News: Ford Trims Its Losses And Beats Expectations

[TC]

If Ford uses the Falcon as the replacement for the Crown Victoria, then they've already doomed the Falcon to failure...

The Crown Victoria has been a 'fleet' only car since last year. All sales go to the taxi and police forces (and a few to rental car fleets)...

And lets look at the other RWD sedan out there, the 300C, and Dodge Charger...those haven't been selling that well either.

Believe me I'd want the Falcon over here just as much as any of you...but I'm not living in a fantasy world hoping and praying it'll happen. Realistically Ford doesn't have the market for a RWD sedan as of now.

The 300C/Charger haven't been selling well? I see them everywhere I go. Of course, Chrysler is dead now and owned by the French, so no doubt sales are going to plummet. I can't find any production numbers, but everything else points towards those cars being a success. They're not getting rid of them any time soon anyway.

As for the Crown Vic, it's become a bit of a relic. The fact that it is most commonly used as a police cruiser is the only interesting thing about it. It's long overdue for the chopping block. But there is a market for large RWD sedans. Just because some car companies are incompetent on breaking into it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

 

[Blind_Io]

The 300C/Charger haven't been selling well? I see them everywhere I go. Of course, Chrysler is dead now and owned by the French, so no doubt sales are going to plummet. I can't find any production numbers, but everything else points towards those cars being a success. They're not getting rid of them any time soon anyway.

As for the Crown Vic, it's become a bit of a relic. The fact that it is most commonly used as a police cruiser is the only interesting thing about it. It's long overdue for the chopping block. But there is a market for large RWD sedans. Just because some car companies are incompetent on breaking into it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

https://pic.armedcats.net/b/bl/blind_io/2009/07/26/lol20wut20jew.jpg

Last time I checked Fiat was Italian.

 

[TC]

Last time I checked Fiat was Italian.

I thought Renault bought them out. :lol: I gots confused.

The Italians, huh? Well, I'm not sure they will do much better, but there is always hope.

 

[Spectre]

The 300C/Charger haven't been selling well? I see them everywhere I go. Of course, Chrysler is dead now and owned by the FrenchUAW and government with FIAT having a minority of ownership, so no doubt sales are going to plummet.

Fixed that for you.

 

[HatePersonified]

If you're blind maybe...(oh wait, nevermind...)

Lets see, Mustang, Fusion, Edge, Explorer, F150...

Yeah, all of those have no 'soul' whatsoever :lol:

Mustang: Ugliest version since the Mustang II, designed "to look smaller and therefore more efficient" despite using the same frame as the old one.

Fusion/Edge: White good crap that has had any flair focusgrouped out of it. Replace it with the Falcon already.

Explorer: Soccer Mom fodder, just there to appease that market segment.

F150: Bigger yet somehow less practical offroad than its competitors. No thank you.

tl;dr Ford America's lineup is shite.

 

[argatoga]

Mustang: Ugliest version since the Mustang II, designed "to look smaller and therefore more efficient" despite using the same frame as the old one.

Fusion/Edge: White good crap that has had any flair focusgrouped out of it. Replace it with the Falcon already.

Explorer: Soccer Mom fodder, just there to appease that market segment.

F150: Bigger yet somehow less practical offroad than its competitors. No thank you.

tl;dr Ford America's lineup is shite.

Have you posted anything that wasn't a troll?

 

[prizrak]

F150: Bigger yet somehow less practical offroad than its competitors. No thank you.

Why would a pick up truck need to be a great off roader? It's a vehicle designed to carry large loads both on paved an upaved roads but it is not a dune buggy/rock crawler/rally racer by any means. I seriously doubt its any worse/better than any other truck at going on a dirt road either on a construction site or a farm.

As Top Gear showed us you don't exactly need a Humvee to cross African wilderness.

 

[bartboy9891]

Mustang: Ugliest version since the Mustang II, designed "to look smaller and therefore more efficient" despite using the same frame as the old one.

Fusion/Edge: White good crap that has had any flair focusgrouped out of it. Replace it with the Falcon already.

Explorer: Soccer Mom fodder, just there to appease that market segment.

F150: Bigger yet somehow less practical offroad than its competitors. No thank you.

tl;dr Ford America's lineup is shite.

The Mustang, SVT Raptor and Flex are the only interesting cars that Ford USA makes. But it doesn't really matter as long as their cars are selling and people are satisfied. I still don't understand what the hell is going on with Mercury and Lincoln though. I can see them integrating some Euro Fords into Mercury's lineup, but Lincoln seems doomed no matter what.

 

[GRtak]

I think the main thing about the GTO was that no one saw it as anything special. It's styling is probably mostly to blame. It's hard to make a case against the GTO, when the new Camaro is becoming a big success, despite the sorry state of GM. The Camaro is more of an icon, but it's also very aggressively styled. The GTO looked like a Cavalier. As for racing it, unfortunately here in America, if it's not racing in Nascar, then it's not mainstream.

"The Camaro is MORE of an icon"?

THe big problem with the GTO is that is was not made in North America. It was not a bad car, but it did not have any connection with the iconic name.

 

[TC]

"The Camaro is MORE of an icon"?

THe big problem with the GTO is that is was not made in North America. It was not a bad car, but it did not have any connection with the iconic name.

The Camaro was designed by the Australians and built in Canada.

 

[Blind_Io]

HatePersonified:

If you want to see an offroad truck look no further than the Ford Raptor. If you want a truck to carry a metric fuck-ton of stuff, then get the F-150, F-250 or F-350.

 

[argatoga]

"The Camaro is MORE of an icon"?

THe big problem with the GTO is that is was not made in North America. It was not a bad car, but it did not have any connection with the iconic name.

Actually the best part of the GTO was that it wasn't built by the UAW. The styling and lack of advertisement killed it.

 

[Ezbok58a]

Mustang: Ugliest version since the Mustang II, designed "to look smaller and therefore more efficient" despite using the same frame as the old one.

Fusion/Edge: White good crap that has had any flair focusgrouped out of it. Replace it with the Falcon already.

Explorer: Soccer Mom fodder, just there to appease that market segment.

F150: Bigger yet somehow less practical offroad than its competitors. No thank you.

tl;dr Ford America's lineup is shite.

That's the stupidest most biased line of bullshit I've read on here...

You sir are just a trollish moron.

Have you seen the shit GM and Chrysler are putting out... let alone anyone else in this country? Ford is easily offering the better products and despite your 'anti-ford' bullshit, its offering 'WHAT THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE WANT'

Go back to your hole.

 

[bartboy9891]

That's the stupidest most biased line of bullshit I've read on here...

You sir are just a trollish moron.

Have you seen the shit GM and Chrysler are putting out... let alone anyone else in this country? Ford is easily offering the better products and despite your 'anti-ford' bullshit, its offering 'WHAT THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE WANT'

Go back to your hole.

This is hilarious coming from the blatant Ford fanboy who is anti-everything but Ford.

 

[Ezbok58a]

This is hilarious coming from the blatant Ford fanboy who is anti-everything but Ford.

You're real observant stupid.

I'll defend a good car, not my fault that most of the good cars all fall under one brand.

So where are your 'facts' on me being anti-everything but Ford? Or did you just pull that out of your ass like everyone else?

 

[HatePersonified]

Due late next year for the 2010 model year, Ford will be updating its iconic muscle car with a number of changes to its exterior as well as a complete revamp of its powertrain line-up to appease those concerned about fuel-economy.

Though the updated model will share the same the overall length and width as the current model, the car will be styled to look smaller and more athletic. Speaking with Automotive News, Ford?s North American design director, Peter Horbury, explained that the new car?s lines have been designed to make it look as though the wheels are ?further out, further forward and further rearward?.

The Fusion was no fun to drive whatsoever when I test drove it, it understeered like a pig, not to mention the schick razor front end being a huge turnoff. And the NA-Spec Focus is a horrendous abomination that should be destroyed unless they start shoehorning in cosworth motors.

The Mustang was fantastic until they cocked up the body as mentioned above, for 2010 they should have given it IRS and upgraded engines, and said 'there, we're done.' Oh and dropped the V8 prices to be more competitive with the Camaro.

See, it's this sort of stuff, and cynical marketing exercises like 'Ecoboost' that turn me off Ford as a whole. And I'm not Anti-Ford, I'm anti-white-good/focus group/pay the bills cars. I don't care that it earns them more money. I want a car that somewhere, a designer was inspired to make, not one where their boss came in and said 'right, here's a budget and a market segment, make a car'.

Crown Victorias are too slow and heavy for me Ezbok, especially with the atrocious 4.6 SOHC motor. I don't know what you've done to yours, if anything, but they are notoriously hard to mod and are quite often on the frail side. And why would you go to all the trouble to make an OHC motor to only make it 2-Valve?! (If in fact, you have managed to get more power out of it, let me know, I'd be very interested to hear how.)

As to the F150, perhaps I was being a unfair, but despite their flaws I prefer the Dodge and Chevrolet offerings, they always seem to have more bang-for-buck appeal to me.

To sum it up, I am genuinely not attempting to troll, and I will freely admit I do have a General Motors-ish bias, but that doesn't change the fact that there are now no US Ford cars that I want.

Sure I'd take one if given to me, but would I buy one, with money? No.

However there are some used Ford cars that I would buy:
Torino
1971-73 Mustang (the 60s ones don't do it for me)
Marauder
94-95 Mustang GT 5.0
99-2004 Mustang Cobra
SVT Focus...es? Foci? I'm not sure of the plurals here.

I'm not unreasonable, I just want something interesting, is that too much to ask for?

 

[Spectre]

GM trucks are worthless offroad due to their faulty ball and tie rod joints, so they're worse than Ford.

Also, you have apparently never driven a Camry. If you though the Fusion was awful to drive (it isn't) you'll be astonished by how bad the Camry was.

 

[HatePersonified]

GM trucks are worthless offroad due to their faulty ball and tie rod joints, so they're worse than Ford.

Also, you have apparently never driven a Camry. If you though the Fusion was awful to drive (it isn't) you'll be astonished by how bad the Camry was.

Oh, believe you me I learned how to drive in a Camry. I didn't want to subject anyone else to some bad memories.

As to the trucks, I did not know that was an issue.

 

[Spectre]

Oh, believe you me I learned how to drive in a Camry. I didn't want to subject anyone else to some bad memories.

As to the trucks, I did not know that was an issue.

-1 for idiocy then, especially since you asserted: "F150: Bigger yet somehow less practical offroad than its competitors. No thank you."

And the Fusion is considered the best handling car in its class by just about everyone. Sure, the class sucks, but that's the class that most families buy. And being best in that mainstreamer class while beating out the Accord and the Camry is no small feat for an American manufacturer.

Also - one of the problems with Detroit has been their complete and utter neglect of "cars that just pay the bills". Guess what happens when you don't have cars good enough to sell in that class? You don't get money to pay the bills. As much as we all dislike the class, people buy them and companies need the money to stay afloat and make other more interesting cars.

So, basically, you appear to know almost nothing about any of the vehicles you just slammed. I'm not a Ford fan for various reasons, but if you're going to criticize them, please make sure your criticism is based in reality and not GM fanboyism.

 

[argatoga]

The Mustang was fantastic until they cocked up the body as mentioned above, for 2010 they should have given it IRS and upgraded engines, and said 'there, we're done.' Oh and dropped the V8 prices to be more competitive with the Camaro.

Most people, including me, like the looks of the refreshed Mustang. It won't hurt Ford's sales. IRS would be a nice addition, but I suspect their money is more focused on the Fiesta and other things (IRS sadly won't see that many more Mustangs). 2011 will get the new 400hp engine. Right now the Mustang keeps up with the Camaro pretty well thanks to it's lightness and superior handling, it will destroy it in 2011 (unless the road is crater filled ).