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The original incentive for taxi companies in NYC was that the hackney division sold the medallions at a discounted price of just over $220,000 - about 2/3 off the market price of a medallion. The profit for the taxi company comes from paying that medallion off and leasing the cab out.
As for the fuel issue - it's the drivers that lease the cabs that pay for the fuel and they are saving close to 50% of what they typically spend in a day ($50-$100).
http://www.hybridcars.com/fleets/hybrid-taxicabs.html
The Mazda Club Chat is on tonight. The chat room opens at 8:45PM ET Hope to see YOU there! Check out the schedule
Diesel prices near me, however, and frightening. Cheapest near me is $4.199. Ouch. Gas costs 19% less right now by my math (and in my zip code). When I shopped around a greater area on gasbuddy.com, I found the same advantage for gas.
Problem is 19% eats up more than half your fuel savings right up front. Diesels cost more to buy. I'm sure resale is better, but if demand increases as more diesel vehicles are offered, it could get worse.
Hopefully this is a short-term phenomenom, but who knows? We'd need a crystal ball.
At the very least, you would still have better durability, more range, better resale, etc. Diesels still have advantages. Sadly, your cost-per-mile to fuel up may not be any better than some gassers.
steve_, "What will you do when gas price rises above $4 a gallon?" #5391, 24 Mar 2008 7:43 pm
It's a hot topic over there, hop on over if interested.
Hopefully this is a short-term phenomenom, but who knows? We'd need a crystal ball.
This column was in last month's C&D. If Csaba is right then don't expect to see too many high volume diesels anytime soon. That's not to say they won't be offered as optional engines in high volume models, but definitely not standard. The next Honda Pilot comes to mind for me.
http://cache.jalopnik.com/assets/images/gallery/12/2008/03/thumb1280x1280_236417- 7540_0e30819365_o.jpg
Perhaps Honda supplies a diesel engine to one of Hyundai's partners?
For a while there you could have had a line from Honda to Saturn for the 3.5l V6 they supplied. And from Izusu to Honda for the Trooper and Rodeo clones.
Definitely not. This is the case for the GS and upcoming LS hybrids, but not for the RX. The RX is for fuel saving (though it doesn't do that great a job). It has the same displacement as the old Highlander. If you want performance (or what ever performance you can get in a Lexus RX) you should go for the regular V6. It makes more power than the Hybrid. And I believe it's lighter. As for the corolla, it will save fuel. But I wouldn't go near thatwith my checkbook. It's my least favorite small sedan. I'd much rather have a Civic or a Mazda 3.
So it is coming- if this guy has any authority in the auto motive press world. I'm not sure what to say abou the article. He was a little too wrapped up in his "hipster" joke for him to really say anything.
As for the Flex, sounds like it will be nice, and a step up from what they have now, but there is simply no way this could take the place of a minivan. Ford's still got a bit to do if they want a true van-replacement CUV.
I don't think the Journey will be a hit the way the Lambdas are, though. The manufacturers simply have a different set of priorities.
The RX400H does use the old 3.3l V6 (3MZ in Toyota-speak), which is too bad. The 3.5l (2GR) is a lot more powerful and in most cases slightly more efficient. Plus, the GS hybrid has the 2GR engine, so why Toyota didn't invest in getting that more modern mill in the RX hybrid I just don't understand.
To top it off, the engine is supposedly lighter and costs a lot less to build. Maybe it was a capacity limitation? :confuse:
Time to retire the 3MZ engine completely.
- Chad
In the Forester threads we're complaining that Subaru dropped the manual transmission option from the turbo models, but SoA answered back saying they only sold 10 per month nationwide.
It was our fault for not buying enough of them.
Whether the Flex will succeed where the Freestyle/Taurus X failed we'll have to wait and see. The latter were competent yet fairly anonymous.
The Flex is not anonymous at all - people will love it or hate it. Ford is gambling that it will be noticed and get on more buyers' radars.
I happen to like the Flex more. It looks like a super-sized Mini Cooper. A dose of personality may help it sell better, at least Ford hopes so.
True. However minivan sales peaked in 2000 at 1.37 million sales that year and have been down ever since. CUV sales OTOH are up up up and that's what Ford and GM are aiming at now I'd guess.
This probably sounds familiar because they both did the same thing when the SUV craze took hold of our Nation. At least this time they are concentrating somewhat more on their cars so they have something to fall back on if/when the CUV craze dies.
The catch is there is a lot more competitors fighting for pieces of that pie.
I disagree. I think there are plenty of people out there like me, but it seems at best Ford had no idea how to market this vehicle, and at worst didn't market it. The only advertising I ever saw for the Freestyle surrounded around a divorced family who came together for a brief time and drive around in the Freestyle before they go their separate ways again. I hope who ever came up with that concept to sell a vehicle has now found a different career.
Ford also was an early adopter of the CUV concept before most people knew what one was. Instead of capitalizing on this new category of vehicles with a good marketing campaign, it seems they thought people would figure it out for themselves. All of this while most Ford dealers had 30 Explorers on the lot but only 1 or 2 Freestyles. It never felt like Ford wanted the Freestyle to succeed, or perhaps they were scared to sacrifice more profitable Explorer sales. Who knows, but what ever the case I believe many more people would have loved the vehicle had they known about it and given it a try. Today it is too late since there is now substantial competition and the Freestyle/Taurus X is considered a lame duck vehicle.
I do think Ford needed to inject a bit more personality, though, especially if they expected the vehicle to sell itself without much marketing support.
Now with a different look becoming popular on CUV/SUVs, the Explorer look is maybe not as popular as in the past. Edge and perhaps Flex are more in the modern look, either you like it or not. I don't think I would call the Freestyle a 'modern looking crossover'...but it's not bad for an Explorer looking wagon...great value for the utility. But it still looks like an Explorer...one disadvantage is that it looks as if it has 15" rims where a lot of the look now is for the larger rims.
So, if you are getting phased out by Ford, where will you go for your next vehicle? Just curious.
Good day.
I'm not sure what the current volume is but the predictions are saying CUV sales should go over 3 million this year. Sales have been rising between 10 and 20 percent each year for the past few years probably mostly due to new models being introduced constantly.
Just look at Ford's March 2008 sales. SUVs and trucks in general are down but their CUVs are up save for the TX.
Still, there's a lot more competition.
Scoop from the Straightline Blog: the Outlander's 6 speed is getting the dual-clutch treatment, a la VW's DSG gearbox.
Pretty cool, check it out:
http://blogs.edmunds.com/.eea5d4c/2
I'm a manual tranny guy myself but I'd take a DSG if one were offered. With some kind of manua control of course.
I'd take a DSG over an regular automatic.
But it still looks like an Explorer...one disadvantage is that it looks as if it has 15" rims where a lot of the look now is for the larger rims.
So, if you are getting phased out by Ford, where will you go for your next vehicle? Just curious.
The Freestyle looks a little like an Explorer but the Taurus X certainly doesn't. The base wheels on the Freestyle/Taurus X are 17" and the Limited come with 18"s.
And regarding our next family vehicle, I suspect we'll keep driving the Freestyle for a couple more years (We currently have an '05 with 52k miles on it), and then maybe pick up a last year Taurus X if Ford does phase them out. After that, who knows? I'd really like a Diesel crossover that gets 40mpg on the highway.
- Chad
The Freestyle/Taurus X are listed as coming with 17" & 18" for 2007/2008. The ones I see around Memphis look like they have smaller ones...might just be the impression the design gives.
Well, to quote the Edmunds review on the Taurus X:
"The 2008 Ford Taurus X is essentially a relabeled version of last year's Freestyle, but with the new name comes a new look and several improvements. "
I would agree the Flex does not look like an Explorer, but the Freestyle/Taurus X does, at least to me. ( I think the Flex looks like someone took my Trooper and stretched it out a little and chopped it down a little shorter. I really need to see one to get the real feel for if I like it or not, pictures only do so much.)
I vote for xxxxl mini cooper for my $.02
It looks like Ford may continue the T-X for another year into 2009, since the plant is making Taurus Sedans anyway, the production is done, and there's minimal cost in keeping it going, as long as they don't advertise, which they don't. (I can't believe the Divorced Dad commercial. Divorce is about as warm feeling as baby killing. Was Ford trying to kill the sales!? ) Also, Ford may want to keep the T-X around in case the Flex is too radical and doesn't sell. A CYA thing.
In 2010, it looks like the T-X will morph with the Explorer into the Explorer America concept. This is the Explorer moved from a truck Body-on-Frame to the Taurus D32 unibody car-like platform. It will have a lot of the features of the Taurus X in a modern but less boxy look. This may be appealing to those like me who don't like the Flex style.
I bet it would look really cool with one, too.
I bet it would look really cool with one, too.
A Jolly Roger would be my choice. :shades:
http://editorial.autos.msn.com/listarticle.aspx?cp-documentid=434652
So I don't know what full size CUV get award, but Acadia is defiantly number one in full size CUV's categories.
Plus, Lambdas win Motorweek's Drivers Choice Award: Best Crossover, 2nd year in a row.
http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/dc2008/
Click here for more info on which Fords will be getting the EcoBoost in the near future. Note that the Flex is one.
MT has been wrong about some things recently though so I'd wait for a second opinion myself.
I just hope they don't get too caught up in this hybrid hubub, because as various Toyotas prove, hubub is what it is.
I agree. They still seem to be pushing E85 hard too. That has always been a mystery to me because it offers no fuel or money savings but now my pizzas cost more because farmers are growing more corn than wheat! OK, that's an oversimplification of the problem but you get the drift. :shades:
the lunatic's are running the asylum as they say...
diesel, to a white courtesy phone, diesel please pick up...
Around me the price differential has crept up to 90 cents per gallon (diesel vs. 87 octane gas).
Perhaps that will drop as heating oil demand drops.
the other is to disuade it's popular acceptance...
While we're on the subject of spending as little as possible, ALG announced its 2007 Residual Value Awards, and for CUV the winner was the Subaru Tribeca:
https://www.alg.com/default.aspx?sid=29
Subaru gambled on high residuals for their leases, so I guess the strategy paid off.
Same here, but I am told that there are 1 or 2 in the greater Pittsburgh area which do carry it. Also same as you, I'm told that it costs more than regular gas and it is widely known that you do lose a few M'sPG by putting it in your tank.
Why would anyone want that? Yet every day I'm behind a big GM or Dodge truck or SUV which has a big shiny E85 badge on it. Ford has at least backed off of that bandwagon for the most part. I think they still sell SUVs and trucks that are capable of running the fuel, but they don't seem to be advertising it anymore through the media or via a badge on the vehicle.
Yes it looks a lot like the Euro Mondeo only a bit bigger. Since the TX has pretty much been cancelled after MY09 (not officially yet though) imagine what the TX could have been...
(2008 Euro Mondeo wagon prototype)
Looking at the concept- I'm not so sure. Don't get me wrong, it's leaps and bounds over the current Taurus is terms of looks. Bit it looks as if they are still trying to get that elevated stance, as it looks to tall. I was hoping for something a little more broad shouldered and sporty-not totally 300C/G8, but from what I see, I'd rather have a Camry. Ford better not screw up again. As for what the Wagon, forget what the Taurus could have been. How about what the upcoming Flex should be?