Ford basically ending their passenger car line, will others follow?

[88Comrade2000]

Ford kills the Taurus, Fiesta and Fusion: What we loved and hated about the cars

 

Ford announced this week they are basically killing their passenger car line.  Only the Mustang will survive.  There will be a Focus, but it will be a 5 Door SUV-like hatchback.

 

Where will those Ford passenger car customers go?  Chevy?  The Japanese or Korean manufacturers?

 

After death of Ford Taurus, Fusion, Fiesta, will Ford fans buy a Chevy?

 

Is the beginning of the end for passenger cars?  Are we just going to have nothing but SUVs, CUVs and Trucks?  Passenger cars now make up less than 50% of sales.

 

I think Ford is going to end up getting caught, when consumers taste change again.  No bailouts again, should this move leads to an eventual decline in sales.

 

[TheGreatBuzz]

I saw this on Facebook the other day and thought it was a joke.  But I think if they do it right, they can succeed.  The key will be absolutely killing it in what they do make.  And hopefully, picking only a few things and doing them really well will allow them to cut costs on those things.  Now they aren't spending money on R&D and manufacturing for other items.  I look forward to see how it works out.  They have a real opportunity here to build a better sports car or truck that could be cheaper than the competition.

[Springfield]

I think it’s a good move to consolidate car lines.  Pick a few that perform well and cut your losses on those that don’t.  For Ford, it seems that the F-150 and Mustang are bouying the whole company.

 

That said, I think this move is a gas price spike away from sinking the company.

[Cooked Crack]

Seems short sighted. When gas prices go up Ford going to be looking real dumb. Probably wouldn't have hurt to make their cars look less terrible.

[FanboyOf91]

No bailouts next time, they're going in eyes-wide-open now.

 

3 minutes ago, Springfield said:

I think it’s a good move to consolidate car lines.  Pick a few that perform well and cut your losses on those that don’t.  For Ford, it seems that the F-150 and Mustang are bouying the whole company.

 

That said, I think this move is a gas price spike away from sinking the company.

Oh the irony for the Midwest if Trump invades Iran and oil goes back above $100 a barrel.

[tshile]

I wonder how much fuel and safety standards have to do with it

 

i also wonder if modern technology and engineering have made it so they feel comfortable spinning up a new line of compact/economy cars when the market shifts back to them. 

[Springfield]

36 minutes ago, tshile said:

I wonder how much fuel and safety standards have to do with it

 

i also wonder if modern technology and engineering have made it so they feel comfortable spinning up a new line of compact/economy cars when the market shifts back to them. 

 

If I were a car company, I’d move my compact models into an all-electric direction. I’d get rid of the 4 cylinder models altogether.  Tesla has awoken a growing segment of buyers who want a sharp all-electric car.

[tshile]

Just now, Springfield said:

 

If I were a car company, I’d move my compact models into an all-electric direction. I’d get rid of the 4 cylinder models altogether.  Tesla has awoken a growing segment of buyers who want a sharp all-electric car.

 

Yeah but there is a need for other vehicles and the different classes have different standards. If you’re not doing well in a market segment and the margins are thin it’s not a bad idea to focus on a different segment. 

[Springfield]

Just now, tshile said:

 

Yeah but there is a need for other vehicles and the different classes have different standards. If you’re not doing well in a market segment and the margins are thin it’s not a bad idea to focus on a different segment. 

 

I don’t disagree.

 

Its risky what Ford is doing.  But, as (I think) you mentioned earlier, they could probably spin up production on Focus or Taurus again if oil prices soar.

 

I wonder how many jobs this is costing people.

[Malapropismic Depository]

3 hours ago, Cooked Crack said:

Seems short sighted. When gas prices go up Ford going to be looking real dumb. Probably wouldn't have hurt to make their cars look less terrible.

 

Seems like gas prices are already surging, and have been

[Cooked Crack]

1 minute ago, Malapropismic Depository said:

 

Seems like gas prices are already surging, and have been

Still cheaper than a couple years back. Call me when gas passes 3 bucks and starts creeping to 4.

[88Comrade2000]

1 hour ago, Cooked Crack said:

Still cheaper than a couple years back. Call me when gas passes 3 bucks and starts creeping to 4.

By Memorial Day, gas will be over $3/gallon in many places. 

 

It's $2.69 here in Melbourne, FL or $2.59 with the gas station discount cards at some chains.

 

There's nothing wrong with streamlining your offerings but to basically get out of the passenger car business; seems short sighted.  Sure, they can make passenger cars again but it would take them a couple of years to do it.  

[Renegade7]

Whatever you can't do with an electric car you should get a truck for, and they learned from last gas spike that people did want SUVs more, but couldn't afford the gas prices.  Now they are going to get as many of their vehicles as hybrids or electric, so the market matches what people want, not what gas prices dictate.  This decision in context is better then its getting credit for.

[Kilmer17]

I think electric cars will be the norm within the decade.  Ford has this one right.  Just so what you do best and stop trying to be better at the things you don’t do well 

[twa]

6 hours ago, Renegade7 said:

Whatever you can't do with an electric car you should get a truck for, and they learned from last gas spike that people did want SUVs more, but couldn't afford the gas prices.  Now they are going to get as many of their vehicles as hybrids or electric, so the market matches what people want, not what gas prices dictate.  This decision in context is better then its getting credit for.

 

there is also a growing electric/hybrid suv and crossover market...,sedans are simply being replaced by improved suv/crossovers 

[Larry]

Yeah, I saw this a couple days ago, too.  Thought it might be worth a thread.  

 

Thinking about it, I'm wondering how much of it is "American consumers don;t want cars, they want SUVs", and how much of it if "Well, American consumers do want cars, but the ones that do, buy Prius or Civics."  

 

Cars are going to be available in America.  They just won't be Fords.  I don't see Toyota or Honda (or Kia, or other smaller companies) dropping their "car" products.  

[c slag]

Isn't there a rule in Nascar that the car has to be available in the showroom in order to be a racecar?

Is this the reason for keeping the Mustang only?

[Springfield]

20 minutes ago, c slag said:

Isn't there a rule in Nascar that the car has to be available in the showroom in order to be a racecar?

Is this the reason for keeping the Mustang only?

 

The Mustang is probably the second best seller for Ford (without fact checking myself). It’s iconic in the muscle car crowd.  While I don’t like them personally, they are hugely popular.

[TradeTheBeal!]

The vast majority of SUV/CUVs are just wagons with a slight body lift.  This is a savvy move from Ford.

[twa]

40 minutes ago, TryTheBeal! said:

The vast majority of SUV/CUVs are just wagons with a slight body lift.  This is a savvy move from Ford.

 

Yep , some even used a beefed up sedan frame/suspension.

Better visibility and capacity while keeping a smooth ride.....doesn't hurt that their profit margins are higher on them either.

[Dan T.]

Where will mobsters transport bodies if all the cars with trunks are gone?

[China]

1 hour ago, Dan T. said:

Where will mobsters transport bodies if all the cars with trunks are gone?

 

Don't worry, I'm sure Ford's luxury brand of Lincoln will still keep the Continental for such purposes.

[PokerPacker]

47 minutes ago, China said:

 

Don't worry, I'm sure Ford's luxury brand of Lincoln will still keep the Continental for such purposes.

I was wondering if the MKZ was gonna stick around.  Killed the Mercury Milano when closing Mercury and now the Fusion is gone.  Does the MKZ survive to carry the torch?

[pjfootballer]

On 4/29/2018 at 10:27 AM, c slag said:

Isn't there a rule in Nascar that the car has to be available in the showroom in order to be a racecar?

Is this the reason for keeping the Mustang only?

 

They are going to the Mustang next year at the cup level. I believe it’s at the exfinity level now.

[TradeTheBeal!]

21 hours ago, PokerPacker said:

I was wondering if the MKZ was gonna stick around.  Killed the Mercury Milano when closing Mercury and now the Fusion is gone.  Does the MKZ survive to carry the torch?

 

I hope so cause Im daily-driving a 3.0 twin-turbo MKZ these days and I freaking love it.