Ford has some decision making to do. Don't get me wrong, I love my truck and the Ford reputation, but in national news today, Toyota has claimed the #2 spot in worldwide truck sales moving Ford to #3. Chevy is #1. Is standard performance the biggest issue Ford has to tackle?

 

No - quality is a huge issue here. GM undercuts the price - Toyota wins on quality and people will still pay more for quality products. Better quality, better profits - at least something like it used to be - would be a major step in the right direction for Ford. I for one think the cost-cutting to keep the company alive has hit all the way down to the consumer.

Bringing back a Taurus that is industry setting again would also help a lot. Seems like Ford has given up the U.S. car market. Maybe the latest new car intros will help - sounds like the new engines to resurrect this new car era will be after the introduction. I don't think Ford can get away with that any more.

A new Ranger would help a bunch too - the old frame would even be OK, but please fix the drivetrain. Even bring back the old 302cid V-8? It would probably get better gas mileage than this not so good V-6 offering of late assuming the transmission was done right.

Guess I could go on and on. Hope the new F-150 resurrects the Big Blue emblem. Hard to figure how it will considering that it's a power struggle of technology - a nice new engine defeated by all that extra weight.

Hope I'm wrong, but I think Ford is not in a very good position in terms of competition here. I haven't even mentioned the Nissan Titan or what is rumored to be a major new Toyota truck player to be introducted soon with a new, powerful engine. Ford might should have saved a little of all that money spent on foreign acquisitions that still can't be profitable (Volvo excluded) and reinvested that money in it's core U.S. market products. I think all of us Ford owners are paying for Ford's failed attempt to be number one and as a result of this financial management failure, Ford is number three.

Just my two cents. I'm a big Ford fan and have owned Ford trucks for literally forever. Sure glad I don't need to make an immediate decision on a new truck because I simply cannot find anything in the Ford offerings that I like, especially considering the prices and what continues to look like shakey initial quality. (I'm having a hard time getting past how the new diesel was ever released and why it has taken so long to fix it.) Not a good fuzzy feeling, Ford.

 

Toyota will be making a larger 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks. They are building a plant in TX. now. They have an inline six diesel they are going to use also.
Honda is also playing around with the idea of a 1/2 ton also.

 

The numbers are based on world-wide sales, with Toyota including the Hino line of heavy-duty trucks in these figures. My question is this: if Toyota's including Hino because they happen to own them, is Ford including Jaguar, Volvo, Land Rover, etc... in their numbers, or is it just Ford-badged products? Does anyone know?

 

Toyota wouldn't know a full size truck if it bet 'em in their ****!

 

Thats good.

 

Exactly. Do they count the big rig trucks?

 

I don't think it matters. Yes, the Toyota Corporation, includes the entire family. I also think that the Ford numbers include the entire family, including the "Premier" auto group - in other words Jaguar, Volvo, Rover, etc. These perceptions are based on researching the stock of these companies along with the rest of the industry leaders. Does Ford count their big rig trucks? Yes, I do think so.

 

Is Sterling truck a part of Ford? I see a bunch of them all over the place, I mean they should be a part of Ford, using Ford Louisville Cabs and chassis'.

 

I don't think Sterling is a part of Ford anymore although Ford may still own an interest in the company. In terms of the total Sterling vehicle being included in Ford total sales - I doubt it.

 

How about ford tractors, are they included? I know it's now New Holland, but there are tons of Ford farm tractors scattered around the U.S.

 

Well i don't mean to rip of fords here, but underpowered is in my opinion the biggest problem for the biggest yet, f-150. Heck a prototype chevy colorado is going to come with 350hp in that lil truck. I think it's time my next f-150 come with at least 400hp.?????? can i get an amen? Also the low numbers are a result of a declining car market as well as car promotion.

 

Hopefully the new line of cars and other vehicles will help Ford to regain #2. I don't know if anybody will ever overtake Generic Motors though, they seem to just keep buying up the little guys to inflate their sales numbers.

 

Horsepower is not everytyhing. I am sick of hearing people who think horsepower is all that matters. More power, more power, more power. Who needs 400 horsepower? Unless your towing a very large travel trailer. You do not need that much. My Honda Civic hasn't gone 360,000 miles with me driving it hard and stomping on the gas. It is a wste of gas and money to have such huge engines. Yes I do have a 460 in my 77 F-250 but I do tow a large trailer and heavy loads. I don't need it to go super fast.

 

well, people look at numbers, the charts could look like mountains, thats where the 6.0, and other ford motors have an advantage, the chart looks like my states landscape, flat. 6.0 Compared to the duramax, on the charts, there should be no comparison in a towing contest. Sure the 6.0 is a high winder, but the torque band starts at pretty low rpms, and stay steady up still something like 3800 RPM. Sure it is not a good idea to wind the **** out of a diesel, but it would win in a pulling contest, if if you were in a bind with a trailor. My point is the duramax and the powerstroke 6.0 has about the same low end torque, i have not seen any new charts for the 590 ftlb's motor, but i bet it looks like the first version. Sure some chevy motors might have higher peak numbers, but look where they make it. The 300 would be a nice comeback for the F-150, put some higher flowing heads on it, a decent size cam, and six in a row will make it go.