I'm thinking of buying a Ford.

That would be a big step. I've been a Lexus owner for the last 15 years and haven't owed an American car since college. But as a matter of principle I give Ford a lot of credit for making a success of the company without taking any bailout money. And I've been railing against that bailout for months, so maybe I should put my money where my mouth is.

The new Taurus -- all souped up -- is really a pretty nice vehicle. It's not a Lexus but nice. And the safety technology, one of the big selling features for me on whatever I end up buying, is rated among the best of any of the new models.

There's also the added plus of it being a lot less expensive than the Lexus.

The dealership is a step down -- OK, several steps down; no loaners here. But frankly my Lexus dealer is nobody to write home about.

But now that I really think about it, a lot of these safety bells and whistles are new in the 2010's. And isn't that rule of thumb never buy a car in its first model year -- too many bugs?

Maybe I'll just hang on to my current car another year and make a decision in the spring. By then, Ford may be filing for bankruptcy!