

Hi there my fellow automotive owners,and the really wanna bee auto owners, my name is Mike and im making these statements as a semi retired line warrantee mechanic from the 1990s, all of these units from thier beginning of production to the sadly last year you guys out there should grab or rescue one if u can-this line from FORDMOco are simply good products whatever thier vintage, take this statement from an old ford wrench.

[@snowfirel7108]

Had two T Birds in my life, nice big heavy cars, a 1969, and a 1973, and I never had a problem with either of them, never had to take either of them to a shop to fix, both great huge cars, huge lovable engines, never let me down, and I loved them both.

[@mds2465]

Congratulations on your purchase of the T-Bird! Hopefully it treats Christal well!

[@Corkoth55]

some old widow on my street has this exact car and i love seeing her drive by :)

[@dicklaurent9097]

I wonder why Ford never sold that car here in Europe, its really nice...

[@theshankman8682]

Dick Laurent isn't the 60s thunderbird was only sold in America?

[@dyllpickle3608]

Władca Niczego this isnt a 60s thunderbird

[@QueenCityHistory]

I think pricing killed the new thunderbird. even 15 years old with 100k miles they'll still want $15000 for it. I think if I remember right they were about $40000 new

[@hondafanatic17]

These hands down are the best car to cruise long distances with the top off. So relaxing and comfy. Hey Kyle your shirt matches your car lol.

[@DrewK.]

3:13 I like that horn

[@theurbanwolf298]

Got to love the bold color

[@jamelmoore4356]

One of my favorite cars of all time! Thanks Mr. Kyle for the post"

[@mustang-xt5rg]

It's amazing how similar the interior is to my '01 LS V8, although there are subtle differences here and there. The DEW98 LS and T-bird are great drivers' cars that will give you few troubles if treated properly, but they can be maintenance nightmares if abused. So far mine has north of 130,000 miles but still looks and drives like it is 100,000 miles younger.

[@TheAcecaptain]

absolute work of art!!! beautiful all around

[@ricardoolmos7364]

That's engine sound great! V8 power excellent car, thanks for sharing. Regates.

[@citibear57]

Nice car, and the best color for a T-Bird too.

[@BeesonsCars]

My grandpa had a one of these in black, it was pretty cool.

[@techmaniac43]

gorgeous.

[@garyvosburg1819]

I have a 2002 and love the car. Premium fuel is a absolute must.91 octane minimum.

[@mahad.a_99]

Your Thunderbird is such a great car! Carry on with these awesome vids Kyle!

[@runnyeggyolk6347]

Beautiful car, especially in this color.

[@slygoosemedia]

Saabkyle I hope you never stop making these videos. It would be cool to purchase a hardcopy of your videos for my TV... I wonder if others would too

[@saabkyle04]

Many TVs allow you to stream KZbin through WiFi, the new Smart TVs :) Google Chromecast is also a great way to stream to your TV if you have an HDMI input!

[@sprsae9003]

damn that looks good.. kinda futuristic too.. definitely the best looking car made after 2000

[@charlesnorte]

Volvieron a las dimensiones, sobriedad y lineas puras de los primeros TB de las que nunca debieron abandonar. Realmente me gusta este modelo retro.

[@paulvillalpando6304]

Great review. I have a black 2002 Ford Thunderbird. I have never taken off the removable roof. Thanks for showing me how. I like the color of your Thunderbird.

[@nancyblanton6686]

On the eve of letting my 2002 black T-bird go to another owner. Expecting an offer tomorrow. I've had the car over ten years. Will miss it but has been a bit of an albatross the last couple of years. I like my new car cause it is new but will never have another car as cool or beautiful as my Thunderbird. My little dog would ride in the little half moon behind the seats. He'll miss it too!

[@carwhiz90]

thank you for showing us how to remove the hardtop properly and safely. pretty cool. another few thoughts that i want to get off my chest is how this beautiful car's potential wasn't properly taken advantage of. poor marketing campaigns/ads, the high price tag (yeeshk), the car's overall weight, the underpowered 3.9L lincoln LS v8 when ford had a number of better options like the mustang GT's 4.6 modular or the svt cobra stangs supercharged 4.6. so many missed opportunities by ford motor Co.

[@pikachu2537208]

Gorgeous car, looks like new despite being more than 10 years old

[@clock959]

I've been waiting for this one!

[@TheGetawayer]

Nice ride, Mrs. Lindsey ! Actually one of the few Fords of the time I find interesting, but we never got them here in germany. I think it's a good looking car :)

[@RUFFRYDER909]

Thunderbird is a legend .. Dr.Kyle my advice to you is head to California wheels and put a nice set of classic rims on that beauty (u might wanna add white-wall tyre trims to it) .. if i had one i'd have classic wire rims on it .. that would defiantly take it's look back to the 60's !! Congratulations .. enjoy it !

[@MinhLe-hw5xt]

I would give a lot to own this car. thank you for sharing this video.

[@NOXXism]

You have amazing taste!! Nice car

[@timothywells4027]

Kyle you are amazing man, your talent comes from God.

[@imaginarytoiletfriend3801]

Beautiful car!

[@harryrez]

Finally, a car that is older, i wish you would do more of the older car reviews!

[@saabkyle04]

I have them, but I stay busy with cars that actually have a story to tell. It has to be special whether it's new, old, exotic, or classic. It has to have history something interesting to bring to the table.

[@harryrez]

Yeah, that makes sense i just like those videos you use to do like on a 1986 Buick Century the stuff thats more obscure you know

[@CrazyZ66]

Thanx for the great and detailed video! Bought my own 2003 Retro Bird a week ago and can´t wait to pick it up from the dealer in two days. Before that I was looking for a 2005 - 2008 Mustang GT Premium Convertible for a long time, when suddenly this TB crossed my Eyes on a German internet second hand car market. Well, I just fell in love with the car andI instantly knew that this one´s gotta be mine. And it did! :) :)

[@MrIsaiaslee]

Hey kyle my uncle was searching for a good car to buy and I recomended himto go to your channel and look at your reviews. He bought a mercedes c63. Thanks kyle!

[@malevolenceXXXensues]

hope you're loving the new car

[@rexjolles]

One time I saw 3 of these in a day. Red convertible, blue hardtop, orange hardtop

[@msredbird7446]

I have a Apple Red 2003 and I love it.

[@peterwilliamson8721]

Ford should have done more on the performance end of this T bird ,that Yamaha motor used in their Taurus SHO would have been a good choice.

[@MarchettiAutomobili]

Just an idea Saabkyle! You should include more behind the scene stuff every now and then! Would make for an interesting video!

[@spr35441]

I love these unique cars. You don't see many of these and that is a big reason why I bought my Dodge Magnum wagon! Very interesting and cool!

[@IKhanNot]

They didn't sell because they're crap and it was a total slap in the face when it came to the reputation of the old school Thunderbirds.

[@teemumakipaa3808]

Great job and huge fan from Finland!

[@teemumakipaa3808]

Very interested in the north american cars, almost never see them in finland

[@RedJaguar100Travels]

Hello Kyle.. Nice.. Nice..! I owned the larger Thunderbird SC, I loved the car and would still have it to today but someone else had other Idea's and I never seen it again. I looked at getting one of these but by then I took a fancy to the lincoln brand. These things where nice drivers and really comfortable for the size. To bad ford drop the thunderbird from its line up.. Thanks for the awesome vid.. BTW, you guys look happy..

[@oldshumi]

Test drive! I love your test drives!

[@villpill5919]

I like how a 2002 just gets 23 highway. My 1994 Cadillac devil gets 30 highway and 20 city. And yes on regular fuel. Iv have had it 7 years and they don't need premium fuel

[@YTuberosity]

Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder....

[@saabkyle04]

Yes it is, we love it.

[@emanuelcenteno9071]

Another color, Mmm maybe other wheels, one.. Or TWO! Turbos and manual transmission!!! OMG!!!!!! Soooo BEAUTIFUL!!! *-* right!? What you think!? PLEASE RESPOND!

[@Explorersea]

great car!

[@jameswalsh9637]

awesome interview

[@MultiJose2011]

your channel is looking better and better, nive vids man.

[@saabkyle04]

Thanks man!

[@hduncan2587]

Good lord, how is one supposed to see the turn signals in back? I do have to say that when looking at the power (torque especially) Ford and Lincoln put out with that engine back then (especially for later models with VVT and electronic throttle, though I'm not a fan of the latter), I'm quite impressed. It was a good little V8, and sounds good in this video to boot.

[@Jeangreff13]

Thanks Kyle!!! What a awesome car!!! I really love Thunderbirds! :D

[@toddknox685]

The 11th generation Thunderbird was a blast from the past and was really desirable. If Ford hadn't overpriced it... well, they did! So, it went away in 2006. But, take a look at the 2007 Fusion's dash, seats, console, windshield, gauges, steering wheel and side panels. Ford had a great idea in 1958 when they made the '58 square bird. Rear seat mainly. I think they did he same with the 2007 Fusion. Look it up on You tube.

[@benderbendingrofriguez3300]

Ford need to bring back the T-Bird...but with a manual transmission.

[@mentallyhandicappedpoptart2649]

Ford put an automatic transmission in it for convince reasons but i agree with what you're saying

[@FrankGutowski-ls8jt]

When first introduced, it sold for ~$30K. Some dealers were said to be charging a $10K premium.

[@ApexIXMR]

I really hope you do a video on the 2015 Mustang GT when it is released!

[@computerlen]

I have a red 2003 and would not sell it for $10,000.00 more than I paid for it. I would only buy another .

[@mariamajor8650]

2002 Ford Thunderbird Premium Roadster Start Up Sound 0:00 1:47 2:06 2:23

[@francolique]

Thanks for that complete and well presented video... as usual Kyle!! Very nice and special car...enjoy!

[@jim5alive]

Man... I am thinking of buying a low milage Lincoln LS v6 manual. Shares a lot of dash design with this car.

[@caiocn44]

I don't know when the Porche 911 Targa comes to the stores in USA, but it's the better test for 2014. Please test this car, the most beautiful Porche!!

[@simonross6201]

Such a beautiful styled car. When I saw it in the movie Cradle to the Grave I thought it was a new Ferrari California.

[@nik8214]

Nice video Kyle!Keep up the good work! Greeting from Greece!

[@kmart3697]

i love that thunderbird :)

[@Apilgrim108]

50/50 weight distribution Jaguar engine, incredible resale value.

[@Iwatchvideosattimes]

I see kyle is putting our KZbin views to use :)

[@chrisnzella]

I have 2 1:18 scale ones of this great car.

[@MrKRG100]

Kyle could you plz do a review of the BMW i8 if you can?????

[@mowenreal]

saw that at a hospital the other day. it had little circle windows on the body colored roof.