If you tow heavy your next truck won't be a Toyota, just sayin'.

 

In my opinion, I think a Ford / VW merger would make the most sense.

 

Moved to General Automotive Discussion forum.

 

There is a reason these "mergers" never work out. Simply put, people don't want to buy a mercedes that shares parts with a chrysler. It only makes sense to merge when there are tremendous cost savings. how do you get that, you ask? Things like shared platforms, higher quantity supplies purchases, combined admin resources, etc. But, mostly the platform. Land Rover and Jag buyers didn't want to own a "high end" british vehicle with Ford parts. (yes, we can argue the 'high" end with JLR products. I have a post Ford Land Rover and it's very nice).

At any rate, Ford would/could strip their lineup even further before they'd succumb to a merger. Lest we all forget, they have the #1 selling vehicle for nearly like 40 years. And, oh, btw, it's their most profitable vehicle. If they only sold trucks. my F stock would go through the roof. They could focus on what people want, their dealers would be really profitable and they could allow dealers to dual show room with most any overseas brand (truck tariffs may it unlikely that any other manufacturer overseas is going to get into the truck business).

So, honestly, there is zero chance of this happening.

 

My vote would be for a Ford /VW merger.

But I'm certain that Ford can stand on it's own now and in the future.

 

Yeah, that was probably just fake news when I heard they're laying off 7,000 employees.

 

Worldwide. And yes, they are getting out of markets that they do not make money in (that's called being smart). Did you read how they were reorganizing and that they have something like 14 different levels of management (ya, quite stupid.. how do they accomplish anything like that).

Numbers do not lie.. positive net income every year, more cash flow then debt. Yup, exactly what a company should be doing.

 

Ford sold Jaguar/Land Rover to Tata Motors of India, sold Aston Martin to a private investment group, sold 33% of Mazda back to Mazda (ending FoMoCo involvement), sold Volvo to Geely Industries, a Chinese automaker.

Don't forget that Ford put up all the company assets including the rights to the Blue Oval, to secure a 23.8 billion dollar loan in 2005 to stave off bankruptcy.

After this, the credit dried up, causing GM and Chrysler to first ask Bush, then Obama for "bail out" bucks. Ford is still paying on this loan and will continue to do so for some years to come.

 

And the Obama administration forgave $10.3-BILLION of GM and Chrysler debt ... our taxpayer dollars. Then learned GM spent 79% of their bailout funds to build Buick plants in China. That money sure saved American jobs, didn't it? 'Tis why I will never buy a GM or Chrysler (now Fiat) product. Ford left the bailout money on the table. Yes, Ford did take a low-interest governnent loan that they're paying back ... same as we would do if/when we refinance a mortgage (take out a low-interest loan to pay off a high-interest loan).

 

Let's get back on course gents and leave the politics in the club.

 

Uh, I believe we are in the "general automotive discussion" section and everyone is talking about automotive. Er Go, we are on course. Let's save the over moderation for the specific categories, otherwise, why have a general? I don't see anyone being disrespectful or untruthful.

 

Thanks for that. My previous comment wasn't harping on the politics of the bailout. I was trying to point out that GM made a poor business decision for which we all paid.

 

As soon as we start talking about certain administrations and their policies, the door gets kicked wide open.

Not over moderating, I'm protecting the thread from getting shut down. Now, let's keep the administrations and they're policies out of it.

Thank you both.

 

Or Verizon, ATT/Cingular, Nissan etc. Seems like there is no rewarding long time customers. Only gimmicks to bring in new customers. When I left Cingular after 20 years, they asked why. Because I had to pay for a new phone! After 20 years, you would think a free phone would not have been a problem.

 

EDIT: Sorry guys... I didn't mean to write a book! Sorry for the long winded post... (skip all the way to the bottom if you want):

I don't own a Toyota, and never have in all the years I've been driving. I've pretty much owned American cars & trucks (with a few mistaken ventures with foreign cars)...

Hopefully nobody minds, but, let's look at my personal vehicle history dating back to the late 70's in high school, and start there:

1971 Plymouth Satellite Sebring, 318 V8, auto --- A heck of a car that my dad bought me when I got my license. We put a new water pump in it, new brakes, new exhaust, and I was on the road! I soon put an 8-track tape deck on it, air shocks in the rear to raise up the rear end, and Wide Oval 60's for rear tires.
Demise: Sold it on the Coast Guard base to an MK (Machinery Technician) who was going to fix it up, as it would constantly overheat and the radiator coils would leak.

1974 Austin Marina (Little tiny British 4-door sedan) --- To this day, I still have no idea what I was thinking. Maybe I was drunk off base when I bought it. This total POS car burned so much oil and always had a "blue cloud" behind it, that I constantly had to keep quarts of oil in the trunk! I tried to fix it up. USCG buddies tried to help me out by fixing it up. It was just a total piece of junk. Never again, will I own a foreign car!
Demise: Honest? My right hand to God? I literally GAVE IT to an ex-boyfriend of my older sister! We made out a bill of sale for $1 dollar at the DMV. Good riddance to both of them!

1978 Ford Fairmont, 200 inline 6, 3 speed on the floor --- Great car that I bought on the Coast Guard base. Totally boxey in appearance and looked like an "undercover police cruiser", but was a bit weak with the small straight 6 engine.
Demise: Traded it in, as I was now married with a kid on the way. Besides, my wife HATED the stick shift if she had to drive it.

1984 Ford Escort Wagon, 4 banger, auto --- I don't know.. I don't know... My wife wanted it, and I wanted something bigger like an F150 extended cab. Oh well, as the saying goes, "Happy Wife, Happy Life". This time it was ME who hated driving it, as I always felt it was a "chick car" and I was going to have to turn in my man card! LOL!
Demise: Traded it in, as the kids (two daughters) are now in school, wife working at a daycare center, etc... Wife drove the %$&# out of that little Escort too!

WIFE
1993 Ford Taurus Wagon, transverse V6, auto, --- Great full size wagon for my wife, the girls, me, if and when we traveled on military leave to visit relatives. Great overall wagon, loaded with all sorts of features too. However, over the years, it started getting "weird" with handling, like the front end CV joints, tie-rods, or something was going crazy when you went around a curve. Perhaps the power steering system was failing, or something else. Wife decided to get rid of it.
Demise: Wife traded it in for a 2000 GMC Jimmy 4X4.

ME
1987 Ford Ranger XLT Supercab, 2.9L V6, 4X4, auto --- FINALLY, I was able to get a pickup truck! It was mine and all mine! Wife had her car and I had my truck. Life was good!
Demise: Traded it in here in town at (of all places - a Chevy dealer!). I drove the %&*# out of that Ranger, with well over 200,000 miles and it was seriously dying. The 4X4 bearing hubs were always getting hot, and it was getting rusted and worn out too.

WIFE
2000 GMC Jimmy 4x4, 4.3L V6, auto --- Awesome SUV for my wife at first. We both loved driving this, as did my oldest daughter once she got her learner's permit. However, over the years, it started having way too many "issues" and was always in the shop! Thank God we opted for the extended warranty coverage. This would break down, that would break down, this needed servicing, etc.. etc.. As soon as it was paid off, we saw the writing on the wall, as the saying goes, and my wife traded it in.

ME
2000 Chevy Silverado LT, 2wd, 4.8L V8, 5 speed stick --- I found this at a Chevy dealer (older salesman was the dad of one of my co-worker friends, after I retired from the USCG) and settled here in Richmond, VA. I loved this pickup, and couldn't pass up the deal I got (even trading in a well used Ford Ranger 4x4 at a Chevy dealer!). I went everywhere in this truck, and loved every minute of it. However with it being 2WD with a 5 speed stick, if it snowed hard here in Richmond, VA, I'd get stuck - guaranteed! I had to keep a row of cinder blocks in the back of the truck bed for added weight. 209,800 miles later, it finally said, "I'm done..." The whole entire fuel system blew out on me. GM (in their infinite wisdom) placed the fuel pump, sender, relays, misc parts/pieces, etc..etc... INSIDE the fuel tank, underneath the pickup truck bed. The repair center I had it towed to gave me numerous quotes, and we all quickly realized that the repair estimates far exceeded Kelly Blue Book, Nada Guides, etc... and to be honest - it just wasn't worth it.
Demise: I decided to donate it to the American Cancer Society and got a tax write-off on my next years' taxes.

WIFE
2006 Chevy Cobalt LT 2.0L 4 banger, fwd, 2-door coupe --- The ultimate "chick car" ha ha ha ha... With the demise of her GMC Jimmy, and me still driving my Chevy Silverado (at the time), she drove the little Cobalt. It was a great little car that she and both my daughters would drive (if they weren't driving their own cars back and forth to college (back then) or to work). We both had no real problems with GM versus Ford or whatever...
Almost demise - Wife hit a deer at 40 mph in the early morning on her way to work. Thank God she was okay! $4500 damage to the Cobalt. Thank God for GEICO and full coverage insurance. Chevy Dealer's body shop & insurance adjusters told us flat out - my wife was very lucky, because at probably 45 mph or over, they would have totalled the little Cobalt. But long story short, they were able to repair it, darn near put a whole new front end on it, etc... and it was back on the road.

WIFE'S CURRENT VEHICLE
2013 Nissan Rogue, 2.4L 4 banger, auto --- My wife's current vehicle. Explain something to me, everyone... Please, explain how this works! My beloved Chevy Silverado died. I was without a vehicle, all except for my 2007 Honda Shadow 750 motorcycle (can't ride that in the winter/snow!). So, it was ME that needed a new vehicle, but yet, my wife goes out with one of the younger ladies from her daycare center and buys a new/used vehicle?!? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?!?
In all honesty, my wife is now Asst Manager of the daycare, and as it turns out, the younger lady at the daycare is the daughter of the Finance Manager at Nissan here in town. The young lady apparently said, "Daddy, my supervisor needs a car!" -- and that was it. Seriously... Pfffftttt... My wife got such a deal, she STOLE that Nissan Rogue, you know what I mean?

ME
I was stuck driving a "chick car" (aka the little Chevy Cobalt) when we had bad weather, winter snow, etc... and I hated every minute of it! I felt like I was neutered!
Demise: My wife, daughters, me, ...everybody... drove the $*#& out of that little Cobalt over the years. I was a good car and very economical, but, started having problems with the front wheel CV joints, struts, and the driver's side front wheel drive "bearing hub" as it's called. Over 30 mph, and you'll hear a sound like an airplane taking off. The car wouldn't pull to one side though, which was odd, but it was what it was. I continued to drive it and drive it, despite it's problems, hoping that it would just die on the road one day.
Final demise: Seeing that it's state inspection (May) was coming up real soon, I just knew deep down... I knew in my heart it was going to fail State Inspection BADLY!! I wasn't going to sink $$$ to fix it up. Like I did with my old Chevy Silverado, I looked at Kelly Blue Book and Nada Guides, and once again, the repair costs would far exceed the value. So, I took it to CarMax here in town (CarMax will buy anything, no matter what. Even if you have to PUSH a vehicle into the lot at CarMax, they will buy it!). Anyway, CarMax gave me $1000 for the little Cobalt, so I took the money and ran!

ME - CURRENT VEHICLE
2012 Ford Escape XLT, 3.0L transverse V6, auto --- I desperately needed a vehicle and had my eyes on a Ford Ranger at first, and went back the next day and it was gone! I looked at a Jeep Patriot (thinking I'll give Jeep a shot at vehicle ownership), but the dealership and I had, uh... um... disagreements, and I walked out with the $1000 check still in hand (for a down deposit). Long story short, my wife quickly learned that one of the parents at her daycare center works at a used car lot here in town called CarLotz. One thing led to another, and I contacted them, and mentioned my wife, my wife's daycare, and how the guy's kids go to her daycare. That's all it took - a little "name dropping", and they found a beautiful, used, 2012 Ford Escape SUV for me. I wanted a pickup truck, but they had a Nissan Titan 4x4 pickup with 175,000 miles and I said, "Uh... no thanks!". So, once I hopped in the Ford Escape, I quickly bonded with it, and the rest is history! I have returned to Ford after owning Fords so many times over the years!

Summary
(1) Plymouth
(1) Austin (POS British car)
(1) GMC
(1) Nissan
(2) Chevy's
(5) Ford's