Deanh Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 The issue here is that your seeing an area thats getting hit really hard by the recession, maybe even a full blown depression, you can't use Metro Detroit as a model for the rest of the country, just like you can't use California as a model of the whole US auto market. true, but dont discount more focus on bigger markets.............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old_fairmont_wagon Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 Do the prices for the competitors also factor in the rebates that are offered on many of them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 Do the prices for the competitors also factor in the rebates that are offered on many of them? no, those are just MSRP's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MKII Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 :beerchug: I think these super strippers are the reason these small cars in general have a bad rap. Of those listed, people always say the ther Fit and the Mini are in a different class than the others. In reality, the Honda isn't really head and shoulders better than the others, they just haven't thrown its reputation in the sewer by gutting it and selling cheapified versions. Ford is on a different path than they have been historically. In the past they (and the other big 3) were the entry level cars in the market and lived and died by maximum sales numbers. That won't continue to be the case. The Fiesta doesn't have to be the sales leader to be a success. Is selling 100k Cobalts for zero (or negative) profit a wise strategy? Let others sell the cheap crap and diminish their image. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 :beerchug: nothing wrong with strippers. they are just mis-understood.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmm55 Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 (edited) Can you compare a state of the art, class leading, best handling, avant garde, well equipped (even the base model) Fiesta........ to a strippo econobox? No. Edited December 11, 2009 by timmm55 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 Can you compare a state of the art, class leading, best handling, avant garde, well equipped (even the base model) Fiesta........ to a strippo econobox? No. aw, come on timm, dont discount the Nano..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JETSOLVER Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 Probably shouldn't, but... I have now run into a significant number of second gen Hyundai owners. They are repeat customers for various reasons, but the price to value equation is second on the list of priorities at worst, and the PERCEPTION is the market. How does Ford re-ramp the Fiesta marketing by the time the first good flush are on the lots? I thought the target market here was first time buyers, with all the tools at their fingers, and a waaay secondary market of moms and dads who are looking for a decent second or third car (and ALL that that implies) for the late bloomers going to school (perhaps for the second time...)? Honestly, as a fan of the marque, they need to ship the early first run at list, no dicker, no bumps, and PRAY the launch goes clean, and the kids decide that real fitted floor mats are a better choice than the overseas copy Wal-Mart stuff that moms give daughters as a point of procedure. It strikes me that this is the critical play for a profitable small car in the new marketing age for the big 2.3, and profits come from the small details, not the 1k audio system... Ford might want to consider holding a few at the distributor level, to make sure that these web crazy kids have an instant solution to any issue, as those first time kids are the primary marketing level this time, there will be no second chances like with the Focus, no redo's, no pretending this time that we had it in hand all along. I really believe that not only the business press, not only the shareholders, not only the motoring press, but the customers are ready to take or toss this car. This really is the first mass market car straddling demographics that is launched on the back of the social web...at least for the domestics. ??? Dean, are you comfortable with the training you got from Ford, and are you ready to take care of ANY oops? 'Cause this one is all on you, this time they shoot the messenger... Right Wrong or worst of all, Indifferent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marginal Economist Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 I think these super strippers are the reason these small cars in general have a bad rap. Of those listed, people always say the ther Fit and the Mini are in a different class than the others. In reality, the Honda isn't really head and shoulders better than the others, they just haven't thrown its reputation in the sewer by gutting it and selling cheapified versions. Ford is on a different path than they have been historically. In the past they (and the other big 3) were the entry level cars in the market and lived and died by maximum sales numbers. That won't continue to be the case. The Fiesta doesn't have to be the sales leader to be a success. Is selling 100k Cobalts for zero (or negative) profit a wise strategy? Let others sell the cheap crap and diminish their image. Lots of good points. Two things, I drove the Fiesta, Yaris, Fit, and Versa back to back with similar trim levels. The Fit and Fiesta are head and shoulders above the Versa and Yaris. The Fiesta wins with the push button start, looks, and SYNC. The Fiesta is hoping to move 40K units in 2010, 70K in 2011 for NA. Hopefully Ford will be pushing 2MM total units in NA by then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 (edited) Even entry level cars now come with a long list of standard equipment.. The great learning curve for Ford was to cut back on empty fleet sales and concentrate on earning good profit from private buyers by offering them more well appointed models. That way production volumes can be lower which also helps in preserving resale value. Edited December 12, 2009 by jpd80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford Jellymoulds Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 (edited) Even entry level cars now come with a long list of standard equipment.. The great learning curve for Ford was to cut back on empty fleet sales and concentrate on earning good profit from private buyers by offering them more well appointed models. That way production volumes can be lower which also helps in preserving resale value. Nearly all Fiesta sales are sales to high profit yielding PRIVATE buyers, whilst cars like the Mondeo rely very much on fleet sales to shift them in the UK. Gotta say l love your Aussie Ford website JPD it has a nice intro to the Fiesta when you enter it well done. LINK Edited December 12, 2009 by Ford Jellymoulds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 (edited) Probably shouldn't, but... I have now run into a significant number of second gen Hyundai owners. They are repeat customers for various reasons, but the price to value equation is second on the list of priorities at worst, and the PERCEPTION is the market. How does Ford re-ramp the Fiesta marketing by the time the first good flush are on the lots? I thought the target market here was first time buyers, with all the tools at their fingers, and a waaay secondary market of moms and dads who are looking for a decent second or third car (and ALL that that implies) for the late bloomers going to school (perhaps for the second time...)? Honestly, as a fan of the marque, they need to ship the early first run at list, no dicker, no bumps, and PRAY the launch goes clean, and the kids decide that real fitted floor mats are a better choice than the overseas copy Wal-Mart stuff that moms give daughters as a point of procedure. It strikes me that this is the critical play for a profitable small car in the new marketing age for the big 2.3, and profits come from the small details, not the 1k audio system... Ford might want to consider holding a few at the distributor level, to make sure that these web crazy kids have an instant solution to any issue, as those first time kids are the primary marketing level this time, there will be no second chances like with the Focus, no redo's, no pretending this time that we had it in hand all along. I really believe that not only the business press, not only the shareholders, not only the motoring press, but the customers are ready to take or toss this car. This really is the first mass market car straddling demographics that is launched on the back of the social web...at least for the domestics. ??? Dean, are you comfortable with the training you got from Ford, and are you ready to take care of ANY oops? 'Cause this one is all on you, this time they shoot the messenger... Right Wrong or worst of all, Indifferent if I could make out the point you are trying to make I would offer an answer, you get my vote for the most convoluted post of the week....congrats? Edited December 12, 2009 by Deanh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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