bzcat Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 My guess on Flex and MKT is that they will live as long as there are other FWD Ford vehicles using 3.5/3.7 + 6F automatic. Once Ford switch Edge, Explorer, Fusion etc to 9 speed automatic, Flex and MKT will bow out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 Flex and MKT were part of Oakville production guarantees to UNIFOR as part of the current agreement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted July 10, 2017 Author Share Posted July 10, 2017 Flex and MKT were part of Oakville production guarantees to UNIFOR as part of the current agreement. I thought they where getting new product to replace them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 Flex and MKT share a 117.9" wheelbase. Edge - 2.0EB, 3.5L, 2.7EB MKX - 3.7L, 2.7T (EB) Flex - 3.5L, 3.5EB MKT - 3.7L, 3.5T (EB) MKT shares only its' base powertrain with MKX's base powertrain, and likewise with Flex/Edge, while the Flex and MKX both share the 3.5EB/T. It'd be a lot of resources put into it just to produce a few hundred units a month at best. At least now, combined Flex/MKT are around 2,300-2,500 a month. Wikipedia had the wrong wheelbase for MKT. They can still keep MKT without Flex if they want to do it to keep MKT for fleet sales. Not saying they need to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2b2 Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 (edited) ^ better they keep the Flex without the MKT (( or - base a temporary X-Lg on the Flex, imho )) My guess on Flex and MKT is that they will live as long as there are other FWD Ford vehicles using 3.5/3.7 + 6F automatic. Once Ford switch Edge, Explorer, Fusion etc to 9 speed automatic, Flex and MKT will bow out. interesting but Really? afaik, since the GM-9-speed is supposed to be quite small, it oughta fit easily... Edited July 10, 2017 by 2b2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 (edited) It feels like were in the in between time where everything still seems to be drifting along but we're becoming aware that big changes may be happening behind the scenes. I know that Australia really wants the 3-Row Edge there as a replacement for the Territory and actually gave up allocations of the UK RHD diesel Edge in the hopes that waiting the extra 12 months would give them the product its buyers wanted. While Chinese Edge has longer rear overhang, would Ford be better off extending the wheelbase say another four inches and turn it into a new Explorer? I know that flies in the face of CD6 rumors but is that a way for Ford to quickly deliver a new Explorer and Aviator? (and what if Explorer used an even shorter 116" wheelbase on Expedition Alloy Body on Frame..hey. I can dream ) Edited July 10, 2017 by jpd80 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MKX1960 Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 Your point is well taken. As someone who had a Taurus for 100k miles, it was a great car for me. It's unfortunate that Ford never pushed this car at all, because it deserved some marketing. I had a 2010 and not a single problem with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sullynd Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 Flex sales have been decent lately, no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 Flex sales have been decent lately, no? They've been hanging in the 1,500-2,000 range IIRC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Rosadini Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 Because that's all FCA has to sell. If they didn't market them, they'd be out of business. The reality is Taurus, while still a nice vehicle, is now outdated on top of its existing problems (small interior for a large car, tall for a sedan, etc). There's not much there to advertise. Huh? it sells because that is all they have to sell? I think it sells -in spite of the fact its fugly IMO-because they push it as a performance car with four doors. Agree with your point on interior space. My SHO is a bit confining, but I can't believe its a deal breaker-i'm 6-2, 205-do I miss the room in my last CV Sport-yes. But I can deal wit it. And I can't believe that the MKT/Flex can survive while a large sedan has no place in the lineup. The SUV/crossover market is about as saturated as you can get IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 Huh? it sells because that is all they have to sell? I think it sells -in spite of the fact its fugly IMO-because they push it as a performance car with four doors. Agree with your point on interior space. My SHO is a bit confining, but I can't believe its a deal breaker-i'm 6-2, 205-do I miss the room in my last CV Sport-yes. But I can deal wit it. And I can't believe that the MKT/Flex can survive while a large sedan has no place in the lineup. The SUV/crossover market is about as saturated as you can get IMO. I was referring to the poster that was adamant that advertising is the reason the FCA large sedans sell. I was saying they advertise them because it's all Dodge and Chrysler (aside from Pacifica) has that's worth marketing and basically is all they sell (Chrysler literally is just Pacifica and 300 now). They don't have entire lineups to advertise for like Ford does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbone Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 To be honest, I don't see a ton of Ford marketing in general. At least it doesn't feel like they market as much as some of the other brands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 To be honest, I don't see a ton of Ford marketing in general. At least it doesn't feel like they market as much as some of the other brands. At least they don't have ads and marketing that talk more about the competition than their own products like certain other brands..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbone Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 At least they don't have ads and marketing that talk more about the competition than their own products like certain other brands..... Agreed. I do appreciate that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Rosadini Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 At least they don't have ads and marketing that talk more about the competition than their own products like certain other brands..... For sure-in particular the annoying truck ads-not sure if its a regional thing but here in New England it is constant TV blurbs with the .." can anyone tell me who has won more awards for blah blah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 For sure-in particular the annoying truck ads-not sure if its a regional thing but here in New England it is constant TV blurbs with the .." can anyone tell me who has won more awards for blah blah. Ha....definitely not a regional thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbone Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 Unfortunately I just saw a Mazda ad where they were taking a page out of the Chevy playbook covering the badging and comparing to luxury cars. They should have never copied Chevy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 Unfortunately I just saw a Mazda ad where they were taking a page out of the Chevy playbook covering the badging and comparing to luxury cars. They should have never copied Chevy. OTOH what do they really have to lose? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 OTOH what do they really have to lose? Sales, which they really can't afford to lose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 Sales, which they really can't afford to lose Eh, their sales are so low, I doubt they'd lose any with that kind of campaign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 Sales, which they really can't afford to lose I don't think it will hurt them. They need all the publicity they can get - people tend to forget about them when looking for a vehicle because they don't have very many dealers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzcat Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 ^ better they keep the Flex without the MKT (( or - base a temporary X-Lg on the Flex, imho )) interesting but Really? afaik, since the GM-9-speed is supposed to be quite small, it oughta fit easily... It's not the size of the transmission that is the issue. It is the cost of certifying the models with new transmission. It requires new crash tests and EPA certification. No way Ford will be allocating any money to do that for Flex and MKT. Same reason there is rumor Taurus will finally bites the dust after 2019. Once Ford switch 3.5 V6 to 9 speed, all the legacy D3 vehicles are done. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 Same reason there is rumor Taurus will finally bites the dust after 2019. it's not a rumor. Model year 2018 is its last. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoonerLS Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 Huh? it sells because that is all they have to sell? I think it sells -in spite of the fact its fugly IMO-because they push it as a performance car with four doors. How many of those sales are LEA sales? Pretty much every cop car I see that's not a Ford PI or PIU is a Charger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 How many of those sales are LEA sales? Pretty much every cop car I see that's not a Ford PI or PIU is a Charger. Not to mention rental sales.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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