Were all friends here for the most part, Smiggs is a buddy of mine we just look at things differently. This foreign, domestic debate has been raging a long time and brings out some deep feelings on the topic. We tended to get off subject a little, the original poster feels ford neds to get on the ball. As alot of us as noted, ford is doing better at this time. It's been a rough road for them and they still have a ways to go, but things seem to be turning the corner. All 3 of the U.S auto makers seem to be on the road to recovery. The jury is still out on chrysler as I have no idea what plans the new owners have in store. Some say they will divide the company up and sell it in parts, I hope not. There's enough room for everyone in the auto industry, we just have to reach a level playing field. The truck and suv isn't the mover they once were, so we have to change to an ever changing market place. You can't blame the big 3 as they were just giving americans what they wanted, they just have to learn to be able to adjust quickly to changing trends. The mood now is toward greener more fuel effient cars and trucks and it seemed to happen allmost over night. I wish the big 3 the best of luck and will continue to give them my suport.

 

That is why the foreign manufacturer’s quickly jumped in and said they would meet the new CAFE standards. Not that they are better at mileage magic than the big 3. Its there way of shoving it to them. The big three have a bigger part of the truck market and the light duty trucks are a part of the formula. The foreign makes were saying yes we can meet 35 MPG, of course they can since they have captured the small car market. The big three make a big portion of there profits off the truck market which they lead. Are they supposed to surrender a big part of the truck market to meet the federal standards? The foreign makers are just sitting back and smiling over the spot Detroit has gotten them selves into. <O</O</FONT></FONT>

 

As my father always says. "In life, always be prepared for change" Apperantly the Big 3 weren't ready for the change from trucks/suvs to cars/cuvs, but there catching on as Ford will begin selling the Flex in the summer and the B-car segment (Ford Fiesta) will be coming eventually. Its just a matter of time before they'll get the market share they lost back.
When the market for trucks/suvs peaked, Fords sells between cars and trucks/suvs was 30% cars and 70% trucks/suvs, now it's about 50/50. I think Ford should try to switch those figures that they showed when the market peaked and have 70% cars and 30% trucks/suvs. I don't know if those market figures are feasible, but I do believe Ford, or for that matter all of the Big 3, should be selling more cars than they do trucks/suvs. I do think Ford and all of the Big 3 are getting back on track and they will come out of this struggle alive and well.

 

Agreed. At the end of the day, competition is good... consumer wins.

 

well i was in shock this past week boys....i live here in detroit were i see f150's, silverado's and dodges all day long right?? well a trip to the deep south of florida as i drove some 1300 miles i saw less and less of the big 3 trucks, then when i got to florida it was nissan and the new toyota everywhere, i mean everwhere, dealorships had over 50 in stock and so on .....this really opend my eyes as i thought the big 3 would sell way more trucks in that area... i guess its all geography, people in detroit, like myself drive fords, people in florida drive nissan/toyotas for whatever reason, anyway i got back north and have alerted my boys at ford the toyotas are comming the toyotas are comming!!!....

 

go a head and look a fords sales. one thing you need to also take into account is ford owns mazda, kingsford and hole lot of other diffrent companys. Ford will and continues to do just fine. Look at fords stock 5 years back. Take a close look at how the stock split 5 diffrent times. If you look close enough you will see just why my uncle made a crap load of money off fords stock. Ford is going threw a slump right now, but i blame that on the union bleeding them dry. As for the mini/compact truck, ford is the only maker still making them. But even that is comming to an end. Whatever the future brings, one thing is for sure, the competition is going to get really heated.

 

Whoa there, B'S FX4..."People in Florida drive Nissans/ Toyotas" ??!!! Don't know where in Florida you visited, but this Florida Cracker is here to tell you around here Ford is king, always has been and always will. MANY more Ford trucks on the road, on the jobsites, and at the local mud hole than other other make. Any other Florida boys out there wanna back me up?

 

Ford and all the other companies can build the vehicles, and we are going to buy them. They can make the Difference in the environment just by supplying us with all the gadgets the company already has on the shelf. Yes we do give them false directions with purchase of large non fuel efficient suv's, But if they built the road worthy comfortable cars and trucks that are fuel efficient,guess what I would buy. no one is out here looking at a 30,000 dollar unit and pray they get to have a 15 mpg Angkor. If they build it we will buy it,I own a 1990 Mercedes,its a 420 v8 and average 19 mpg.I also have other cars and trucks, my 77 ford (302) gets all of 13 mpg I really don't wish to be below 19 mpg. I love my trucks, I use it for the farm and need a good work truck, so I will never give up that lousy mpg. But if I had to purchase a new one which I never see me doing, you know it will be a mileage decision. If for no other reason than sales, trucks have survived by becoming a glorified automobile,with a bed attached, give me back my work truck and keep all that other stuff for miss fancy pants, Look if I want a car I will buy one OK?

 

I wouldn't respond to a "cracker" remark but if you happen to drive through Tennessee, Alabama, and or Mississippi you'll come upon Toyota, Nissan, and Mercedes auto plants. Hello???????????????????????????

 

Hes not lieing. Thats great that the southern economy is doing good (for what ive heard). But up here if you drive a toyota or nissan you better have tinted windows because everyone gives them dirty looks and some flying birds. I dont because thats disresectful and i guess everyone is intitled to there own opinion

LOL they already know thats why they're making one hell of a 150 with FINALLY MOTOR OPTIONS! instead of the valve seat eating 5.4 and the guttless 4.6. Im kind of happy that the toyota tundra came out, becuase that made ford step up the game, and they're not goin down without a fight.

 

Thats becuase they are the toughest

 

Well sir, if that is a veiled putdown of Florida natives, we'd just as soon not hear your response,thank you.

 

Remember the "Buy American, Your Job Depends On It" campain of the late 70's?

I wonder where all those jobs went????

Not enough peeps bought American, and now all those jobs are in Mexico,China,India.

It's prolly more important now, than in the 70's, to buy American.

The quality of domestic auto's is equal, if not better, than offerings from Japan,Korea,Europe.

Is funny when I tell a Civic driver that my f150 has 230K miles on it. OEM engine /tranny. They look at me like the truck was supposed to be all wore out @ 100K miles???? Peoples perceptions need to change, before anything else will.

 

Ford sales are down over 12% this year from last year, and the sales have been way down since 2005, when gas prices climbed to over $3.00 a gallon.

Ford lost 12.5 billion dollars last year.

Ford owns a percentage of Mazda (about 33%), not the entire company.

If you look at Ford stock now, the price per share is less than 10 bucks. It was $8.25 last week.

The competitions factories: Titans are built in Canton, Mississippi. Tundras are built in San Antonio, Texas and Evansville, Indiana.

 

I don't understand why ford doesnt leverage other engine technologies from other market spaces. I was recently in Australia this summer and drove a Super Pursuit it already comes with quad cam BOSS V8 that has 413 HP without a supercharger. The site I am gettingspecs from is http://www.fpv.com.au. So I know Ford can build a high performane engine I just don't know why the Austrailians get it and we do not.