Why do you guys even bother? VInce is not here to share opinions, engage in an intelligent debate or share information, he is just here to run in, get people fired up and then run and hide and watch the waves he created, it is the same psychology as an arsonist that starts a fire and hides waiting for the fire trucks and news cameras to show up. Don't call Vince an idiot, he already knows he is one, no good ever comes out of Vince's posts, he is still spreading the same misinformation, stating opinions as facts ignoring the rebuttals to his points and ignoring info that does not agree with his narrow view, I say totally ignore him unless he acts intelligently and he will either go away and spread his manure in another forum or just dissappear.
Bash, Bash, Bash. Ok, I have already admitted the Contour was not the greatest car it seemed to be at first. But, The Contour in its SE V6 5spd configuration will out slalom, out accelerate and just plain kick but on my wifes Accord LX 5spd hands down... or any Altima, or Sentra at that.. and even come within tenths of points of the Maxima.. And if you read the stats will keep up in the slalom and acceleration and skidpad of many cars 10K more its price!! If it wasn't for the 7 safety recalls we would have kept it.. Why is it Edmunds can bash Nissan and be called bias, but when it bashes Ford its information is correct? Ford continues to sell thousands upon thousands of Rangers after 13+ years of production. Nissan has had more years than that to show the public its product is far superior. The consumer makes the choice. And as far as the argument of "rebates" "interest rates" and so on.. Take another look, Frontier is severely discounted now in the NW region, along with APR, and cash back on top of that for months now...
Taking driver experience into account I bet an experienced driver driving a Contour could beat alot of the numbers the the mags put out there. The same driver could also beat a Maxima, not all maximas are built the same exact way. I bet it was frustrating dealing with that many recalls. Did your dealer take care of you?
I said they are bashing Nissan(Crew Cab) because if you read the article you can see that they basically rag on the whole 4-door p/u idea. When the S/T came out they priased the same things that they knocked the CC. Like the rear interior for example(I know that the S/T is bigger)look at the pics they show, in the Nissan pic the seats are all the way back not so in the S/T picture. The bed was another place where they praised the S/T - size, which is smaller than the CC. I don't have anything against the S/T at all just the way the articles are written. Like I said maybe they were skeptical on the new 4 doors and the Nissan was out first so it got heavily criticized. I just think its unfair to those that are shopping the CC.
Actually, the Ford dealer was great. They fixed the recalls in the time they specified, gave me rides home when needed and picked me up! and gave me a rental or two also when needed. I know when I first came to Edmunds I ranted and raved about the Contour. I still believe Ford could have improved the Contour/Mystique and it would have sold if they would have advertised it better. None the less, its gone. I would try another Ford product though... Nissan had the lead in the 4door truck market and should have done it right the first time in order to keep the lead. Now, Toyota,Chevy/GMC, Ford and Dodge are all going to have 4 door trucks by the end of the year...
That's good that the dealer took care of you. It's getting harder and harder to find good service these days. Your probably right about the Nissan...they kind of left alot of room for their competitors to add stuff. When I was shopping the F-250 SD and relized I didn't need it yet I saw a huge difference in the smaller trucks and their options, especially the Nissan and the Toyota. Remember I was getting out of a Acura Legend with heated seats and mirrors and all kinds of extras.
Eventhough Ford's S/T and the avalance are hybrids I'm kind of glad that the Nissan Toyota and the Chevy's are staying with the truck theme. I was hoping that Ford was coming out with a 4-door Ranger for 2001, who knows? I think by Ford coming out with their sut it will certainly make everbody else come out with one. Chevy's working on their full-size version and I believe Nissan has one too. I've been waiting for years for these 4-door trucks to come out ever since I saw them on the Discovery channel in Africa or somewhere
Not that all this financial stuff matters to me, but there has been alot of talk about nissan and ford and profits etc. Just find it amazing that the person doing all of the research somehow did not mention that ford lost $577 million this past quarter, also believe it or not, there is a japanese auto maker actually in worse shape than people accuse Nissan of being, Mazda is doing so bad they are talking about closing up to 40% of their dealers, anyone want to guess who owns mazda?
Speaking from an accounting standpoint, there are just too many factors (timing differences, extraordinary losses/gains, market fluctuations, changes in valuation, changes in acct principles, and too many more to list) that a lay-person (check it out, I'm pc) just doesn't have a clue about. Unless you work in Ford's accounting department or are their auditors, the numbers just don't mean that much.
A good outside indicator for a layperson would be to check out the company's cash flows. If a company is having trouble financing normal operations, then that is a very poor sign.
Just a thought, but some of the major factors in last quarter's "loss" may be:
(1) the market was down in the first quarter (2) Ford purchased Land Rover in the first quarter (3) 1st quarter sales are slow for auto mfgr's (4) R&D exp for new products
My whole point is that a single number does not tell even part of the story. Even Ford's entire quarterly financial statements don't tell the whole story.
There's been talk of Mazda closing dealerships? And on the eve of the introduction of a new RX7 and Mazda Tribute? BTW, Ford/Mazda doesn't own the dealerships.
cthompson; good points, so what you are saying is that there are extenuating circumstances, and those numbers don't tell the whole story. And these numbers don't necessarily have an effect on the consumer. Hmm, that is exactly the response I have had to the statements about Nissan's finances which were dismissed, (although not by you)I did this to illustrate that point. One thing that is interesting, if you look at TRS, (total return to shareholders) In the automotive industry, the top one is Nissan, second is Renault, third is Fiat, and fourth ford. Just interesting tidbits.
Doesn't it amaze you how many people focus solely on Net Income and EPS (the stock market included)? You would think the market and others would look at cash flows from operations. As you pointed out, that is the true indicator of whether or not the company is making money and sustaining itself.
Yes, it is a bit batty. A company could show a huge net income and be a going concern in the same instance.
Another simple indicator would be just to look at the company's bond rating (should they issue bonds). It shows what the investing company as a whole thinks of the company's present and future prospects.
Haywood Jablowme, V.P. of Ford SVT is pleased to announce the limited production of the Vince Ranger. This new model will be limited to a production run of just one to fulfill the penis envy of Vince8.
Holden Megroin - Chief Product Manager stated that this new ranger will have a blown 460 c.i. V-8 tucked under the ranger's hood. When asked about other features, he explained that there are no other changes planned, "All that someone like Vince cares about is having more torque than the other guy" was his response. "We are planning on producing the same poor handling, rattling, noisy, poor braking ranger that we always have, it will just be faster". One additional bonus feature will be an airbrushed torque curve on the hood. The image will be reversed so that any Nissan Frontier owner that Vince8 approaches will be intimidated by his mighty torque curve.
Ben Dover - SVT Quality Manager - also added that three major recalls are already planned for this vehicle. He also anticipates at least 200 TSB's to address other quality issues.
Harry Paratesticles, Press relations manager, contacted Vince8 by phone for his response: "I am so excited about this vehicle, it will once and for all prove that the Ranger is a superior vehicle" stated Vince.
More features on this groundbreaking vehicle will follow shortly, or feel free to add your own. (Are you L.O.L. Vince???)
Well, I always appreciate a bit of quality humor, there is an additional feature, heated tailgate so your hands won't get cold when you are pushing it. I think it is nice to sit back and not be so serious here once in awhile, I think we can all laugh at something like this.
It will either have a S/C V6 or the 3.9L V8 (from the Lincoln LS). It will also be AWD (maybe the system from the Explorer?).
If Ford actually produces this truck with AWD and an ext-cab (or 4-door), they just might tempt me into trading in my current truck. It sounds like a truck purpose-built for my own personal needs (light duty off-road of mostly snow and easy trails + powerful engine - hopefully the V8 + great tow vehicle for my sleds).
I currently own an SVT Contour. The vehicles that the Special Vehicle Team produce (with the one exception of the weak-pony pony-car - '99 Cobra) are a step above the rest. Count me in on one of those if they make a practical truck (the Lightning is a real screamer but not the ideal daily driver with only 2wd to boot). I couldn't possibly be happier with my SVTour.
I think I read about that 'Edition'. What I remember about it was that it had a special lift out console that contained a waterproof binder in it. Within this Gortex lined binder were the previous sales record for the entire Ranger line. These sales figures of course are compiled by the special marketing team out of Dearborn, MI. The Chief Product Manager, Holden Megroin stated the reason they went with the 'removable' binder, "this would give the Vince8 the ability to bring with him those special figures to confort him while the dealership denied any warranted items". When I first saw this I though what a wonderful idea, you buy a piece of the number one selling compact pickup and you get to see it in print!
Holden Megroin sent me an e-mail with a few other recently added features to the Vince Ranger:
1. A customized set of goggle blinders so that Vince will not see any vehicles that are nicer than his.
2. A frequency tuned set of earplugs that filter out any information contrary to Vince's opinions.
3. A customized PC web browser that only finds links that support the Ranger as a superior vehicle.
4. A 2 gigabyte chip for Vince's brain. This miracle chip will allow Vince to objectively comment on vehicles that he does not own.
5. A special instant isolation shelter so that Vince can hide when he feels threatened by conflicting information such as Edmund's own long term Ranger test.
Since only one of the new Vince Rangers will be produced, we will have to kill the idea that sales volume=quality.
Psych 101, when a person is proven wrong, or when a person feels threatened they resort to name calling and attempting to belittle the person. croy2, sorry you bought a Frontier and you feel the need to name call and attempt to belittle me and my Ranger. You will get aplause from the Nissan crowd of course. I really hit a cord with you, showing how superior the Ranger is and will always be to a "Frontier" LOL!! Weak 3.3, and with its new bandaid, a supercharger...
vince,buddy,we aren't laughing at you or your truck,we are laughing with you.LOL. The good part is the parody is pretty close to the stuff you have been spouting and pretty ingenius as well as funny. I still question if you do own a Ranger.The guys on the Tacoma board may have a point about you and your truck.Cut and Paste. LOL! All these people surely could not be wrong in their assessment.
OK let's do a quick tally of what Vinny has proven. Vince already admitted that the 4 cylinder ranger is a joke (in his own words) compared to the frontier, and since most rangers on the road are 4 cylinders, vinny believes most rangers are jokes.
Vince has been too afraid to review the articles that showed the frontiers suspension is superior to the rangers, and has even been too afraid to look under his truck to verify this, so he admits the frontier has a better suspension because he ignores the point.
Vince claims the ranger to be higher quality because this year the ranger rated higher on JD power's survey, but can't explain why the frontier had the award for HIGHEST in inital quality on the same survey before, and he can't explain why over the last 3-4 years a different truck has won every year even though all of these trucks have been pretty much the same, so this proves what?
Vince says the ranger outsells the frontier therefore it has to be better, but can't admit that by his logic the frontier would have to be better than the ranger twin, the mazda because the frontier outsells the mazda.
Vince claims that the ranger is safer than the frontier, but can't explain why there is no difference in the injury rates between the two. And continues to use data from before safety improvements were made on the frontier trucks.
Vince goes on and on about how the ranger has more torque than the frontier, but doesn't mention anything about the horsepower and somehow doesn't mention that the V6 that comes with the frontier has more power and torque than the majority of ranger V6's on the road. So basically even though hardly anyone buys the 4.0l ranger V6 that is the only one that anyone can talk about in comparison to the frontiers.
Vince refuses to talk about the fact that the frontier has lower costs of ownership than the ranger, so he must agree with this too.
Everyone already knows that the frontier has a better warranty, a bigger bed, more standard features, more available comfort options, is quieter, rides better, gives more for the money than the ranger.
Vince goes on and on name calling the frontier engine and calling the SC a "bandaid" even though ford is "bandaiding" their engines, and every review so far of the 01 frontier has been great.
Vince constantly steps in, ignores the facts, tries to irritate people, declares a victory when he hasn't contributed or proven anything and then goes and hides under his bed until he finds another tidbit that agrees with his point of view.
So someone please explain to me exactly what Vince has proven here? And what does Psych 101 call a hit and run name caller without the ability to think for himself and cannot support an argument?
I don't think that he's ignoring us or that he's hiding under his bed. I think he's sleeping on the couch in his local Ford dealership's service lounge! He might be thinking of what "Job 1" really is because it's anything but "quality"!
Better watch it,fordsporttrac should be popping in here to dispute your "wild" claims,inuendos,and false truths. I think it would not be too hard to make a case that vince and him...........
Hey I was going to ask you Nissan guys have you been to the Tacoma vs. Ranger site? I have been and have seen the name calling that goes on there. But nobody on that page cries! Funny how all of the sensative Ford owners 'cry' or complain about the Nissan owners bashing but not the Toyota owners, maybe they should see that site. The sites involving Chevy are even worse. The sites involving Nissan seem to be very mild and have been called by other sites boring.
CNCMAN, thanks for the great explanation about vince's rationale. Very well put together.
Vince, Don't talk to me about hiding. I have absolutely no regrets with my Nissan CC. You are the [non-permissible content removed] who hides. What about the Edmunds long term test??? Any response to all of the faults they find on a monthly basis with the 1998 Ranger?? Or maybe we should just continue to focus on the mighty torque curve. Until you can reply to the test results, you should really lighten up and shut the hell up. It's not about bashing Vince, it's about facts.
The list keeps growing. Not only do current Fords have severe problems, now they have problems before they even get off the line: **** Ford Motor Company has issued a second emergency stop sale order for All Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute models in less than one week. The first stop sale order was issued on 27 July for a potential cruise control accelerator sticking problem. The Ford Escape is now in the running to tie with the Focus, which had three recalls issued before even being sold to a consumer.
The newest stop sale order is the most embarrassing one facing Ford's newest S.U.V. - the steering wheel has the potential of falling off. The recall includes ALL models manufactured from 17 April to 26 July. Ford directive #00S19 states "DO NOT DRIVE DELIVER OR PERFORM PRE-DELIVERY INSPECTION ON ANY VEHICLES AFFECTED BY SAFETY RECALL 00S19 UNTIL THE REPAIR HAS BEEN PERFORMED." Consumers and dealership personnel will not be able to test drive an Escape and dealers will not be permitted to prep Escape models that were special ordered for consumers until further notice. ******
And how bout them Firestone Tires that Ford knew sucked and still put on their vehicles. Gee whiz. Are their any Ford's that don't have problems? I know of only one and that's Vince's mighty Ranger.
I will galdly go up against any of you in my Ranger vs any Frontier in any category.. Your pathetic 3.3 is a joke along with its torque curve. Anyone with a half a brain can see even the old pushrod 4.0 torque/HP curve is much better than the new high tech 3.3. You all can joke and bash Ford all you want, fact is the Ranger is the better performer (per Edmunds), Better crash test per carpoint and crashtest, reliabiltiy/quality is ONE point lower than Nissan, Higher initial quality at JD powers... I'm not crying, nor am I a "[non-permissible content removed]" (sounds like a wanna be alpha male is in the room, croy2).. Croy2 has regrets it shows.. Like I said, sorry you guys bought the lowest V6 engine (top of the line V6 that is) on the market today, ugliest, frumpy, downright joke of a compact truck on the market today. I notice you have to bring other Ford products and even Toyota into the room.. Hmm..... You keep claiming I ignore "Facts" I have given link after review and you guys just turn and twist the data. Who is ignoring what?? Nissan is in no way a threat to Ford.. Heck, Toyota is more of a threat as far as trucks are concerned. Your little Nissans need more work to be trucks.. Enjoy the bandaid of the supercharger too!! LOL..
Can anybody tell me what is different in what vince has had to say?I believe it is still the same old stuff,just a different day.Can we move on with the discussion or do we still need to constantly address the same stuff that vince brings in over and over and over...........
This is a continuation of my response #279 from the Ranger vs Tacoma topic.
You want to go head to head with me? You will loose. You don't have the skills it takes to go head to head! We're all laughing and bashing you, not the Ranger! It astonishes me that you can be so dense that you can't see it. You sound like a broken record and a bad dream mixed. You really have got to discourage the hope of the Washington public school system lacking the cognitive skills that do. Maybe you're just one that slipped through system. They're probably cringing if they know that you actually wrote a letter to Ford.LOL
Oh I'm sure Ford will jump all over the tire issue now that YOU wrote them. You know that they are all passing that around the board meeting laughing at YOU and your letter. I mean think about it, you don't think that that they had the info before you? As much as you love this company don't you have confidence in them to have important info like this? Your so confused you don't know if you're coming or going. By bringing up the shortcomings of the other brands as much as you do, really displays the insecurities of your Ranger. But you shouldn't be...the Ranger isn't that bad of a truck..hehehe!
Leave the torque curve alone. I proved to you(in nice color pictures so you could understand them) that there's no advantage to the new Ford 4.0L! I would like to see a curve on the embarrassing 4.0L that you own...LOL
I expect your rebuttal(that means come back, you know...response) in a few weeks, since it takes your Ford dealer that long to finish your Ranger and you sleep on their couch.
THanks for the new topic CT, I don't think I will be in there much though, I have enough headaches and turmoil in my life already.
In the spirit of something new and different, I finally got my 01's in! I got a fully loaded 4x2 SE CC, with leather, in dash auto load CD changer with RDS, Looks great!, Ride and drive is of course the same as before, but it seemed nicer because of the extra goodies, the prices look like they stayed the same, this one had an MSRP of $23,900. the 00 cc SE loaded was $22,895, without leather. I also got a 4 cylinder, with the body color package, and a couple of desert runners without the body color package, I like the black fender flares better, but I like the body colored grill better than the black. Interiors are much nicer, also I noticed you can now get cruise and tilt and variable intermittant wipers without getting the power package. A definite plus. The locking tailgate is a good idea too, easy to use. Well I will post more later as I get it.
cygnusx1 mentioned about Ford and the defective Firestone tires. Just to be fair, my '99 Frontier 4x2 came with Wilderness HT tires. A local Firestone tire dealer let me swap 'em with a new set of Daytona performance tires for US$100 right after I bought the truck. Boy, am I glad I did that!!!
Being used to driving hot hatch GTI's, I had a few scares when I first got my '96 Tacoma 4x2. The OEM Dunlop D20(?) tires were just appauling. So I told myself I'll swap out the OEM tires the next time I buy a new pickup.
This is not a gripe about Toyota and Nissan specifically. I think most of the OEM tires on 2WD compact pickups are pathetic. Just wish manufacturers would spend a few more dollars and put decent tires on these trucks.
I have the same wilderness HT's on mine, I have 25,000 miles on them, and I must admit, they have been great, they still look almost new, they don't make alot of noise, I also always check inflation when I fill up and rotate every other oil service, but I must admit, I am getting nervous the more I read about them, even though they say the most cases have been with explorers, I get scared because I drive my girlfriend's daughter around alot. I tried to talk to firestone, but they keep denying there is anything wrong with the tires,and say they won't do anything about it, I really would like to have them replaced, any suggestions?
We put my 01 CC out on the front drive yesterday right by the feeder road fromt he highway. It almost caused a couple of accidents with people stopping in the middle of the road, I got tired of running out there and back every 5-10 minutes, the CC already has a deposit on it, and we have deposits on two more we have coming in, seems to be going over well.
I have the HT tires on my '98 Frontier also, and like cncman, have been pleased with them so far. The truck has only 16,500+ miles on it, so the tires still look new. I use the truck mainly for commuting (13 miles one way), but have taken some longer trips with it. I think I'll hold off using it for future longer trips until this problem is resolved. It's hard to say at this point how serious the problem is, and whether abuse on the part of the owner is a factor.
The torque curve was brought up and both the new 4.0 and the old 4.0 fair better than the 3.3, What the heck are you talking about?? Thats pretty funny cncman, your ugly duckling causing accidents? People can't beleive how ugly it is! LOL!! You Nissan guys just can't stand it! A Ford fan loaded with data and links showing you up!! Enjoy those weak 3.3's!! LOL...
The difference between Vince and everyone else is his pure stupidity. I've never seen someone Laugh Out Loud so much to say something sucks. Oh and I guess superchargers are a bandaid if the normally aspirated engine has less horsepower/torque than the competitor. If it has more standard horsepower than a competitor, then it for some reason is not a bandaid. The only reason you keep calling the Nissan 3.3's weak is not because the engine is weak for it's displacement, it's simply because it does not have the displacement of the ford 4.0 pushrod. 3.3 is decent for what it is. Maybe I should just start making fun of the ford 2.5 because of its weak output, but then you will just give your normal response. Ford just made the 2.5 for Cafe reasons so I am going to ignore it completely. If the frontiers are so ugly why is Nissan seeing a continual rise in sales year after year. You talk about ugly, if you want to see ugly look at this link Ugly Link. Remember ugliness is subjective so you, Vince, will probably like the link image I posted.
The difference is Nissan isn't in the headlines about their tires, Ford is. And isn't it a bit suspect that Ford has replaced the tires in all the other countries except the U.S. - their biggest market? Maybe because...hmmm...they'd lose their shirts replacing some 10 million tires? No wonder they neglected to do something about yet another known problem with one of their vehicles. So glad I'm an ex-Ford owner.
This is somewhat off-topic but whether Ford is going to recall the tires probably depends on how many more law suits that are going to be filed against them. As soon as the bean counters figured out the dollar-per-injury/death has added up to be greater than the replacement cost of these tires, you can bet a recall will be issued.
Ford and Firestone lawyers are probably negotiating hot an heavy in some closed boradroom somewhere about who is going to to pick up the tabs.
I guess Bill Ford must be mighty confused right now - he's got the blood of both Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone running in his veins. :-)
Seriously though, I don't neither Ford nor Nissan for picking a bad tire. The defect, if proven real, is purely Firestone's problem. I think Ford got a raw deal being plastered across the headlines the same way Audi got shafted with the "unintended acceleration" fiasco back in the 80's. How a car company deals with this kind of PR embarrassments do have an impact on its image, however. Ford so far, hasn't done it any better than the recent egg-in-the-face candidates - namely Audi and Mercedes.
Why is it that Ford is getting blamed for Firestone producing bad tires? And, many manufacturers (including Nissan) use Firestones as OEM equipment. Just wondering what the rationale is here.
cncman:
Glad to hear your new trucks are selling well. Did you get one with the S/C yet? Do you think it would be inconsiderate of me to take one out for a drive (even though I won't be looking for a new truck for at least a few years)?
Cthompson; No, the SC won't be out until november, if you feel like coming to Houston you can take one of mine out for a spin! Any good salesman will not deny you a test drive, unless you tell them there is no chance of you buying one, so just give him an excuse, you guys know them all, I need to talk to my wife, I have some money coming in I am waiting on, etc etc.
Maybe I could use the same excuse as with the Lightning. "I checked with my insurance salesman, and the insurance is just too damn high right now. And, silver doesn't come out until '01. Maybe this winter for my birthday..."
:oD
ps If I lived down south, I'd have a Lightning in my driveway. Just too damn impractical for Chicago commuting, Chicago winters, and Chicago gas prices. Damn!
Comments
Why is it Edmunds can bash Nissan and be called bias, but when it bashes Ford its information is correct? Ford continues to sell thousands upon thousands of Rangers after 13+ years of production. Nissan has had more years than that to show the public its product is far superior. The consumer makes the choice. And as far as the argument of "rebates" "interest rates" and so on.. Take another look, Frontier is severely discounted now in the NW region, along with APR, and cash back on top of that for months now...
I said they are bashing Nissan(Crew Cab) because if you read the article you can see that they basically rag on the whole 4-door p/u idea. When the S/T came out they priased the same things that they knocked the CC. Like the rear interior for example(I know that the S/T is bigger)look at the pics they show, in the Nissan pic the seats are all the way back not so in the S/T picture. The bed was another place where they praised the S/T - size, which is smaller than the CC. I don't have anything against the S/T at all just the way the articles are written. Like I said maybe they were skeptical on the new 4 doors and the Nissan was out first so it got heavily criticized. I just think its unfair to those that are shopping the CC.
Nissan had the lead in the 4door truck market and should have done it right the first time in order to keep the lead. Now, Toyota,Chevy/GMC, Ford and Dodge are all going to have 4 door trucks by the end of the year...
Your probably right about the Nissan...they kind of left alot of room for their competitors to add stuff. When I was shopping the F-250 SD and relized I didn't need it yet I saw a huge difference in the smaller trucks and their options, especially the Nissan and the Toyota. Remember I was getting out of a Acura Legend with heated seats and mirrors and all kinds of extras.
Eventhough Ford's S/T and the avalance are hybrids I'm kind of glad that the Nissan Toyota and the Chevy's are staying with the truck theme. I was hoping that Ford was coming out with a 4-door Ranger for 2001, who knows? I think by Ford coming out with their sut it will certainly make everbody else come out with one. Chevy's working on their full-size version and I believe Nissan has one too. I've been waiting for years for these 4-door trucks to come out ever since I saw them on the Discovery channel in Africa or somewhere
A good outside indicator for a layperson would be to check out the company's cash flows. If a company is having trouble financing normal operations, then that is a very poor sign.
Just a thought, but some of the major factors in last quarter's "loss" may be:
(1) the market was down in the first quarter
(2) Ford purchased Land Rover in the first quarter
(3) 1st quarter sales are slow for auto mfgr's
(4) R&D exp for new products
My whole point is that a single number does not tell even part of the story. Even Ford's entire quarterly financial statements don't tell the whole story.
There's been talk of Mazda closing dealerships? And on the eve of the introduction of a new RX7 and Mazda Tribute? BTW, Ford/Mazda doesn't own the dealerships.
good points, so what you are saying is that there are extenuating circumstances, and those numbers don't tell the whole story. And these numbers don't necessarily have an effect on the consumer.
Hmm, that is exactly the response I have had to the statements about Nissan's finances which were dismissed,
(although not by you)I did this to illustrate that point. One thing that is interesting, if you look at TRS, (total return to shareholders) In the automotive industry, the top one is Nissan, second is Renault, third is Fiat, and fourth ford. Just interesting tidbits.
Another simple indicator would be just to look at the company's bond rating (should they issue bonds). It shows what the investing company as a whole thinks of the company's present and future prospects.
Haywood Jablowme, V.P. of Ford SVT is pleased to announce the limited production of the Vince Ranger. This new model will be limited to a production run of just one to fulfill the penis envy of Vince8.
Holden Megroin - Chief Product Manager stated that this new ranger will have a blown 460 c.i. V-8 tucked under the ranger's hood. When asked about other features, he explained that there are no other changes planned, "All that someone like Vince cares about is having more torque than the other guy" was his response. "We are planning on producing the same poor handling, rattling, noisy, poor braking ranger that we always have, it will just be faster". One additional bonus feature will be an airbrushed torque curve on the hood. The image will be reversed so that any Nissan Frontier owner that Vince8 approaches will be intimidated by his mighty torque curve.
Ben Dover - SVT Quality Manager - also added that three major recalls are already planned for this vehicle. He also anticipates at least 200 TSB's to address other quality issues.
Harry Paratesticles, Press relations manager, contacted Vince8 by phone for his response: "I am so excited about this vehicle, it will once and for all prove that the Ranger is a superior vehicle" stated Vince.
More features on this groundbreaking vehicle will follow shortly, or feel free to add your own. (Are you L.O.L. Vince???)
I do have to ask,why would Ford put the "bandiad" supercharger on it?
there is an additional feature,
heated tailgate so your hands won't get cold when you are pushing it.
I think it is nice to sit back and not be so serious here once in awhile, I think we can all laugh at something like this.
It will either have a S/C V6 or the 3.9L V8 (from the Lincoln LS). It will also be AWD (maybe the system from the Explorer?).
If Ford actually produces this truck with AWD and an ext-cab (or 4-door), they just might tempt me into trading in my current truck. It sounds like a truck purpose-built for my own personal needs (light duty off-road of mostly snow and easy trails + powerful engine - hopefully the V8 + great tow vehicle for my sleds).
I currently own an SVT Contour. The vehicles that the Special Vehicle Team produce (with the one exception of the weak-pony pony-car - '99 Cobra) are a step above the rest. Count me in on one of those if they make a practical truck (the Lightning is a real screamer but not the ideal daily driver with only 2wd to boot). I couldn't possibly be happier with my SVTour.
I think I read about that 'Edition'. What I remember about it was that it had a special lift out console that contained a waterproof binder in it. Within this Gortex lined binder were the previous sales record for the entire Ranger line. These sales figures of course are compiled by the special marketing team out of Dearborn, MI. The Chief Product Manager, Holden Megroin stated the reason they went with the 'removable' binder, "this would give the Vince8 the ability to bring with him those special figures to confort him while the dealership denied any warranted items". When I first saw this I though what a wonderful idea, you buy a piece of the number one selling compact pickup and you get to see it in print!
1. A customized set of goggle blinders so that Vince will not see any vehicles that are nicer than his.
2. A frequency tuned set of earplugs that filter out any information contrary to Vince's opinions.
3. A customized PC web browser that only finds links that support the Ranger as a superior vehicle.
4. A 2 gigabyte chip for Vince's brain. This miracle chip will allow Vince to objectively comment on vehicles that he does not own.
5. A special instant isolation shelter so that Vince can hide when he feels threatened by conflicting information such as Edmund's own long term Ranger test.
Since only one of the new Vince Rangers will be produced, we will have to kill the idea that sales volume=quality.
Stay tuned, more to come in the next few days.
croy2, sorry you bought a Frontier and you feel the need to name call and attempt to belittle me and my Ranger. You will get aplause from the Nissan crowd of course. I really hit a cord with you, showing how superior the Ranger is and will always be to a "Frontier" LOL!! Weak 3.3, and with its new bandaid, a supercharger...
The good part is the parody is pretty close to the stuff you have been spouting and pretty ingenius as well as funny.
I still question if you do own a Ranger.The guys on the Tacoma board may have a point about you and your truck.Cut and Paste. LOL! All these people surely could not be wrong in their assessment.
Vince already admitted that the 4 cylinder ranger is a joke (in his own words) compared to the frontier, and since most rangers on the road are 4 cylinders, vinny believes most rangers are jokes.
Vince has been too afraid to review the articles that showed the frontiers suspension is superior to the rangers, and has even been too afraid to look under his truck to verify this, so he admits the frontier has a better suspension because he ignores the point.
Vince claims the ranger to be higher quality because this year the ranger rated higher on JD power's survey, but can't explain why the frontier had the award for HIGHEST in inital quality on the same survey before, and he can't explain why over the last 3-4 years a different truck has won every year even though all of these trucks have been pretty much the same, so this proves what?
Vince says the ranger outsells the frontier therefore it has to be better, but can't admit that by his logic the frontier would have to be better than the ranger twin, the mazda because the frontier outsells the mazda.
Vince claims that the ranger is safer than the frontier, but can't explain why there is no difference in the injury rates between the two. And continues to use data from before safety improvements were made on the frontier trucks.
Vince goes on and on about how the ranger has more torque than the frontier, but doesn't mention anything about the horsepower and somehow doesn't mention that the V6 that comes with the frontier has more power and torque than the majority of ranger V6's on the road. So basically even though hardly anyone buys the 4.0l ranger V6 that is the only one that anyone can talk about in comparison to the frontiers.
Vince refuses to talk about the fact that the frontier has lower costs of ownership than the ranger, so he must agree with this too.
Everyone already knows that the frontier has a better warranty, a bigger bed, more standard features, more available comfort options, is quieter, rides better, gives more for the money than the ranger.
Vince goes on and on name calling the frontier engine and calling the SC a "bandaid" even though ford is "bandaiding" their engines, and every review so far of the 01 frontier has been great.
Vince constantly steps in, ignores the facts, tries to irritate people, declares a victory when he hasn't contributed or proven anything and then goes and hides under his bed until he finds another tidbit that agrees with his point of view.
So someone please explain to me exactly what Vince has proven here? And what does Psych 101 call a hit and run name caller without the ability to think for himself and cannot support an argument?
LOL! go back to sleep Vince!
Sleep tight kitty cat. LOL
I think it would not be too hard to make a case that vince and him...........
Vince, Don't talk to me about hiding. I have absolutely no regrets with my Nissan CC. You are the [non-permissible content removed] who hides. What about the Edmunds long term test??? Any response to all of the faults they find on a monthly basis with the 1998 Ranger?? Or maybe we should just continue to focus on the mighty torque curve. Until you can reply to the test results, you should really lighten up and shut the hell up. It's not about bashing Vince, it's about facts.
Here kitty kitty, meow meow.
****
Ford Motor Company has issued a second emergency stop sale order for All Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute models in less than one week. The first stop sale order was issued on 27 July for a potential cruise control accelerator sticking problem. The Ford Escape is now in the running to tie with the Focus, which had three recalls issued before even being sold to a consumer.
The newest stop sale order is the most embarrassing one facing Ford's newest S.U.V. - the steering wheel has the potential of falling off. The recall includes ALL models manufactured from 17 April to 26 July. Ford directive #00S19 states "DO NOT DRIVE DELIVER OR PERFORM PRE-DELIVERY INSPECTION ON ANY VEHICLES AFFECTED BY SAFETY RECALL 00S19 UNTIL THE REPAIR HAS BEEN PERFORMED." Consumers and dealership personnel will not be able to test drive an Escape and dealers will not be permitted to prep Escape models that were special ordered for consumers until further notice.
******
And how bout them Firestone Tires that Ford knew sucked and still put on their vehicles. Gee whiz.
Are their any Ford's that don't have problems? I know of only one and that's Vince's mighty Ranger.
You keep claiming I ignore "Facts" I have given link after review and you guys just turn and twist the data. Who is ignoring what?? Nissan is in no way a threat to Ford.. Heck, Toyota is more of a threat as far as trucks are concerned. Your little Nissans need more work to be trucks.. Enjoy the bandaid of the supercharger too!! LOL..
You want to go head to head with me? You will loose. You don't have the skills it takes to go head to head! We're all laughing and bashing you, not the Ranger! It astonishes me that you can be so dense that you can't see it. You sound like a broken record and a bad dream mixed. You really have got to discourage the hope of the Washington public school system lacking the cognitive skills that do. Maybe you're just one that slipped through system. They're probably cringing if they know that you actually wrote a letter to Ford.LOL
Oh I'm sure Ford will jump all over the tire issue now that YOU wrote them. You know that they are all passing that around the board meeting laughing at YOU and your letter. I mean think about it, you don't think that that they had the info before you? As much as you love this company
don't you have confidence in them to have important info like this? Your so confused you don't know if you're coming or going. By bringing up the shortcomings of the other brands as much as you do, really displays the insecurities of your Ranger. But you shouldn't be...the Ranger isn't that bad of a truck..hehehe!
Leave the torque curve alone. I proved to you(in nice color pictures so you could understand them) that there's no advantage to the new Ford 4.0L! I would like to see a curve on the embarrassing 4.0L that you own...LOL
I expect your rebuttal(that means come back, you know...response) in a few weeks, since it takes your Ford dealer that long to finish your Ranger and you sleep on their couch.
Sleep tight kitty cat!!!
What do you guys think of starting a topic comparing all compact trucks? Something like:
"War of the Compact Pickups: S10 vs. Frontier vs. Tacoma vs. Ranger vs. B-Series vs. Hombre vs. Dakota"
Should the Dakota be included in there? Wouldn't it be more of a mid-size truck.
Just think how fun it would be to get all of these "personalities" into one room!
war between the compact trucks:
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/engaged/edmund.cgi?c=Pickups&f=0&t=2170
In the spirit of something new and different, I finally got my 01's in! I got a fully loaded 4x2 SE CC, with leather, in dash auto load CD changer with RDS, Looks great!, Ride and drive is of course the same as before, but it seemed nicer because of the extra goodies, the prices look like they stayed the same, this one had an MSRP of $23,900. the 00 cc SE loaded was $22,895, without leather. I also got a 4 cylinder, with the body color package, and a couple of desert runners without the body color package, I like the black fender flares better, but I like the body colored grill better than the black. Interiors are much nicer, also I noticed you can now get cruise and tilt and variable intermittant wipers without getting the power package. A definite plus. The locking tailgate is a good idea too, easy to use.
Well I will post more later as I get it.
Being used to driving hot hatch GTI's, I had a few scares when I first got my '96 Tacoma 4x2. The OEM Dunlop D20(?) tires were just appauling. So I told myself I'll swap out the OEM tires the next time I buy a new pickup.
This is not a gripe about Toyota and Nissan specifically. I think most of the OEM tires on 2WD compact pickups are pathetic. Just wish manufacturers would spend a few more dollars and put decent tires on these trucks.
I do not care for them at all
but I must admit, I am getting nervous the more I read about them, even though they say the most cases have been with explorers, I get scared because I drive my girlfriend's daughter around alot. I tried to talk to firestone, but they keep denying there is anything wrong with the tires,and say they won't do anything about it, I really would like to have them replaced, any suggestions?
We put my 01 CC out on the front drive yesterday right by the feeder road fromt he highway. It almost caused a couple of accidents with people stopping in the middle of the road, I got tired of running out there and back every 5-10 minutes, the CC already has a deposit on it, and we have deposits on two more we have coming in, seems to be going over well.
Thats pretty funny cncman, your ugly duckling causing accidents? People can't beleive how ugly it is! LOL!!
You Nissan guys just can't stand it! A Ford fan loaded with data and links showing you up!!
Enjoy those weak 3.3's!! LOL...
No wonder they neglected to do something about yet another known problem with one of their vehicles. So glad I'm an ex-Ford owner.
Ford and Firestone lawyers are probably negotiating hot an heavy in some closed boradroom somewhere about who is going to to pick up the tabs.
I guess Bill Ford must be mighty confused right now - he's got the blood of both Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone running in his veins. :-)
Seriously though, I don't neither Ford nor Nissan for picking a bad tire. The defect, if proven real, is purely Firestone's problem. I think Ford got a raw deal being plastered across the headlines the same way Audi got shafted with the "unintended acceleration" fiasco back in the 80's. How a car company deals with this kind of PR embarrassments do have an impact on its image, however. Ford so far, hasn't done it any better than the recent egg-in-the-face candidates - namely Audi and Mercedes.
cncman:
Glad to hear your new trucks are selling well. Did you get one with the S/C yet? Do you think it would be inconsiderate of me to take one out for a drive (even though I won't be looking for a new truck for at least a few years)?
No, the SC won't be out until november, if you feel like coming to Houston you can take one of mine out for a spin! Any good salesman will not deny you a test drive, unless you tell them there is no chance of you buying one, so just give him an excuse, you guys know them all, I need to talk to my wife, I have some money coming in I am waiting on, etc etc.
Maybe I could use the same excuse as with the Lightning. "I checked with my insurance salesman, and the insurance is just too damn high right now. And, silver doesn't come out until '01. Maybe this winter for my birthday..."
:oD
ps If I lived down south, I'd have a Lightning in my driveway. Just too damn impractical for Chicago commuting, Chicago winters, and Chicago gas prices. Damn!