Originally Posted by
Segnosaur
I always wondered how a car could be considered 'boring'.
Now, there are cars (such as high-end sports cars) that do look truly unique. And there are some cars that I think look absolutely horrible (Nissan Cube for example). But apart from that, a car is just a mode of transportation to get you from point A to point B. What exactly makes a car design 'exciting' to accomplish that?
A combination of looks and features. They look boxy and the interiors are cheap looking. The sound systems are basic and better ones are a lot more. The technology options are behind the curve. I did say “in my view.” Example: I just did bought a Fiat 500 for my son, a fun little car with nice looks, great features and a low price. Ford just doesn’t have a fun, sporty small car; isn’t even in the same ballpark. It’s subjective of course, but obviously a lot of people agree.
Quote:
Well, another poster did point out that the fusion does sell fairly well in Europe, so they can have SOME success in the affordable sedan market.
Well, first of all, "history" has actually demonstrated the opposite... there have been 2 time periods (during the 70s with the first invasion of the Japanese automakers, and the post-2008 recession where the car makers needed government bailouts) that there aren't always enough people willing to buy large gas guzzlers.
There are 2 issues at play here: can ford maintain its current market share in the SUV/truck market, and will the market remain stable or grow. The SUV market HAS grown, but history has shown that that may not always be the case. And while they have been successful selling Trucks/SUVs, there is always a chance that Honda/Toyota/Hyundai may end up taking over those markets as they did with the small car market.
So the concern is that Ford may eventually start to sell fewer gas guzzlers, and they won't have the small car market to fall back on.
I think if they are going to survive long-term, they need to revamp their car segments. I’d bet that is exactly what they are going to do in the long-term: start coming out with competitive sedans and small cars to replace the current crop. But first, they are going to streamline and do what they do best: Trucks and SUVs
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