Just today I read this article in which Eric Merkle of Ford stated that there are not going to be any drastic change's to F-150's in the future. Instead, Ford is now going to shift the majority of their focus on improving their car lineup, which I suppose is understandble seeing as the majority of their car lineup is realtivly neglected.

I figure...(And this may just be hopeful thinking on my behalf)...But if Ford can market and sell more cars (Fuel efficent vehicles) then perhaps the changes that will be required for the F-150 in the future to meet the C.A.F.E standerds won't be so drastic.

Anyway...Here's the article...What are your thoughts on it?
No Big Changes in F-150's Future, Ford Analyst Says - PickupTrucks.com News

 

From my view point, Ford has already addressed the sedan issue with the 2013 Fusion, Mustang and the new Hybrids and e-cars.

If Ford doesn't continue to male changes tot he F-series trucks then they will become as stale as the Expedition is.

GM is launching a redesign soon and Ram is making some noise. The Tundra will also change and with changes comes improvements that will make it more difficult for the F-series to compete against without changes of it's own.

 

I went in and test drove a '12 Ram. I had a chip on my shoulder against Chrysler after a bad experience with an '05 Jeep and I really didn't want to like it. I did. I drove a Hemi equipped 1500 Express 4x4 and was very impressed with it. It's also about $3k cheaper than the comparable F-150 with a 5.0, more for an ECO. I like the Ford, too, but $3k is real money and the hemi is really nice. Didn't drive a GM, they are too ugly for me. The Tundra is too $$$ for the options I want, and also kinda ugly to me.

 

There is no way in hell Ford will neglect their #1 profit maker F150. There is a reason why it has been the best selling vehicle for 30+ years. Rest assured, there is a LARGE team of engineers and designers thinking well beyond 2013 about the next F150.

 

I doubt the F-150 will be totally neglected...At least I hope not. But seeing as the F-Series are Fords cash cow models I don't think that they will completely leave them alone.

From what I gathered off of the article is that Ford is going to continue to tweak the F-150 as they have been doing for quite sometime now...(Lets face it the 2009-2012 model F-150's are essentially heavily tweaked 2004-2008 F-150's.) but future changes aren't going to be very drastic.

 

They'll do all they can to ensure they stay on top. I'm betting it is part of their strategy against the opponent.

 

The Econoline has been built on the same platform since 1975, and has used the same body since 1992... It still works just fine although it's being phased out in favor of the Transit in the next few years. I have an '02 E150 and have no problem with the "dated" nature of the design. In fact, it makes parts that much easier to find.

It seems to me that many changes to the F150 have been "gingerbread" kinds of changes to make it more luxurious and more appealing to non truck users or for people who "wear" pickup trucks more than use them for work purposes. People who use trucks for work are not necessarily interested in heated and cooled DVD players for each seat, power running boards, and crap like that. My last pickup, a 1978 F100 that I bought new and drove until 1986, had rubber mats on the floor and I bought it like that on purpose.

Redesigning a truck for the sake of redesigning it makes no sense to me. If the redesign addresses flaws, makes it work harder, or makes it more reliable, THAT makes sense to me.

George

 

there is an updated nose coming for 2013 that looks like a 2011+ super duty grille mixed with the revised 09+ 150 headlamps

 

I agree the new Rams are real nice and look great. IF they didn't have coil springs in the rear I may have been driving one. It would have been a hard decision given the price difference and the fact that I had a 2006 Jeep Wrangler and it was very well put together, trouble free and the dealer was great.

 

and see I have the exact opposite opinion from owning similiar vehicles.
all you ever hear is how trouble free the 4.0 is in the jeeps, and I agree its a pretty stout engine. but its a straight 6 and it was designed by AMC and that's why its so well built. almost all the other crap around and attached to said 4.0 is chrylser made and it is pure crap.
I had a 99 cherokee and it was decent, but the AC system was crap as was the actual vent control system behind the dash the wiring to gauge cluster had an intermitent short to it and sometimes all the gauges would just drop to zero. sometimes for a few days sometimes only for a few seconds. the power window master switch had a bad circuit board inside and periodically the rest of the windows wouldnt open or close from their individual switches but the master always worked, because the wiring for the individual switches all went through the ,aster circuit first and then on to the other doors. then at 100k miles the rear axle started making funny noises. I traded it on an 05 wrangler unlimited rubicon with the 6spd in 2009. the rubi was great for the first year or so. but then the trans started having issues shifting into reverse now and again. then the vents behind the dash broke a plastic actuator arm and I no longer had dash vents. to fix this the entire dash had to be removed, and the only way fix it was to replace the entire AC/heat plenum box. WHICH WAS LIKE $500. I ended up buying a used one on ebay for 100 bux and fixing it myself but it wasnt fun. about the same time as the vents broke, the trans started getting hard to find 4th gear, it would grind periodically or just hard tgo get in gear. at 77k miles the cat converter started rattling. fortunately the cat was still covered under the 80k emmis warranty.
to add a little more ammo to my hatred for all things mopar, my wife ALSO has an 05 wrangler 4.0/6spd. her trans has already had the reverse shift fork and other things associated with it replaced at just under 70k miles (thankfyully through the 7/70 powertrain warranty) and now with 92k miles she is saying its sometimes hard to get in/grinds/pops out of reverse. these are the same exact same symptoms it had the first time around. this time though it will be on my dime, not chryslers.

so with all of that said I WILL NOT buy another chrysler product any time soon until they prove their quality levels have improved dramatically. I love the way the new Rams look and with the coil spring suspension I'm sure it rides like a dream. I wasnt to fond of the rear coils idea on a full size truck at first, but suburbans and tahoes and expeditions all tow decent amounts of weight with rear coils, and yet they ride like a car.

 

I just don't understand how any self respecting American could buy a bailoutmobile. I'd buy a Toyota before I ever bought a new dodge or gm.

 

The "bailout companies" are still employing and supporting my neighbors here in Detroit. I am not anti-Japanese vehicles, but it seems like helping GM and Chrysler survive and pay back the US government and citizens is still a heck of a lot more patriotic than sending money to Tokyo when you buy a Toyota. And I swear I'll never buy a Korean vehicle even though they are moving along rapidly in the market. Hell, if China gears up to real vehicles, it may kill the auto industry in the US entirely...

That said, there have been a lot of nightmares with various Chrysler and GM vehicles; I swore off GM when I had some massive failures with a new '96 Savana van, but would consider buying an unrelated GM product these days if it was the right vehicle for my needs. And I like Jeeps a lot, always have.

Sorry, but I'm done with politics now.

George

 

They need to do something with the Ranger it cannot compete with the dakota or colorado.

 

They did, it's dead. So is the E-series.

 

It has been especially uncompetitive since they stopped making it entirely...

George