Blue Oval Guide Posted November 17, 2007 Share Posted November 17, 2007 Forget the cold, gray November. This week, there's a tiny ray of sun shining on the Blue Oval over Dearborn, spelling a rare four-letter word on the front lawn of Ford Motor Co. -- hope. It's in Ford's landmark four-year deal with the United Auto Workers, which saves precious cash, off-loads costly retiree health-care liabilities, rescues union jobs and positions the automaker's plants to be truly competitive in the cutthroat U.S. market. READ MORE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted November 17, 2007 Share Posted November 17, 2007 Right about now, if not sooner, the cynics should be moaning, preparing to fire up their keyboards to wail that it's too late, that the Fusion sedan may be good, but the Edge stinks (and Consumer Reports said so), that the Taurus may be an improvement, but the advertising is lame, that the UAW contract may save jobs, but what is Ford doing saving plants when it has too much capacity. Fair questions, but beside the most fundamental one: Is Mulally's Ford making real progress on its long road back to sustainable profitability and maybe even growth? The answer is yes, and that's called hope. I wonder how many journalists actually pick "the turnaround point" in Ford's recovery, most still "live" in December 2006 with continued reference to the $12.6 billion Loss grab line. Mulally is getting the team players he wants in key areas to give Ford a fighting chance. Who knows what will happen next year with a decent marketing man and better products to sell. Let's see how they go with "Not much time left" - an apt phrase to dispell apethy and fall back plans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SVT_MAN Posted November 17, 2007 Share Posted November 17, 2007 Rather funny that they think the Fusion is good and the Edge stinks, yet consumers are saying just the opposite when they step into the show rooms. The Edge is bright spot for Ford. Don't get me wrong, I like the Fusion. But, the Edge is a far more competitive entry into its respective segment than the current Fusion. We'll see what Detroit offers up in January. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WC-MAN Posted November 17, 2007 Share Posted November 17, 2007 Rather funny that they think the Fusion is good and the Edge stinks, yet consumers are saying just the opposite when they step into the show rooms. The Edge is bright spot for Ford. Don't get me wrong, I like the Fusion. But, the Edge is a far more competitive entry into its respective segment than the current Fusion. We'll see what Detroit offers up in January. The Fusion's an excellent car. But Ford's SUV addiction ("The Explorer is the new family sedan.") did almost mortal damage to its reputation among car shoppers. They drove the Taurus from the top of the sedan heap to the basement in less than a decade. Buyers haven't forgotten that. Accords are Chic, Tauruses are Hertzes. The Edge, on the other hand, draws customers primarily for the ranks of SUV and Minivan Drivers. The are, for all intents and purposes, truck shoppers, and Ford still has the best standing among truck shoppers. I can't fault the edge, its a nice piece that offers something Honda and Toyota seem to have forgotten about in their LUV's, Style! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted November 17, 2007 Share Posted November 17, 2007 The Fusion's an excellent car. But Ford's SUV addiction ("The Explorer is the new family sedan.") did almost mortal damage to its reputation among car shoppers. They drove the Taurus from the top of the sedan heap to the basement in less than a decade. Buyers haven't forgotten that. Accords are Chic, Tauruses are Hertzes. The Edge, on the other hand, draws customers primarily for the ranks of SUV and Minivan Drivers. The are, for all intents and purposes, truck shoppers, and Ford still has the best standing among truck shoppers. I can't fault the edge, its a nice piece that offers something Honda and Toyota seem to have forgotten about in their LUV's, Style! I have to agree with you, the American car/truck buying public has bi-polar buying habits, they have no problems with buying Trucks and SUV's (when The Japanese equivalent of them can compete with them in the light duty arena)from Big 3, but there are lots of issues with buying cars from them. Maybe Fords new Advertising Czar can work that angle like Suzuki is doing...if you think are bikes are fun, you should try our cars... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMDEE Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 (edited) I have to agree with you, the American car/truck buying public has bi-polar buying habits, they have no problems with buying Trucks and SUV's (when The Japanese equivalent of them can compete with them in the light duty arena)from Big 3, but there are lots of issues with buying cars from them. Maybe Fords new Advertising Czar can work that angle like Suzuki is doing...if you think are bikes are fun, you should try our cars... I don't think it's as compicated as all that. People stopped buying basic American cars in the 90's because GM, Ford and Chrysler stopped investing in them. In Ford's case, they left the original Taurus around with only a single minor update for 10 years. In comparison, the Accord and the Camry got an upgrade every two years and a whole new car every four. Then when Ford finally delivered a new Taurus in 96, it started out quite competitive but they just let it sink like a rock for the next ten years, again with only a single minor styling upgrade. What's worse, they cheapened some of its better parts, like the 24 valve 3 liter V6. It started out as a smooth player with power and economy nearly identical to the Accord and Camry. But nooooo... after a few years it was quiety downgraded with cheaper parts, making it noisier, rougher, and falling behind in power while the others improved. All the while, the Explorer was getting bigger and better. Who'd have guessed that it would be so badly humbled by the Firestone tire debacle, right when it was outselling everything. That said, I think people have a pretty short memory. IMHO, the reason the Edge is selling well despite a few rough 'edges' is because it looks great and feels good. Whatever it's faults, it has a look and feel of good design and quality, augmented by a ride that is far better than the truck based SUVs. People who test drive them usually buy them. The Fusion is a good car and also drives well but it gets lost in a parking lot. It just isn't very distinctive to look at. Ford was afraid to take chances with the design (understandable given their plight at the time it was designed). With a sharper, more youthful design (and maybe the 3.5 liter V6) its sales will soar. But if they just let it sit there like they did with the Taurus and others, it will die an ugly death. Ah, but wait until the Flex hits the showrooms. I just saw it at the LA Auto Show and boy, this is somethign special. The exterior is a whole new category, and the interior starts where a Lincoln version usually sits. It's a beautiful, very expensive looking interior that is going to be noticed. And then there's going to be Lincoln version with a completely different body. It's hard to figure how the Lincoln will upgrade the interior since it's already a dazzler. Ford is going to survive and it will even do quite well if it just adheres to a program of continual development and improvement for all its car and trucks. Both GM and Chrysler seem to be on the right track finally. Edited November 19, 2007 by EMDEE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.