Ford will stop selling cars by 2022...

[mav1178]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

Changing cars to "save money" on mileage is another myth. It rarely actually saves real money. Again, something most people overlook.

I wouldn't change a car to save on gas, but if my lease was up (which it is in August on my Lexus) or if I'm planning to buy a car in the near future, knowing that a certain auto maker has no vehicles meeting my mileage criteria makes it easy to NOT consider them.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by mav1178

I wouldn't change a car to save on gas, but if my lease was up (which it is in August on my Lexus) or if I'm planning to buy a car in the near future, knowing that a certain auto maker has no vehicles meeting my mileage criteria makes it easy to NOT consider them.

That makes a lot of sense.

I was more referring to folks that panic, take their paid for, near paid for, or even worse relatively new SUV that they are way upside down on, and go trade it for a smaller car because it's going to save money.

If you've read my Owner's Journal you'll see I actually track this (which I really need to update). When I bought my FRS I was replacing a Chevy Astro as my daily driver. I almost doubled my fuel economy (from 17.5MPG to an average of 33MG over 120,000 miles).

So, after almost 6 years and 120,000 miles I have saved $7,883 in fuel. At would need to drive the car 18 years and 360,000 miles to have a true ROI.

[Spuds]

I don't get what all this doom and gloom is about. Hatches were always better than the equivalent sedans anyway. Small sedans are dumb and outdated. Only reason I can see them existing is because they look like larger sedans, which wagons are better than...

[winstonscifi]

Originally Posted by Spuds

I don't get what all this doom and gloom is about. Hatches were always better than the equivalent sedans anyway. Small sedans are dumb and outdated. Only reason I can see them existing is because they look like larger sedans, which wagons are better than...

I agree, Spuds. I could see Ford having a sortof crossover vehicle - something like an Impreza, then a little larger vehicle - something like a Forester, then onto their trucks and SUVs. I agree, the sedan is pretty dead in the US. I don't like Fords - I had a Pinto in the 70s, and that did it for me, but I think this is a pretty good decision for Ford.

[DarkSunrise]

I don't think losing any of those sedans really bothers me. Here are the Ford models I have any interest in:

- Focus RS / Mustang GT PP2 (potential replacement for FR-S as DD/track combo)
- Focus ST (would become my DD in addition to FR-S as track car)
- Explorer (wife likes the way it looks; potential replacement for our GTI as family car if we have more kids)

I also like the Fiesta ST in theory, but if I'm buying a hatch it needs to be practical and the Fiesta is just too small for that.

The sedans getting the axe (Fusion, Taurus) I'd never seriously consider and I'd forgot even existed to be honest.

So all in all, my reaction is basically meh

[reeves]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

...that have 4 doors.

Read more: http://autoweek.com/article/car-news...#ixzz5DnVOhJTR

I have a lot of thoughts on this and the future of the auto industry. I think there are a couple of scenarios that could play out in the next 20 years....most of them IMO aren't good for those of us that like fun. But I've still got hope that sports cars will survive in some form.

- Andrew

Don't play with my heart like that. For a few seconds there after I read the title, I was almost euphoric.

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by DarkSunrise

- Explorer (wife likes the way it looks; potential replacement for our GTI as family car if we have more kids)

There are so many here, and they are all either cops or soccer moms.

Originally Posted by DarkSunrise

So all in all, my reaction is basically meh

I think a lot of people are worried that the future is going to be:

75% crossovers, big ass SUVs, and pickups
24.9% driverless vehicles
0.1% supercars

- Andrew

[HunterGreene]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

There are so many here, and they are all either cops or soccer moms.

My city last year switched entirely to SUVs as police vehicles. So I guess they don't care about pursuits. But seeing them up close, they are outfitted pretty nicely. Better maintenance record than the Chargers they used to have as well.

[SCQTT]

I seriously doubt this will happen. Outrageous press releases by big corporations, sometimes even when negative, result in millions of dollars in press coverage/ attention.

Stop selling cars? Probably, cars will become taller, more upright. Small, minivan like, hatchbackish, cars that drive like a minivan but look like a small SUV will be the norm. They will not be called cars or minivans, probably continue with crossover name or something similar. I assume that new CHR thing is pretty much a tall Corolla built on a similar platform.

Almost 7 years or so ago Amazon released that they were working on drone deliveries a day or two before Black Friday. If it every happens it is another 10 years away if it is feasible at all, but almost every news agency in the world picked up the story.

15 years ago Dodge made a motorcycle that was a styling exercise that was seriously flawed in every way. Completely outrageous and totally NOT feasible, but also picked up by every media outlet under the sun. Viola, free press for Dodge. Did anyone ever chastise them for NOT doing it? nope.

My dad who had ZERO interest in motorcycles cut the article out of the paper and saved it for me. Totally out of character for him, but it shows how much attention these "announcements" garner.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by HunterGreene

My city last year switched entirely to SUVs as police vehicles. So I guess they don't care about pursuits. But seeing them up close, they are outfitted pretty nicely. Better maintenance record than the Chargers they used to have as well.

Detroit still has a shitload of Crown Vics in service so I doubt that they are doing many pursuits either. The things must have millions of miles on them by now. Over Detroit roads. In winter.

[computeruser]

I’m really bummed by this. I think it is a shame that we are losing the Fiesta platform.

US/North American cars are too darned big in general and it was nice to see something on the smaller platform available. I do not understand the fixation we have here on thinking we need such big vehicles. I got by fine with an MG Midget for years. Then Jeep Wranglers, which seemed so spacious. And various Focus models, which were more than big enough for two adults and the occasional passenger; you could easily stick a couple kids in the back with room to spare. Friends in Europe have no trouble with a Focus/Golf sized vehicle, in wagon form, as a family hauler. Why can’t we do that here, too?

[funwheeldrive]

Originally Posted by computeruser

I’m really bummed by this. I think it is a shame that we are losing the Fiesta platform.

US/North American cars are too darned big in general and it was nice to see something on the smaller platform available. I do not understand the fixation we have here on thinking we need such big vehicles. I got by fine with an MG Midget for years. Then Jeep Wranglers, which seemed so spacious. And various Focus models, which were more than big enough for two adults and the occasional passenger; you could easily stick a couple kids in the back with room to spare. Friends in Europe have no trouble with a Focus/Golf sized vehicle, in wagon form, as a family hauler. Why can’t we do that here, too?

Aside from people living in big cities, what incentives do car buyers have to purchase a compact car? Gas is still relatively cheap, and most CUVs are economical anyways.

Also, Americans are getting fatter and fatter at an alarming rate. There are plenty of people who can't squeeze into a fiesta even if they wanted to.

[Rampage]

It will only take one big war in that stable part of the world we call the "Middle East" to make them regret this decision in the long run.

[unhappymeal]

Originally Posted by mav1178

Any spikes in oil pricing and they're in for a world of hurt.

Not sure I agree with the decision, but corporate America only cares about profit.

I don't think it will be as large an issue as it was in the past. Majority of sales are CUVs and the fuel economy penalty on those (Explorer and Edge) aren't as huge as the body on frame SUVs of yesteryear. Ford is also planning to transition the entire line-up to mild hybrids or PZEV by 2022 and I suspect it's precisely to insulate their high margin SUV and truck market from gas shocks.

It will hurt when people stop buying F150s in droves, but prudent product planners and market researchers should be paneling that group to death and have something in the pipeline as a back-up for them.

At the end of the day, they can see what has happened to manufacturers who do not have a rich SUV/CUV offering (Hyundai, Cadillac and to a lesser degree, Lexus) and are reacting accordingly. The mid-sized sedan market is brutally competitive. Ford does not have the volumes in Lincoln that allows them to trickle down a great platform to the mainstream like Toyota does with Lexus (TNGA is partially shared with the ES/Avalon), Honda does with Acura (TLX, RLX, Accord, RDX and MDX all share architecture) or VW can with MQB/MLB (the next Passat and Arteon are going to be excellent).