smok
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Posts posted by smok
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Ford sold 96,000 vehicles this month so, a bit over 4 months on average.
It looks like they're balancing inventory with demand nicely.
GM has an inventor of 781,000 vehicles but sold only 127,000 in February
this means they have about 6.5 months worth of stock.
Hers's an interesting one:
Pontiac G8 2,705
Chrysler sold 84,050, not much lower than Ford....trucks were down 34%.
The GM inventory numbers are scary.
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Tauras and Crown Vic outsold Mustang!?!?!
Sign of the times. I noticed that too.
I am concerned with Ford's showing. They should be able to STEAL some more sales from GM and Chrysler, who are near bankruptcy. That fact and the 55% decline in the truck sales are worrisome. Didn't they add another shift at Dearborn to make F-150s?
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I'm sorry, how so? I know, how dare Ford make vehicles that the (then) current market demanded, and sold them at a profit, no less. Those bozos up in Dearborn...I don't think the problem is that they made gas guzzlers, rather they didn't have the foresight to diversify and make smaller fuel efficient vehicles. That was a managament decision NOT to invest some of those profits to build up the 'less' profitable smaller car market.
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Go stick your head in the toilet and flush it. I'm sure your jack-ass buddy has spent a year at every Ford plant in NA. You give UAW/FORD a new vehicle and a new, (or modernized) plant to assemble it in and we'll deliver with quality and pride!!!
How you found my story to be of such NEGATIVE connotation is beyond my comprehension. And you had to insult me as well.
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I don't know. The media recently is starting to throw the "D" word around a lot. People are getting more scared everyday and no one is buying anything other then necessity items. The longer this cycle continues the worse it is going to get.
I could lie and say things are getting better and we are turning the corner, but really is that true?
The media is causing some of the hysteria. Everyone will be OK, just not as wealthy as before. ;-)
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The trucks are down 55%. That means Revenue is down big time. This is where Ford generates most of its profits and revenues.
They are also reducing the production from 448,000 to 290,000 truck in the next quarter.
I wish they had the new Taurus out now. It would help if the new Fusion was out in big numbers as well. I don't expect the new MKT to sell much later this year to make a significant difference.
Escape is selling GREAT! In better times, they could sell 20k per month.
Wow, this is bad, what will GM/Chrysler report?
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These things take time. Ford just needs a consistent message with consistent brand identity. It will come. I'm sure that 58% looks a heck of a lot better than the percentage of people who recognized the Five Hundred.
Absolutely.
Ford is stealing a page from Honda and Toyota with the Fusion, and it's about time!!!
They better not change car names, it confuses people. Establishing a 'brand' image like the Accord, Civic, Corolla and Camry is a good proven path to follow. It will take time, but that's how you earn your trust with customers.
BTW, we have to recognize the excellent assembly work of the Mexican workforce that bolts the Fusion together.
I had a chance to meet a few Hermosillo workers who were here (Dearborn) prior to the 06 MY Fusion launch . They were here on a prototype build prior to Job1. Anyhow, I talked to them, and the pride and passion these people showed to be part of Ford was (to me at least) very motivating. They work well in teams, and are very accountable. I know a Ford engineer that lives down the street from me that spent a year in Hermosillo, MX launching the 3/5 door Focus sometime near 2000, and he says by far the workforce is better than any other Ford plant in NA. It's no surprise to me at least, that the Fusion has become a solid product.
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Very respectable engineering. It's cool you can get a solar roof....
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I am impressed with the interior head room. They got it without hurting the styling.
Looks better than the Focus RS.
Yea, nice job on the hatch, looks like 6'6" person could get in easily.
BTW, the hatch Fiestas are awesome. The sedan has a 'fat' rear quarter panel that makes it look awkward. I hope the bring out the 5 door hatch first.
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Maybe you should look at the scorecard and rankings, and edit your post. That comparo was unrealistic on so many levels.
I have the new C&D mag at home. Judging by the interiors, the Fusion is behind the Accord and Mazda6. As far as handling, they pointed out that the Fusion has the softest ride, and most up and down motion during cornering. In other words, not as tight or damped as the Mazda6 and Accord. Fusion also scored low on the 'funmeter'. Given that and Accord's reputation for quality, did you really think the Fusion was going to be #1? Those expectations are unrealistic.
I own a Fusion SE 4cyl auto, and prior to buying, I drove an 06 Accord 4cyl auto and thought it was a better, more refined car than the Fusion, but more expensive. I guess you get what you pay for. But the Fusion has been decent, maybe this new one will be better.
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The article says
"Even if we had 10 cars in this comparo, the Fusion would still be in the top three"
I find that very positive. Some of you guys will never be happy unless you bitch about something.
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they already do support Honda and Toyota
The unique situation in Canada is that ALL assembly plants are in the same province (state)
versus in the US where the domestics reside primarily in the rust belt and the imports find themselves in the South.
I'd say all auto makers are foreign to Canada. Canada doesn't have its own auto maker, EH?
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"A little more than two years ago, Ford secured a $23 billion line of credit to fund its now-scrambled turnaround, then called "The Way Forward. The main reason that Ford doesn't need a government bailout now is that it already received the private-sector equivalent."
This is key.
Most people don't know this..
How long can Ford survive? Way too many unknowns. But they will ask for gov't money once they have no more cash left. So, I say a year and a half if the market stays at 10 million/yr.
When people are out of a job, or scared of losing their job, lost 40% on their 401K and lost 30% on their house value, last thing they think about is a new car. Ford better get used to being a smaller company for the next couple of years or so.
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That excuse only goes so far though. This is probably the lowest monthly sales for the Mustang in over 20 years.
Mustang is NOT a necessity car. It's a luxury, a toy, more of a want than a need. That's why the sales are really low. Plus a new one is coming soon...Also rentals are down....To me the Mustang doesn't look sharp anymore. The magic is gone. The new one barely differs, so I am not sure if we'll see 10k/month anytime soon.
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I assume you are referring to the commercials like this...
What is going to be funny is when GM starts adding this feature to their trucks in a year or two. GM is making fun of Ford for coming up with a good idea? It's the most absurd ad I have ever seen and it actually advertises a good feature that Ford has. Ford says they love the commercials because it actually points out the innovative ideas in the F-150.
That's actually a good one. Makes the step look awkward and for sissies ;-) Just like other commercial where they show the Ram heated steering wheel... ;-) MAN STEP!!!!
Clever.. -
Prove it, please provide a link to the data used to derive that amount.
The auto makers are now distancing themselves from that original counterproductive claim.
Here is one for Ford.
Look, just at the Wage related (vacation, holidays, OT..) is $5/hr difference. That's huge, and it's not even part of the legacy cost.
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I'm not sure what part of that makes you want to buy a Toyota. Wages are comparable. You seem like a smart guy so I'm pretty sure you know the difference between wages and overall compensation. Overall compensation needs to be addressed in order to be competitive with the transplants- which is pretty much what Gettelfinger said. I'm sure you also understand that it's going to be a bit of an uneven playing field since the transplant facilities haven't been here long enough to face the same sort of legacy obligations that the domestics have to deal with. There seems to be a widely held misconception that the UAW has refused to yield anything and that is simply not true. Negotiations are ongoing and we all hope for an agreement that makes the domestics competitive without being too painful for the UAW. I get the impression that you won't be satisfied with any agreement that doesn't reduce wages- even if total compensation can be reduced in other ways. It's been explained on these forums countless times that UAW employees don't "make" 73 dollars per hour. Yet the media continues to repeat this sort of disinformation in many auto related articles, sometimes with an explanation of the real wages by the fourth paragraph,mostly not. Folks who work for Ford , particularly hourly, are weary of defending ourselves from half-truths and disinformation. You're welcome to post almost anything you wish, but you shouldn't be surprised if people get angry about your decision to buy a Toyota based on your reaction to Mr. Gettelfinger's quote. Or was that what you intended.....?
Whatever the argument is, the expense is being paid out in the amount of $73 per hour worked of a current employee. That number is real.
You said that it's a unfair comparison since Toyota doesn't have the legacy costs like GM/Ford, since they haven't been around for a while. Well, what about the profits GM/Ford made for decades. What happened to that. Sure they have LEGACY costs, but they also enjoyed HUGE PROFITS in the past. That money should have been managed for future legacy costs. The profits (in part) were distributed for profit sharing, dividends, management bonuses....and less on new technology development and right product mix.
The blame can be shared amongst all. The UAW can take credit for inflexible, non-adaptive, lines of demarcation work ethic, and management can take responsibility for not investing properly in small/midsize and hybrid cars and with clueless product decisions.
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Yuck, another Prius looking gay space shuttle to litter the roads..
And I find it hilarious that this hideous beast which weighs in at 1100 pounds less, and has a motor 1.2 Liters smaller than the Fusion hybrid cannot beat it's city mileage number...
Edmunds averaged over 52 MPG, so given its aerodynamic styling, in real life this will beat the Fusion H.
The looks are ...well...special. I think Honda is smart enough to offer this cheaper than the Prius. Also, remember that a hybrid is a social statement, so the fact that it resembles the Prius (which defined the hybrid look, like it or not) is a good thing for the target audience. In other words, everyone will know this is a hybrid, but for the Fusion it will be harder to tell. I think Honda does their research well for most cases.
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Nice car. Great exterior design
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I don't like it. The rear of this vehicle is a disaster. The front grill is OK, although will not age well....
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I really like what I'm seeing in the new Taurus.... all except for ONE thing.
What is UP with the cheese grater bars in its grill? I'm sorry.... but that grill lacks ANY symmetry from what I can see. And what is with Ford's affinity for grater-like fascias? Check out the two "grater" bars wedged into the grill.
-Ovaltine
Reminds me a bit of the Camry in the front, but it's executed better. The rear is nothing special. Big improvement over the current.
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Nice car, has a bit of acura, esp the front headlights. Overall, looks more upscale, and has better proportions and lines than the mks.
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on the malibu and impala thing.. he in milwaukee i went to airport and the local rental lots there are FULL of brand new impalas and malibus.. they were not there last month... i will try to get a pic of them too if you want.. tons of them.
Back to the old game for GM, I guess. These kind of actions will only diminish the values of these cars.
At least Ford is shutting down the plant in Mexico where they make the Fusion for a month to reduce inventory. Build to demand is the only way to go.
Ford Motor Company February 2009 Sales
in Ford Motor Company Discussion Forum
Posted
I am still not clear what the Flex is supposed to be. The marketing message is unclear. My wife 'cringes' when I joke around and say the Flex will be our next vehicle. ;-) Let's face it, it's ugly and overpriced in most people's minds, not matter what Ford says.
The fugly Honda pilot which sold 6,678 is outselling the Flex. As far as Honda goes, the Acura TSX and Honda Fit are up. Everything else is down. Only sold 16k Accords.
As far as GM goes, not crazy over the Traverse, but that would be my pic over the Flex Also, I love the G8, nice looking car.