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Automotive News & Views What about the future of Ford Inc?? 
1858 messages, Last post on Oct 16, 2006 at 6:25 AM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
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Its called the $19,000 Fusion. Ford absolutely does not need a $19,000 Focus. Now if it was a different kind of vehicle, like a CUV or something that would be a different story, Ford tried many times and never sucessfully brought a car here from Europe. Remember the Mondeo to Contour? or the Merkur's? The Contour was to small and priced 2 close to the Taurus, hence a big FLOP! The Fusion may be based on the Mazda6 but it is Ford in execution. It adds size over the Mazda6 and costs much less. Non-luxary European cars from other makes aren't exactly doing so well here either. VW's numbers make Ford look like Toyota in case you didn't notice. And you don't even want to talk about the fate of the rest of the European Non-Lux brands. See any Renualts, Fiats, Pegouts, Citreons, Opals, etc, for sale in the States lately? I'm sick of people saying that the Ford vehicle should be more like this or more like that... People who like Toyotas, should go buy Toyotas! What Ford needs to do is to capture the people who buy a Toyota because there is nothing else out there they like better. Toyota concentrates on being the Vanilla Ice Cream of car makers, and while Vanilla is the most popular flavor, its not the only flavor. Mark.
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So if I hear you correctly, Ford should try to continue to be the discount brand of America. Even though the Koreans (and the Chinese in the not-too-distant future) continue to undercut them, and even Chevy and Dodge a lot of the time. And because that has worked so well for them so far. When you have these "legacy costs", how can you afford to try to make discount prices your strategy? Seems like you should try to up the quality, up the desirability, and steal customers from the competition that are accustomed to paying higher prices for top-notch product. |
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Replying to: mschmal (Oct 13, 2006 5:56 am) They are platform sharing and applying to nitch markets, taking a page from the Chrysler workbook. Overall sales numbers don't mean so much to Ford anymore, its not about growing market share as much as being lean enough to turn a profit with what they have (like BMW). The days of selling 1,000,000 Mustangs or LTDs a year are gone. If you get 200,000 out the door you are doing fantastic. Having more than one car in the same category gives choice. Sharing platforms saves development costs and allows the makers to offer more choices at a lower cost (Like the 300C,Charger,Magnum, the last MBZ E320, etc for RWD, and the Neon/Caliber/Compass/etc on the FWD). |
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Replying to: dhanley (Oct 12, 2006 7:40 pm) Wherever it was, it's obviously incorrect, and I apologize to all. I am very surprised, however......
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Replying to: nvbanker (Oct 13, 2006 3:31 pm) 
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What is Ford? (Disclaimer - I've been a Ford guy all my life, my Dad was a Ford guy, and he raised me that way.) Today, I don't think Ford knows what they are. As for: Give me an Avalon over a Five Hundred - any day Up to this year, I would disagree. Now, however, the Avalon is special. Previously it WAS a 500. Ditto a Tacoma over a Ranger. I think they're about even now. 4Runner vs Explorer? Absolutely no question in my mind. Mine either - the Explorer wins, because of the Independent Rear Suspension and folding, and very usable third seat. They are both well made and durable, the yota slighty more so, maybe. Any Lincoln vs the Lexus equivalent?. Don't even start. Ok, you got me there... |
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Hehe - yeah, you BOUGHT the Lexus! Me, I have no use for a Lexus. But I have been out on the trails in my old 4Runner for some years now, and no-one takes Explorers out there. With the new model of the 4Runner, they will never take 4Runners out there any more either. But up until '03, it was a very rugged truck, where Explorers had too little ground clearance, bad approach and departure unless you lifted them, and a frame that flexed like nobody's business. Now on the road they were great, but if you are only going to be on the road, I would never recommend such a thirsty beast. Better something like a Highlander, a type of car Ford is FINALLY introducing in the good year 2007 with the Edge. I have no use for indie rears off the pavement, the solid axles are much more durable. I protested the IFS the 4Runner adopted long ago, but of course everyone but Jeep has had IFS across the board for two decades. Oh yeah, and I very much meant the new/current Avalon. The old one was mostly a stretch Camry without anything to make it stand out. But of course, back then Ford didn't have a Five Hundred, so why would I have referenced the old one? Anyway, all of this to say: I am curious what a Ford salesman thinks Ford thinks it is. Does Ford see itself as different from GM in some meaningful way? Or Dodge/Chrysler? How does it view Toyota/Lexus? |
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This is the problem, Ford has tried to be a full product line and sourced vehicles from so many different places, that what product line there is is all unrelated. Some of this is the fault of that automotive idiot Jack Nasser. He actually told each product line to develope their own line of radios! Can you imagine something so stupid as to force a person who buys a Taurus and an F-150 to have to learn to work two totally different radios? Examples of car companies that know what they are... Mazda. Since Zoom Zoom, Mazda has made steady gains. Toyota. Dependable and reliable that appeals somewhat to everyone. I hope that Ford can make this Bold Moves strategy work. If Ford can instill a sense of Mustang and F-150 into all of its products, then will definately be a core group of people that will be interested. Example of Ford misfires. The Five Hundred. This car has no clue what its trying to be. There are more. Mark.
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