Is Everyone At Ford NA a Retard?

[skor]

Someone please explain this to me: Why can Ford produce some fantastic products oversees -- Euro-Focus, S-Max, Oz-Falcon -- yet can't manage to produce cars of the same caliber in NA and refuses to import said Euro/Oz cars into NA?

 

Consider this S-Max review.

 

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Ford S-Max 2.5 Titanium

 

By Jeremy Clarkson of The Sunday Times

 

 

A couple of weeks ago the third most senior bishop in the Church of England announced that it was a “sin†to jet off on foreign holidays and drive a gas-guzzling car. Yup, the Bishop of London, the Right Reverend Richard Chartres, said tourists and school-run mums were being “selfish†for making global warming worse.

Quite how he arrived at these conclusions we don’t know. I’ve checked and he has no known scientific qualifications. So far as I can tell, he read history before taking a job in Sainsbury’s. His hobby is advising men on how to wear dresses.

 

So, is eco-vicaring the lunatic ramblings of a lone maverick in a dog collar? Or is it now official church policy? Well, when reporters contacted the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, for his views on the matter, he agreed that he too had a beard. And that yes, not having a beard was selfish.

 

I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised by this. Few organisations know quite as much about selfishness as the Church of England. They preach to their increasingly small congregations about the iniquities of homelessness, and then lock up their churches at night to make sure tramps can’t get in and nick the communion wine.

 

They tell us about the need for tolerance and to forgive those who trespass against us, but won’t let homosexualists into the pulpit because that sort of thing is a sin too. And so is being a woman. And so is greed, of course. The sort of greed that turned a simple belief into one of the richest institutions in the world.

 

Then there are those who practise bell-ringing for two hours a night. Is that not a bit selfish; imposing your hobby and your vision of traditionalism on everyone within five miles? Some of whom may well have come from cultures where guns, not bells, are the soundtrack of village life.

 

Would these people therefore be on the moral high ground if they were to shoot a bell-ringer?

 

In the sort of multiculturalism the church likes so much these days (so long as you’re not a poof) then yes. Presumably they would. I’m sorry. I know it’s Sunday. I know many of you have deeply held Christian beliefs and you don’t like to see them being criticised.

 

 

But for the same reasons I don’t like to see cars being criticised, especially by some jumped-up shelf stacker who has absolutely no idea what he’s on about.

 

That said, I am approached by an increasingly large number of people these days who believe that their off-road car might be causing the lovely summer we’re having. This, for some reason, is making them feel guilty.

 

Well, I don’t know what’s causing global warming. I’ve read several reports saying it’s the Land Rover Discovery and that you must immediately part-exchange it for a windmill.

 

 

But then I’ve read an equally large number that say global temperature variations are cyclical and that choosing to become an automotive vegetablist won’t make the slightest bit of difference.

 

I don’t know which are right because my only qualification is a bronze swimming medal. What I do know is that those who wish to change their Land Rover Discovery for something else have a bit of a problem. What? Writing in the Telegraph recently, Annabel Heseltine made a very good point; that the law requires children in the back of cars to fasten their seatbelts. And that if you have four children, you therefore need four back seats. Which means that G-Wiz electric car won’t really do. And nor will a people carrier . . .

 

When I was a young man in London I had a very large overdraft and no real sense of how it might ever be paid off. Occasionally I’d look into the future and think, how do people manage? I am living in a shared house and I cannot afford the basics — cigarettes and beer.

 

So how do you cope when you have a wife who can’t work because she’s at home looking after two small children? How can one wage packet sustain four people, four holidays, four sets of clothing, four new pairs of shoes? And how does anyone ever have enough money to buy a washing-up bowl? No, really, I used to see them in hardware stores and wonder how boring and complete your life would have to be before you’d even think about buying such a thing. And that really is where I stand on the people carrier.

 

They’re for people with no imagination, people who can’t think of anything better to do with £17,500. Buying a Renault Scénic is like buying a passport into the grey, sterilised world of upper middle age.

 

So if you need lots of seats because you have lots of children, it has to be a 4x4 of some kind. We have the Volvo XC90. You may prefer a Disco. Either way, it shows you are still packing a bit of meat. That you haven’t yet reached that stage in life where what you crave more than anything is “an early nightâ€.

 

And then along comes the Right Reverend Richard Beardface to say that you’re a sinner and a heretic and that you should be placed in a wicker man and burnt while Britt Ekland prances around a nearby hotel room naked as a jaybird.

 

So what’s to be done? Well, at last there’s an answer in the rather beguiling shape of the car you see pictured this morning. The Ford S-Max. It’s a people carrier but they’ve named it after a slang word for heroin. And that sums it up rather well.

 

You look at the exterior styling, the 18in alloy wheels, the raked windscreen, the low roofline, and you think, yes, it might well have seven seats in there but who could possibly fit on them? Richard Hammond? You’re in for a shock. There’s tons of space for me behind the wheel and tons of space in the middle row too, which is made up of three individual seats, all of which slide and tilt independently of one another.

 

In the boot there are two more seats that rise — easily — from the floor and behind them you have a boot that is big enough for a medium-sized dog. And under this there’s another boot that is big enough for a small overnight bag.

 

Or you can fold all the seats in the back away and end up with a cargo area that’s big enough for a standard house door.

 

So then you stand back and think, how in the name of all that’s holy (not poofs, in other words) did they get all that in there? The answer is to be found when you try to park. The S-Max may appear to be compact and sporty but it’s only a whisker shorter than the Volvo XC90.

 

It is, however, much better looking, and much cheaper. The range starts at just under £17,000 and is still only at £22,000 when you get to the five-cylinder turbocharged 143mph 2.5 Titanium.

 

Which is what I drove. I was expecting a characterless unibox but I was wrong. It was great to look at and cheap and more versatile than a decathlete’s trusty Leatherman. I’m not saying it’s a sporty car in any way, but it goes, handles, steers, stops and most importantly rides way, way better than you could hope for. And on top of this, it did 30mpg, felt very well screwed together and came as standard with air-conditioning, electric everything and automatic headlamps. Which were second world war searchlight bright, incidentally.

 

This, then, is the holy grail. It’s an MPV you buy because you like it. Not because you need it. And because it appears to be small and has no four-wheel-drive system, you’ll be able to park it outside church, knowing the vicar won’t come along and chop it up with his special nine-bladed eco-sword.

 

Vital statistics

 

Model Ford S-Max 2.5 Titanium

Engine 2522cc, five cylinders

Power 220bhp @ 5000rpm

Torque 239 lb ft @ 2100rpm

Transmission Six-speed manual

Fuel 30.1mpg (combined cycle)

CO2 224g/km

Acceleration 0-60mph: 7.4sec

Top speed 143mph

Price £21,995

Rating Four stars

Verdict Strictly no beards

 

http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/article/0...2299276,00.html

[RichardJensen]

Yes. Everybody at Ford of North America is an idiot.

 

That's why North America gets the Mustang and the GT 500, and no other continent gets them.

Edited August 8, 2006 by RichardJensen

[Extreme4x4]

Wow skor, I guess that seals it. You should be CEO of Ford of NA.

[Mulletman]

That's funny! Funny, but true.

[silvrsvt]

Someone please explain this to me: Why can Ford produce some fantastic products oversees -- Euro-Focus, S-Max, Oz-Falcon -- yet can't manage to produce cars of the same caliber in NA and refuses to import said Euro/Oz cars into NA?

 

 

The only reason is why you think they are so great is because you can't get one. Its nearly the same situation as a Luxury car...drive a Mercedes or BMW and it just becomes another car. Hell i got a ride in a 7-series Taxi in Germany...ohhh makes me long for one now!

[ANTAUS]

My thoughts...

Edited August 8, 2006 by ANTAUS

[taxman100]

21,995 British pounds converts to $41,888 U.S. Dollars.

 

For $42,000, it should be a pretty nice vehicle. Oh yeah, you still have to shift your own gears, which would be loads of fun during rush hour.

[Blueblood]

Yes. Everybody at Ford of North America is an idiot.

 

That's why North America gets the Mustang and the GT 500, and no other continent gets them.

 

 

I thought you were a fan of higher volume models? Honestly, what does the GT500 really do for Ford's bottom line? I think a car like this could really be a hit right now with our insane gas prices, it looks like nothing else out there, it would really show Ford to be innovative and bold, because as of right now people fall onto the ground laughing uncontrollably when they hear that FoMoCo is "innovative and bold".

[RichardJensen]

I thought you were a fan of higher volume models? Honestly, what does the GT500 really do for Ford's bottom line? I think a car like this could really be a hit right now with our insane gas prices, it looks like nothing else out there, it would really show Ford to be innovative and bold, because as of right now people fall onto the ground laughing uncontrollably when they hear that FoMoCo is "innovative and bold".

Oh gee, and how many Focus RS, or Falcon extra-super-whatevers got built? 10k a year? Not likely.

 

BTW, how much would any Focus pocket-rocket or Aussie-gas guzzler do for Ford's bottom line?

 

bupkis.

[Hemiman]

Ford's people are not "retards", (a term I never use). They are probably very bright. The problem is that they are not "car guys".

 

This is a result of trendy PC highering practices that in the end proved to be very flawed. Highering talent from Fisher Price and Revlon just doesn't translate well into the auto industry. This industry is a melding of engineering and art. You can't have one without the other. Students of both fields, however, must first be lovers of cars & trucks. They should be the kinds that a walk through a car show or even a junk yard is like a trip to an art gallery or a science museum to the more run-of-the-mill engineering and arts types.

 

Ford sent alot of these types packing and the brain-drain will continue to hurt them for years to come.

Edited August 8, 2006 by Hemiman

[Sizzler]

This is a result of tredy PC highering practices that in the end proved to be very flawed. Highering talent from Fisher Price and Revlon just doesn't translate well into the auto industry. This industry is a melding of engineering and art. You can't have one without the other. Students of both fields, however, must first be lovers of cars & trucks. They should be the kinds that a walk through a car show or even a junk yard is like a trip to an art gallery or a science museum to the more run-of-the-mill engineering and arts types.

 

Ford sent alot of these types packing and the brain-drain will continue to hurt them for years to come.

 

Amen

[retro-man]

I think the GT500 hurts Ford's bottom line. Do you honestly think anyone that buys one will be back after being raped by the dealers "market adjustments"?

That pretty much sums up my Thunderbird experience. It was such an expensive car that I figured I needed to keep it for 10 years not to totally take it in the shorts - then there was the dealer "market adjustment". Tell you what, when my 10 years is up, if - if - there is anything at the Ford dealer that interests me, I'm going to make them put that "market adjustment" on the hood before I ever buy another car there.

[Edstock]

Well, there was only one source for a T-bird.

 

If you don't like your Ford dealer's greed for a GT-500, consult with Roush, Saleen and Steeda for a satisfying alternative, for what appears to be similar cost.

[Traveler]

Lots of times it depends on the dealer. I still chuckle at the thought of just about a year and half ago, the local Pontiac dealer blatantly asking for "market adjustment" on the first shipment of GTOs and as of recently, the had significant incentives at the same dealership to clear off the GTOs that are left.

 

I can understand "market adjustment" on a Ford GT because only the wealthy or soon to be divorced will buy one. Even a Z06 or Viper and maybe the Shelby GT-500, but when dealerships starting seeing dollar signs over Thunderbirds and Mustang GTs, its a black eye on the make because often times people don't have several Ford dealers to choose from. Around here, within 20 miles there are four different Ford dealers and two of those are bitter rivals with each other so a well played game plan can pit one against the other.

 

I have never paid over sticker for a "market adjustment" on a vehicle to date.

[pcsario]

21,995 British pounds converts to $41,888 U.S. Dollars.

 

For $42,000, it should be a pretty nice vehicle. Oh yeah, you still have to shift your own gears, which would be loads of fun during rush hour.

A straight conversion doesn't prove anything; I just don't get why people keep doing this, it's stupid.

 

Why don't you go out and compare the price of, say, the mk2 Focus in the UK and Australia?

 

Hell, even in Euros, lets see if there's any difference in price between, I dunno, Germany and Spain?

 

Why do they all vary in price? Isn't it the same car with the same equipment?

 

Yes it is, so lets just stop with the "becuz I took a calculator and that's teh bottom line!11!"

[pcsario]

I thought you were a fan of higher volume models? Honestly, what does the GT500 really do for Ford's bottom line? I think a car like this could really be a hit right now with our insane gas prices, it looks like nothing else out there, it would really show Ford to be innovative and bold, because as of right now people fall onto the ground laughing uncontrollably when they hear that FoMoCo is "innovative and bold".

He only brushes off niche vehicles when they aren't related to Ford.

 

Remember, who cares if the Saturn Sky is an example of good american design... it's a niche vehicle so lets just brush it off and continue to cheerlead the mediocrity coming out of Ford NA, like, say, the "new, innovative and bold" Expy...

 

 

...followed by us having to endure his damage control afterwards, after the products don't perform as he wanted us to believe, based on his obsesive defense of everything Ford-NA.

 

Here, lets just pretend GM never placed this interior in an American vehicle:

 

 

 

"NICHE NICHE NICHE, WHO CARES!1!1"

Edited August 8, 2006 by pcsario

[pcsario]

More help for Richard's case:

 

 

 

 

 

See? At least someone in NA decided the Edge should also have the Ford logo on the steering wheel. :P

Edited August 8, 2006 by pcsario

[mkoesel]

Engine 2522cc, five cylinders

Power 220bhp @ 5000rpm

Torque 239 lb ft @ 2100rpm

 

Wait a minute... 239ft-lb from a 2.5L motor? 94.8 ft-lb per liter? That's borderline impossible. :shrug:

Edited August 8, 2006 by mkoesel

[pcsario]

It's a turbo.

[mkoesel]

It's a turbo.

 

LOL, guess I should have read the article more carefully.

 

I had absolutely no clue Ford had a 2.5L Turbo in the works. When did that happen?

Edited August 8, 2006 by mkoesel

[OAC_Sparky]

I had absolutely no clue Ford had a 2.5L Turbo in the works. When did that happen?

Answer:

 

O <-----this is the loop

 

This is you --------> :shrug:

 

 

 

j/k, had to say it...:lol:

[RichardJensen]

who cares if the Saturn Sky is an example of good american design...

The Solstice is better looking--in my opinion, it's one of the best looking roadsters brought to market in decades, and I have said as much before.

 

The point is, what does it do for GM's bottom line? It's not going to make people buy Grands Prix, I don't care what people that live in Detroit and work in the car industry say, or what people that spend an unhealthy amount of time reading about cars say. People don't make purchasing decisions based on proximity to a vehicle like the Solstice. They make dating decisions................ but not buying decisions, that's far too important.

 

As far as the Tahoe and the Expedition, guess what's towing what? Fact is you can probably tow a Tahoe and a Saturn Sky with the Expedition. Gee. The Expedition has one ton more rated tow capacity than the Tahoe. And the Tahoe is still ugly and still not selling. GM sure scored a winner with all the extra money they spent adding that big honking ugly curve on the back door of the Tahoe, and seeing to it that the back of the Tahoe, and the front no longer match ('cause they did on the old model).

Edited August 9, 2006 by RichardJensen

[ANTAUS]

LOL, guess I should have read the article more carefully.

 

I had absolutely no clue Ford had a 2.5L Turbo in the works. When did that happen?

 

 

It's the Volvo 2.5L Turbo I-5...EU Ford is now using it on a few Ford branded vehicles. While Volvo will start phasing in the 3.2L I-6...Ford is getting the left overs.

[skor]

The only reason is why you think they are so great is because you can't get one. Its nearly the same situation as a Luxury car...drive a Mercedes or BMW and it just becomes another car. Hell i got a ride in a 7-series Taxi in Germany...ohhh makes me long for one now!

 

Nope. The reason I think they are so great is because of the performance, styling, utility and reliability. Just about everything the NA Ford products lack.

 

Did you know that the Euro-Focus is the highest rated car, in terms of reliability, in Germany!? Why is it that we can't buy this car in the USA? The only explanation that makes any sense is that the people running Ford's NA operations are mentally defective.

Edited August 9, 2006 by skor

[RichardJensen]

Did you know that the Euro-Focus is the highest rated car, in terms of reliability, in Germany!?

Yeah, and the NA Focus is a Consumer Reports Recommended Buy.

 

What's your point?