Try these facts.  In 2016 a mustang gt started at $35k which is almost $48k adjusted for inflation.  Current mustang gt base price is $46500.   A 2006 with only 300 hp and fewer features was $42k in today's money.   They're not jacking up prices.  It's simply inflation.  Hell a hybrid Rav4 is $48k.

I agree with a lot of what you're saying. I just mean if you look at something like a gt, not even something like a dark horse, you have something that could very easily cost north of 60k. The pricing of the s650 is starting to push it into hardcore sports car territory, especially when you look at the kinds of cars that cost about the same as a dark horse.    I'm just concerned that Ford is gonna keep jacking up the price of the mustang, while simultaneously half assing a lot of the variants, which is a lose-lose combo imo. We've seen this before with mustang when Ford doesn't have to worry about the Camaro or challenger, they kinda start to slip, and I don't want to see that happen. 

They appear to be doing that with ce1 and presumably the new ICE truck and other new products.   My point was they had no new products in the pipeline outside of the EVs that were cancelled. 

5.0 V8 Bronco would be badass. Averaging 10 or 11 MPG would be less fun for your wallet. 😂    

I’m talking about the in-built costs with C1-C2 suppliers, not just cheapening down the price of parts - it’s all about the costs attached to outsourcing the various software controlled modules and how Ford is now prisoner to suppliers controlling software changes and costs of each subassembly. That is where a lot of money goes out the door and why commodity vehicles have become a dirty word for Ford but not necessarily so for other manufacturers.   CE1 made huge changes in both software control and how the modules connect to a CPU that drives most functions. I’m hoping that Ford applies some or all of the changes made to reduce outgoings.

But the 2020 Escape did fix the manufacturing costs-look at the reviews of how the interior changed and how reviewers thought it was "cheap" vs the previous gen, but yet it had same or better materials in it vs the Bronco Sport or Maverick. Yet again-personal experience-the 2020 Escape and 2025 Bronco Sport are almost identical to one another outside of some shape changes in the dash area and button/screen placement to make them look different, but stupid little details are in identical places like the little pockets on the inside of the front seats and other pockets on the lower console.    The previous gen Escape was a complete fucking mess pricing wise-I've seen this personally-when a 4 year newer SE has more standard options in it vs a 2013 Titanium model and costs 5K less, you know you have issues on your hands. Then all the decontenting that happened at the end of that gen with cheaper tail lights and cutting back on fog lights, if I remember correctly. 

I wouldn't be concerned at all, the GTD is more or less a Ford GT "replacement" in the lineup   You can still get other models for a far more reasonable price.   The Corvette and its offshoots are bespoke products that are requiring what I'd assume millions of dollars in R&D for an engine that isn't shared with anything else (to best of my knowledge-not sure if they share anything with other GM V8s) for more or less what is a vanity product. I'm not sure what GM approach is here outside of saying hey we can do this but we aren't making money on it.    Ford is basically factory modifying a 60K car with an uprated truck engine and is able sell it for $300K. I think its detractors don't like the supposed lack of snob appeal that it might not have. 

Not the same thing, it bombed with buyer because the major styling change was a problem The other major change was a weight reduction close to 200 lbs.   What I’m talking about is getting away from a simple evolutionary model change to something that significantly lowers design and manufacturing costs which did not happen with the 2020 Escape.

The updated Escape was the first of the three of them to be launched. the 2020 was a major change from the 2019.  

IonBoost RangeBoost MagnaBoost InductionBoost