Edstock Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 Does the LR floorplan able to accomodate Volvo's current engine architecture? What about crashworthiness? The LR2 uses a Focus-derived platform, with the Volvo 6. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danglin Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 (edited) You forgot this option....NO marketing. How about an infusion of more exiting styling!!!! These D3's are nice, but too boring... Edited December 4, 2007 by danglin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Reynolds Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 The LR2 uses a Focus-derived platform, with the Volvo 6. My comments were with regards to the XC90, as the poster spoke of product planning in the past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Reynolds Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 (edited) The LR2 uses a Focus-derived platform, with the Volvo 6. Nevermind.... Edited December 4, 2007 by Michael Reynolds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P71_CrownVic Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 How about an infusion of more exiting styling!!!! These D3's are nice, but too boring... It is working for the GMQ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edstock Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 My comments were with regards to the XC90, as the poster spoke of product planning in the past. AFAIK, the next XC-90 deveopment has begun; slightly bigger, slightly slicker. I believe the XC-90 chassis has its origins in the Volvo chassis that was the starting point for the D-3. The big wonder is, will there be an S-100 as Volvo "moves up", that will be an S-class/7-series/A8/Lexus/Infiniti competitor? If European fuel costs keep climbing and CO2 taxation takes hold, is it really worth the cost to develop an übersled, or develop more niche models in the $25 to $60K range that Volvo sells to currently? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxman100 Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 You forgot this option....NO marketing. Historically large front wheel drive cars have never been overly popular - people in that market prefer rear wheel drive. Ford has a very unique product in the Panther, and they chose to ignore it in an attempt to build vehicles that are just like 99 percent of the other vehicles on the market. If I want a 99 percent vehicle that is front wheel drive and overly complicated, I may as well buy a Honda or Toyota. I dont dislike the D3 platform - there is just no reason for it to exist when Ford has the Panther platform. Ford would have gotten far more for their money by spending a fraction of what they spent on the D3 on updating the Panther. Instead, their plan is to drop the Panther and pray people will buy what I consider a lesser product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 Historically large front wheel drive cars have never been overly popular - people in that market prefer rear wheel drive. Ford has a very unique product in the Panther, and they chose to ignore it in an attempt to build vehicles that are just like 99 percent of the other vehicles on the market. If I want a 99 percent vehicle that is front wheel drive and overly complicated, I may as well buy a Honda or Toyota. I dont dislike the D3 platform - there is just no reason for it to exist when Ford has the Panther platform. Ford would have gotten far more for their money by spending a fraction of what they spent on the D3 on updating the Panther. Instead, their plan is to drop the Panther and pray people will buy what I consider a lesser product. Here's an update to the Panther.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueblood Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 Historically large front wheel drive cars have never been overly popular - people in that market prefer rear wheel drive. Ford has a very unique product in the Panther, and they chose to ignore it in an attempt to build vehicles that are just like 99 percent of the other vehicles on the market. If I want a 99 percent vehicle that is front wheel drive and overly complicated, I may as well buy a Honda or Toyota. I dont dislike the D3 platform - there is just no reason for it to exist when Ford has the Panther platform. Ford would have gotten far more for their money by spending a fraction of what they spent on the D3 on updating the Panther. Instead, their plan is to drop the Panther and pray people will buy what I consider a lesser product. Yup, and for all the bashing the Panthers get here, it still outsells the D3 cars.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armadamaster Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 (edited) No, the GM is the only retail seller of the Panthers, which is not the same as being mostly retail. As far as I remember, it is mostly fleet. It was 60% fleet before this massive sales swing. The CV was 90% fleet. Those 10% from the CV are not making the thousand+ unit swing in GM sales. My guess is that the GM is 70-80% fleet at this point, but I'd like to confirm that so that we get off this Panther fixation. Neither the Sable, Taurus nor Panthers are selling well, no matter which way we cut it. True, the Panthers are fulfilling a purpose - gov't/comm fleets - but the Taurus and Sable are profitable units, ultimately. Um....D3s are the profitable units? How many more years at this rate til they even start turning a profit versus tooling and now retooling costs. The Panthers are still the profitable units. Ford's entire large car strat is just in ruins. RWD and FWD doesn't really make a difference. Ford has rolled the dice on their large car strategy and is losing. And despite the dealers trying to stuff them into Sables, the GMQ killed the it in sales...more than double (if you account for the 50% fleet percentage). He shoots, he scores! :shades: It amazes me that people are still buying a "30 year old relic" over a car that was brand new 2 years ago. How Ford screwed up the Taurus and Sable I'll never know. Oh....I know, too big, too bland, & too FWD. Edited December 4, 2007 by Armada Master Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LastMercury Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 No Town Car is doing wonders for Mercury LOL and it looks like the Milan made up a decent % of those government fleet sales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 (edited) No Town Car is doing wonders for Mercury LOL and it looks like the Milan made up a decent % of those government fleet sales. I'm guessing more of the government spike came from the Crown Vic (which isn't even sold retail, so you KNOW the increase in monthly sales was ENTIRELY to fleets) and the Grand Marquis. Yup, and for all the bashing the Panthers get here, it still outsells the D3 cars.. Yes. D3's are selling like shit. But to CHEER about selling 10,000 Panthers (mostly to fleet) is pretty funny. BOTH platforms are absolutely stinking up the sales charts. Edited December 4, 2007 by NickF1011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Reynolds Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 I'm guessing more of the government spike came from the Crown Vic (which isn't even sold retail, so you KNOW the increase in monthly sales was ENTIRELY to fleets) and the Grand Marquis.Yes. D3's are selling like shit. But to CHEER about selling 10,000 Panthers (mostly to fleet) is pretty funny. BOTH platforms are absolutely stinking up the sales charts. That was my thought process......people around here amuse me sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
igor Posted December 4, 2007 Author Share Posted December 4, 2007 I'm guessing more of the government spike came from the Crown Vic (which isn't even sold retail, so you KNOW the increase in monthly sales was ENTIRELY to fleets) and the Grand Marquis.Yes. D3's are selling like shit. But to CHEER about selling 10,000 Panthers (mostly to fleet) is pretty funny. BOTH platforms are absolutely stinking up the sales charts. the thing people forget is that by this time last year D3 platform was over 30% fleet - now it is about 15% - its retail sales are significantly UP and its share in the segment is up by about 40% The news is not all dim. igor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Reynolds Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 the thing people forget is that by this time last year D3 platform was over 30% fleet - now it is about 15% - its retail sales are significantly UP and its share in the segment is up by about 40% The news is not all dim. igor Well of course it is when it isn't RWD. Don't you know every FWD car out there sucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P71_CrownVic Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 Here's an update to the Panther.... OH MY GOD!!! YES PLEASE! That sure beats any rendition of the Gillette razor grill Ford insists on pasting on everything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P71_CrownVic Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 "How Ford screwed up the Taurus and Sable" Oh....I know, too big, too bland, & too FWD. I didn't mean that as a dig at the Panthers...I am dead serious. How could Ford screw up a blank slate? They could have done ANYTHING with the D3s, but instead they bring nothing special to the market, they are FWD (which does not bother me, but I think the Panther replacement should be RWD), and they don't advertise it. The only thing Ford did to try and boost sales was change the names...which has clearly worked. There is no reason to buy the D3s over anything else. They are nothing special and don't offer anything special. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 There is no reason to buy the D3s over anything else. They are nothing special and don't offer anything special. Yes nothing special. Except available AWD. Except the largest interior in its class. Except the largest trunk in its class. Except the best safety ratings in its class. Except the only vehicle with SYNC in its class. Nothing special indeed. The only faults are a bit blandish exterior styling and COMPLETE lack of advertising. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edstock Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 With the re-design of the front engine mountings and sub-frame, Ford can now develop 'handling packages' for the D-3, which, with the 3.5, now has enough power to make a handling package a nice option. The advent of the Getrag powershift transmissions will allow higher output out of the 3.5/.7 for sporty models. So, maybe, the next re-skin, the one that the Mull likes, will have some gusto. Too bad the parts weren't available earlier. For want of a nail . . . A while back, someone posted that Ford was once the "wagon king" in the 50's and 60's. Times and tastes change, and a lot of Americans may just want a Flex-shaped vehicle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P71_CrownVic Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 Yes nothing special. Except available AWD. Except the largest interior in its class. Except the largest trunk in its class. Except the best safety ratings in its class. Except the only vehicle with SYNC in its class. Nothing special indeed. The only faults are a bit blandish exterior styling and COMPLETE lack of advertising. Clearly those things are not that special because nobody is buying them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 Clearly those things are not that special because nobody is buying them. Nobody is buying them because nobody knows they exist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LincolnFan Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 OH MY GOD!!! YES PLEASE! That sure beats any rendition of the Gillette razor grill Ford insists on pasting on everything :hysterical: Am I the only who laughed at the amount of lameness in this post? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P71_CrownVic Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 Nobody is buying them because nobody knows they exist. How long are you people going to keep using that excuse? The cars are three years old. And I bet that most dealers will try to force a Sable on someone rather than a GMQ. People know they are out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Reynolds Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 How long are you people going to keep using that excuse? The cars are three years old. And I bet that most dealers will try to force a Sable on someone rather than a GMQ. People know they are out there. How is it an excuse when it's the truth. Just because you know what they are doesn't mean everyone else out there does. Then again you think IRS is a good idea for a full-size pickup truck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
351cid Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 I bought a Five Hundred in 2005 after my wife drove just about everything for sale at the time. It's been a great car... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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