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Automotive News & Views What about the future of Ford Inc?? 
1858 messages, Last post on Oct 16, 2006 at 7:25 AM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
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Replying to: mschmal (Oct 13, 2006 6:56 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 8:40 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 4:31 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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Rebates are put on vehicles produced at not Flexible Factories. The rebates on cars but at Flex Factories was never more thatn $1,500. Mustang, Fusion, Milan, Zephyr, 500, Freestyle. I know that Ford is hevily backing the Zephyr leases but no more so than other car lines in this catagory. Also rebates result from some Idiot refusing to put the MSRP inline with transaction cost. If you are a current Town Car owner, right now you can get an 07 TC with almost $10,000 in rebates. Obviously stickering the TC at $50,000 is just a joke. Same with Focus. The Focus launches every model year with a $2,000 rebate. Why can't they just lower the MSRP? Mark. |
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nippononly: Having said that, they DO seem to be the discount brand. There's lots of cash on the hood of many models. How can they be giving cash back amounting to almost 20% or more of the total sticker on the Focus and Ranger? That's the DEFINITION of discount, on two of their more popular models, in two high-volume segments of the biz. I agree, and Ford needs to take action, because in the long run it cannot compete against the Koreans. Look at Honda - when it updates one its models, the top-of-the-line version is more expensive than any of the previous generations' versions. The new Civic, CR-V and Acura MDX all seem to be much more "upscale" than the previous generation. The Fit, meanwhile, is being sold on the "cute" factor, its overall competence and versatility. Notice that, for its size, it really isn't all that inexpensive. This tells me that Honda is trying to move away from the Koreans, particularly Hyundai. Fighting over the bottom of the market, especially in view of Hyundia's lower cost structure, is a battle that Honda obviously believes it cannot ultimately win. How will Ford compete?
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