FordBuyer Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Y'know, I appreciate the Traverse and the upcoming Malibu. The Cruze and Sonic. All good offerings from GM. Simply put, Ford is better and keeps getting better. Sounds Fanboyish I admit. If Ford puts out product people will buy and at a better profit margin then it's competitors, I consider that a victory full stop. Check out the rear leg room on the new Malibu. Very poor for a mid sizer that makes the back seat of Fusion look like limo in comparison. Not a fan of the new front and back end of new Malibu either. Ford IMO has a real opening here with new Fusion. I see new Fusion robbing sales from Malibu and wouldn't be surprised to see new Fusion approach 300,000 sales/year assuming Ford doesn't go crazy on sticker price. Ford needs to bust out from its sales funk which have flatlined along with share price. Industry sales are up about 14% on average and most months Ford is at or below that percentage. Maybe Ford can bust out with the new Escape and Fusion and beat the industry average like it did about 18 months ago fleet sales or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordBuyer Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Ford makes the Explorer faster, better looking. Chevy makes the Traverse look more like a Toyota. The new Ruby Red that Ford is showing here on Explorer Sport is very deep and rich looking. They have it on new Taurus SHO also plus saw a new Taurus SHO today with Forest Green color that looked sharp. I like the new colors. Always a sucker for Red. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzcat Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 (edited) I still remember the days when the most powerful Explorer was 210 hp 5.0 V8 Now we have 350+ hp Explorer and the smallest engine is a 2.0 turbo that makes more power than the 5.0V8 and more torque than the 4.0V6. All with much better MPG to boot. Progress is a beautiful thing. Edited March 28, 2012 by bzcat 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Check out the rear leg room on the new Malibu. Very poor for a mid sizer that makes the back seat of Fusion look like limo in comparison. Not a fan of the new front and back end of new Malibu either. Ford IMO has a real opening here with new Fusion. I see new Fusion robbing sales from Malibu and wouldn't be surprised to see new Fusion approach 300,000 sales/year assuming Ford doesn't go crazy on sticker price. Ford needs to bust out from its sales funk which have flatlined along with share price. Industry sales are up about 14% on average and most months Ford is at or below that percentage. Maybe Ford can bust out with the new Escape and Fusion and beat the industry average like it did about 18 months ago fleet sales or not. keep an eye on Focus sales for March...trust me on this one...I'll explain why later... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordBuyer Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 keep an eye on Focus sales for March...trust me on this one...I'll explain why later... Yeah, I've noticed that. Blackwell and Bill Brown Ford by me up to a few weeks ago had hundreds and hundreds of new Focus in stock, and now are lucky to have 50 on lot if that. In fact, for the first time ever, they have more Fiestas in stock than Focus. Both Focus and Escape all of a sudden are in short supply. So I look for big numbers on Focus and Escape for March. However, sales analysts are estimating overall Ford sales up for March 2%-6% while industry average up over 14% with Hyundai, VW, Toyota, Honda, Chrysler, and GM as the big winners for month. Again, Ford needs to bust out sometime this year with so many more out there looking to buy new iron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTwannabe Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Very cool. The name is somewhat pedestrian though. Whenever I hear Explorer Sport, I think of this: "Sport" models can be quite lame: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 "Sport" models can be quite lame: Another good example. Curious why they chose that as the "top of the line" name. While the truck is befitting of being "top of the line", the name just doesn't exude "top of the line" like "Titanium" or "SHO". The "Sport" moniker is thrown on any plebeian vehicle (or minivan in the above example) to the point where it has no influential meaning or positive connotation to a buyer. To place it on your top shelf model is a bit bizarre. (Personal opinion: I do think SHO would have been more befitting with it's common powerplant and common platform. It also has built-in equity to the name.) Love the truck, hate the name. Thankfully, I'm sure it will sell just fine regardless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordtech1 Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 (edited) I think SHO or Titanium would be better. Maybe since the Fusion and Edge has a "sport" model, the Explorer would fit. Nothing says Sport like adding running boards and a pinstripe Edited March 29, 2012 by fordtech1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transitman Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Here's some video from the Proving Grounds. Unfortunately no interior shots. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozydAW9OJc4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTwannabe Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Here's some video from the Proving Grounds. Unfortunately no interior shots. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozydAW9OJc4 Nose looks too much like a Land Rover for my tastes. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papilgee4evaeva Posted March 29, 2012 Author Share Posted March 29, 2012 I think SHO or Titanium would be better. Maybe since the Fusion and Edge has a "sport" model, the Explorer would fit. I think that was the idea. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANTAUS Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 "Sport" only has a bad name when it's on something laughable like the last Prius and Corolla "Sports" I saw... I was expecting Titanium, but oh well its here, its great, lets embrace. And I agree, the new Traverse looks like the CR-V... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 (edited) Ford does have a pretty inconsistent sub-model naming strategy. Platinum Titanium Sport SHO I think they just do whatever wins the marketability quotient for the given model. Personally, I don't like "Sport", it tends to wreak of bad marketing habits from the 90s. I like the car quite a bit, but only in Black. The Edge pulls this look off better than the Explorer in other colors. I'm still uneasy about the Explorer design, for me it gets worse if the grille is a different color. Edited March 29, 2012 by BORG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edstock Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I think they just do whatever wins the marketability quotient for the given model. Personally, I don't like "Sport", it tends to wreak of bad marketing habits from the 90s. Oh yes. Brain-dead. Like Chrycho's "SXT". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoonerLS Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I think SHO or Titanium would be better. Maybe since the Fusion and Edge has a "sport" model, the Explorer would fit. Titanium really doesn't say anything about the powerplant, and an SHO is a Taurus, period. It'd be like having an F150 Cobra--it wouldn't really bring anyone in the door, and it would piss off the SHO loyalists. Sport may not be the best moniker, but at least it hints at the intent behind the vehicle without misappropriating a name. FWIW, I like my '99 Explorer Sport... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoonerLS Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 (edited) Ford does have a pretty inconsistent sub-model naming strategy. Platinum Titanium Sport SHO The SHO name doesn't belong in that list; it has only been used on one car (the Taurus SHO), and it was a perfectly descriptive name when it was introduced--at the time, 220hp from a NA V6 was unheard of in a supercar, let alone a grocery getter, so it really was "Super High Output." Edited March 29, 2012 by SoonerLS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTwannabe Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Titanium really doesn't say anything about the powerplant, and an SHO is a Taurus, period. It'd be like having an F150 Cobra--it wouldn't really bring anyone in the door, and it would piss off the SHO loyalists. Sport may not be the best moniker, but at least it hints at the intent behind the vehicle without misappropriating a name. FWIW, I like my '99 Explorer Sport... So do SVT Cobra owners get upset when they see SVT Raptors and SVT Lightnings and SVT Focii? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moosetang Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 How I'd do it: Premium Pickups: Platinum Premium small cars: Titanium Premium SUVs/CUVs: Sport Premium Fusion/Taurus: SHO Premium Mustang: take your pick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fou_bleu Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Titanium would have been a better name IMO, but it's an awesome looking vehicle nonetheless! Kudos to Ford! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I don't get why everyone is getting their panties in a bunch over the name....SHO doesn't really work IMO (only one car should have that...thats the Taurus) and when I think Titanium, I think of the top of the line/luxury model. The Explorer Sport does sit at the top of the Explorer lineup, but at the same time I think Ford wants it to be the performance model more then a luxury model... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fou_bleu Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I don't get why everyone is getting their panties in a bunch over the name....SHO doesn't really work IMO (only one car should have that...thats the Taurus) and when I think Titanium, I think of the top of the line/luxury model. The Explorer Sport does sit at the top of the Explorer lineup, but at the same time I think Ford wants it to be the performance model more then a luxury model... But being a performance model it will, regardless of what Ford say, be pitted against the GC SRT8 - not so 'Sport' now, is it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 But being a performance model it will, regardless of what Ford say, be pitted against the GC SRT8 - not so 'Sport' now, is it? But thats also like comparing a Mustang GT and a Shelby GT500.... Not to mention that the SRT8 starts at $60K and only gets 12/18 MPG...I'm sure the Sport will start at less then 50K and will come close to the SRT's highway mileage with its city MPG rating! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 and wouldn't be surprised to see new Fusion approach 300,000 sales/year assuming Ford doesn't go crazy on sticker price. Only if they add production somewhere else soon. Hermosillo isn't going to build enough to do that by itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PREMiERdrum Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Only if they add production somewhere else soon. Hermosillo isn't going to build enough to do that by itself. Don't forget Fusion will be built at AAI in addition to Hermosillo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTwannabe Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I don't get why everyone is getting their panties in a bunch over the name....SHO doesn't really work IMO (only one car should have that...thats the Taurus) and when I think Titanium, I think of the top of the line/luxury model. The Explorer Sport does sit at the top of the Explorer lineup, but at the same time I think Ford wants it to be the performance model more then a luxury model... SHO is just a Taurus trim level. If it was the "Ford SHO", I would agree with you. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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