Furious1Auto Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 (edited) This whole perception Vs. reality argument has been going on long enough. I've also heard people say that perception is reality as a sales ploy, please! The actual reporting by the manufacturer's as to the number of things gone wrong is the most accurate measure of reality. Beat them and hold it, and then with time, perception will align itself with reality. People can make assertions based on their opinion all day long, but if it is not true time will reveal it. Fact is Ford is equal with the imports right now, and if we beat them and hold it people will learn the truth. A mistake would be for Ford to be too aggressive in bragging about it's quality gains. The best thing to do is to deliver better then expected. Tell them you are worth less, and give them more. It is a simple principle of marketing. The best example of this working effectively is in the 60's and 70's where our HP and torque was underreported to beat insurance rates. Cars touting 350 horses, were reported to make 280 HP to meet requirements for lower insurance rates and so on. Offer little, and blow them away. Edited April 27, 2008 by Furious1Auto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerM Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 (edited) My experience with every used car I've owned has tracked CR's reporting. Had brake electrical and transmission issues with the Contour that were black spots for that model. Ditto the electrical and transmission issues with the Tempo, and the Sable, which is generally average and a recommended used car (at least it was when I bought mine) hasn't given me a whit worth of trouble. I buy into their user submitted reports precisely because they haven't been manipulated by the preconceptions of the editorial staff. Speaking as someone who has answered their survey a few years back (I'm a subscriber), they do ask if you've had trouble, but they failed to set a degree. What I mean is that if you replace your brake pads, is that trouble with the 'braking system'? I would have to say no, but in the survey, the only ask you to say yes/no if you've had repair work performed. I also don't recall them asking how MUCH the cost of the repair was. It was left up to the respondent to make the judgement call. Perhaps someone with more recent experience with these surveys can provide more info. I don't doubt that in many respects the imports of the past were superior, and the results of those surveys bore that out, but at this point as many American cars get the "red dots" as the imports. In a previous issue, they admit they were giving NEW Toyota/Honda models "recommended" ratings without any data to back that up, other than historical data based on previous designs or other models. But as the original poster said, this is about perception and not reality. Perception BEING reality is not entirely correct in this case, because perception is a reflection of reality. Perception can be changed, reality cannot. Ford is working to change that perception, and based on my experience with their products, my perception is that they can build as good a product as any. Perception will be changed one sale at a time as the reality sets in. Edited April 27, 2008 by RangerM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P71_CrownVic Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 Because if computers came with thought checkers... That would be the end of this site... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 (edited) I agree. There would certainly be fewer people posting here. Fewer people that claim, as part of their signature, that they've stopped being retarded, for one. Edited April 27, 2008 by RichardJensen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P71_CrownVic Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 I agree. As you should. There will come a day when you :cheerleader: will realize that blind cheerleading is NOT the way to "support" a company. Especially a company that held 5 of the top ten best selling automobile spots not 10-12 years ago and now they have...ONE. Amazing what can happen in 10 short years. You :cheerleader: see it as being a "negatard" when someone is hyper-critical of Ford. Why?? Or better yet, explain to me why we SHOULDN'T be hyper-critical of a company that GAVE AWAY 4 of the number one best selling spots for a specific segment that they held 10 years ago? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 From M-W's 10th New Collegiate Dictionary: hyper- 2 a: excessively <hypersensitive> b: excessive <hyperemia> And by your own words you condemn your conduct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 As you should. There will come a day when you :cheerleader: will realize that blind cheerleading is NOT the way to "support" a company. Especially a company that held 5 of the top ten best selling automobile spots not 10-12 years ago and now they have...ONE. Amazing what can happen in 10 short years. You :cheerleader: see it as being a "negatard" when someone is hyper-critical of Ford. Why?? Or better yet, explain to me why we SHOULDN'T be hyper-critical of a company that GAVE AWAY 4 of the number one best selling spots for a specific segment that they held 10 years ago? Yes. 5 of the Top 10. F-series E-series Taurus Ranger Explorer F-series is still there. E-series is still the best-selling fullsize van. Taurus was a fleet queen already by this point. Ranger has truly been neglected. Explorer fell out of grace more as a result of a changing market than by offering a bad product. To witness this, the FORD Edge is now the best-selling midsize CUV in the Explorer's absence. I just still find it hilarious that you call anybody a "blind cheerleader". Those of us you constantly criticize and label as cheerleaders have probably posted some of the most scathing remarks about Ford products of anybody who comes to this site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P71_CrownVic Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 Those of us you constantly criticize and label as cheerleaders have probably posted some of the most scathing remarks about Ford products of anybody who comes to this site. Complete bullshit. And your list is wrong: F-series Taurus...it was a fleet queen by 1998? Doubtful. Escort Explorer...the market was not changing in 1998...it was just getting started Ranger...we agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edstock Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 Explorer...the market was not changing in 1998...it was just getting started Yeah, sure it was. It started with the first 4-door Explorer, way before then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 Complete bullshit. And your list is wrong: F-series Taurus...it was a fleet queen by 1998? Doubtful. Escort Explorer...the market was not changing in 1998...it was just getting started Ranger...we agree. Yes. Taurus was very much a fleet queen by 1998. So was the Escort.. And yes, you're right, the market was just starting to change for SUV's around 1998, which is why the Explorer was still a top seller then. It was still a top seller for several years after that also. If I recall, it didn't drop out of the Top 10 until around 2001 or so, when not so coincidentally, CUV's started to hit the market in full stride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgazak Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 (edited) The Explorer was the best-selling SUV from its inception through 2004. It lost the crown for one year to the Trailblazer in 2005 (family plan firesales no doubt). It was the top seller in 2006 and then 2007, the fugly CRV overtook it in sales. The Explorer still outsells all other traditional BOF SUVs, though. The fact it stayed on top all those years, regardless of being in the top 10 tells you the market was changing during this time. Otherwise it would have been passed in sales way before now. The Explorer has done very good but the market for BOF SUVs is really starting to sink as crossovers takeover. So many previous Explorer owners have gone to crossovers such as my wife (Edge) and my dad (Freestyle). Not to mention there are so many more choices on the market that no one SUV will ever top 400,000 sales again as the Explorer has done. Edited April 28, 2008 by mgazak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edstock Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 Not to mention there are so many more choices on the market that no one SUV will ever top 400,000 sales again as the Explorer has done. Well said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Reynolds Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 Well said. Not to mention the fact that the Explorer is no longer sold as a 2 door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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