rmc523
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Posts posted by rmc523
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17 minutes ago, akirby said:
That was the typical changeover date give or take a month, but that was strictly by choice. The law says you can sell 2025 vehicles any time after Jan 1st 2024 until dec 31 2024.you mean Dec 31, 2025?
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I guess my point is - it's the same car minus a 3rd row - it's literally no different than if you have the third row and just leave it down all the time except for a small storage bin where the seat used to be.
Why not just keep the 3rd row and have it for emergencies instead of losing the functionality altogether? If it were a shorter wheelbase or something, sure, but it isn't
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2 hours ago, tbone said:
Makes sense. I like it. Definitely a fan of Mazda’s recent styling.Makes sense to give it a different model name when it's otherwise the same car?
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42 minutes ago, akirby said:
That camera angle distorts it because you can’t see the quarter panels. In the video you can see they don’t really stick out like that.
They round the sheetmetal, and put the square-er taillight - companies have been doing this for a while now - I'd imagine there's some aero reason for it.
Overall, I think it's good Explorer finally got an update. I think the grille should've tapered in a bit more toward the bottom, which may have solved some of the issues posters above have with it, but it's better than the current setup. Also, it may look better in person than photos.
The interior looks better, and I'm glad Ford is finally getting on board with the maps in the digital gauge cluster bandwagon.
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4 hours ago, akirby said:
They did do quite a bit of decontenting and cost cutting but I think the other vehicles just got more refined and upscale in comparison.Which is the worst-case scenario.
And then Ford sits there wondering why sales dry up...
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2025 Mazda CX-70 Preview: Sure, why not? Small niche, small effort - Autoblog
For some reason, Mazda decided to take a CX-90, remove the 3rd row and call it a different model, the CX-70.
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37 minutes ago, silvrsvt said:
Hopefully more details about powertrain and stuff like that ?
I'm sure all that will be carryover lol.
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aka the one we saw fully 3 months ago ?
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15 hours ago, DeluxeStang said:
Is it possible for Ford to bring the evos here? I know initially, they said they didn't have plans to. But it's been well received, it's c2 based so it can use many of those components, it has sportier and more aggressive styling than the edge that would appeal to American consumers more than the current edge does. Seems like it would go over well here.
Ford already has multiple midsized two row passion oriented utilities in the form of the bronco, and mach-e. The challenge as I see it, is Ford doesn't want to make boring appliances anymore, but the bronco and the mach-e don't appeal to a lot of the edge owners I've talked to for a variety of reasons. So Ford doesn't want to keep producing the edge as is, but their more exciting offerings in the two row space aren't really appealing to edge owners either. An evos design with the maverick hybrid system could be something that captivates edge buyers without cannibalizing bronco and mach-e sales, but Ford seems opposed to bringing the evos here.
6 hours ago, akirby said:
I floated the Evos as an edge replacement in a couple of edge groups and forums and the response was a hard no thanks. I think it would do ok but not as a direct Edge replacement. And neither is Bronco or Mach-e.
Part of the problem is a lot of current edge buyers love the 2.7L which won’t be available with C2. But I think having a hybrid and the high tech dash would bring in new buyers and keep it from being a commodity.
I mention it every time Evos is brought up as an Edge alternative......Evos is not a proper Edge alternative - it is more of a Fusion alternative with the rear hatch. Edge buyers want something that sits higher - neither Evos NOR MME fit that profile, IMO.
4 hours ago, fuzzymoomoo said:
Agreed. So many people miss the old BOF Explorer and don’t want a Bronco for whatever reason. I think it could do really well.I think it has to do with the perceived lack of refinement of Bronco. While I like mine, there are definitely some things that I think could be improved at the upper pricepoints especially. These limitations don't appeal to those that don't want a more rugged type vehicle.
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1 hour ago, Oacjay98 said:
I was listening to the Lincoln boss on a podcast last night and she seems excited about this 4 vehicle strategy. She spoke about the Nautilus and how we have some Aviator news coming soon and an all new Navigator. It was an podcast from Automotive News.
"Aviator news coming soon" is probably just the goofy-looking (too) light refresh finally debuting.
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I sketched this a few years ago - the right two are a bit low/wide to be realistic, but was my idea of a new Lincoln product:
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Getting back to Edge - I think maybe we're mis-interpreting Farley's words about commodity product.
In the sense that its excitement factor needs to be amped up so that it generates its own passionate fans that are willing to pay an elevated price over the competition. Sort of how Mach E started as a compliance car, and was injected with "passion" via Mustang cues and association.
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All-New Ford Transit Connect Officially Revealed For Europe (fordauthority.com)
The new Ford Transit Connect rounds out The Blue Oval’s massive van revamp with an array of options, including the first-ever plug-in hybrid model. The Transit Connect PHEV utilizes the turbocharged 1.5L EcoBoost engine mated to an electric motor and battery to deliver a combined output of 150 PS (148 horsepower) and 350 Nm (258 pound-feet) of torque, which flows to the wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The PHEV can travel up to 110 kilometers (68 miles) on electric power alone, and can charge at speeds of up to 50 kW.
I think we should get a next-gen TC here. They really should've continued with that Mexican plant and built TC and others there.
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https://fordauthority.com/2024/01/ford-wants-to-eliminate-200-lincoln-dealers-via-buyouts/
After cutting around 100 Lincoln dealers in 2023, FoMoCo reportedly plans on slashing another 100 from its network this year, according to this new report, meaning that by the end of 2024, it would be left with around 400 stores. That’s roughly 40 percent fewer than the number of Lincoln dealers that existed as recently as 2021, too. However, by comparison, Lexus operates around half as many, and Cadillac has around 73 fewer stores as well, though both of those brands beat Lincoln in sales last year. The idea is to boost profitability, and Lincoln plans to offer existing dealers buyouts to reach this goal, though terms of those deals will vary by location and could include offers for more Ford-branded inventory and incentive plans.
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7 hours ago, tbone said:
I think this is a good looking Caddy. A friend of mine just bought a non V model and seems to like it. I read recently it is their best selling vehicle, which I found interesting.
Not sure where you saw that.
For 2022 and 2023, it was 5th for the company. Best selling sedan maybe - but best of 2 sedan models.
2023 numbers / 2022 numbers
Escalade - 41,689 / 40,247
XT5 - 26,808 / 27,340
XT4 - 22,707 / 21,774
XT6 - 19,119 / 20,053
CT5 - 18,593 / 15,896
Lyriq - 9,154 / 122
CT4 - 9,144 / 9,271
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1 hour ago, DeluxeStang said:
This is the brilliance of Ford's areo oriented strategy. Everyone else is gonna be making bricks with 150 KWH battery packs charging $50,000 and Ford's gonna be over there with eye catching sleek designs with a 100 KWH battery pack, comparable range, and a $45,000 price.
The shape of the three row under the tarp is starting to grow on me. Maybe it'll be a bit like the 80s Tarus all over again. Everything else looking like a block, and Ford comes out with this striking space age design that is disliked initially due to how unusual it is, but later goes on to become a trend setter.
Ha. I'll believe that when I see it....
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I want to know how that survey was conducted....
Asking "would you consider an EV OR hybrid (as the article implies) is going to produce a FAR different (and more favorable) answer than "would you consider an EV" and "would you consider a hybrid" as their own questions.
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On a related note, I randomly saw one of those new USPS vehicles - the goofy looking one - on the road a while back....it wasn't in USPS branding yet. But it definitely was interesting looking.
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1 hour ago, Joe771476 said:
So why is Hertz dumping 20,000 EV's? Why did CT's governor call off a vote on mandating all EV's by 2035? Why did Ford lose billions on F150 lightnings? Why have they curbed production on them? As to Ford being stupid, giving away the L-series class 8 biz to Freightliner after having retooled and redesigned it one year earlier back in 1997, dumping Fusion and Taurus and handing over the police cruiser sedan biz to Chrysler/Stelantis, getting rid of farm tractor biz all to improve shareholder value which wasn't accomplished, does qualify as stupid.
They're still going to have EVs in the fleet, I think they just aren't keeping them as long as they might've kept others due to higher costs associated with them.
Plus, IMO, rental seems like the worst application for EVs during a transition period, as people don't want to be bothered with figuring out how to charge it while on a trip.
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23 hours ago, jpd80 said:
I’d take the $25k price for Tesla 2 as a grain of salt, that’s the low ball estimate to get reservations rolling
and then the switch comes because they have so many orders, they just want to build the +$30k versions…
We've seen this dance before…..
Tesla talks a good game on increased efficiency bringing down prices but the 2 also represents competing interests of increasing build numbers vs reduced actual profit per vehicle versus the 3 & Y.
. It also assumes that many 3 an Y customers won’t switch to the smaller 2. If that happens the economic dynamics change massively, internal competition is the last thing that Tesla needs.
So, this will either be unbelievably good for Tesla or it will be the product sees Teslas profits begin level out at VW / Toyota amounts. Mind you, replacing a ton of your competitors’ sales could be more life changing to their companies….
Sorry, not well today, I hope you can sift through my post and see the thought process..
22 hours ago, Captainp4 said:
Their stated goals indicate they are the good guys, whether you like Musk or not or even agree with how he thinks he's helping, the "master plan" lays out the goal to convert the world to sustainable auto and they've met or exceeded every goal they stated. Whether you believe it's for the good of humanity or a money grab is on the person watching or reading, I've watched enough of Musk to believe him but I understand if you don't.. and even if you don't Tesla has laid out the blueprint on how to do it and make money for "legacy auto". Either way, I personally believe they are the good guys, but even if they aren't they're still doing it better than Ford on the BEV design and manufacturing end.
Model 2 I'm skeptical about after waiting 4 years for the cybertruck to cost twice as much and have half the range promised with 3k lbs less towing. Holding a reservation for cybertruck, but been looking at the lightning lately and it seems like a better truck right now.Apparently Tesla has put out "project Redwood" to suppliers for quotes - I'm assuming it's the Model "2".
With how accurate Tesla's debut timelines are, though, we'll see it this year, and it'll be on roads in 2030...
8 hours ago, jpd80 said:If you think about it, the Focus Active was about as far as Ford wanted to go with a Focus crossover.
Jacking up the ride height a tad and those plastic wheel arches was the limit without impinging on Escape.
I agree with you in that Ford should have done more to counter the competition but it looked like
their hearts weren’t really in it which is sad because there was a lot of potential there…
Maybe the Puma was also thee but probably the preferred small utility?
Ford seems to force an either/or choice instead of both options…I still think Puma would've been a good addition to the lineup, and may have been able to command slightly higher prices than competitors because it had some style to it.
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11 minutes ago, jpd80 said:
This.
People often forget that Tesla couldn’t make a profit from its vehicles until it raised the price of the 3
or more correctly, refused to make the base version, forcing buyers to take a +$40k version instead.
I also noticed that Tesla has significantly lowered the prices of the S & X….did I see correctly, $79k?
If so, that’s like $30k less, maybe orders dried up that much it had to reposition the price down.Sorry, home with bad flu symptoms and now covid positive so acting out in delium,
I don’t even remember my recent posts last night, babbling lunatic?
Orders probably dried up because they haven't been redesigned in 10-15 years lol.
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I think others have had good debates on products - the key is inciting passion within people about the product - someone said it well above - "I want that vs. sure if you discount it"
the key will be recreating that over the whole lineup - it's a shame they couldn't replicate Maverick's process on a new model (or say, a redesign for Escape).
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I saw it in the Nautilus a few months back, and it seemed pretty nice - different, obviously, but nice - the one thing I recall from early videos, was a lack of customization ability from the built-in system. CarPlay or Android Auto may allow more customization, but the factory setting only had a few options, IIRC. Maybe this will change with the Google-based system.
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10 minutes ago, DeluxeStang said:
Getting rid of edge frees up additional resources that Ford can invest to further strengthen it's already iconic products. The explorer is an icon, but basically all of us can agree the CD6 explorer was a swing and a miss, a step down from the generally excellent 5th Gen explorer.
So what if for the next gen ICE explorer, Ford goes all in to make it a standout, class leading product again. Perhaps Ford could design the next explorer to have three, and two row configurations from the beginning, with the two row either having more cargo space, or a slightly shorter wheelbase. You get your new and improved explorer, and a new two row utility with a far more recognizable name, and boxy styling which buyers find more appealing.
Case in point, look at the current edge, and the wagoneer s, both below. The wagoneer s is what a new two row edge replacement could look like if it took the approach I just discussed. I'd take that jeep design with a Ford badge on it over the current edge any day of the week, especially if their prices were comparable.
You argue against your own point here…. Jeep already does this with Grand Cherokee and the L version….then bringing in Wagoneer S, which effectively would be a new Edge -
On 1/19/2024 at 5:18 PM, jpd80 said:
Yeah see, Ford has done a good job of indoctrinating people that “One Ford” was the best plan economically
it referred to offering buyers choices in the same segments as unnecessary duplication. Anytime a vehicle
comes under heavy competition, it folds and calls it a commodity vehicle.
The Escape refresh was a disaster, the Bronco Sport is basically a return ot the old original boxy Gen 1 Escape.
Let it take as much of that market as it can.
I think we agree on Maverick Utility as a replacement for Escape but in a different way to Bronco Sport,
a longer wheelbase would take the fight to the likes of RAV4 and others that are just a sea of bland styling.
Exactly, would that they could make and sell as many Mavericks and Bronco Sports as buyers actually want.
The most frustrating part is Ford cannot get on top of supplier issues and that really sucks big time.
its like that vast majority of people at Ford do nothing but get in the way……
the first thing managers at Ford learn is to say no to good ideas that might cost money
and improve sales because he will get reamed by his boss and lose his bonus.
I think the problem with OneFord was that it was never fully realized as it should have been, IMO.at the time, Ford had many duplicate platforms in the same segments, which really didn’t make sense. Mulally’s goal to eliminate that duplication was warranted.
BUT he never took it to its logical (to me) next step….
after consolidating to “core” products on reduced platforms, the next step should have been to them EXPAND offerings in various segments on those same platforms, especially with regional-specific products. Instead, Mulally wanted the same product globally.
fast forward to now, and we’ve finally seen some of Ford expanding on platforms, but while simultaneously pulling others (Edge).
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Ford Sales January 2024 - Up 4.3% Overall
in Ford Motor Company Discussion Forum
Posted
PowerPoint Presentation (q4cdn.com)
I haven't had a chance to update my color charts yet, as the year changeover always takes a bit longer, but here are the Ford numbers for now...