FordBuyer Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 1 hour ago, akirby said: Ummm… you’re forgetting that we have Lincoln in North America and most other countries do not. In addition to local tastes and competition. That doesn't explain why BS, and Maverick get good interior reviews and Escape and Explorer interiors get very negative reviews ad nauseam. Ford knows how to hide cheap interior materials, but is not consistent across all product lines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 29 minutes ago, FordBuyer said: That doesn't explain why BS, and Maverick get good interior reviews and Escape and Explorer interiors get very negative reviews ad nauseam. Ford knows how to hide cheap interior materials, but is not consistent across all product lines. No it explains why Europe and other countries get better interiors than the NA versions which was the question I was answering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 37 minutes ago, FordBuyer said: That doesn't explain why BS, and Maverick get good interior reviews and Escape and Explorer interiors get very negative reviews ad nauseam. Ford knows how to hide cheap interior materials, but is not consistent across all product lines. I'd also say that Ford likely learned from the Escape and Explorer criticisms and worked better at "hiding" the lower end interior materials for those models. I'd assume/hope that Escape's refresh will solve the interior issues. Ditto for Explorer, where it could use a bump up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 Every model has different markets and competitors and therefore likely have different price targets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 The Maverick is straight aimed at the low end of the market and the interior reflects that...IMO it looks the cheapest out of all the C class products, but yet it wins praise for that. Its not "bad" but its not upscale either...so its the expectations on the automotive press. You can't expect a Escape S to have a fully digital dash like a Hybrid version does. If the interiors of Ford products where really that bad, it would affect sales more so then it does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 19 hours ago, tbone said: Are Ford products in China considered more up market or are they similarly priced to the American versions? The Chinese market is way pickier than the American market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbone Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 1 hour ago, fuzzymoomoo said: The Chinese market is way pickier than the American market. Apparently Americans need to start complaining, especially if there’s price parity between the models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordBuyer Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 2 hours ago, silvrsvt said: The Maverick is straight aimed at the low end of the market and the interior reflects that...IMO it looks the cheapest out of all the C class products, but yet it wins praise for that. Its not "bad" but its not upscale either...so its the expectations on the automotive press. You can't expect a Escape S to have a fully digital dash like a Hybrid version does. If the interiors of Ford products where really that bad, it would affect sales more so then it does. My 2020 Escape has a decent interior, but the door panels I must admit are starting to wear on me. Everytime I open or close the door I notice the unattractive diamond design on cheap looking plastic. The rest of the interior doesn't bother me and mostly attractive to my eyes. However, the headliner edge along both front doors is starting to droop whereupon the rough edges are popping out. Will try to get it fixed before warranty expires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonj80 Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 Remember that the Explorer and Escape were put on budget reductions late in their development that caused those issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExplorerDude Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 Explorer and Escape were developed during the cost cutting and program freezes under Fields. The MME, Bronco, Bronco Sport, Maverick and new F-150 were all developed during the Hackett and Farley “Design Thinking” approach to everything. I’m confident the refreshes coming for Explorer and Escape will reset those products and give them the extra boost they need to sell better and have more respect. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 10 hours ago, ExplorerDude said: Explorer and Escape were developed during the cost cutting and program freezes under Fields. The MME, Bronco, Bronco Sport, Maverick and new F-150 were all developed during the Hackett and Farley “Design Thinking” approach to everything. I’m confident the refreshes coming for Explorer and Escape will reset those products and give them the extra boost they need to sell better and have more respect. People don’t understand that vehicles are developed to specific price points that are influenced by the market conditions and competition in addition to being impacted by overall corporate budgeting. It’s not always a design or engineering decision. Fields cut a lot of stuff. Hackett and Farley seem to have reversed that trend but it’s still going to happen in certain scenarios. And just because a vehicle or project is profitable doesn’t mean it gets done. Every year there is a finite amount of capital and expense dollars available and once that gets allocated to the highest priority products the rest fall below the line and have to be cancelled or shelved. That’s just how corporate finances work - nobody ever has enough money to do everything on the table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzcat Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 21 hours ago, akirby said: Ummm… you’re forgetting that we have Lincoln in North America and most other countries do not. In addition to local tastes and competition. Lincoln doesn't have anything to do with why Ford buyers in the US are not demanding as other markets. Honda and Toyota also put in vastly cheaper interior in their US models. If you sit in a CR-V from Asia, you will notice soft touch plastic and how quality leather. In the US version, it is cost engineered for cheapness. 21 hours ago, Donaldo said: From what I can gather the base price 4 cylinder (XLT equivalent) trim Explorer in China costs $45,000 USD, while the USDM market base price is $36,000. I believe Europe is similar in that they pay more than US customers do. Price is largely a reflection of low expectation I mentioned. If customers signal they are willing to pay more for quality, car companies will meet that demand. But it's not just about quality of materials... design aesthetic is basically "free" if you do it right. Notice how Maverick is getting a lot of praise about its interior even though it is not particularly high quality? Ford China is designing much higher caliber of interior than Ford US on the mainline vehicles (e.g. Edge) - but that may be just an issue with timing... Farley came in too late to rescue Escape and Explorer but he seems to have set Bronco Sport and Maverick on the right course. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 20 minutes ago, bzcat said: Lincoln doesn't have anything to do with why Ford buyers in the US are not demanding as other markets. Again, not the question I was answering. But I agree the US is more cost conscious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rperez817 Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, bzcat said: Notice how Maverick is getting a lot of praise about its interior even though it is not particularly high quality? Ford China is designing much higher caliber of interior than Ford US on the mainline vehicles (e.g. Edge) - but that may be just an issue with timing... Farley came in too late to rescue Escape and Explorer but he seems to have set Bronco Sport and Maverick on the right course. That's one of the best examples of Jim Hackett's "design thinking" (as ExplorerDude mentioned earlier) in action. You are correct it's a timing thing. Ford Escape and Ford Maverick are on opposite ends of the "design thinking" spectrum of with Bronco Sport in between. All 3 vehicles use cheap, low quality interior materials but the evolution of design thinking at Ford makes Maverick's interior (newest of the 3) cheerful and appealing, while the Escape's (oldest of the 3) is just plain nasty. I agree with ExplorerDude that as "design thinking" becomes more firmly embedded at Ford Motor Company, upcoming refreshes for Explorer and Escape will address criticisms from professional reviewers and customers about the interiors in those vehicles. Edited February 17, 2022 by rperez817 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 37 minutes ago, rperez817 said: That's one of the best examples of Jim Hackett's "design thinking" (as ExplorerDude mentioned earlier) in action. You are correct it's a timing thing. Ford Escape and Ford Maverick are on opposite ends of the "design thinking" spectrum of with Bronco Sport in between. All 3 vehicles use cheap, low quality interior materials but the evolution of design thinking at Ford makes Maverick's interior (newest of the 3) cheerful and appealing, while the Escape's (oldest of the 3) is just plain nasty. I agree with ExplorerDude that as "design thinking" becomes more firmly embedded at Ford Motor Company, upcoming refreshes for Explorer and Escape will address criticisms from professional reviewers and customers about the interiors in those vehicles. You sure do like to exaggerate. It may not be the best. But to describe Escape's interior as "just plain nasty"? Lol. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rperez817 Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 29 minutes ago, rmc523 said: But to describe Escape's interior as "just plain nasty"? Lol. As Car and Driver put it, Escape's interior combines "uninspired and inconsistent" design with "chintzy" materials. By contrast, the similarly cheap materials in Maverick's interior "have tasteful contrasting colors and textures". Design thinking makes all the difference, benefitting customers and Ford's bottom line alike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 3 hours ago, rperez817 said: As Car and Driver put it, Escape's interior combines "uninspired and inconsistent" design with "chintzy" materials. By contrast, the similarly cheap materials in Maverick's interior "have tasteful contrasting colors and textures". Design thinking makes all the difference, benefitting customers and Ford's bottom line alike. In other words, they described as "boring". You make it sound like paint is peeling off and plastic is melting. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tntlars Posted March 8, 2022 Share Posted March 8, 2022 On 2/12/2022 at 7:50 AM, blwnsmoke said: Seems the China version is getting a facelift. Would the US version get a facelift too? https://fordauthority.com/2022/02/2023-ford-explorer-refresh-for-china-has-leaked/ Any word is the US version getting a redesign any time soon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordBuyer Posted March 8, 2022 Share Posted March 8, 2022 1 hour ago, tntlars said: Any word is the US version getting a redesign any time soon? I would think N.A. Fords will get new interiors that resemble Chinese Mondeo and Explorer soon as probably next year. Ditto for refreshed 2023 Escape. Full panoramic touch screens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted March 8, 2022 Share Posted March 8, 2022 On 2/16/2022 at 3:07 PM, FordBuyer said: That doesn't explain why BS, and Maverick get good interior reviews and Escape and Explorer interiors get very negative reviews ad nauseam. Ford knows how to hide cheap interior materials, but is not consistent across all product lines. I think it boils down to expectations-The BS and Maverick are "tough" and "Inexpensive" respectively. The 2020 Escape interior is no worse then the previous generation (outside of the carpeting issue my parents are having with theirs) and the Explorer might not look at nice as the Hyundai/Kia, but it seems like reviewers are forgetting about the Aviator also Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted March 8, 2022 Share Posted March 8, 2022 3 hours ago, FordBuyer said: I would think N.A. Fords will get new interiors that resemble Chinese Mondeo and Explorer soon as probably next year. Ditto for refreshed 2023 Escape. Full panoramic touch screens. I don't think we'll see US Fords get that full width screen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harley Lover Posted March 8, 2022 Share Posted March 8, 2022 (edited) 45 minutes ago, rmc523 said: I don't think we'll see US Fords get that full width screen. The Edge got the large (vertical) screen, but it's a more expensive product than Escape; maybe Ford might offer the screen upgrade on Escape Titanium only? Edited March 8, 2022 by Harley Lover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausrutherford Posted April 15, 2022 Share Posted April 15, 2022 Note sure if we are getting this version of the Explorer facelift, but here we go. The look in China: https://www.autohome.com.cn/news/202204/1243594.html#pvareaid=2028166 One thing for sure: NA needs that interior! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Rosadini Posted April 18, 2022 Share Posted April 18, 2022 On 4/15/2022 at 3:42 PM, ausrutherford said: Note sure if we are getting this version of the Explorer facelift, but here we go. The look in China: https://www.autohome.com.cn/news/202204/1243594.html#pvareaid=2028166 One thing for sure: NA needs that interior! Just catching up with this topic-agree with whoever made comment on trend to excessively large grill openings. UGLY IMO. Looks like the UGLY is the new normal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted April 18, 2022 Share Posted April 18, 2022 Is it me does the grill elements extend into the headlight buckets design wise? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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