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Toyota outsells Ford for first time - July 2006, why? - READ ONLY

138 messages,  Last post on Aug 22, 2006 at 12:14 AM

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What is this discussion about? Toyota, Ford

Messages Page 14 of 14

#129 of 138 Re: The Focus... [grbeck] by logic1

Aug 18, 2006 (11:26 am)

Replying to: grbeck (Aug 18, 2006 11:09 am)
In 2010, the American Focus will once again share a platform with its European cousin. It will, however, be the next-generation European Focus, not the current one.
 
I would like to see this rolled up a few years. Can't happen soon enough for Ford.

#130 of 138 Re: The Focus... [logic1] by 210delray

Aug 18, 2006 (12:15 pm)

Replying to: logic1 (Aug 18, 2006 11:26 am)
It's not going to happen -- we have to wait till 2010 -- at least.
 
Ford maintains the current Euro Focus is too expensive to sell here. (It's the old "Americans won't pay too much for a small car.") Yet we do get the Mazda3 -- and it sells.
 
Ford itself is predicting only 120K sales annually of the Edge, and they're mum on the sales numbers of the sibling Lincoln MKX. So this vehicle isn't likely to pull Ford out of the dumps.

#131 of 138 Re: The Focus... [logic1] by grbeck

Aug 18, 2006 (1:06 pm)

Replying to: logic1 (Aug 18, 2006 11:26 am)
We have a 2005 Focus SE sedan. The ride-and-handling combination are quite good (better, in fact, than the last-generation Civic EX sedan I test drove at the same time). The engine is nice, too.
 
The problems are too much road noise and subpar interior fit-and-finish. These problems show that Ford's cost-cutting efforts are too obvious in certain areas.
 
The basics of the current Focus platform are still good; the car isn't hopelessly outdated. Ford needs to sweat the details and update the styling. The 2008 rework will supposedly address these issues, and carry the car until the all-new 2010 model debuts.

#132 of 138 Re: The Focus... [grbeck] by logic1

Aug 18, 2006 (1:15 pm)

Replying to: grbeck (Aug 18, 2006 1:06 pm)
Well, you have established car sense and I trust your analysis.
 
It is no secret that much of the market reacts more to fit and finish issues than driving dynamics.
 
Ford has a product that is close to being a player in the small car market segment that is seeing the most action these days. I hope '08 sees this happen.

#133 of 138 Re: Why Are People Buying Toyota?? [logic1] by kdhspyder

Aug 18, 2006 (5:06 pm)

Replying to: logic1 (Aug 03, 2006 6:36 pm)
I do not think Toyota's current hybrid technology will work well on a full size pick up. If Toyota has a dual phase system or has otherwise worked a solution to moving size economically, I'll give credit where it is due. At this point, I see nothing to suggest Toyota will challenge any of the big 3 full size pick ups.
 
You will probably be surprised in April when the third rollout of the 2007 is completed that none of the detroiter's trucks matches up to the new DoubleCab Tundra in size or performance.
 
Heck the Double Cab Tundra now is bigger than the F150 and it will be the middle model this time next year. With the announced 5.7L it will be the beast of the road.

#134 of 138 Re: Early rusting... [lemko] by kdhspyder

Aug 18, 2006 (5:12 pm)

Replying to: lemko (Aug 04, 2006 5:22 am)
I was in the steel industry at that time supplying steel to both Ford and Chrysler.
 
The big improvement that occured across all product lines at the same time all across the world was the use of hot dipped Galvanized steel ( HDG ) or Galavannealed steel or Electrogalvanized steel. All three are different methods of adding a zinc coating to the base metal to act as an sacrificial coating to minimized the effect of rusting.
 
By 1990 there was some on every vehicle in the US market. By 2000 it was the basic steel used on all vehicles. Rusting disappeared as a problem on all vehicles by that time.

#135 of 138 Memo from Bill Ford to the troops today... by kdhspyder

Aug 18, 2006 (5:21 pm)

Excerpted...
 
"Today we are announcing the North American production in the fourth quarter will be cut by 21 percent. This action, difficult as it is, reflects an assessment of the marketplace that is conservative and more aligned with the shift in customer demand.
 
As you know, an unprecedented spike in galoline prices during the second quarter impacted our product lineup more than that of our competitors because of the long-standing success of our truck and SUVs."
 
I am certain it will be all over tomorrow's auto news.

#136 of 138 Re: Memo from Bill Ford to the troops today... [kdhspyder] by lahiri

Aug 21, 2006 (1:39 pm)

Replying to: kdhspyder (Aug 18, 2006 5:21 pm)
$3 a gallon is surprise to Bill Ford but business as usual for everyone else. Looks like he hasn't stopped by a gas station lately to fill himself. Finally, when 0% APR failed to sell his trucks, he had to open his eyes. What a shame.

#137 of 138 whew by nippononly

Aug 21, 2006 (10:38 pm)

check out California:
 
http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060821/SUB/60819026/1078/ne- wsletter02&refsect=newsletter02
 
The domestics COMBINED make less than 1/3 of all the retail sales here. I knew it was low, but I didn't know it was that low. The owner of Galpin Ford, one of the state's biggest and oldest Ford dealers and fiercely pro-Ford (I used to live not far from the dealership, would see the billboards and the newspaper ads all the time), has just caved in and bought a Honda franchise. So far, he is doubling his initial estimates of sales, and will have to ask for a larger allocation from Honda as he is going to run short of cars in August!
 
Toyota made more than 1/4 of all retail sales in the state in the first half of the year. By contrast, GM made 14%. The only three domestic models in the top ten for sales are (not surprisingly) the F-series, the Silverado, and the Tahoe. I expect Tahoe to fall off that list by the end of the year, with the gas prices as they are.

#138 of 138 Re: whew [nippononly] by carlisimo

Aug 22, 2006 (12:14 am)

Replying to: nippononly (Aug 21, 2006 10:38 pm)
Yeah, that matches what we see out here.
 
One of the biggest increases for Toyota was the Tacoma. I'm not too surprised; it's great in its segment, Toyota has a lot of loyalty here, and trucks are still popular but the full sized ones are just too big for many people.
 
Lots of big SUVs too. It's not all about Toyota's small cars right now; it's about their small cars 20 years ago. When the Corolla and Civic were worlds better than any domestic commuter car, people bought them, loved them, and now that it's time for something bigger they're sticking to their brands.
 
If that's true, then the domestics are going to keep sliding because their small, first-car offerings were substandard and even now are arguably not good enough to inspire loyalty.

Messages Page 14 of 14

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