Ford dropping cars...good for market and those who tow ?

[Lessmore]

I was surprised at the headline of a couple of months ago, when the FoMoCo announced they will stop making cars...sedans, coupes, etc...except for the Mustang.

I wonder if this is a good idea. By that I mean that many families have needs for more than one vehicle and different types of vehicles...pickups, SUV/CUV's...yes even a car...a little 4 door or large 4 door sedan. Brand loyalty being what it is...what will some people do...if they need a sedan ?

I wonder if dropping cars pretty well completely is a good idea. Shortly after the announcement, gas prices started to rise quickly in North America. This rise in fuel costs was unrelated to Ford dropping cars. But if FoMoCo has no cars to sell...cars generally being capable of the better MPG as opposed to trucks....is Ford making a bad decison in not having fuel economical vehicles (cars) to compete for sale if their is a downturn in the economy and fuel prices continue to escalate ?

Are they (Ford) cutting out a complete segment wisely ? Will old customers who want a car, just go to another manufacturers? Will new, young customers (youth market) who generally start off with economical vehicles, sometimes become brand loyal and eventually...when they can afford them...get larger vehicles (trucks) from the company they became brand loyal with when they were young ?

Or just go somewhere else ?


Will cutting out a whole segment...cars..enable Ford to provide more towing options on the vehicles they will make...trucks, SUV/CUV, etc...will Ford concentration on the remaining vehicles they make, allow Ford to improve the truck lines so it benefit those who tow ?

Will dropping the car lines go down in history....as one of Ford's better ideas ?



Ford to stop making cars, except for Mustang

[NRALIFR]

I think you all have it backwards.

The manufacturers don’t give two shytes what you want. They build what they can make the most profit on and it’s marketing’s job to make you believe it’s what you wanted all along.

Most of you fall for it.

:):)

[RobertRyan]

valhalla360 wrote:

Jayco-noslide wrote:
I think it's a bad move to nearly eliminate sedans. Some of my feeling is just personal preference but car buyers are so fickle they might be back into sedans in a heartbeat especially if sedans are modified just a little to set higher and more hatchbacks or small wagons. I love our 2017 Focus hatch. Sitting higher, 4-wheel drive, etc is overrated and it's nearly impossible to design an SUV to look cool or sporty. They are heavier, get lower MPG and need bigger engines. But the body style has nothing to do with being able to flat tow. It's all about the transmission.

You do realize that they did't eliminate them. The rebranded them as crossovers. Those "suv's" get better MPG than your average car got 15-20yrs ago.

If there is a push back to cars in a "heartbeat", Ford can bring in it's international car models in a "heartbeat, so a quick market shift isn't a big risk.

As I posted before, that heartbeat could be a slow one, as the imported vehicles could be subject too a 20% tax. Ford is also dropping sedans in Europe

[valhalla360]

Jayco-noslide wrote:
I think it's a bad move to nearly eliminate sedans. Some of my feeling is just personal preference but car buyers are so fickle they might be back into sedans in a heartbeat especially if sedans are modified just a little to set higher and more hatchbacks or small wagons. I love our 2017 Focus hatch. Sitting higher, 4-wheel drive, etc is overrated and it's nearly impossible to design an SUV to look cool or sporty. They are heavier, get lower MPG and need bigger engines. But the body style has nothing to do with being able to flat tow. It's all about the transmission.

You do realize that they did't eliminate them. The rebranded them as crossovers. Those "suv's" get better MPG than your average car got 15-20yrs ago.

If there is a push back to cars in a "heartbeat", Ford can bring in it's international car models in a "heartbeat, so a quick market shift isn't a big risk.

[colliehauler]

This trend did not just start it has been going on for years. GM dropped Pontiac and Oldsmobile, Chrysler dropped Plymouth, Ford dropped Mercury.

[RobertRyan]

fj12ryder wrote:
When I read the header I thought that Ford was getting out of the car business. I didn't realize it was another successful effort by the media to make people think something that isn't true. An SUV, Crossover, mini-suv, or some such thing, they'll all still cars. Unless they have a bed and then they're a pickup. Let's count the differences between a 4-door sedan and a mid-size SUV...okay, they both have 4 doors, they both seat between 4 and 6 people, they both have storage space. Okay, what's the difference? The SUV sits a little higher? So they're both cars.

When I comes right down to it, we will drive whatever Madison Avenue decides we will drive. It has worked in the past, no reason it won't work in the future.

Ford is in the Pickup and SUV business but has dropped traditional sedans in the US

[RobertRyan]

valhalla360 wrote:
A few thoughts:
- This is more of a change in nomenclature than a change in what they are producing. Most of the small crossover SUV's are really just a standard station wagon but it's still not cool to drive a station wagon, so they call the a crossover. I have a friend who bought a suburu SUV and it bottoms out just going into her driveway. She lives in a freaking subdivision and "SUV" can't get into the drive?
- SUV's are held to different standards in regard to CAFE fuel efficiency standards. They can give their customer what they want without having to jump thru as many hoops with the the feds.
- Ford still has their car lines in production for overseas markets so if the market changes and they need to sell cars in the USA, they can have them back in a heartbeat.

They are dropping there as well. Well Heartbeat would be a fairly long one, as the Focus will be imported and it could be subjected too a 20% Tax

[Grit_dog]

Hey Dutchman, I got a couple bone stock “new” cars that your nova or your 440 wouldn’t run circles around! Cars aren’t dead, they just are to some mfgs. It’s supply n demand. You can still buy 100 differnet cars today right now on the lots.

[monkey44]

fj12ryder wrote:
When I read the header I thought that Ford was getting out of the car business. I didn't realize it was another successful effort by the media to make people think something that isn't true. An SUV, Crossover, mini-suv, or some such thing, they'll all still cars. Unless they have a bed and then they're a pickup. Let's count the differences between a 4-door sedan and a mid-size SUV...okay, they both have 4 doors, they both seat between 4 and 6 people, they both have storage space. Okay, what's the difference? The SUV sits a little higher? So they're both cars.

When I comes right down to it, we will drive whatever Madison Avenue decides we will drive. It has worked in the past, no reason it won't work in the future.

And one other difference - PRICE ... the title SUV means higher MSRP.

[fj12ryder]

When I read the header I thought that Ford was getting out of the car business. I didn't realize it was another successful effort by the media to make people think something that isn't true. An SUV, Crossover, mini-suv, or some such thing, they'll all still cars. Unless they have a bed and then they're a pickup. Let's count the differences between a 4-door sedan and a mid-size SUV...okay, they both have 4 doors, they both seat between 4 and 6 people, they both have storage space. Okay, what's the difference? The SUV sits a little higher? So they're both cars.

When I comes right down to it, we will drive whatever Madison Avenue decides we will drive. It has worked in the past, no reason it won't work in the future.

[colliehauler]

Lessmore wrote:
I'm the OP. I'm surprised how many people have responded that they wouldn't miss cars. But perhaps that has something to do with the forum...after all it's for RVer's who tow trailers and that means pickup trucks and SUV's. Wonder what the response would be in a non RV forum with mostly city people who don't tow ?

I dunno, just wondering.

My sister who is 70+ traded her loaded 2 year old Buick for a GMC Canyon. She will never tow or haul anything but people and luggage. She likes the ease of entrance and egress, better visibility and upright seating position compared to the car.

My dad passed in 93 but a week before he passed away we went to look at trading his Thunderbird for a Dodge Dakota. His reason was ease of entrance and egress.

I purchased my last car in 2003 and will never purchase another, it was strictly a commuter vehicle.

[thomasmnile]

Lessmore wrote:
I'm the OP. I'm surprised how many people have responded that they wouldn't miss cars. But perhaps that has something to do with the forum...after all it's for RVer's who tow trailers and that means pickup trucks and SUV's. Wonder what the response would be in a non RV forum with mostly city people who don't tow ?

I dunno, just wondering.

Ford's decision is purely economic. They build what sells in the North American market. Some wonder what will happen with the next spike in oil prices. With the fuel efficiency improvements made over the last 2 decades, fuel prices would really have to go nuts to move folks into econocars. I agree today's sedans leave much to be desired, but I'm just not a fan of forever financing of a vehicle and the prices of crossovers and SUV's are largely insane among any brand/model I would consider.

[JAC1982]

I'm looking out my office window right now which overlooks a parking lot. I can see 16 SUVs, 7 sedans (most of which are older), 2 trucks, 1 minivan. So there you have it.

[Durb]

AS we get older my wife packs more stuff to go anywhere. A car wasn't going to handle it so we opted for a compact SUV. Can't see the downside except for style. It is comfortable, will swallow up the stuff, and on a recent trip delivered over 39 MPG, plus AWD. Look at a parking lot in the Northwest, three quarters of the vehicles are trucks and SUVs. I think Ford is making the right move looking forward.

[hone_eagle]

Lessmore wrote:
I'm the OP. I'm surprised how many people have responded that they wouldn't miss cars. But perhaps that has something to do with the forum...after all it's for RVer's who tow trailers and that means pickup trucks and SUV's. Wonder what the response would be in a non RV forum with mostly city people who don't tow ?

I dunno, just wondering.

Nope
I spend as much time on GMI and the posts are the same ,we wailed when convertibles went away ,we wailed when the mini van killed the station wagon, now wailing because cars are being replaced.
Remember that under every cuv/suv is a car ,only the 'hat' is different .When the MPG penalty went away so did car sales ,even the almighty Camry is bleeding

[Lessmore]

I'm the OP. I'm surprised how many people have responded that they wouldn't miss cars. But perhaps that has something to do with the forum...after all it's for RVer's who tow trailers and that means pickup trucks and SUV's. Wonder what the response would be in a non RV forum with mostly city people who don't tow ?

I dunno, just wondering.