You don't fix what isn't broken. It's as simple as that.

Ford doesn't have the best selling trucks for nothing. They know what they're doing. Everybody else? No so much apparently or they'd have better market share. You can "redesign" all you want, but a turd is still a turd.

 

I just ordered my third so I like the body styles. I have to admit a few years ago when they were playing with that "Tonka" design, I liked it (I know, blasphemy for the purists).

A better question is why the other two manufactures have not caught up with Fords interior design? Each time I have bought I looked at the other two just to make sure I was not missing something. They both have their good points in engine/transmission. But, their interiors are so plain IMHO. I hear Chevy is doing something about that in 2013. Why did it take them so long?

(I would have never switched anyway, though)

 

Chevy and Dodge were always behind for at least 20 years when it comes to interiors. To me outside looks is vanity, inside is comfort and function.

 

I think it has a lot to with the aftermarket and commercial sales. Just like the Crown Vic, commercial companies have found a vehicle they like and they have tooled their shops to work on these vehicles. This includes aftermarket accessories and special machinery needed for these trucks.


If Ford were to go out and do a GM or Dodge style renovation every 4 years, they would find themselves out of the commercial market. The commercial outfitters will move to the small Freightliner or International truck chassis. I think the commercial buyers want stability in the product line they choose and I think Ford knows that.

We may see a body change, but I don't expect a drastic frame change. I think it would be the death of the F-350 and up trucks for commercial buyers.


The people who buy these trucks based solely on looks are a small portion of market share. I'm not saying Ford wants to loose those guys too, but if you have to choose, they should choose the commercial.

 

you guys I think are too brand loyal to think this through. I am not brand loyal I just want the best truck I can get, I also like to have a good looking truck too. after 15 years of dodges. I felt at the moment ford was the best truck, but I wasn't particularly impressed with the exterior styling, most auto makers like to stay out in front of customers with styling changes. the accord and the civic while both are big sellers for honda they change the models alot. the f150 is a big seller isn't it?? thats had a redesign the super duty has not.

what I am saying is MAYBE if ford changed the styling you give otherwise non potential buyers more reason to buy. I had intended to keep my '06 dodge, mainly because the 07-10 models in all makes suffered from much worse fuel mileage than what I already was getting. but repair problems and ford coming out with the SCR system and getting the mileage back gave me a reason to buy a new truck. my point is maybe updating the styling would give existing customers a reason to buy.

best looking modern truck 94-02 rams, worst looking trucks the rounded looking f150's that started in what '97 model year. I also didn't care for the 03-09 rams, despite owning one. best looking current model I think is dodge, then chevy then the superduty.

its my hope since ford is saving money by lack of updates that they put higher quality components in such as ball joints and u joints. but I suspect they aren't. the one good thing about the styling changing little is after you own one for 4 or 5 years the resale is preserved a little because they are still making the same exterior styling. I think I would like the tonka bolt styling or an upsized f150 look. I think the current f150's are nice looking trucks.

 

Tell the people at Airstream there design is old and they need to update it.

 

Two things strike me.

1. From the rear it is very hard to tell the difference in model years. I like this.
2. The basic chassis dimensions, cab proportions have not really changed at all. I think it's perfect. The truck has a great balanced feel to it.

The nose changes are the only big deal. An '07 looks great to me but I think they had to change the headlights for some NHTSA ruling on lights being too high. To me, the '08 looked fine until you turned on the lights, then it gets this sad droopy look to it. Kinda the same with the '11 but not quite as pronounced. They look much better during the day where you get the illusion that the headlights are on top. Then at dusk, the light comes on and it's like a face with a huge forehead, really not attractive in the realm of proportion.

 

Nothing wrong with brand loyality either.
Ford is doing something correct.
I'll agree with the rounded F-150's from '97 - up.
Not to fond of those.
The '04 redesgin was nice except for the new tail lights and tail gates of the 2010 - up F-150's.

 

And police departments everywhere are freaking out about no more CVPIs being made. I think a few police fleets ordered a few dozen just so they could have extras on hand.

----

It's not just vehicles, this applies to all kinds of products too. Companies that cater products to 'consumer' applications change designs all the time, while business/commercial product lines generally change very little. I pay a price premium for a business grade laptop computer, for example, so that I can have product line stability across several generations and know that they won't randomly change everything up on me. I can swap docking stations, batteries, modular bay accessories and other parts around and be confident that it works. Less part variety to to have to manage and stock up.

It's not brand loyalty that makes me return to do business with a company, it's the company choosing to stick with similar, predictable product lines that result in my brand loyalty. Change it up too often and lose me as a customer - if your product line changes often and doesn't line up with the previous, when it is time to upgrade I don't know what the logical next step is. I might look at something else. In this situation, I am once again paying a price premium for a business/commercial grade vehicle.

Think of the Econoline, or E-Series. If they changed the physical dimensions of the vehicle between model years, you would have trouble fitting the racks and shelving units that you used to have that would fit in every other E-series van in the past. If you were building a short bus or a RV out of a incomplete chassis E-450 and they changed the frame rail spacing, even by like 2 inches, upfitting that bus or RV is going to go from easy bolt-on and wire up to having to change the design of your bus chassis, re-evaluate its structural performance if you moved the mounting points over a bit, etc. etc. If Ford discontinues the E-series to replace it with the Transit platform (big transit, not the connect), that is a scenario that would make you think twice about continuing to buy Ford if the GM Express/Savana is still being made.

Similarly, if they changed the pickup box on your F-Series Super Duty, maybe to add some side pockets or something and thereby making the rail to rail width narrower, your camper, canopy, slide-in service body may no longer fit.

So, I don't really want to go into what a 'good looking truck' entails, because that discussion never goes anywhere, but it's great that they are not exactly the same so that consumers have something to choose from. In my personal opinion, I think the Tundra looks too much like the 03-09 RAMs, and I don't really like the 'look' of either of them, but there are people who do. Both of the aforementioned truck models also both cater a lot to customers choosing a vehicle for themselves rather than a fleet order based on hard specification. And I'm glad they exist because although I prefer to drive something that looks a box with some wheels on it, others don't.

By the way, rumour has it that the next F-150 facelift will include the Super Duty style [==] grille.

 

Hey!!! I resemable that remark!!

Love my Airstream!!

Shane

 

best looking truck out there bar none.
look at the chevy/gmc, they continue to change and make em uglier with each change.

the new dodges look pretty decent.

I loved the look of my 05, probably the best looking year ford ever did or 05-07's anyway.

 

[QUOTE=Crazy001;11023334]Just curious, what does "TRK" mean?


Sorry about that. It's short for Truck like WK is week, CK is check, etc.

 

There ya go....if it ain't broke....

 

I think they need some new door skins with a bolder beltline. Kinda like the change from 1972 to 1973. The cab was mostly the same, just had retooled skin.
Revive the "bumpside" spear down the side of the body, or give it more depth and curves, no need to change the window or upper part of the door.
Just me horrid opinion like everyone else's. haha.

 

Actually I think Dodge has kept pretty much the same overall body style all these years - except for maybe dually fenders. I read about unveiling "new dodge 1500" etc but to me they still have the same basic design since 94. Sure sheet metal is a bit different, but nothing radically different. Still looks like a Dodge (not that thats a bad thing, I think all the big 3 are bad a** trucks). It is wierd how Ford went to the pre 93 dodge style dually fenders (and mega cab) . UGLY. But dodge and chevy switched their dually fenders to look more like the 99-10 Ford's. Chevy/Dodge +1, Ford 0!