mustang84isu

As much as I like to hear this, we've been hearing of the fabled RWD Lincoln sedan for years. I'm not going to get too excited until there more hard evidence or a concept. Follow up with a RWD 4-door Thunderbird for Ford on CD6 and maybe we can forgive them for dropping every sedan in the US lineup.

I know people that used to buy Mercurys, Pontiacs, Oldsmobiles, etc. They all drive Japanese cars now. The Big 3 threw away market share for years--decades--by watering down their middle brands, and then when sales declined to the point of no return, they justified the phase out by stating there was a lack of interest in the brand. It wasn't lack of interest--it was a lack of compelling product. Only a fraction of those Mercury customers went to Ford or Lincoln; the rest went to competitors. Ford's market share keeps decreasing every 10 years because they do nothing but constantly alienate customers and give them reasons to go to the competition. Killing sedans is only the latest in a long history of blunders. We actually put our money where our mouth is and purchased a 2017 Edge Titanium last year for my wife, and I will be ready for a new vehicle next year. We bought the Edge as a family vehicle, but even my wife doesn't really like the high center of gravity and more sluggish driving experience after coming from a Corolla. I have always driven sedans, typically sport sedans, and have no desire to buy a truck or crossover. A Mustang is too impractical at this point (I need four doors and a usable backseat). Ford is basically telling me to look elsewhere, and it is a shame. I never imagined I would have to do such a thing after all the years I have spent invested in this company from a time, interest, and financial standpoint.

No disagreement with the Mustang, but some people need a vehicle more practical than that. Ford is hanging their hat on one vehicle.

The future is dim for anyone that likes a vehicle that is nimble, handles well, and sits closer to the ground...sedan or otherwise. "Active" millennials are part of the problem, but Baby Boomers are the real ones killing off sedans. It's unfortunate, because not everyone wants a high riding vehicle, and it means those sales are going to go to a competitor.

Hackett is in over his head. I've been an investor in Ford since 2008 and am considering liquidating some or all of my shares for the first time. This company is lost and keeps drifting further out to sea.

Until they don't. We are at the tail end of bull market and people have spending freely the last few years, extending financing out to 72 months and beyond to keep monthly payments low. When interest rates rise and that bear cycle rolls around again, and buyers are forced to trim their budgets, Ford will be flat-footed with a bunch of expensive crossovers and people will look elsewhere. Tastes are cyclical and can turn on a dime. What people think is hot today may not be so tomorrow. The crossover is becoming the modern-day minivan for millennials who are starting to have families and empty nesters who are looking for ease of entry / exit. If I had to guess, we are about 5 years out from Peak Crossover before sentiment starts turning negative on the segment. Just right around the time that Ford will have fully phased out its sedan lineup. Instead of staying diversified, Ford is putting all its eggs into one basket just like in the late 1990's. And we all saw how that story ended.

What's killing me about Ford stock the last few years is that we constantly hear positive news about rising ATP, especially on F-series, in the monthly earnings reports, yet it never translates into improved margins or profit. South America, Russia, Europe, China, rising materials costs, warranty costs, recalls--something always kills any momentum the stock has during quarterly earnings. This has been going on since 2014. Now we hear that Ford doesn't profit on sedans or Lincoln, when that was the whole point of One Ford. As a shareholder I am starting to question the competency of Ford management, and I agree with the other poster that said Hackett always talks about cuts, but never talks about what he is going to do. It doesn't project confidence. You can talk about fluff stuff like mobility and where you see yourself in 5 years, but at the end of the day Ford is a product company and their average product age is higher than most other manufacturers. Now they are tying to cut their way to higher margins by saying 30% of the buying public that drives sedans should look elsewhere. I just don't see it ending well.

Not just me, but also the 5 million other people that bought sedans last year. Even if the sedan market is shrinking, walking away from it completely is a mistake. All those potential sales will go to competitors. Not everyone wants the high center of gravity, extra weight, or extra cost associated with SUVs. This is Ford overreacting like it always does, and this is why my shares have been dead money since 2014. Ford was wrong on the compact/midsize pickup market, and I have a feeling they will be wrong on this as well.

I'm not a crossover buyer, so Ford is basically telling me they no longer want my business. Dumb and shortsighted.

Beautiful. They nailed the rear 3/4 view. Everything about the lines and the details looks well thought-out; I think this is the first Lincoln reveal where I have not found something questionable or compromised in the styling. Overall, I liked the Nautilus quite a bit when it was revealed, but it looks a little dated now if you compare these two side-by-side. Lincoln has done a much better job integrating the side badging sweep. It looks less tacked on than on the Continental and Nautilus, and I like how it angles up to correspond with the mirror. These are the little details that will make the Aviator stand out next to the competition.

What is throwing me off is the 90% SUV/truck comment. Ford sold 2.6 million in the US last year; 10% of that is 260,000, which is basically Mustang and Focus combined. Hopefully Farley is exaggerating that percentage.

As a Ford shareholder I'm excited about the new product, but I am disappointed about the sedans (Fusion, MKZ, and Continental) if the speculation turns out to be true. I've never been a crossover / SUV guy and have no desire to own one personally. I will be in the market next year for a new sedan and if Ford is going to be killing everything except the Focus by 2020, I will probably have to look elsewhere. I can't believe Ford is giving up on the Continental already...it just came out last year.

I'll just let Michael do the talking on this one.

I had a 2015 Camry XSE V6 as a rental recently, and I was surprised how cheap the interior is for being an upper trim level. Between clumsy exterior design (fish mouth and blacked-out C-pillar, same tired greenhouse from 2007) and the cheap interior, there is no way I would give it 2nd place on a midsize shopping list. It feels warmed over, and it kind of is.