akirby

Have you tried raising the aim of the lights? If that's possible then it will help dramatically.

It's really simple. The plant was shut down and everyone was out of a job - period. A new opportunity presented itself and the only way this could work is for 40% of the workers to work for $14/hour. Every worker has a choice whether they want to work for $14 or not. If they don't then they can go elsewhere. The only choices are 1 - 60% of workers at current pay, 40% at $14/hour 2 - 100% of workers unemployed. The UAW should be applauded for keeping those jobs and keeping current wages for 60% of the employees.

Thank God!!!!

Correct - your way and the right way. Seriously though - if that were the case then they would have simply said that the package requires the Automatic Transmission or said that the package includes the automatic transmission and they did neither.

And if you don't believe me.......... UAW Members fear a pattern of concessions that slash pay

Yes, allowing it uncontested would set a bad precedent according to some UAW members and that could affect Ford down the road. To be fair a lot of other UAW members are saying it's the right move and that most of the 40% that would have seen a paycut are either retiring or going somewhere else anyway so it's a good thing.

It's easy. One looks like a washing machine. The other IS a washing machine........

Who said anything about Ford employees striking? I said UAW and last time I checked GM employed UAW workers. Better yet - go ask the whining Ford employees why they care what happens at a GM plant.

It does, by saying that SelectShift requires the automatic. It's not optional in the sense that you get to choose it. It's optional because the automatic is optional. Once again - if the package REQUIRED the automatic tranny then it would list both the automatic and the selectshift as standard features of the sport package.

SelectShift is standard on the Sport PKG but only if you get the Automatic Trans, because it's not applicable to the manual. There is no other way to show it. You can get the sport pkg with manual or you can get the sport pkg with automatic and selectshift. Those are the choices. You're the only one that can't grasp it.

That's not the issue. Let's say you allow it for all vehicles and you have 2 dealers - one good dealer and one not so good dealer. If everyone goes to the good dealer and places their ROV orders then the bad dealer suddently loses sales. The bad dealer would probably sue Ford based on the state franchise laws for circumventing dealer allocations. I'm not saying it should be illegal or whether the courts would uphold it - and it's certainly good for the good dealer and for the customer. But I know there would be dealers who would challenge it.

Did Ford say this? I didn't see it. Would power sliders be nice? Sure. I think it's more likely that they just didn't have time to add them. I'm sure they can do it if they become necessary. I don't think they will be necessary nor do I think it will affect sales significantly.

Go find thirty minivan owners and ask them if they'd buy a C-Max in the first place. This is more of a Focus hatchback with an extra seat than a real minivan.

Oh no! Not criticism. How will they ever survive?

How did that work out for them last time gas hit $4/gallon?

That depends on whether you're trying to make money or make headlines. You have to weigh the potential revenue against the development costs. Chrysler already had RWD platforms from Jeep and Mercedes. Ford screwed the pooch in the late 90s/early 2000s when they decided to build the very nice but extremely expensive and inflexible dew98 (Lincoln LS) platform and did a unique inflexible Mustang platform that couldn't easily be shared with sedans. Had Ford done GRWD back then we wouldn't be sitting here today without a viable U.S. RWD sedan platform.

I'm planning to trade my 06 V6 Fusion on a SE hatchback and give it to my daughter next summer when she gets her license, then I'll buy a used F150 and a new mustang (not necessarily in that order).

But these aren't minivan customers - that's the point. This will sell because it's smaller and CHEAPER than a minivan or SUV or CUV. This is just a bigger Focus hatchback with a 3rd row. Lack of power sliding doors will not be an issue, even with the car rags.

Yep, and some of the Ford employees think the UAW should strike because they're OFFERING a lower priced job to 40% of the workforce with less seniority (< 11 yrs). The plant has been closed for a year already and without this arrangement it would stay closed and EVERYBODY is out of a job period. This way 60% keep their pay and 40% have a choice to work for less or transfer to another plant. Sure seems like a WIN-WIN to me.

Don't forget that Lincoln is denying this and so are my sources.

Bingo!

Normally dealers are only allocated a certain number of vehicles and if you order a vehicle from that dealer and the dealer has no allocation left then your vehicle cannot be built. With ROV Ford verifies that a dealer order is pre-sold to a retail customer and is not just going into dealer stock. That vehicle will be scheduled immediately and does not count against the dealer's allocation. It allows a customer to order a vehicle from any dealer without worrying about allocation or priorities, etc. Ford only offers this on certain vehicles at certain times (like the Raptor and Fusion Hybrid last year). I think it should be done all the time but I'm sure the dealers would pitch a hissy fit and take them to court.

If they do it then it would be squarely aimed at Ranchers and Equestrian types who tow heavy trailers and have a lot of money to spend. I don't think it's really necessary from a product lineup standpoint but I do think it would serve a niche and probably generate huge profits with a MSRP near $70K if not higher. The difference between this and the Ranger? This can be added to an already existing production facility that is already self supporting. Ranger has no such luxury.

So why don't they say that the automatic transmission is included in the package like they do for everything else? There is no other logical explanation. They want you to know that you get SelectShift as part of the Sport package, but only if you get the automatic transmission.