What about the future of Ford Inc??

grbeck

I hope that Ford continues to resist the urge to dump the Five Hundred into fleets. The car still needs the 3.5 V-6 and a facelift.

nvbanker

Would you notice it in rental fleets though? It is the most invisible car on the road today! As opposed to the 300c, it's a miracle they've sold at all, although, in my test drive, I didn't notice the power issue much. I just don't care for the styling.

dodgeyaussie

I haven't read the whole thread... but i have a few frustrations to vent with Ford US....

1. 90% of your cars a boring.... Only Mustang, GT, F150 and the new Fusion pique any interest...

2. The 500 is way underpowered... get a decent powerplant already.

3. Have a look at Ford Australia. The Falcon especially the FPV versions(www.fpv.com.au), Fairlane should be seriously considered for adaption to the US market. Also the Territory should be considered as a replacement for the Freestyle... while they are very similar in styling... the Territory is much better in so many ways it's not funny. Power being the main advantage.203hp for Freestyle... 250 for Territory...

nippononly

So then, what is the Focus (3- and 5-doors, wagon, and 4-door sedan)?

varmint

When I was a music student in college, three of us had Fairmont derivatives. I had a 78 or 79 Fairmont in red. Looked like the Fire Chief's car. Another drove a Futura, which we dubbed the "fastback". The third had a Zephyr. The Futura driver and I used to ogle the Zephyr's bumper bullets and quarter panel vents.

We used to joke that we'd weld the three together and make a Fairmont Limo out of them.

grbeck

The Focus is the successor to the Pinto and the Escort. It's slotted below the compact class.

The successor to the Fairmont would be the Fusion, which is available in only one body style - a four-door sedan.

Maybe Ford needs a Fusion Futura (although Ford has apparently lost rights to the Futura name) or a Milan M-7.

grbeck

A red Fairmont sedan does look like a fire chief's car. A few Fairmont Futuras have popped up for sale at the various Carlisle events....as I said, it's not a bad-looking car for the time.

hpmctorque

"Maybe Ford needs a Fusion Futura (although Ford has apparently lost rights to the Futura name) or a Milan M-7." Ah, I like that idea!

We once had a Mercury Zephyr two door sedan in the family, purchased used as an extra vehicle. It had been well maintained and driven with reasonable care, and that continued while it was in our fleet. It was equipped with the 200 c.i. I-6 and automatic, the most popular drivetrain for the Fairmont/Zephyr. It was a decent car for its day, and by the time it died it had provided 155,000 miles of low maintenance service.

One car magazine, I think Car & Driver, described the Ford Fairmont as "the poor man's Volvo." While the Volvo was much sturdier structurally, it was also significantly higher maintenance.

I'd love to see Ford put a sedan body on the new Mustang platform, badged it as a Mercury. Priced from the low to high twenties, such a car might succeed better than the Lincoln LS.

nvbanker

A Red Station Wagon! Talk about a fire wagon.....but I have no complaints. It was tinny and low tech, but it served our young family well. Sold it to a retired FBI agent. Said he felt right at home in it. He loved it, but wrecked it, fixed it, and wrecked it again. I believe it went to the pic a part after that.

One thing I marveled at - that car had ice cold air, a real asset in Vegas, and never in all the 6 years I owned it, required any charge or service on the air at all. Actually, it never required any service or repairs at all, that I can recall...... I sold it because the mileage was racking up, and the wife wanted a minivan....

jefferyg

I'd love to see Ford put a sedan body on the new Mustang platform, badged it as a Mercury. Priced from the low to high twenties, such a car might succeed better than the Lincoln LS.

It could definitely give the new Dodge Charger a run for the money. I still can't believe that Dodge doesn't offer that car in a 2-door version. How many of you guys out there who ever watched the Dukes of Hazzard (and will still admit it) could imagine the General Lee with four doors? :confuse:

Mercury definitely needs to do something to project it's image. The only reason I bought the Mountaineer was because I could get all the features of an Eddie Bauer Explorer for $1000 less.

nvbanker

I've been buying Mountaineers since 97 when they first debuted. They had more style than the Explorer I had, more options, and a certain refinement that said, Country Club version..... Since then, I've had 4 of em, and see no reason to quit now. I feel they're much better looking now, than the Explorer is.

mariner7

"Padilla's comments come as word of possible alliance talks flow through the industry's chatty, global rumor mill. Most often, such gossip seems to link Ford with Nissan, the Japanese turnaround company. For his part, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn insisted such talk is just that."

Personally I don't believe the rumors. But it all depends on Ghosn. He bailed out Nissan, which by many measures (profitability, resale values) has outdone even Toyota and Honda. So if he decides to join Ford, Nissan and Renault may have no choice but to go along.

varmint

I never found the Fairmont to be especially good-looking, but it did have good proportions. If you drew a car like a 10 year-old would... put a red crayon in your fist and move it up, over, up, over, down, over, and down... and you'd have my old Fairmont. Very much the classic sedan shape.

And I think that's probably true of the Fusion. While it does have more detail/ornamentation than the Fairmont, it's best feature is probably its proportion.

As for the General Lee. Technically... that car had no doors. I doubt Dodge could get away with that!

nitromax

That's one way to get the "new" Ford 3.5 liter engine finished....merge with Nissan and use theirs.
:-)

jefferyg

Of course it had doors, they were welded shut - except for a picture I saw once of the Duke boys standing behind an open driver's door.

And believe me, here in McComb, MS, the place I fondly refer to as the Redneck Capitol of the World, a car with doors welded shut and really loud exhaust would be a smashing success. BTW, how did a guy from MA come up with a screen name like varmint. If I hadn't checked your profile, I'd have thought you were one of my neighbors.

Seriously though, I do believe one thing that would help Ford/Mercury would be to release a new car that is all muscle. The new Mustang is getting there, but I'm thinking more along the lines of a Grand Torino in red and white. Merc could have done themselves a big favor by putting the engine out of the SVT Ligtning Pickup into the Marauder.

PF_Flyer

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/051020/earns_ford.html?.v=8

Ford Motor Co. Reports Third-Quarter Loss of $284 Million on Weak North American Results

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) -- Ford Motor Co. reported a third-quarter loss of $284 million on Thursday, dragged down more than $1 billion in losses at its North American division, and said it is developing a restructuring plan that will include "significant" U.S. plant closings and staff reductions.

mirth

Fusion commercials are suppose to start next week, and the cars should start coming to dealers in steady numbers starting next week as well. They had a problems with parts supplies from the bankrupt Collins and Aikman (sp?) this month, so they've only cranked out about 20,000 Fusions so far. But apparently the supply problem is fixed.

varmint

The handle Varmint is the result of being a ferret owner. I figured it fit my cantankerous nature, as well.

Perhaps Lincoln or Mercury needs something like the CTS Spec V. Is that what you're thinking with a Mustang sedan?

carguy58

It wouldn't make sense for Nissan to merge with Ford since Ford already owns 34% of Mazda. I mean Mazda is a direct competitor to Nissan so that wouldn't make any sense. Besides I thought Ghosn was going to take more of an interest in developing Renault's products soon and moving away from developing Nissan's future products.

Sure Ghosn has made Nissan one of the most profitable automakers but in the US they still are not outselling Honda or Toyota. Besides, Nissan needs to work on improving their quality/reliability anyway. Their reliability has been dipping since Ghosn took over. In my opinion Nissan has to get back to being on the most reliable nameplates in the automobile industry like they were in the 80's and 90's. It was just 5-6 years ago their cars were just as reliable or nearly reliable as Honda and Toyota. Infiniti's quality is still up there though.

carguy58

"Besides, I looked it up, and the Escalade is outselling the Navigator this year. "

"Price may have been the thing, but really, for the younger set it often comes down to how much bling it has. How much does it show off the wealth? The G and especially the Escalade do this well, while the Navigator is more conservative."

You know when the original Navigator first came out somewhere around 97-98 it was a popular car in the rap video's. The newer one you never see in the rap video's. You always see Benz sedan's or Caddy;s(Escalades)in the rap video's now. Your theory on how much bling it has is right on at least on the current Escalade vs current Navigator topic. Beaides, the First Escalade which was released for the 99 model year I think was basically a rebadged Chevy Tahoe. Gm just put a Caddy emblem onto the Tahoe I think and said here's our new Caddy SUV which is basically a Chevy but just with a Caddy emblem on it.

carguy58

"The Asians make the best cars from a cost to own point of view - they're not always exciting, in fact rarely are. Ford, IMO, makes the best domestic cars. Oh, they have put out a clinker or two, but for the money, generally they are high tech, well engineered, and reliable. At least that's how I see it."

Uh I agree with you for the most part but I;m kinda nuetral with you on the Asians don;t make exciting cars. The reason being Mazda was very influential in developing the Escape SUV for Ford(see Mazda Tribute.) Also, Ford's new Fusion is based off the Mazda 6 platform.

igor2

well Fusion will get Edge.. hopefully it will not be too SUV like and will be identifiable as Fusion cousin. That will be the wagon. I do not think they will make it any other body stile especially with mustang in the showrooms.

Other than that, I think Ford is doing well. They need to restyle Focus and make it more refined do they catch the non-traditional buyers that was a 3door, 5door or a wagon in a compact... (more traditional compact buyers will go to Mazda to give Ford $$).. and for midsize the roles reverse: if you want nontraditional choices go to Mazda and get 6. For the traditional loking cars go to Fusion.

I think it will work.

Igor

igor2

I do not think that Honda or Toyota is justified in their "reputation" anymore.. Their new models are no better than any other new car that comes out (maybe with the exception of GM) and yet they are able to charge 2-5 K more than Ford is.

I agree that Ford benefits from mazda.. I thin kthey are smart in doing so without killing the mazda spirit. However, I am upset that the only way for Ford to sell cars to average joe is to be CHEAPER AND BETTER than Honda.. and that is a market distortion..

Igor

dieselone

I agree that Ford benefits from mazda.. I thin kthey are smart in doing so without killing the mazda spirit. However, I am upset that the only way for Ford to sell cars to average joe is to be CHEAPER AND BETTER than Honda.. and that is a market distortion..

While I've always been a Ford fan, I don't know of one car Ford has had until the Fusion that was even close to a comparable Honda, and it remains to be seen how good the Fusion is.

Thank God the Taurus is gone. My wife has an '03 (company car) and while it is reliable it is a POS in every other area. Rattles, gutless v6, horrible trans shift quality, and an overall feeling of cheapness, it gets replaced in a few months, I hope it's not another Taurus. Ford let this car die on the vine and it should have been updated or replaced about 2-3 years ago. The fact that Ford still keeps the Vulcan 3.0 around makes me almost ashamed to be a Ford fan. An Accord with a 4cyl feels like a rocket compared to a Taurus with the Vulcan which is lucky to get 25mpg.

I find the 500 disappointing, sure it's on a good platform, but it sorely needs a better powerplant to be considered among the top sedans in its price range.

The Duratec 3.0 isn't impressive and even adding VVT it still won't match the Honda in terms of power and refinement. Honda's 3.0l v6 is very impressive and for '06 the freshened Accord sedan will offer the v6 with a 6 speed manual.

Mazda has always made impressive engines. I wish Ford would let Mazda develop Ford's v6s instead of the other way around. The best thing Ford ever did was use Mazda sourced 4 cylinders.

carguy58

I don't like Toyota anymore. Their new models look awkward to me. Honda has always had better interiors than Ford even though Ford is catching up in that area. I mean but look at the Oddy;s reliability record in CR compared with the Caravan and Windstar. Honda's cars hold their value alot better than Ford or Chrysler right now. I agree Chrysler is a good automaker but again reliability. I know they are getting better but their reliability is very shaky from what I see in CR. All those X's meaning below average in reliability scare me. Chrysler needs to establish good resales values as well. The PT Cruiser has pretty good resale value though.

stickguy

the mainstream cars might last forever, but I can't stand the lack of driving dynamics. They almost make a Buick seem like the driver is involved. Also not impressed with the insides of a Camry (layout, seat comfort, ergonomics n general). Same with the Corolla, which has a very uncomfortable driving position.

To be fair, I actually own a Toyota (ok, a Scion tC), which even though it has the same engine as a Camry, feels like a polar oposite car.

I do like the Accord quite a bit though, and seriously considered buying one (stickshift only, please).

That's why the Fusion interested me. I like the Mazda 6, but found the seats to be uncomfortable, otherwise I probably would have bought one, plus it had some headroom issues. Both things the Fusion cured.

jefferyg

Yes that's sort of what I have in mind, not hulking but perhaps a little bigger than the stang. I'm thinking a rear-wheel drive car along the size of the 500 with a V8, plenty of ponies and lots of low end torque. A 2-door version would really sweeten the deal. The fairlane would have been a great choice for such a vehicle, but it looks like they're going to turn it into an oversized Honda Element - how disappointing .

nvbanker

"the First Escalade which was released for the 99 model year I think was basically a rebadged Chevy Tahoe. Gm just put a Caddy emblem onto the Tahoe I think and said here's our new Caddy SUV which is basically a Chevy but just with a Caddy emblem on it."

Other than the optional engine in the 4WD - what's changed with the Escalade? The Navigator is more substance, less bling, that's true.

chuck1959

I have posted this in other forums. Why doesn't anyone relaize 2-dooor cars DON NOT SELL ANYMORE! Mustang being the exception. Look around how many 2 doors do you see anymore?

lweiss

Ford has product issues but still is in better shape going forward than GM. At least Ford has a good 4 cylinder mid-sized sedan coming in the Fusion/Milan/Zephr line, unlike GM's bland Chevy Malibu or somewhat better Pontiac G6. The fuel costs are now on everyone's mind, even if prices continue to moderate, the era of the big gas hogs is over (thankfully!).

I have had great Ford Tauruses over the years (just sold my '94 GL, great service!), now have my second Ford Windstar (a 2000, almost no problems) but my '98 Volvo is just too maintenance intensive to keep much longer. Wasn't going to consider domestic, but now that Ford is coming back to good midsize cars, I will probably go with them.

Ford needs (like GM and maybe D-C), to get their products more aligned with reality- no more Expedition/Explorer situations where they depend on regular people to drive fully featured commercial vehicles- at least not in great numbers. Feel sorry for the people that did buy those models in the last year- big payments, big fuel costs, horrible resale values.

john_324

Actually, if you look around, there are plenty of two-doors on the streets...Hyundai Tiburon, Scion tC, Acura RSX, Honda Civic, Chevy Cobalt to name a few.

But what do they all have in common? They're marketed to young people.

I think the issue isn't that two door cars won't sell, but rather that they won't sell to certain demographics. That's why the Charger is a four-door...people old enough to remember the originals, and old enough to actually be able to afford them need the space and utility of a sedan at this point in their lives, and would be less likely to buy a coupe Charger (as cool as many of them undoubtably think that would be...)

And in any event, a Mercury Cougar based on a Mustang platform would probably just steal certain Mustang sales...so the overall demand would likely just stay the same I'd bet.

chuck1959

Sorry I should have qualified that. I should have said American made 2-doors.

chuck1959

Make that American car manufacters. I know this crowd AND there will be someone that will say Toyotas, Honda, etc are american made! .

igor2

I agree with the reality check... needed for the Ford/GM/DC trio..

I am just upset that the magnum/charger/300 bunch is so popular because it is a step back to normalizing th market.

GM still have no grasp of reality.. possibly forced by the need to focus on refreshing theis full size SUV/truck lineup..

I adminre for fo being so Euro-based. they have been producing very sensible cars that make sense and fit together to make a great full featured lineup. As usual I will complain about Focus, but other than that there is a lot of activity going on and they have a good direction... I think all of their new cars were a good reality based designs, and that gives them a strong foundation to go on further.. making more extravagant moves like reviving Lincoln and finishing up MetaOne..

Igor

igor2

good point.. compare the US Honda/toyota models to Euopean.. almost no overlap.

Igor

nvbanker

Well for sure, GM has the worst timing luck in the industry..... Just having redesigned all their SUVs right when they become everyone's boat anchor is very unfortunate. 6 months ago, you couldn't sell a Cavalier at the auction - nobody would even bid on them. Today, I had 15 people bidding against me on Cavaliers~!

carguy58

the mainstream cars might last forever, but I can't stand the lack of driving dynamics. They almost make a Buick seem like the driver is involved. Also not impressed with the insides of a Camry (layout, seat comfort, ergonomics n general). Same with the Corolla, which has a very uncomfortable driving position."

I agree the current interior in the Camry is pretty boring looking. I have sat in a couple current Camry's. I didn't find seat comfort a problem. The interior was just very bland. With the Corolla I think the steering wheel is too high for smaller sized(height-wise)drivers.

"That's why the Fusion interested me. I like the Mazda 6, but found the seats to be uncomfortable, otherwise I probably would have bought one, plus it had some headroom issues. Both things the Fusion cured."

I don;t think the Mazda 6 has headroom issue unless your 6 foot. I sat in one and it was perfectly sized for my needs.

carguy58

"Other than the optional engine in the 4WD - what's changed with the Escalade? The Navigator is more substance, less bling, that's true."

I think the Escalade was redesigned on the exterior for the 02 model year if I'm not mistaken.

carguy58

"Make that American car manufacters. I know this crowd AND there will be someone that will say Toyotas, Honda, etc are american made!"

Well the reason people will say Toyota and Honda are American made is because most of their line of cars are built in North America now. Toyota has a plant in Kenucky and in 1 plant in Canada. Also Honda has 2 plants in Ohio I think and 1 plant in Canada.

carguy58

"The fuel costs are now on everyone's mind, even if prices continue to moderate, the era of the big gas hogs is over (thankfully!)."

I wouldn't be so quick to say "the era of the big gas hogs is over". If fuel prices go down again maybe the big hog SUV trend will unfortunately make a come back. Of course as well all know though everything goes in cycles. In the 80's/early 90's it was sports coupes that everybody wanted. By 1996 nobody wanted a 2 door car anymore. In the 70's/early 80's everybody was driving big tank looking cars. Of course the(supposed)gas shortage drove some people to buy Honda and Toyota supcompact cars and away from their Domestic Big 3 big tank looking cars. BTW, last month was a great month sales wise for compact cars like the Nissan Sentra, Mazda 3, and Honda Civic. It was also a great sales month for a mid-sized car like the Nissan Altima as well.

"Ford needs (like GM and maybe D-C), to get their products more aligned with reality- no more Expedition/Explorer situations where they depend on regular people to drive fully featured commercial vehicles- at least not in great numbers. Feel sorry for the people that did buy those models in the last year- big payments, big fuel costs, horrible resale values."

I don't sorry for people who bought a big gas guzzling SUV unless they need it if they have a big family. I am a single person in my mid 20's and very anti SUV. I don't need an SUV because I have no use for it. Thats why I never understood the SUV trend that started in the mid 90's. Why would you buy a big SUV in the first place if you don't have a big family and you have no adequete use for it? Your thing about resale value on SUV's maybe right on target now they might have horrible resale value because nobody wants one but in 2 years they might have better resale value if the gas prices dip down sgnificantly like they did in the late 90's.

carguy58

"Today, I had 15 people bidding against me on Cavaliers~!"

Dang! Fuel prices are that bad people are going for Cavaliers.

nvbanker

"I think the Escalade was redesigned on the exterior for the 02 model year if I'm not mistaken."

It was 01 - there was no 00 Escalade. But it still to this day, has the Silverado interior with some wood and leather added here and there.

nvbanker

"Dang! Fuel prices are that bad people are going for Cavaliers."

Exactly.

benjaminh

When I bought my black 2000 Focus ZTS, I really wanted to believe in the quality of American cars. For a while I really had faith too, because the design of the Focus was outstanding both in terms of looks and performance. But 9 recalls and and equal number of other non-recall defects later I lost faith in the idea that the car might be reliable (it wasn't) and even began to wonder whether it was safe. That experience led me to say never again would I buy a new Ford (who knows if I'll live up to that, but that's what I said). Hundreds of thousands of people every year seem to have made the same choice I did, and Ford's share of the US market in the last 6 years has plunged from something like 24% down to 18%, with no end yet clearly in sight. In the meantime, they have come out with two cars I like, the 500 and the Fusion, but quality is still clearly as issue, as the following article reveals:

http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0510/23/A01-358226.htm

In spite of all their brave talk about quality, it is still a challenge to match Toyota or Honda as Ford outsources more of their parts, cuts costs, and shifts production to places like Mexico. I guess I'm still a little bitter about my Focus, but I think it's more American to buy an Accord built in Ohio than a Fusion built in Mexico. Sure the Accord costs more than the Fusion, but the quality and the feeling that you're supporting American workers is--to me--worth it. I hope Ford can pull up, but I don't hope it so much that I'd buy one of their cars again. Not yet, anyway.

nvbanker

The launch of the 2000 Focus was a relative failure that has hurt Ford, to be sure. But do you know about the 18 recalls the BMW X-5 has had to date? Would you buy a BMW? I'm curious.

From your article - "The biggest issues we've had for 2004 were the diesel engines," said Jerry Reynolds, whose Prestige Ford in Garland, Texas, is one of the nation's highest volume Ford dealers. "We were spending a lot of money trying to fix them."

The Power Stroke diesel engine is made for Ford by Navistar. So was the 7.3L Power Stroke, which was a great engine. The 6.0L puts out more power, with less weight, size and fuel consumption - but it had a problem with the engine control system that really cost Ford a fortune. Ford is actively pursuing another diesel partner to make their Diesels in the future. Relations with Navistar have deteriorated significantly for Ford.

I think you're painting the whole company unjustly - however, I don't blame you for being uncomfortable in chancing another Ford. But all their products aren't bad, all their launches aren't flawed - (the F-150 in 2004, the Mustang in 2005 for example) and every company has issues from time to time.

john_324

Oh, yeah...totally.

I chalk it up to the median age of the average domestic buyer....they're just not at the point in their lives anymore where 2 doors make sense, other than for a fun weekend car.

jefferyg

Emissions were a big issue with the 7.3 Powerstroke, and I believe that had more to do with the change than anything else. GM has not had the best of luck with their Duramax diesel from what I hear.

But here's an interesting point to make. My younger brother used to be a salesman at Prestige in Garland a few years ago. And at the time they were the highest volume truck dealer in the country. I asked my brother once, "If you could sell only one vehicle, what would it be?" Without batting an eye he said "F-250." He said they had a waiting list of people who wanted them, and there was no such thing as keeping them in stock. The truck was literally selling itself and most people wanted the diesel engine.

Whatever issues the truck may have, it was/is meeting the needs of consumers who need a "work" truck. I have a friend in Alabama who frames houses for a living. He waited more than 3 months to get his F-350 Crew Cab with an 8-foot box. The fact is these trucks will always have a market because some people gotta have a real truck.

nippononly

saw the results over the weekend of one of those surveys done by Strategic Vision, and the least trusted brands in America right now are Chrysler and Hyundai! Top three were Toyota, Honda, and Nissan. Honestly, I would expect to see either Ford or GM occupying one of these two low spots, not Chrysler.

Things like the hiccups Ford has had in launching Fusion production in Mexico make me nervous in terms of how I view the brand. Ford has been scrambling to find a new supplier for something where the original supplier dropped the ball, and it caused initial production delays for Fusion. Now it is back on track, but I hate to think what they are using to patch up this supplier problem, or what resulted from this "scrambling". I don't want a car built from parts the manufacturer "scrambled" to find. :-(

Focus is not the only model that launched with lots of problems, Escape did too. Balanced against that, it appears that the Five Hundred launched very smoothly. As did the revised Mustang and F-150. Are they getting it together?

igor2

That is true...
I agree with the Chrysler statement.. that suhrprises me.. although as a Ford fan I would rather see Gm there (I am actually surprised Hyundai is stil lthere with the years of excellent products they have been making...

About the fusion start.. it is very unfortunate for Ford.I mean look attheir last starts: Mustang, F150, 500/Freestyle.. they were so smooth honda would be prowd to call them their own. And I think that is the big push in ford for starts like that one.. and should Fusion be hurt because one of the supliers went belly up is unfortunates especially because ford had nothing to do with this, and was a victim of someone elses problem...

I hope whateverthey scrambled will not make Fusion go the Focus way.

Igor

frizz2112

Ford certainly isn't done taking their lumps yet, but I agree that they're in a better position than GM and overall don't look too bad assuming they can get their costs under control. If you think about the types of vehicles all the people jumping out of large SUV's these days are going to buy, Ford is well positioned. I'll bet a majority of those people aren't going to go from a big SUV to a Prius; they're going to want something with the practicality of an SUV without the mileage overhead. The 500, Freestyle, Escape (hybrid) and Fusion are all good choices depending on what their needs are. All of those can carry a family around (depending on the size) and the 500, Escape and Freestyle have the AWD option, so they cover most of the bases that large SUV's cover. If you are a GM guy and want out of your SUV, you have some choices, but they are generally inferior to the Ford offerings, with no true crossover option like the Freestyle.

I think we'll see Ford's fortunes start to pick up once Fusion sales are in full swing. I think there's pent up demand from people like me who would like to own an American make but aren't willing to buy something that's second rate just to wave the flag around. Ford seems to have their act together with their new products and I think they're going to earn back some of their lost market share over the next few years.