joihan777

Actually, recently I learned that the Euro FocusCC is already in America as a Vovlo C70: They're both good looking, but I think the Ford looks better. (It was, after all, styled by Turin's Pininfarina) The Focus CC may not compete directly with the Eos, but the C70 does. They both REQUIRE premium fuel too. The back seats aren't too big, but these cars are mostly intended for 1-2 people, with room for 4 in a pinch. I'd rather have a FocusCC with a NA 5-cyl, 5-spd Auto & Sport Suspension Package; with 5-star safety ratings all the around, gets 35+ mpg & 0-60 in -8secs. Priced in the low $20's, it'd slot in under the Mustang convertible. Do you think anyone else in America would want this as their commuter? I do. And if Ford made a SVT version, stripes & all, potential Mustang buyers on the fence may opt for the more fuel efficient FocusCC.

You know, when I first glanced this post I pictured a bank robbery escape car driving 20mph, with the police doing a furious 20mph behind them! Ford Jellymoulds wrote: This may be coming to a city near you soon? Thems fightin' words bub! 20mph, darn I can't even fathom that. I'd have to get out and PUSH the car faster. Are you sure Dr Kevorkian isn't on that city council? Or perhaps Dr. Evil? Villianous thinking!! I think the speed limit in hell is 20mph too. I'll tell you what, beer sales are going to increase. Oh I can't wait till the left wing baboons at Berkeley get a hold of this......

The sick part is, the Euro-Ford Focus Coupe-Cabriolet **IS** the Volvo C70. Darn !!!! PLEASE FORD get the safety in the vehicles! I'll say it again, Ford should rightfully own the slogan: "The Safest And Most Reliable Cars In The World"

My favorite Ford commercial, sadly only in Europe:

We have 2 babyseats in our Sienna at the moment. We usually keep them in the 2nd row outboard positions. When we need to use the 3rd row we move the smaller seat to the center to allow easy passage to the 3rd row. All three 2nd row seats have latch points which makes life great. And as far as sliding doors, I LOVE my power sliding doors. You just can't beat a door that only requires 6 inches of clearance to open. In tight parking spots loading an infant into a stroller at the side of the vehicle is much preffered to hefting baby & baby seat into stroller at the rear of the car, especially in inclement weather. I think minivans will always be a preference for young families with more than one child and/or live in urban/suburban areas with tight parking.

I like the idea of a clutched alternator, if the battery could handle it. If the math works out, hopefully Ford engineers will stick that idea into every model ASAP.

There are some us who are already eyeballing the new Taurus in preparation for getting rid of our minivans. There's nothing wrong with my minivan, mind you, it's just that after a while we don't need the extra space for car seats/breast feeding. When the kids can sit on only booster chairs or regular seats, the minivan goes. :happy feet: I hope the new Taurus has in-flight movie system like the Flex (or better yet a HD based movie system). Either way, this daddy looks forward to his test drive!

The new Taurus looks fresh, classy, even stately; with subtle almost muscular curves. I think the real selling point is the safety level. The new Taurus is one of the safest vehicles on the market. Plus having AWD for slippery climates is great. Add to that the Duratec V-6 power, mpg advantage (over a V-8), and uses regular fuel, the new Taurus looks to be a winner. Lets face it, technically speaking there are few reasons why someone shouldn't buy this car. I see the main hurdle being Ford's reliability perceptions carried over from the 80's & 90's. Are Americans going to trust Ford?

No need to get racial man. What some sick old filthy rich guys do isn't telling of a population. Unless you think Americans should be judged by hollywood/ porn industry's portrayal of America. Just saying, we know America's reliability scores are slowly improving, no need to get racial.

How about the Ford truck towing the WRECKED Tundra that couldn't achieve 5-star safety rating [now scale back the shot to see Ford towing TWO BUSTED UP TUNDRAS] and announce: The Tundra can't doesn't compare to Ford Safety Standards, no matter how many times they try!

Unfortunately, the Focus cabriolet is only available in Europe The Mazda MX-5 (aka the Miata) is kinda small and the Ford Mustang Convertible is kinda big. edit: [AND THE VOLVO C70 IS WAAAAAY TO EXPENSIVE!] Unfortunately, not much choice right now. Either bringing over the Focus cabriolet or making a roadster out of the upcoming Fiesta would be great ideas.

Didn't say the Rabbit was a B-car. But I did say that for all that comes in a Rabbit, including a ton of options, VW has managed to price range it between $14-$20k. (I only said that to illustrate Ford's B-car's potential.) Ford's new B-Cars need to have similar options in order to attract potential conquest sales from the likes of the Honda & Toyota crowds. Things like great stereos (with subwoofers), moonroofs, power everything, ambient lighting, heated seats, storage nooks, & sport packages should be available, because some folks would rather [factory] personalize their cars for their money (as noted earlier by NickF1011). Look to Scion to see if this strategy is feasible. Basic packages could still be offered at better prices than the competition. With the globalizationof the B-car, even basic models would provide profit/ deny the competitors funds while allowing Ford the chance to impress a young customer. :D

You're right. The pricing should be under Focus. I guess I meant that the B-cars should be feature packed in order to gain conquest sales without being more than the Focus/Rabbits. Lets face it, a lot of folks, especially the younger ones, don't think Ford is even worth a look, especially in urban areas. The bling is pretty much the enticement that will get them into a Ford. The engineering will then let those kids appreciate the vehicle over time and Ford will hopefully have a repeat customer. My hope is that global cost sharing would allow "Bling" features to be included while keeping prices down and still making a tidy profit. Remember that even $500 profit per unit denies the competition those funds.... this is war man!

I surely wish Ford the best of luck. That being said, Ford would do well to remember a saying: Chance Favors the Prepared. Sharing the basic vehicle is great, but the US market will need a few embellishments in order to succeed I believe. 1. Better warranty, give people a reason to trust Ford again. 2. That Fiesta better be safe. 5-Star rating all the way around, all around the globe.... it's about product leadership. 3. Fuel efficient, of course. As long as efficiency doesn't sacrifice safety. 4. Bring a hatch to the show. Notice Honda doesn't bother with a Fit sedan? 5. Keep the interior big without inflating the exterior. Remember what happened to the Escort? 6. Bling: Bells & whistles need to be there. Just because this is a small car doesn't mean people want a featureless box. Comfortable seats, interior tricks like hidden storage spaces, radio upgrades, moonroof option, the list goes on. VW provides a tremendous value with their Rabbits, loaded for under $20k. Ford, by cost sharing, could hopefully outfit the Fiestas with tons of creature comforts for same price and still turn in a profit. Otherwise they're doing something wrong.

Close but no cigar. Sync can't play movies. For me it'd be no better than plugging in my mp3 player. I was hoping Ford would consider a complete entertainment system, including .avi video, so I can play divx/ avi movies without my DVD's leaving the safety of my den.

Howdy Ford, Got an idea for your factory radios. Utilize swappable hard drives! Design your "entertainment units" to store and play mp3 music files and avi video files. The hard drives can also hold gps/nav data. That way daddy (me) can stuff 2000-4000 songs plus 10-20 kiddie movies for the long drives. That way I don't have to lug around a bunch of DVDs or CDs. A simple USB connection would suffice for in/output. Utilize a remote socket for separate rear seat control. Don't forget the bells & whistles like iPOD control, EQ, RDS, and steering wheel controls. AM/FM/CD/DVD/GPS/HD. The technology is there, just no one has packaged it. Be the first and wow the crowd. People are paying for the Shaker systems, I think they'll pay for a *complete* entertainment package. This, I believe, would be fantastic in the upcoming Flex. It can then be implemented in any model of FoMoCo.

Most truck bench seats have a center backrest that flips down to provide a very comfortable armrest and quite a decent sized storage bin. In my Toyota Sienna the middle seat of the middle row backrest folds down to provide outboard passengers an armrest with cupholders even. That seat provides a shoulder/ lap belt too. The middle front seat doesn't need to be too big either, as that seat is usually suited for children..... or cozyin' up on long drives so the center driveline hump wouldn't pose a problem. It'd be nice to at least have it as an option. (Flexiblility is good) And for what it's worth, a 6 passenger sedan/ wagon might lure customers away from thirsty SUV's, which would give Ford breathing room in corporate fuel efficiency rating. This idea may be better suited for the new Taurus initially.

Marvelous idea! Also, the transmission selector can be stalk or dash mounted. It would no longer have to be center console mounted! This would open up the possibilty of re-introducing the front bench seat to the American family car. Cool! Just in case anyone thinks I'm jesting...... nope. My first car had a front bench and I loved it. Even as an option it'd be cool!

I like the stripes/ look of the Ka. Thats kinda what I think would be a great mini-Mustang look. The Ka won't come to the US right? If the Fiesta has an ST version with that type of aggressive look then it'd be a good starting point for a sub-Mustang player!

Howdy Ford, I'm a guy who is dying for a convertible Mustang....Dying! But I can't get one till you put in a rollover bar in the Mustang vert'. You could integrate it into the rear headrests, at least partially hidden. Then, if a rollover is detected, the roll bar would pop-up to full height. Please Ford, do it. The added weight wouldn't be all that much, and I think the added weight wouldn't matter too much to convertible owners. Most people who trick out & race Mustangs do so in coupes anyway. Would adding $500 to the price matter to me? Not as much as losing my head! Please do this Ford, are you listening?

Well put. I've had 3 experiences with Ford dealers. Two were sterling, the last disgusting. 1. Bought my 1st new car, it was a 91 Ford Escort LX. Salesman was Phil Johnson at Hayward Ford. Treated me like a king the whole way, even taught me how to drive it (it was my 1st stick shift too) in the parking lot. Given the choice, I'd buy my next Ford from him in a New York minute. 2. When shopping for a suitable family machine, the San Leandro Elk Grove Ford Store had great staff. They took the time to show me the vehicle and answer all my questions. Unfortunately I thought the 3.0L Freestyle wasn't up to the task. 3. When I first started salivating for the current Mustang, dropped by the Elk Grove Ford dealership to check it out. The salesman hardly seemed interested. When I asked to see some of the verts, he pointed me in the general direction.... what an a__! He had that stereotypical salesman attitude: Buy or bye! I did my best not to kick him in the nuts. Sensing absolute lack of salesmanship, I decided to cut my losses and just leave. I asked for a brochure, the fat bast__d didn't even look at me when he burped "We don't have any." Salesmanship, as well as price, make or break a deal with me. (There are 5-6 Ford dealerships in the greater Sacramento area to choose from) When the Mustangs priced over MSRP don't sell, the overpricing will stop. However if they are selling...... SOL, sorry. I know of a Toyota salesman that gets orders from word-of-mouth off certain forums. If you call him and tell him how you heard of him, he'll give you a great price and have your vehicle shipped to your local dealership. Maybe you can try this approach for your Mustang. Ultimately, I hope the dealership treats you like a king, because in the end YOU are the one with the cash!

One possible reason that manuals aren't so popular: the husband may want a stick, but the wife only wants an auto. You KNOW where that arguements ends. If a household only has one or two cars, not much can be done to change the outcome, realistically. (Of course I would love to send my wife to Skip Barber racing school in a GT500!)

BUSINESS IS WAR. Every sale counts. Every sale denies the competitor funds. Every sale is an opportunity for Ford to prove they are the best value. Manual transmissions belong in econoboxes, sport cars and sporty econoboxes..... at least. They have also been traditionally in base models for almost every vehicle type. I agree Ford should focus on getting into the black ASAP by excelling in core markets. It would be nice for a little lineup flourishment, however, as soon as the financial situation allows. Offering a Fusion ST (or US-Mondeo what have you) with the Duratec 3.5, auto or manual trans, a slightly lowered & stiffer suspension, larger rims and a somewhat aggresive styling package would be sweet. Maybe the Mondeo Man's everyday, family friendly, Mustang-ish, go-go car? BTW, the Mazda 6 may be the cats meow for performance Fusions, but it DOESN"T have a Blue Oval on it! Most people aren't gonna see that Mazda and think, gee that's a swell Ford! Having that Blue Oval visible counts in this war too!

Sorry gentlemen, I'm pretty new here so there's a lot of your posts I don't always understand. What is DI ? I have a thought on a new Mustang 6-Cyl....... is it necessary? I read somewhere that the incoming V-8 will have a selective cylinder deactivation feature to save fuel at speed. Wouldn't the fuel efficiency gained negate the reason for a 6-Cyl in the first place? Just a thought.

Bingo! I still think Ford could use increased multi-regional safety implementation as a major selling point. Much the same way Volvos, which met Swedish requirements, were marketed here.