Well, again, yes and no. The F-150 is certainly a good-sized piece of Ford's sales pie, but other Ford vehicles have also sold well. The Focus, for one, has been popular for years. So was the Explorer, until very recently.

 

I know the Ford Focus is a good seller for fleet cars. Unless a miracle happens Ford will be on it's death bed. Young people don't even look at Fords. The F-150 was Fords Bread and butter with record gas prices people are looking for cars now and Fords are unreliable and cheap looking.

 

This is one of the worth though out argument for Ford's decline that I have ever seen. You blatantly ignore their product portfolio, reliability records, powertrain offerings, etc. and simultaneous slam on the avg. consumer because of their resistance to new expensive purchases given the present economic conditions (mortgage crisis anyone?). Did you work for the (former) big 3 marketing department before or you totally foreign to market indicators such as Consumer Confidence Index?

 

Ford has a poor product mix, poor quality and have been caught out big time... Time will tell, but they are in trouble and I don't think they have enough time to turn it around.

 

of course ford is going down the drain in a time like this. Like someone said earlier, the media has scared everyone sh1tless with this whole recession business... but they are right, we are in a recession, our economy is in trouble, and more than that, our environment is in trouble.
Ford main sellers were SUVS and heavy duty trucks... no one wants to buy those right now, everyone is focusing on fuel efficiency, and gas is reaching $5/gallon... who wants a car that gets 10mpg when its $5/gallon... my neighbor owns a ford excursion, and yesterday i was in his car when his gas light went on, we pulled over and he pumped gas. The car has a ridiculously large fuel tank, somethingl ike 40+ gallons. Filling it costed him a total of $247. Albeit with a tank that large he doesnt have to fill it often, but whether our economy was in a recession or an expansion, only some can afford that, and even fewer can stomach seeing that come up on the gas pump dial. I posted in the topic about honda dieing that i saw on the TV today an advertisement from a ford dealership selling a brand new 08 F-150 for 19,500 dollars. The SUV market is over, and now people are hunting for reliabile, efficient cars, something ford is not known to make. If ford wants to keep its head above water, it will shift with the times, if not, it will go out of business, simple as that.

The media has put many people on a money conscience mindset, and yes, at this moment fewer people are in the market for a new car. But of those people looking for new cars, how many people out there are saying - "oh i can't wait to get the new F-150, did you hear it gets 11mpg, i cant wait to hear those stacks of money come pouring out my exhaust" Anyone in the market for an automobile now is thinking efficiency first. I saw a buick commercial the other day, and to be honest, although i hate buick, they hit it right on the head. Its a buick parked at a gas station by the pump. a guy walks over to it and says - There is only one number that matters, and points to the gas pump dials. That Number. The new Buick whatever, with this great fuel efficiency, and then he walks off the screen, simple as that, they dont tell you the horsepower, torque, or towing capacity like Ford does. This world, not only north america, has begun to frown upon gas guzzlers, and its about time.

Now, the other problem is, over the years ford has built its reputation on those heavy duty trucks, people in the market for a new car almost immediatly rule out Ford, with the mindset - they are heavy on gas, and unreliable - so Ford may have a tough time getting the masses to realize that whatever car they put out is actually something that can suit the public/economic/environmental situation at this time.

Alot in this topic talk about the focus, which is one of Ford's efficient models... but unfortunately, its a cheap piece of crap. Ford needs to come out with a high end sedan to show people what it can truly make and do. It's built trucks that can tow bulldozers out of pits, but can't build a comfortable, efficient, RELIABLE sedan? My friend bought a focus, and before the year was up, her break pedal BROKE OFF FROM THE CAR. thank god she was still in her driveway... she was pulling the car out of the garage, and has to close her garage manually (no garage door remote), when she pushed the break down and put it in park, the break pedal snapped off...

 

They deserve it. Its not like they didnt have anaylists who saw this coming a long time ago. Theres no way they didnt see this coming.

 

American companies can't see and plan for more that a day down the road.
Toyota plans 100 years down the road. There's one of the major differences.
Every other company laughed at Toyota when they introduced the Prius at a time when gas was like $1/gal. Now look at Toyota. They haven't been able to meet demand for it through it's entire life cycle. Toyota magically predicted that gas wouldn't stay below $1.50 a gallon.

Anyone who thought gas would remain cheap was simply an idiot. How could the US automakers not see it coming?

 

Bingo. Not only did they lose a ton of money, but it was much worse than the analysts were speculating. In all reality, they deserve to go bankrupt, and I hope they do. Companies they continually ignore customer desires and produce absolute **** should reap what they sew.

 

First of all, I have never worked for Ford or any other auto company. Second of all, Ford products, on the average, according to Consumer Reports, have become somewhat more reliable than GM or Chrysler (Buicks excepted). Third, I am not "slamming" anyone except, perhaps, the media for creating a doomsday economic frenzy where people are afraid to buy any large ticket items, including new cars. Fourth, Ford offers a number of products that are not in the large truck/large SUV class and don't guzzle gas. Fifth, one cannot change the laws of free-market economics with arguements like yours....if new cars don't sell or lease, auto companies will suffer, and perhaps go under. Sixth, for purposes of this thread, I am not necessarily a Ford defender or one of any other auto company....although my personal favorite is Subaru and its AWD systems. Seventh, I've never said that someone should buy a new car they could not afford....only that many people need a new car, could probably afford one, and are afraid to go shopping for one because the media has them scared s**tless. In fact, many people come to me for help and advice when they DO need a new car, a new(er) used one, or have questions.

So, you are free to reply to my posts........but, next time you do so, try being a little more courteous, and don't misrepresent my positions.

 

Um, learn some sarcasm....this was intended to poke fun at your reasons for Ford's downfall and how it seems so similar to what Ford themselve would spin to investors.

And yet it still lags significantly behind the Asian companies like Toyco, Honduh, and even Huyndai.

So where's your new car? Hmmmm If you aren't living in the 2008, we just had one of the worst letdowns in the economy due to financial crisis in the mortgage industry, compounded by high oil prices. To encourage consumers to spend freely and excessively during a recession (yes, we are in one) is really something else.

THis is a totally baseless and useless statement.....cars are still selling well, look at Honda or Huyndai, or even BMW. Ford is going downhill is because of the concentration of their business in the trucks / suv segment which everyone is avoiding like the black plauge due to high fuel costs. Where Ford has maybe 1/2 offerings in the compact, high mileage arena, Toyota is countering with at least 6-7. That is Free-market Economics 101: deliver what the consumers want or go under!

to be honest, i am really rooting for the American companies to turn it around. I'm patriotic just like the next Joe, the big 3 just aren't there in terms of what consumers want. I'm afraid by the time the do hit the target, the next wave of vehicles are there and they miss that boat also.

Having traveled the country and continents, there is a real economic gloom on the horizon whether you believe it or not. What people choose to do with their money is their perogative. With the fluctuations in the gas pricing, i'm sure a lot of decisions are being backed off until things calm down for those that can afford to spend. But to bash folks for being frugal is pointless and futile at best, especially blaming it on the mass media?!!!!

If you can't take the criticism, you probably shouldn't post....having this high horse attitude of yours does not help either fyi.

First, learn some sarcasm.....Second...

 

Yes and no. FWD versions of the Fusion/Milan/MKZ triplets have been as reliable as typical Toyotas and Hondas.

I buy normally a new car every 4-5 years. Probably next year....my present car is 3 years old.

I understand what you are saying, but you have to undersand my point as well....among other things, it is the unwilling of consumers to spend which CAUSES recessions.




Well then...........you know what you have to do. And you also have to remember that today's auto industry is global.....there are basically no such thing as "American", 'European" and "Asian" auto firms anymore, except on paper and where the corporate headquarters are located.

Exactly. You just illustrated my point. And many people made that choice. They are sitting on their car dollars instead of spending them.............and the result is a recession. Some companies, like Honda, are doing better than others, but sales are down pretty much across the board.


I'm not a high horse. You are free to disagree with and criticize me any time you want. Just don't misrepresent my positions....I said that in my last post, and I'll say it again.

I often get criticism and diagreements from other CAR CHAT members....especially on the marketing of Acura RL and BMW 3-series. After 23,500 posts, I take it in stride.

 

OK gentlemen, enough already! Let's get back to the topic at hand. Thanks.

 

Just look:

Ford GT-E in Australia



and what do we have in the states?


Hrm....interesting

 

Wow, excellent point. And there are many other examples. How does Ford think that there home market doesn't want the good models offered around the world?

DO THEY NOT SEE HOW JAPANESE AND OTHER EUROPEAN OFFERINGS REMAIN SUCCESSFUL IN AMERICA!!! Then they build vehicles that can compete with them but don't offer them in the US. Good riddance Ford.

 

I have to disagree. I think the Ford Fusion, with its more squarish headlights and triplelchrome-bar grille, actually looks better then its Australian GT-E counterpart with the black grille and slanted headlights. And the Fusion offers AWD (I don't know if the Aussie version does or not). Last, the Fusion/Milan/MKX triplets, at least in FWD form, have proven well-above average in reliability, according to Consumer Reports.

In fact, Ford tried marketing a car like the GT-E here back in the 90's....the Contour/Mystique. They were nice cars, but did not prove particularly popular here, and had rather poor reliability records. After several years, they were dropped.