Does Ford want to go under?
- Thread starter Alec
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crewwolfy
Member
If they're killing off the Excursion, this might make sense. Like it or not, SUVs do sell, and are necessary (or at least useful) in certain applications. That being said, there's no reason for any company to make more than a couple different SUV models. I honestly don't understand American carmakers...
celticstanger
Member
Perfect! Exactly what our family needs!
Well done, Ford. Cut the behemoth Excursion and make the Expedition a 'true' 6+ seater. The current Expedition is great if you've got a group of people who want to go somewhere, but want to come back the same day. With the 3rd row of seats up, there's next to no cargo space, so this is a great move by Ford.
Well done, Ford. Cut the behemoth Excursion and make the Expedition a 'true' 6+ seater. The current Expedition is great if you've got a group of people who want to go somewhere, but want to come back the same day. With the 3rd row of seats up, there's next to no cargo space, so this is a great move by Ford.
Szlachcic
New Member
I think it is a smart move. I don't know how will the Excursions sold, but I don't know anyone that owns one. I do know plenty of people that own Expeditions though, and I am sure they would have loved the extra room. I think it is smart of them to phase one of their many SUVs out and put more focus in a better selling one. 
What I meant by the topic was; where is the R&D? A redone SUV!!!... that's what they come up with.. sheesh that's lame. People wonder why the Asians and Germans are beating us.
Oil is going up and the SUV market is toast.
People will always need a Pickup, but another luxury SUV.
The hottest selling vehicles are hybrids not Nimitz-class size SUV's!! Ford and GM need to get with it.
I want Ford to live they seem to be two steps behind.
Oil is going up and the SUV market is toast.
People will always need a Pickup, but another luxury SUV.
The hottest selling vehicles are hybrids not Nimitz-class size SUV's!! Ford and GM need to get with it.I want Ford to live
they seem to be two steps behind.
celticstanger
Member
I'm not following. How many people actually "need" pickups? In socal they're everywhere, but usually very nice looking, with one or two people in the cab and nothing in the bed. Most of the pickup owners I see would be equally well served with a Honda Civic.Alec said:What I meant by the topic was; where is the R&D? A redone SUV!!!... that's what they come up with.. sheesh that's lame. People wonder why the Asians and Germans are beating us.
Oil is going up and the SUV market is toast.
People will always need a Pickup, but another luxury SUV.
I want Ford to live
On the other hand, families with more than 3 kids are limited to fullsize SUVs and minivans. I think there's a good market for these things and think Ford did well to reduce it's offerings from 3 to 2. It looks like the new Explorer is now closer to a reduced-size Expedition, and the new Expedition will be more truly capable of accomodating larger families (seating 7, but with room for cargo).
Work..people need pickups for work.
Families don't need a Monster SUV, my dad hauled all 5 of us around in a 4 door Buick.
A hybrid minivan would sell quite well.
I think this is a bad move by them, this thing won't sell. Gas is going up, people are making insane commutes and drivers will give up the gas guzzler before suburbia.
In my area people are trading these things in and going smaller.
Look at the ads Ford's running they are dumping SUVs cheap.
Like was said above this thing was probably in the works before high oil prices. A Diesel putting down some good numbers might sell, but the average joe still thinks diesels are noisy, stinky etc..
Families don't need a Monster SUV, my dad hauled all 5 of us around in a 4 door Buick.
A hybrid minivan would sell quite well.I think this is a bad move by them, this thing won't sell. Gas is going up, people are making insane commutes and drivers will give up the gas guzzler before suburbia.
In my area people are trading these things in and going smaller.
Look at the ads Ford's running they are dumping SUVs cheap.
Like was said above this thing was probably in the works before high oil prices. A Diesel putting down some good numbers might sell, but the average joe still thinks diesels are noisy, stinky etc..
celticstanger
Member
Not sure how many people need a truck for work. That's kind of what I meant earlier - the majority of trucks I see are fashion items, rather than workhorses. I only know two people who own trucks - one's a mortgage broker, the other one works in an office for the phone co. No hauling of lumber/tools/masonry blocks.Alec said:Work..people need pickups for work.
Families don't need a Monster SUV, my dad hauled all 5 of us around in a 4 door Buick.
I think this is a bad move by them, this thing won't sell. Gas is going up, people are making insane commutes and drivers will give up the gas guzzler before suburbia.
In my area people are trading these things in and going smaller.
Look at the ads Ford's running they are dumping SUVs cheap.
Like was said above this thing was probably in the works before high oil prices. A Diesel putting down some good numbers might sell, but the average joe still thinks diesels are noisy, stinky etc..
Also, these days, you'd get nailed for hauling kids around like that (at least in CA). In our case, we have 2 child seats in the middle row, leaving one seat next to it free. That's one seat short of how many we need. Until we kick an older kid out, we're not going to have an option but to buy a big enough vehicle = Expedition or minivan (wife aint going to go for THAT
). Of course, my wife's Expedition is currently getting better mileage then my car, so fuel economy is a subject I tend to skirt I think there's as much a valid market need for this Expedition as there is for any other vehicle (actually, probably more 'need' than there is for a Mustang, since our family could live without my car, but not without my wife's).
Mickey21
New Member
You act like 5 kids is a lot. Growing up 3rd of 8 we had to own larger vehicles to move around in and trust me a trip across the US is no fun in a 4 door Buick even. There is nothing wrong with this idea and it makes a lot of sense for those that need it. Also, just because you see a single or dual person carrying Expedition doesnt mean they dont need it either. My dad drove our conversion Chevy van to work when I was a kid and was by himself a lot of the time but filled it up picking us up from school everyday and dropping us off. So there are needs out there even if some people dont see them.
Also, how many of them sell to organizations and churches for trips and community work. They need a vehicle to choose as well. I am sure the truck will sell, and the Excursion was just too big. Kudos on making a well selling vehicle even better. On the Excursion getting a new name just because it is stretched, dont really agree, just make it a different edition Expedition for instance...
Also, how many of them sell to organizations and churches for trips and community work. They need a vehicle to choose as well. I am sure the truck will sell, and the Excursion was just too big. Kudos on making a well selling vehicle even better. On the Excursion getting a new name just because it is stretched, dont really agree, just make it a different edition Expedition for instance...
So, do they really need to make the "Everest" AND the full size vans AND the pickups, AND the minivans AND midsize etc etc.. I think it's overkill with the truck stuff.
Free up those lines to make MORE cars! Some compacts that get 45+ mpg along with a sports car or two would be
But, whatever... heads in the sand, can't see the writing on the wall.
Free up those lines to make MORE cars! Some compacts that get 45+ mpg along with a sports car or two would be
But, whatever... heads in the sand, can't see the writing on the wall.
celticstanger
Member
So, you don't think they should make stuff which'd sell???
Or are you one of those blindly anti-suv types who doesn't get the fact that not everyone leads a tv-dinner-for-one life, and may actually NEED a large vehicle?
Or are you one of those blindly anti-suv types who doesn't get the fact that not everyone leads a tv-dinner-for-one life, and may actually NEED a large vehicle?
I have owned both types, with 5 kids a car with 45+ mpg is impossible. Even if u own hybrids the money you save in gas goes directly to the sticker. Long live the SUV. back in the day nobody cared if you wore seatbelts so you could make do with a 2 or 4 door.Alec said:So, do they really need to make the "Everest" AND the full size vans AND the pickups, AND the minivans AND midsize etc etc.. I think it's overkill with the truck stuff.
Free up those lines to make MORE cars! Some compacts that get 45+ mpg along with a sports car or two would be
But, whatever... heads in the sand, can't see the writing on the wall.
Mickey21
New Member
Alec said:
Ford is not doing as well, not in deep ****.... Because a company is no longer going to be #2 does not a company in crap make it. Yes, they arent doing as well, yes they could stand to be more competitive and do better, but one day away from gone is hardly the case either.
In most cases Ford is doing worse off by making some bad decisions and doing extremely poorly on the car standpoint. Not to mention the many aquisitions of other companies and the crowded SUV market. I just dont think this is one of those bad decisions at this point. Sure they may have to cut some jobs to resize their uses, but being too big for your market share is what that is all about.
As long as they figure out their market share and find out how to get more of it, or at least keep it from going down further... Time will tell...
The last Excursion came off the assembly line last July and sold approx. 19,000 in 2004 and 16,000 in 2005. GM sells over 100,000+ Suburban sized vehicles. The Excursion was too large and heavy to compete directly with the Suburban. An extended Expedition will be more competitive, is built on an existing assembly line, and shouldn't have taken much in R&D. Makes sense to build it as long as their market expectations are realistic.
Mickey21 said:
Except that Ford makes about $10,000 profit on a typical SUV, $8,000 on the typical F150, $3,000 on a typical Crown Vic or Mustang, Maybe $1,500 on a new Fusion and Ford looses at least $1,000 on a typical Focus.
As long as Ford can make big $$ selling SUVs they would be foolish to do otherwise.
By the way I agree that 80% of the people driving around in big SUVs have NO need for them what so ever. They are more a fashion statement than anything else.
celticstanger
Member
Oh, and I completely agree with that too. Right behind the polished truck (which has never carried more than a case of beer in the bed), is the chick/dude in the suv, which will never carry more than 2 or 3 people at once. I actually know a LOT of people who drive them, but really don't need to.351CJ said:
It's a free country (let it slide), so I suppose they're entitled to drive whatever floats their boat.
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