NickF1011 Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 (edited) So I was at Apple Ford yesterday giving my friend a lift over so he could pick up his new '07 Focus ZX5. While he was off finishing up his paperwork, I strolled around the lot and showroom to get a good look at the new products up close and in person. Here's my summary of vehicles I haven't had too much in-person time with: In the showroom: GT500 -- listed @ $45,060. Zero markup. Quite impressive. Red with white stripes. Definitely a beauty. Ford GT -- listed @ $199,800. As gorgeous as ever. E-series conversion van -- Nice for a van. Wish these things would make a comeback with consumers. 2 Shelby GT's -- listed around $41,000 each. One was black with white stripes, one was white with blue stripes. Disappointed in the $1000 guzzler tax on these vehicles and still not even getting 320 horsepower. I don't see the point of buying one of these when a few grand more would have gotten you that red GT500. Still looked stunning though. On the lot: Edge -- Impressed with the exterior details. The interior looked pretty bland and I understand what people are saying now about the materials not being up to snuff. Still an overall good vehicle though. Had tremendous presence on the lot. Taurus X -- This one surprised me the most. At first glance, I thought it was an Edge from the front. It had a ton of presence with the new grille. The interior looked far better than that in the Edge for some reason. The small chrome accents went a long way in dressing up the dash compared to the Freestyle. The tail lights looked great in person and the bumper covers matched the paint perfectly. This one was some sort of dark gray color. F-Super Duty -- Went and looked at a few Super Duties. The decked out XLT's were very sharp with excellent looking interiors. The base work trucks with the black plastic grilles though looked pretty awful. F-150 Harley Davison Edition -- This truck was really sharp. The grille accents and the giant chrome wheels made this thing look downright menacing. I see a new Lightning hiding behind the badges trying to get out. Do it Ford! Taurus -- I wanted to go look at these, so I asked one of the sales guys where they were. They were sold out of them on the front lot. Pretty impressive! The sales guy said they had been selling quite a few of them. They had a few back on the receiving lot but I didn't feel like walking all the way back there to check them out. I'll still never buy anything at Apple Ford, as their service has been less than stellar during my trips there in the past, but the Ford showroom in general is finally starting to show some glimmer of hope. Edited July 24, 2007 by NickF1011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSenstad Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 I was going to start a separate thread about dealers but thought I would simply join this one. When are dealers going to learn that they are the face of Ford? I hear that we the employee's are the face but lets face reality, we don't see in a month what the dealers see each day. I am glad to hear that Ford is doing their job for the most part in supplying vehicles that people seem to want but the knock from this last poster was against the dearlership itself. I was talking to people today at work and learned of an individual who went to buy a vehicle with an X-plan. When he got to Apple Valley Ford in Apple Valley Minnesota they told him he would be better off forgetting the X-plan and just going with "their pricing" instead. Being new to the game he went along with the dealer. Afterwards he found out it cost him more to walk away from the A-plan but why should he have to reshearch it at all? Why can't the dealer be honest up front? If the dealer really thought "their prices" were better why didn't they prove it with a comparison? It has been two weeks and they have been haggling over whether he is eligible to receive the X-plan but of course the dealer is saying he is not. As I said, when are the dealers going to learn that they are the face of Ford? Right now Ford has some egg on its face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
campbell53 Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 (edited) I am the face of Ford and I damn well know it. I just spent $1.3 mil on a showroom/lot renovation. I have an internet cafe, flat screen tv's and wi-fi. I probably have one of the most progressive showrooms in lower Michigan/upper Indiana. Trying to find a dealer who will support the Ford brand today with that kind of $$ is a tough thing. Ford dealers are having a difficult time right now and, for the most part, not spending huge dollars for renovated or new buildings. So..I take some offense to your assertion that Ford dealers do not know they are the face of Ford. I am in my store 6 days per week. It is run like I would want to be treated. There are rotten apples in every business but, for the most part, the dealer body is what is propping up Ford right now. It sure isn't the product line-up (although that is finally changing). Doug Campbell Campbell Ford Lincoln Mercury Niles, MI I was going to start a separate thread about dealers but thought I would simply join this one. When are dealers going to learn that they are the face of Ford? I hear that we the employee's are the face but lets face reality, we don't see in a month what the dealers see each day. I am glad to hear that Ford is doing their job for the most part in supplying vehicles that people seem to want but the knock from this last poster was against the dearlership itself. I was talking to people today at work and learned of an individual who went to buy a vehicle with an X-plan. When he got to Apple Valley Ford in Apple Valley Minnesota they told him he would be better off forgetting the X-plan and just going with "their pricing" instead. Being new to the game he went along with the dealer. Afterwards he found out it cost him more to walk away from the A-plan but why should he have to reshearch it at all? Why can't the dealer be honest up front? If the dealer really thought "their prices" were better why didn't they prove it with a comparison? It has been two weeks and they have been haggling over whether he is eligible to receive the X-plan but of course the dealer is saying he is not. As I said, when are the dealers going to learn that they are the face of Ford? Right now Ford has some egg on its face. Edited July 24, 2007 by campbell53 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSenstad Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 I am the face of Ford and I damn well know it. I just spent $1.3 mil on a showroom/lot renovation. I have an internet cafe, flat screen tv's and wi-fi. I probably have one of the most progressive showrooms in lower Michigan/upper Indiana. Trying to find a dealer who will support the Ford brand today with that kind of $ is a tough thing. Ford dealers are having a difficult time right now and, for the most part, not spending huge dollars for renovated or new buildings. So..I take some offense to your assertion that Ford dealers do not know they are the face of Ford. I am in my store 6 days per week. It is run like I would want to be treated. There are rotten apples in every business but, for the most part, the dealer body is what is propping up Ford right now. It sure isn't the product line-up (although that is finally changing). Doug Campbell Campbell Ford Lincoln Mercury Niles, MI Would you like to buy a dealership in Minnesota? We have dealers here who have parked the sold cars before a rain, then afterwards when the car sat in a puddle they have refused to move it citing the fact that the person bought it on A-plan so they don't get the perks.... I didn't realize getting into a car with dry feet was a perk but apparently in my neck of the woods it is. I am tickled pink that you realize you are the face of Ford and I hope that Ford is finally starting to uphold their end of the bargain in your eyes. It very well be a local issue but I have heard of bad things like this on the East coast as well. I have seen far better at the Toyota dealerships and it seems like you have taken the battle to them, for that I thank you. I think dealers like you will do much to save Ford, now, about that dealership here in Minnesota...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LincolnFan Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 Campbell, I wish you were Ford's dealer in Saudi. The idiots around here suck and need to be shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 I am the face of Ford and I damn well know it. I just spent $1.3 mil on a showroom/lot renovation. I have an internet cafe, flat screen tv's and wi-fi. I probably have one of the most progressive showrooms in lower Michigan/upper Indiana. Trying to find a dealer who will support the Ford brand today with that kind of $$ is a tough thing. Ford dealers are having a difficult time right now and, for the most part, not spending huge dollars for renovated or new buildings. So..I take some offense to your assertion that Ford dealers do not know they are the face of Ford. I am in my store 6 days per week. It is run like I would want to be treated. There are rotten apples in every business but, for the most part, the dealer body is what is propping up Ford right now. It sure isn't the product line-up (although that is finally changing). Doug Campbell Campbell Ford Lincoln Mercury Niles, MI sounds pretty nice Have you recieved any Taurus' yet, and if so how are they selling? I drove by my local dealer, they had a white one sitting in the showroom, I went back the next day to look at it and it was gone, so I'm guessing they're selling fairly well (better than 500 at least). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traveler Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 Ford GT -- listed @ $199,800. As gorgeous as ever. Not to venture off subject too much, but I have seen several Ford GTs both in the showroom, outside the showroom and one or two moving down the highway. My wife, son and I happened on a car show this past Saturday outside of a 50s-theme grille where they had both old hot rods, cruisers, muscle cars, big sedans and coupes from eras gone by and newer models. Just as we were getting there one guy was leaving in his Ford GT. He was an older man, sort of stout but not really what I'd call obese. Obviously an affluent older man who had some money to play with. Behind him and leaving at the same time was a Ferrari 430. Both pulled up to the stop sign and prepared to pull out into traffic on a four-lane highway with a divided turn lane in the middle. I had never got a chance to experience the Ford GT, but with the crowd present he gave everyone an opportunity to see a glimpse of what the Ford GT has. WOOOOOWWWW! I think he took off in second or third gear because of the slight bog I heard, but it still was louder and blistering quick as anything I've ever seen!! The Ferrari, by comparison, took off with similar verve but the Italian V8 didn't have the audible thunderclap nor the acceleration that the Ford GT had. The Ferrari moved out and had the classic Ferrari sound, but the Ford GT is incredibly awesome! It just hooked and left with such speed that it seemed everybody and everything just stopped in its presence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted July 25, 2007 Author Share Posted July 25, 2007 (edited) Not to venture off subject too much, but I have seen several Ford GTs both in the showroom, outside the showroom and one or two moving down the highway. My wife, son and I happened on a car show this past Saturday outside of a 50s-theme grille where they had both old hot rods, cruisers, muscle cars, big sedans and coupes from eras gone by and newer models. Just as we were getting there one guy was leaving in his Ford GT. He was an older man, sort of stout but not really what I'd call obese. Obviously an affluent older man who had some money to play with. Behind him and leaving at the same time was a Ferrari 430. Both pulled up to the stop sign and prepared to pull out into traffic on a four-lane highway with a divided turn lane in the middle. I had never got a chance to experience the Ford GT, but with the crowd present he gave everyone an opportunity to see a glimpse of what the Ford GT has. WOOOOOWWWW! I think he took off in second or third gear because of the slight bog I heard, but it still was louder and blistering quick as anything I've ever seen!! The Ferrari, by comparison, took off with similar verve but the Italian V8 didn't have the audible thunderclap nor the acceleration that the Ford GT had. The Ferrari moved out and had the classic Ferrari sound, but the Ford GT is incredibly awesome! It just hooked and left with such speed that it seemed everybody and everything just stopped in its presence. Reminds me of this ad: Pace Car for an Entire Company I nearly peed myself the first time I saw it. Edited July 25, 2007 by NickF1011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgande Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 Good to know there are Dealers in MD selling the GT500 with no markup. A few months ago across the city in Woodlawn, Koons Ford was selling a GT500 for just over 65K. I also didn't know there were Ford GT's still floating around. Might have to swing over and take a peak... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommy8768 Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 Reminds me of this ad: Pace Car for an Entire Company I nearly peed myself the first time I saw it. Thats for sure-overpriced, had a recall right from the get-go(breaking control arms), shit canned after 2 years, sitting unsold on dealer showroom floors,totally unnecessary...sounds like Ford alright! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted July 25, 2007 Author Share Posted July 25, 2007 Thats for sure-overpriced, had a recall right from the get-go(breaking control arms), shit canned after 2 years, sitting unsold on dealer showroom floors,totally unnecessary...sounds like Ford alright! Umm...the Ford GT from the start was only intended for a 2-year production run. The recall on the control arms resulted from Ford trying out a new technology...it didn't pan out. In the end, it only effected a couple hundred vehicles. How many Tundras have you had in now for broken camshafts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White99GT Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 Thats for sure-overpriced, had a recall right from the get-go(breaking control arms), shit canned after 2 years, sitting unsold on dealer showroom floors,totally unnecessary...sounds like Ford alright! Running your mouth without knowing the facts...sounds like tommy8768 alright! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White99GT Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 How many Tundras have you had in now for broken camshafts? This is a redundant question, you and I both know tommy's answer, whether truthful or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LincolnFan Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 He fixed the camshafts so fast, he had the oppurtunity to hook up to BOF and troll Ford. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford Jellymoulds Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 Reminds me of this ad: Pace Car for an Entire Company I nearly peed myself the first time I saw it. Don't knock it Nick, at least you have got a Ford Sports Car to put in a advert, it is something you only can dream about in Europe, Ford GT, Shelby Mustangs GT500s, oooh dream on. However silly you think the advert is Nick you can't ignore the halo effect of Ford GT on the entire Ford brand its awesome. You said some time ago you work in IT or IM & computers Nick, what in your opinion would be the best choice laptop to go for at the moment, as a long term ownership buy. I am considering top of the range HP, Dell or Apple Mac Pro. l know they got the jap crap exploding Sony battery problem sorted, but any of them still have problems running a bit on the hot side. We have got SAP in our company, what a nightmare to use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted July 25, 2007 Author Share Posted July 25, 2007 Don't knock it Nick, at least you have got a Ford Sports Car to put in a advert, it is something you only can dream about in Europe, Ford GT, Shelby Mustangs GT500s, oooh dream on. However silly you think the advert is Nick you can't ignore the halo effect of Ford GT on the entire Ford brand its awesome. You said some time ago you work in IT or IM & computers Nick, what in your opinion would be the best choice laptop to go for at the moment, as a long term ownership buy. I am considering top of the range HP, Dell or Apple Mac Pro. l know they got the jap crap exploding Sony battery problem sorted, but any of them still have problems running a bit on the hot side. We have got SAP in our company, what a nightmare to use. I didn't nearly pee myself from laughing. I nearly peed myself out of pure shock and awe. As far as laptops go, I've been pretty pleased with HP's products of late. Toshiba also makes a pretty nice consumer laptop these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el norte Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 (edited) I am the face of Ford and I damn well know it. I just spent $1.3 mil on a showroom/lot renovation. I have an internet cafe, flat screen tv's and wi-fi. I probably have one of the most progressive showrooms in lower Michigan/upper Indiana. Trying to find a dealer who will support the Ford brand today with that kind of $$ is a tough thing. Ford dealers are having a difficult time right now and, for the most part, not spending huge dollars for renovated or new buildings. So..I take some offense to your assertion that Ford dealers do not know they are the face of Ford. I am in my store 6 days per week. It is run like I would want to be treated. There are rotten apples in every business but, for the most part, the dealer body is what is propping up Ford right now. It sure isn't the product line-up (although that is finally changing). Doug Campbell Campbell Ford Lincoln Mercury Niles, MI yeah right! nice try doug! if i built a mustang as crappy as the dealership experience, we would all be out of a job. I've been buying new cars for thirteen years, at seven different dealerships, and have yet had a good experience. last month i had my mustang in at superior ford in flat rock for front end chatter, and a burned out fog light. they call me and tell me there is a bulletin for the front end struts, and they couldn't do anything about it. there is a recall for roush and eibach struts, but no bulletins for stock struts. i get my car back, and they scratched my front bumper replacing the fog light. do you think they would fix my bumper? hell no! so a week later i take the car to a dealer by my house (szott ford) because the car no longer feels safe. the service rep asks me if i want the tech to go for a ride with me to help determine the problem, a first for me, "great" so we go for a ride and the tech says something is definitely wrong! he puts the car on the hoist, and determines that my front sway bar is barely holding on by a thread. an hour later they have my car fixed and I'm back on the road. i will be going back to szott ford because of that quality of service. i will be calling the ford customer hotline, and i will be lighting up superior ford for this b.s. someone could have gotten hurt, maybe my 3 yr boy while being in my car! totally inexcusable, and I've had just as shitty of experiences at other dealerships namely Brighton ford. i really don't give a crap about how nice your building looks! i want good service! you are just another owner that has no clue on how to treat a customer! don't blame ford buddy. Edited July 25, 2007 by el norte Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommy8768 Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 I havent een one single Tundra for an engine problem. How many actually did break? 20 or 30? Pretty good considering they seem to be selling well. More of that "new technology" just like Ford. At least if your engine snaps a cam you probably will survive....unlike if your lower control arm breaks on your 200 mph sports car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 I havent een one single Tundra for an engine problem. How many actually did break? 20 or 30? Pretty good considering they seem to be selling well. More of that "new technology" just like Ford. At least if your engine snaps a cam you probably will survive....unlike if your lower control arm breaks on your 200 mph sports car. how many cars did that actually happen to tommy? just a quick question........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommy8768 Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 well it must have been more than one or two if they issued a recall for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wescoent Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 well it must have been more than one or two if they issued a recall for it. If you're talking about the GT, if you'd like to know, it was discovered on ONE unit. It was a testing unit subjected to stress far above and beyond what a normal GT will ever experience in its lifetime. A casting imperfection on the arm on this high-stress test car was noted to have a hairline fracture. Ford concluded that if they continued driving the car, it might crack. While it wouldn't crash the car, it would change the handling characteristics, which MAY result in a crash. The recall affected 111 units who had their control arms cast using the original technique. These GTs had the parts replaced, and all future GTs were built with differently cast arms. None of the recalled cars had any problems with their arms... it was a preventative measure, and a sterling example of customer service done right. The Ford GT is, without question, the most reliable and trouble-free exotic vehicle on the road today, and Ford should be commended as such. Now... if we could get ALL of their vehicles up to those standards... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Extreme4x4 Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 Tommy, you are a moron. There were exactly ZERO customer cars that had anything happen. The crack happened on a highly abused mule................ so Ford recalled the cars. They are so "shitty" that they would send out enclosed trailers to pick up the cars, and return them. This way, the owners were not inconvenienced. Yea, real crappy company. Exactly how many 200+ mph supercars has Toyota made??? Yea, thats what I thought. The Ford GT is one of the finest supercars ever built. Learn something before you open your trap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 (edited) Pretty good considering they seem to be selling well. If "selling well" means putting $5k on the hood out of the box, then yes, they're selling well. Edited July 25, 2007 by rmc523 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White99GT Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 I havent een one single Tundra for an engine problem. Of course you haven't seen any Tundra engine problems, just as I predicted you would claim. Toyota openly admitted to 20 known cases of failed 5.7L camshafts when they issued the initial press release. That was some time ago now. Somehow, I doubt Toyota only assembled 20 5.7Ls with defective camshafts. As far as the Tundra "selling so well", that's due to the big ol' cash incentive sitting on the hood of the brank spanking new pride of Toyota. Also, no Ford GT control arms snapped, genius. But why would you let a pesky little things like facts get in your way, the nerve of this guy calling BON forum members "mouth-breathers". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommy8768 Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 Blow me asshole!!! I have not seen one Tundra for a snapped cam. I dont give a fuck what you think white99gt.., youre not a mouth breather because yours is full of dick all the time :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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