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Focus on Ford? Explore Ford?
(now you've done it :shades: )
Ford’s sales jumped 19 percent last year to more than 1.9 million units, with 2010 truck sales surging 27 percent and models such as the Ford Fusion sedan and Ford Edge SUV each boosting sales by more than 20 percent, the automaker said in January."
Ford Tops Toyota in Harris Brand Poll (AutoObserver)
"Escape the Edge of the Fusion disaster in your Ford" doesn't have quite the right ring to it.
Meanwhile the new UAW head is blasting Mullaly for his 56.5 million bonus. UAW Chief Blasts Ford Bonuses (AutoObserver).
$30K each for every auto worker? Yikes! That's should be the annual salary for some of them.
Dang, I wish I'd bought into Ford when it was down around a buck....
Ford May Top GM In March SalesFord May Top GM In March Sales (AutoObserver)
You seem to be a numbers guy. Can you tell me how many Fiesta's Ford is selling per month?
"Fiesta had its best sales month ever with 6,270 vehicles and continues to gain share in its market segment."
That was for February 2011, and that number was about 1,000 higher than the previous year. I don't have a handy link for other months.
Fiesta, Focus, Edge, Explorer Pace Ford's 23 Percent Increase in February Retail Sales (CNBC)
I noticed that the "Most Popular in Forums" frame is empty in the forum home page; one I entered any forums, the top 5 most popular in forums would show up there; but not shown in the forum home page. Can you fix it please?
Sorry for posting this off topic post here
Thanks
I notice your March 2011 sales chart above does not include Hyundai, at present the only automaker putting direct injection engines in their compacts cars, and I am already seeing that Elantra all over the place.
Unlike the other post above, I do think Ford has a chance at toppling GM at some point - the Cruze hasn't hit the way the Fiesta and Focus have (in sales in the former, and press in the latter), there are no new car models of any note in the offing at GM, and the only newish gas-savers they have are the Cruze Eco and the Volt.
Meanwhile Toyota stopped trying several years ago with the product they have been turning out, and while they may be attempting to restart trying now, that will take several years to bear fruit. GM and Ford will top the sales charts for years, and the more interesting race will be the one for third: will it be Honda? Will it be Hyundai? Will Nissan ever regain the sales volume they once had? Or will Toyota manage to hang onto third despite a lackluster product line and mediocre build quality?
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Repeat customers: Ford tops auto loyalty study (mlive.com)
AutoObserver is hedging their bets a little in case there's a fleet sale out there, but the Wall St. Journal, Bloomberg etc. are all calling the month for Ford. Looks like GM still sold more to individual consumers than Ford who had lots of fleet sales.
Looks like the numbers are 212,295 for Ford and 206,621 for GM. (WSJ)
Or 212,777 vs 206,600 per Straightline.
Ford, unlike competitor General Motors Co., also held the line or reduced its vehicle incentives which also boosted vehicle prices. The average transaction price, what consumers paid per car, rose by about $250 per vehicle, according to Edmunds.com. Consumers also outfitted their vehicles with more features."
Ford Posts $2.6 Billion Profit, Boosted by Fuel-Efficient Cars (Wall St. Journal).
Ford Q1 Profit Bonanza Shows Few Downsides (AutoObserver)
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
I started at Boeing in Oct. of 1979 and left in May of 2003. They can fall off the cliffs of Mukilteo and just obliterate theirselves for all I care.
But if I were to buy a domestic car right now, it would be a Ford. I would go for a 2012 Ford Focus SE hatchback in Boeing blue, 5-speed transmission, and a jumpin' sound system to play Foghat, Guess Who, Tragically Hip, Drive-By Trucker and Jason Isbell CD's in. And I may buy me a Focus in 2013, late in the year of 2013. Or I might instead buy a Mitsubishi Lancer GTS Hybrid or Outlander Sport with S-AWC (Super All Wheel Control) to control the car driving in all of this northern Idaho snow and ice.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Ford Announces New Small Engine, 8-Speed Tranny (AutoObserver)
"Ford on Thursday said its first 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine will be launched globally in its small-car lineup and told Inside Line that the engine is appropriate for the Ford Fiesta and Ka. The new fuel-saving engine — the smallest engine Ford has ever built — is designed to give the company an edge in the intensifying fuel-economy war among automakers.
A Ford spokesperson told Inside Line in a phone conversation that the engine is appropriate for the Ford Fiesta and Ka."
Ford's First 1.0-Liter Three-Cylinder Engine Could End Up in Fiesta (Inside Line)
Just slap on some emissions stuff and you will have a Fiesta or a Ka that gets nearly 65 MPG. I am sure that Ford's investment to get the diesels emissions Kosher would be less than trying to develop a three banger gasser from scratch.
Checkout this website. It is the British equivalent of our EPA and the MPG's they show are based on the Imperial gallon.
http://carfueldata.direct.gov.uk/search-new-or-used-cars.aspx?vid=25511
But Ford is betting big on small cars, per this Wall St. Journal story:
Ford Sees Higher Sales by Mid-Decade With Smaller Cars
"The auto maker expects small vehicles will represent about 55% of total vehicle sales by 2020, and nearly a third of sales will come from the Asia-Pacific-Africa region, according to a Ford spokesman."
My wife has asthma and we aren't interested in buying one. The fumes bother her. Gas fumes don't. Other people have different reasons. The odor that stays on your hands or clothes, the availability of the fuel and mechanics who know how to work on them, and the typical price premium (rumored to be $5,000 on the new Beetle over the gasser, for example).
We're hashing it all out over in the What Would It Take for YOU to buy a diesel car? discussion. Come join in.
First, the premium for diesel (VW) is about $1500, not $5000 Second, with clean diesel technology, no fumes, no smell, no soot/particulates and in fact cleaner than a Prius in many respects.
Priced: 2012 Volkswagen Beetle
"No pricing was announced for the Beetle TDI, but a $5,000 increase over base is a safe assumption."
Clean diesel, clean coal. Clean hands? :P
I doubt that anything has changed for Ford on the US diesel passenger car front since this 2007 story in Motor Authority.
Here are the six vehicles that emerged...:
• 2011 Ford Explorer
Year-over-year sales for the Ford Explorer grew by nearly 138 percent, helping it rank No. 22 in overall industry vehicle sales during April.
Consumer Interest Ranking: 14
Day Supply: 29 days
MSRP: $28,360
• 2011 Honda Civic – The Honda Civic stayed relatively consistent in year-over-year sales with an increase of just over seven percent, ranking as the No. 5 overall most purchased vehicle in April 2011.
Consumer Interest Ranking: 23
Day Supply: 23 days
MSRP: $15,805
• 2011 Hyundai Elantra
The Hyundai Elantra increased nearly 117 percent in sales year-over-year, selling 20,918 units in April 2011 as compared to 9,657 units in April 2010, and ranking 12 in overall industry vehicle sales during April 2011.
Consumer Interest Ranking: 10
Day Supply: 12 days
MSRP: $14,945
• 2011 Hyundai Sonata
Hyundai Sonata’s year-over-year sales increased more than 17 percent, ranking eighth in overall vehicle industry sales during April 2011.
Consumer Interest Ranking: 1
Day Supply: 27 days
MSRP: $19,395
.
• 2011 Kia Sorento
The Kia Sorento increased in year-over-year vehicle sales by more than 41 percent, helping the Kia Sorento inch its way into the top 25 in overall industry vehicles sales, ranking 24 in April 2011.
Consumer Interest Ranking: 4
Day Supply: 29 days
MSRP: $20,995
• 2011 Toyota Prius
The Toyota Prius ranked 23 in overall vehicle sales and remained relatively consistent year-over-year from April 2010 to April 2011, decreasing by less than one percent.
Consumer Interest Ranking: 23
Day Supply: 10
MSRP: $22,120
Launch-Vehicle Quality Plunged, JD Power Says (AutoObserver)
Ford "said it will begin rolling out larger, bolder fonts on certain interior controls. The plan is part of an effort at Ford to make its vehicles more user friendly and minimize distraction, especially for aging Baby Boomers."
Ford’s Bigger Fonts: Will They Offend Baby Boomers? (WSJ)
Is the new Explorer stealing Flex sales or Edge sales? Seems like it should be, but maybe not. I seem to recall hearing they may dump Flex due to low sales anyway....
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
There are some marked differences in the models, but the basic size is similar, so I imagine that many potential buyers cross-shop them.
Ford Best Europe Market Share Since 1998 (AutoObserver)
2013 Ford Escape: Four-Cylinder Only, Two EcoBoost Options (Straightline)
If gas dumps down under $3 and stays there for a few years (down here in "America" I mean :shades: ), Ford may lose some sales to people who think they need big iron in their grocery getters.
Back in 2008, my wife purchased a VW Passat. We test drove the 2.0 turbo, and the V6. The smaller, turbo-charged engine was clearly the better option (IMHO). Just recently, I test drove a new Chevrolet 1500 crew cab with the 5.3 liter V8 engine, and a similar Ford crew cab with the EcoBoost V6. No doubt in my mind the EcoBoost V6 is the better choice. Unfortunately, it will cost you between 3 and 4 thousand dollars more for a similarly equipped truck (compared to the Chevy with the V8). While I like the EcoBoost, I don't like it that much!
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Fitch Ratings Upgrades Ford (AutoObserver)
Standard & Poor raised Ford two notches, "citing the company's new labor contract with union workers and expectations of a strong margin and operating cash flow from its global automotive operations." (WSJ)