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The "experts" aren't always right. Time and again I hear the experts saying that no one could have seen the real estate bubble and avoided the crash. Well, I saw it and made dang good money by getting out of real estate right before the crash happened. A LOT of people saw it coming. Just not the experts.
The price of gas will go back up. Way up. And when it does, people will be scrambling to get rid of their gas guzzling trucks and SUVs and get back into more fuel efficient vehicles. Just like the last time the price of gas went way up.
It's already going back up. I don't know if it will go way up, but it's been steady creeping upwards lately. Just in time for the summer travel season.
... Problem is, most people just consider vehicles basic transportation and don't care too much about driving dynamics I guess. If they did, then we wouldn't be seeing crossovers and SUV sales climbing and sedan sales dropping.
Unfortunately on this board, we seem to be a club of 2. There are, one supposes, numerous consumers who regard motor-vehicles as more than being mere appliances, but in most cases, this extra regard concerns luxury, prestige, aesthetics, and the self-congratulatory feel of having something rugged or capable. It’s rarely about performance; and when it is, performance generally means linear acceleration. How many enthusiasts really care about nimbleness, the capacity for a car to be tossed around, its being predictable at the edge of traction, and entertaining once traction is lost?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Martin
The "experts" aren't always right. Time and again I hear the experts saying that no one could have seen the real estate bubble and avoided the crash. Well, I saw it and made dang good money by getting out of real estate right before the crash happened. A LOT of people saw it coming. Just not the experts.
We tend to remember particularly those experts whose pronouncements were flagrantly and outrageously wrong. In the case of Ford, I am inclined to believe that they're right, in predicting consumer-sentiment and market direction. My lament isn't that Ford is somehow being foolish, but on the contrary, that they're being wise. It's my fellow buying-public whose tastes I so lament.
Capitalism works great, when we're interested in the products that other people also want. Then there's competition among manufacturers, economy of scale, a vibrant resale market. But if we want rare things, the market has no incentive to deliver them. Options will dwindle and prices will rise.
If other American manufacturers follow Ford's lead - and from the viewpoint of corporate profitability, this likely makes sense - the only performance-oriented compact sedans/coupes remaining in the American market will be European exotics.
The CEO / President / Board Member running the company spent his entire career running an OFFICE FURNITURE company. He knows NOTHING about what makes Ford great or even important. All that counts is increasing gross margin percentage, and he is doing it by reducing sales of slightly less profitable vehicles and eliminating billions in product development. The company can go bankrupt in five years for all he cares, he is in line to get a huge bonus for raising stock prices NOW!
They're going to try it and see what happens. It looks good on paper. No matter how it goes. His contract is probably set up so in a few years regardless of what happens, he walks away with 50+ million and not look back.
Sales for sedans have been sliding heavily the past 3 years, but that doesn’t mean you have to completely abandon that market.
Why not just make sedans in low volumes instead?
I’m not sure how it is in the rest of the country, but here in California, there’s more sedans, small cars, hybrids, than SUV’s and huge trucks because gas is so freakin damn expensive now.
Californians have been dealing with high gas prices for years, so we’re accustomed to purchasing fuel efficient vehicles. So what will Ford have in place as far as sedans go for the number 1 vehicle sales market in the nation?
Truck sales won’t be dominant forever, especially with continuing yearly price increases on them.
It’s just insane me that people are actually buying pickups for almost 100k thesedays, that’s just stupid!!
When you know it probably cost Ford, Chevy and Dodge next to nothing to build them.
In the case fuel of prices, here in New Orleans, Louisiana unleaded gas is 2.37 a gallon while diesel is 2.89 to 2.99 a gallon
The majority of this thread is really misguided. Most people are going to the CRV, Escape, Equinox type vehicles.
I recently had an Equinox while my car was in for service and though I felt like it was a small buzzy POS, it got REALLY good mileage. 35-40 on the highway and 25+ in town. I dogged the hell out of that thing and could not get it below 20mpg. It’s not like people are leaving sedans behind for gas guzzlers. The form factor of the car is just changing.
Speaking of misguided I got two vehicles, one suv and a Crown Victoria which is a 1999 LX. I'm selling it get another crown Victoria but updated 2003 or 04.
Crown Victorias can get from 17 mpg city to over 20 on the highway.
I'm willing to bet most of those people who purchase SUVs would easily choose the sedan if they drive the sedan back to back with SUV
There is no comparison.. sedans/cars are so much smoother, far more comfortable and you get the added bonus of better performance, handling and MPG.
And when it comes to grocery shopping, you can load so much more grocery bags into the deep sedan boot than the shallow SUV deck.. Believe me I have both sedan & SUV and the sedan is superior.
I'm willing to bet most of those people who purchase SUVs would easily choose the sedan if they drive the sedan back to back with SUV
There is no comparison.. sedans/cars are so much smoother, far more comfortable and you get the added bonus of better performance, handling and MPG.
And when it comes to grocery shopping, you can load so much more grocery bags into the deep sedan boot than the shallow SUV deck.. Believe me I have both sedan & SUV and the sedan is superior.
I'm willing to bet most of those people who purchase SUVs would easily choose the sedan if they drive the sedan back to back with SUV
There is no comparison.. sedans/cars are so much smoother, far more comfortable and you get the added bonus of better performance, handling and MPG.
And when it comes to grocery shopping, you can load so much more grocery bags into the deep sedan boot than the shallow SUV deck.. Believe me I have both sedan & SUV and the sedan is superior.
I have driven both, I own both, I prefer my SUV. The SUV is more comfortable, better ride, better handling than my sedan. The MPG is worse, but the financial difference is trivial for the number of miles I drive.
But why are you under the impression SUV buyers for one, do not own a sedan nor never have, and two, did not evaluate options before they bought their SUV? And three, did not own a sedan before but prefer the SUV they have now?
I have driven both, I own both, I prefer my SUV. The SUV is more comfortable, better ride, better handling than my sedan. The MPG is worse, but the financial difference is trivial for the number of miles I drive.
But why are you under the impression SUV buyers for one, do not own a sedan nor never have, and two, did not evaluate options before they bought their SUV? And three, did not own a sedan before but prefer the SUV they have now?
Haha your SUV must be able to defy the laws of physics if it beats out the sedan in those categories.
Compare equivalent Sedan to SUV and the sedan performs, handles and is far more comfortable.
Camry / RAV4, Accord / CRV etc etc
Other than being able to load IKEA boxes, how is the SUV more practical than sedan? Especially those woeful 3 row SUVs in which case you are much better off with a proper minivan that have sedan/car like dynamics.
Haha your SUV must be able to defy the laws of physics if it beats out the sedan in those categories.
Compare equivalent Sedan to SUV and the sedan performs, handles and is far more comfortable...
Trying to convince people they should prefer your pleasures to their own is a foolish endeavor.
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