Ford adds additional $500.00 cash incentive

[robertlane]

Ford added another $500.00 cash incentive to the Ford Focus bringing the total cash incentive to $2,500.00 USD.

 

More:

http://today.reuters.com/stocks/QuoteCompa...-Feb-2006+RTRS;

[Howdy!!]

Ford added another $500.00 cash incentive to the Ford Focus bringing the total cash incentive to $2,500.00 USD.

 

More:

http://today.reuters.com/stocks/QuoteCompa...-Feb-2006+RTRS;

 

There's also another $500 back if you finance through Ford Motor Credit for at least 91 days before pay off.

[dford36]

If you go to Ford's website and build a Focus, Ford lists a total of $3000 in discounts. Today they also added 0% financing.

 

Alot of people wish Ford would bring the C1 based Focus to the US, which also underpins the Mazda3 and Volvo S40. Ford says that platform is too expensive to bring to the US.

 

I priced out a 2006 Mazda3s Touring with leather and moonroof. it came to $19,655.

 

I priced out a 2006 Focus ZX4 ST with the same options IT CAME TO $19,655!!!!!! then subtract $3,000 in rebates.

 

The Mazda3 is selling like hotcakes, and if you go to Kelly Blue Book or NADA, you'll see that the Mazda3 barely depreciates in its 1st year - actually a 2005 Mazda3s with 15000 miles had a higher price used than new on KBB!!!!!!!

 

So Ford can give away $3,000 on each Focus instead of selling them at full price. That's what they call too expensive??

 

Ford's gonna give the Focus a new grill for 2007 so it looks like the Fusion. I am sure that will cut the rebate expense.

[630land]

Not for 2007, but for 08

 

If Ford did sell C1, it would be like the Chevy Prizm all over again. Buyers would assume it's "junk" since it has an American name on it, and it would still need rebates and have lower resale due to 'perceptions'.

[swenson88]

Not for 2007, but for 08

 

If Ford did sell C1, it would be like the Chevy Prizm all over again. Buyers would assume it's "junk" since it has an American name on it, and it would still need rebates and have lower resale due to 'perceptions'.

 

Is that true of the Focus when it first debuted back in '99? Or do we just guess these things because no one will pay full price for a 7 year old design? Like or not no company can sit on a car design that long and expect the public not to notice.

[630land]

Focus sales are up 13% this month, MZ3 sales are down 4%. Looks like some are 're-noticing' the car. hehe

 

And no one in their right mind is buying MZ3's for full sticker!

[NickF1011]

Focus sales are up 13% this month, MZ3 sales are down 4%. Looks like some are 're-noticing' the car. hehe

 

And no one in their right mind is buying MZ3's for full sticker!

 

Eh, it's really difficult to compare sales of Mazda to Ford. They are really two different markets altogether. Mazda is still almost a "niche" player in the big scheme of things.

 

When I think of the "Big" car companies the only ones that come to mind are:

 

Ford

Chrysler

GM

Toyota

Honda

Nissan

 

All the other companies are really too small to nitpick about monthly fluctuations in sales without looking at overall sales trends of their models.

 

I was quite surprised to see the rebound in Focus sales this month though.

[dford36]

The Focus sold for full price when it first came out, while Chevy gave away the older Cavalier. My point is, if Ford gives away $3000 on each of the 240,000 Focus it sells this year, thats $720 million!!!!! Isn't that enough to retool the plants and pay for the crash tests? And that doesn't take into account the cost of lost reputation with the public. The Focus and now the Fusion proved what the Taurus did 20 years ago: people will buy an up to date Ford product - the brand is not damaged, only the product is - by Ford's neglect.

 

Go look at Edmunds - the Mazda3 is selling for close to sticker with no cut rate financing or rebates - and that's 3 years after introduction!!

 

Ford's MO has consistently been to wait about 10 years between total redesigns, the Focus just continues this.

 

Look:

 

Explorer - intro in 1991ish - next total redesign 2002

Taurus - intro in 1986, total redesign in 1996, replaced by Fusion in 2006

Escort - intro in 1981, replaced by Mazda 323 chassis in 1991, replaced by Focus in 1999

[630land]

"The Focus sold for full price when it first came out"

 

Anyone who did is a total fool! They were in short supply, and they had piss poor quality too. Bet if they did C1, it would have lost $$$$ after a few months. See why below.

 

 

People whine, whine and whine "Why isnt there a Focus C1?" Boo f-ing hooooooo. Get a MZ3. And no way do the 3's sell for full sticker. But want to know why they sell higher? They are keeping them in short supply. Ford cannot short sell Focus, why you ask? They need to sell them in volume for CAFE laws!! So how about them apples??? C1 Foci would still be rebated so they could get the sales to offset bigger cars in the fleet, simple math.

 

BTW: Volvo will make the s40 bigger and more expensive merging it with the V60.

Edited June 2, 2006 by 630land

[swenson88]

"The Focus sold for full price when it first came out"

 

Anyone who did is a total fool! They were in short supply, and they had piss poor quality too. Bet if they did C1, it would have lost $$$$ after a few months. See why below.

People whine, whine and whine "Why isnt there a Focus C1?" Boo f-ing hooooooo. Get a MZ3. And no way do the 3's sell for full sticker. But want to know why they sell higher? They are keeping them in short supply. Ford cannot short sell Focus, why you ask? They need to sell them in volume for CAFE laws!! So how about them apples??? C1 Foci would still be rebated so they could get the sales to offset bigger cars in the fleet, simple math.

 

BTW: Volvo will make the s40 bigger and more expensive merging it with the V60.

 

 

I don't buy this. How is Ford making any money on the Focus now when it's selling in far less volume than it used to and selling for a far lower selling price BECAUSE it hasn't been redesigned in years? Your argument falls apart. People were buying Focuses for near MSRP when it debuted because it was fresh, unique, and seemed to be a quality car (which it now is, but the first couple years were rough). Why do you insist that Ford couldn't do that again? Besides, even with the Focus Ford still has the lowest average mpg corporate rating, so if anything they need to be selling more Focuses, and trying to push a 7-year old design on the public when the competition has much better vehicles is hardly helping that cause.

[dford36]

let's see: In May Honda sold 29000 Civics - a new design, Toyota sold 41000 Corollas - a 3 yr old design, Ford sold 20000 Focus - a 7 year old design with a minor facelift in 2005

 

I wonder how Honda and Toyota desperately pumped up sales of the Civic and Corolla to boost their CAFE - oh wait, they don't need to give them away - people WANT them!! New design sells

 

Mazda sold almost 12000 Mazda3's through a much smaller dealer base than the others have

 

Why are people defending Ford's refusal to renew it's #1 selling car???

[igor]

let's see: In May Honda sold 29000 Civics - a new design, Toyota sold 41000 Corollas - a 3 yr old design, Ford sold 20000 Focus - a 7 year old design with a minor facelift in 2005

 

I wonder how Honda and Toyota desperately pumped up sales of the Civic and Corolla to boost their CAFE - oh wait, they don't need to give them away - people WANT them!! New design sells

 

Mazda sold almost 12000 Mazda3's through a much smaller dealer base than the others have

 

Why are people defending Ford's refusal to renew it's #1 selling car???

 

I would never defend the facelfit, but we should realize that C1 as a platform is barely better than the C170.. the new Civic and Golf/Jetta/Audi A4/ A3 simply copied much of it as well, and Corolla sells just on the name of it, while being inferior choice even to the Spectra and Cobalt....

 

Ford could squeez huge sales out of the Focus if they made a significant and good redesign, They do not actually need a new platform - C170 is well capable of going on, but the car needs completely new exterior, upscale interior and upscale options. It also needs new powertrain (ATX) and real ST option..

 

I will not be mad if Ford does decide to keep the C170 for a couple more years, but the platform needs a much better car to ride on it.

 

PS.. this is not to say that I would not like to see MkII or MkIII come over - the MkII is an awesome car, but I am saying, that unlike the like of Taurus, or Cavalier platforms that were outgrown while alive, C170 platform was so far ahead of its time in 1999, it is still capable of carrying a wery good C car.

 

After all the only reason I sold my Focus and bought my Mazda3 was the design and the options, that I could not get on the Focus... the ride is very close, and Focus with its lower weight and smaller size, is actually a bit nimbler.

 

(comparing 05 Zx3 SES ATX to a 2004 Mazda3s sedan MTS, fully loaded)

 

Igor

Edited June 4, 2006 by igor