Is Ford screwed?

Considering all their new cars are appearing to be considerably more expensive to manufacturer then the cars they are replacing. This huge increase in manufacturing cost is forcing Ford to keep older models around longer so then can compete with GM and match rebates and 0% financing.

Im personally excited to see all of Fords new lineup in the next 2 years since most of these news car look really nice and are really the first ones to be completely influenced by Jay Mays (VW's Bug and Audi TT fame).

Im wondering if Jay Mays influence is what is causing these cars to be more expensive since Im sure he is trying to make Fords more like Audis but in the process he is also making them cost as much as an Audi.

While all the next-gen Fords will most likely look great and have fantastic interiors they might have priced themselves out of being competitive with GM hammering the incentives with no end in sight.

 

I don't give J Mays much credit at all, I think he's been given too much credit for what he did. VW new Beetle is a modernized old Beetle. The Audi TT comes along for the ride. The New Mustang looks like the old Mustang. The new Ford GT looks like the old GT40. T-BIrd looks like the old T-bird and is already out the door. New F150 looks a lot like the current model. See a pattern here?? What really has J Mays done o help Ford get in the game? What will he do when he runs out of past cars to copy?
J Mays is overrated and when this retro fad dies off and Ford has all these retro cars sitting on the lots... talk about being screwed....

 

Ford better figure out how to launch a vehicle without a world-class disaster happening every time or they are in world of hurt.

F150 is already having problems.

 

So far, I am not a fan of the interior and ambivalent on the exterior.

But, I had not heard of any issues - ?


Britt

 

I recently read an article that 2001-current Powerstrokes are giving people problems. I believe there have been 2 recalls on the motor already for excessively rough idle and poor acceleration. Other than that I had not heard anything about the new 150's having problems.

 

The new Mustang, F-150, and 500/Fairlane/Mondeo or whatever they call their next fullsize car will dictate FoMoCo's future, sink or swim...Any slip-ups, and even the most ardent Blue Oval supporters will defect to the imports.

For the record, Ford's dealer network and customer service have done more to run off customers than any possibly defective product. I know it's not the company's fault ultimately, but the crap dealership run by your friendly local thug/crook is still called "Thug's Ford/Lincoln/Mercury Sales and Service."

From what I've heard and read, the F-150 has been going smooth. They even delayed Job 1 to minimize any possible screwups. The only gripes so far have been the $1000 increase in cost to build (we'll see how much of it gets passed on to the buyer) and the weight, which is a substantial increase. I've always believed Weight=Bad, and you've heard me rant about the rumored weight increase and live axle in the next Mustang. I hope FoMoCo realizes that times are changing, and less enthusiasts will shell out $$$ for an overweight, ill-handling car, no matter how much HP it has. They already have that market cornered with the Lightning, anyways.

 

The new powerstroke is giving them problems but the new F150 is not, unless that has happen in the last day or 2.

 

I'm glad things are being improved on. I don't mind paying a grand more for a quality car. People are willing to pay more for quality. If the interior quality, exterior styling, performance, and quality are all improved on, i don't see why people would go to GM just due to their cars being cheaper. The imports have no trouble selling their cars even with them being priced much higher than the comparable domestic, and people are willing to pay a premium for them.

Ford's been the best selling brand in America for a good part of the last decade. Look at their vehicles and you'll notice they are at the top or near the top in their respective class in terms of sales. People seem to be buying them more than Chevy's and Toyota's. Unless they drop the ball big time (more messy launches and major recalls), i don't think they're in trouble. Their upcoming lineup looks great, and i'm impressed with the changes they are making thus far.

 

Don't know how much weight this thread has but here... maybe this is really an issue witht he new F-150.

PS There are some pictures there as well

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/sh...hreadid=139026

 

The exterior may or may not be your thing, but how could you not be a fan of the interior? It's better than even the $50k vettes and 98% of the other domestics currently on market.

 

It would be nice if Ford actually designed most of it's new cars, instead of relying heavily on Mazda, Volvo and Ford of Europe for the platforms. (Ever notice how "global platforms" always seem to be developed elsewhere?)

Basing most of your future cars off of Mazdas (which have never been succesfull in the mainstream market) and pricey Volvos doesn't seem to be the most brilliant idea to me.

At least the Mustang is still done here.

 

This one doesn't look too bad Go to Sneak preview, then gallery shot # 2 , but some of them I have seen had lots of aluminum trim that just looked gaudy.

Plus, those round A/C vents never seem to be too effective - ala my '99 T/A vs the SS.

I guess I'm just a traditional (truck like interior in a truck) kinda guy.

The new Dodges are nice, as well as the Tahoe/Suburban. The Trailblazer looks great on the outside, but the dash/interior didn't sweep me off my feet, either.

Britt

 

I guess our tastes differ.

Nothing wrong with aluminum and wood...I think It's far better than the ugly cheap looking rubbery plastic that has become standard on domestics. Even our Halo cars (zo6/Cobra) have cheaper looking dashes than a $13k civic due to the abundance of plastic, cheap looking plastic at that. I'd personally like to see aluminum replace all that plastic in both the Cobra and corvette.

 

Lots of weight.

 

People have been ripping on Domestics interiors too much, The interiors of Hondas and Nissans arn't any better.

I don't expect a $11K cavaliar to have the same interior as an Audi TT

Sure BMW, Audi, and Mercedes have better interiors but I wouldn't call the domestics ugly. (although the Mustang could use a new one since it has been the same since 1994)