Over in Cars!Cars!Cars!, I found a post that summarized, succinctly, how the media currently felt towards the Ford Motor Co.: too slow, shabby products, glacial,
empty promises, moving like a turtle.
Why isn’t anyone giving Ford a chance?
The media constantly clamours for more products from Ford. Let’s see. There’s the Five Hundred/Montego and the Fusion/Milan/Zephyr. Doesn’t sound like a lot, right? But the media–and most enthusiats, it seems–forget that Ford
has other companies under its invisible hand. What about Mazda? There’s the Mazdaspeed6, the CX-7 and the upcoming CX-9. Volvo? The S80. Jaguar? The XK convertible and coupe. So where’s this so-called paucity of products?
Are the media jealous because they can’t afford half these new vehicles? Well, lots of folks can’t buy Bimmers, either, and one doesn’t hear complaints about the company’s lineup.
Also, just how fast are folks expecting Ford to come up with new products? The Five Hundred debuted at the end of 2004, later followed by the Montego, then followed by the Fusion/Milan/Zephyr. I think this is a good pace especially for a company simultaneously cutting its staff down while trying to maintain marketshare. The darling of
the media, Hyundai/Kia, are not releasing new products at the speed of, let’s say, like Toyota/Lexus/Scion. Heck, how many absolutely new products has Honda released the past couple of years? The Civic and…?
I’m not being a Ford apologist. I know the company burned a lot of folks over decades. My family’s owned various Ford vehicles and have complained about them. But my spouse’s last Ford, a 1990’s Thunderbird, lasted well into 2000 before it started giving us fits we could not cost-justify. Even critics grudgingly admit today’s new vehicles are even better.
I’m reluctant to do so, but I agree with GM’s VP that “perception”, not product, is the domestic automakers’ greatest enemy at this time.
5 comments so far
I believe that street car racers should be punished heavily if found and caught. My dear sister has just been KILLED driving innocently along a road around about 8:30pm. You may not have to ask, yes by street car racers. Race on a RACE track NOT on the road NO MATTER WHAT TIME IT IS. I equate street car racing with giving an eight year old a fully loaded gun, potentially fatal.
June 16th, 2006 at 6:57 pm
Honda? New models and recent redesigns in the same frame of time you’re discussing: Civic (sedan, coupe and SI), Civic Hybrid, Fit (coupe and sedan), Ridgeline, TSX, and TL, but I could be missing some. They just brought out refreshes for the Accord and Element this year as well. And keep in mind that they don’t have nearly as broad of a product line as most major car companies.
But that’s just nit-picking.
The main point that you’re missing is that people aren’t upset that Ford isn’t putting out enough new cars. It’s that they’re not putting out enough GOOD new cars. Quality, not quantity. Montego? 500? Fusion/Milan/MXZ? All uninspiring half-assed cars that can’t compete with the Japanese cars in their segment.
June 16th, 2006 at 8:27 pm
I recently test drove a Zephyr and was not overly impressed. It seemed like a nice car, but was rather bulky feeling. Also, they advertise their THX certified sound system, but I did not notice an astounding difference between that and sound systems I’ve heard in other cars.
June 19th, 2006 at 3:04 pm
I dont care what anyoen says about Fords or lincolns, their stock sound systems are the best i’ve heard. I work with recording and producing on a weekly basis and the THX certified system in teh NAV ( i’m assuming it’s the same in the Zephyr) is awsome sound. It’s not gonna bump because it isn’t built that way…thx is made to serve as crystal sound for movie watchign and for music…that’s definatly what it is. I find it hard to believe you didn’t notice a diffrence in the sound quality.
June 28th, 2006 at 4:12 pm
Don’t buy a Ford. Check out why America loves Chevrolet!
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8727378189067600505
June 30th, 2006 at 5:02 pm
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