Why would anyone buy a car from a car company that is on the edge of bankruptcy?

Do you think they will try to save money by denying claims, YES, they did it big time in the past and will do it even more in the future.

Go ahead buy one, come back and tell your stories 4 years later.

 

I think the problem with ford is a history of unreliablity when it comes to cars. They may actually be making a better car right now, but no one is going to gamble with their hard earned money. Reliability and resale value go a long way.

 

Just over a year ago, I thought I would never hear myself say this...

But I would trust buying a Hyundai over a Ford. Particularly a Genesis over a SHO.

Buying a car north of $35K is not about any one attribute (fastest, quietest, efficiency, etc) but instead a more complex mix of attributes, reliability and brand reputation. Although I respect Ford for not taking TARP funds, I still do not see Ford USA offering sophistication and reliability in that pricepoint for cars. I am nearly convinced Hyundai can...especially snooping at the Equus.

And for my personal appeasement, nothing on the market still at $40-$45K offers me what the 06 RL does.

 

I think it's a pretty sharp looking car but I would question the longevity of the engine. I am leary of anything turbocharged. They used to be 80k throwaway cars.

It will be 2 - 3 years to see if this is one also.

 

Ford is hardly on the edge of bankruptcy.

 

Ford may not be going under now but they are very weak.
I know for a fact that they have denied claims on many items that should have DEFINETELTY been covered years ago, I believe they will fight much more to save the balance sheet. Here is the June info.

Ford's debt was $26.1 billion as of June 30.

"We are aware of our debt but we are not going to speculate on what we will or won't do," Booth said. However, the company said in its press release that it will continue to pursue actions to improve the balance sheet.

Booth is Ford's chief financial officer.

 

Ford leveraged every asset they owned for operating expenses. There is nothing Ford actually owns at this point; instead it is owned by the banks.

 

Out of the the 3 domestic car companies, Ford is probably in the best shape of them with huge improvements in fit and finish. Now saying that is relative.

My co-worker's husband works for Ford (she used to work there too along with GM). They have both a Flex and a Lincoln MKS (the new Taurus shares the same platform as the MKS). She parks next to me every day. One day we were heading out to an off-site leadership meeting and she offered to drive. She then handed me the keys to the MKS and told me to drive. She said, somewhat jokingly, "I'm going to get you to consider an American car".

As I said earlier, I was very impressed with the interior materials (much better than my '06 Mustang convertible) and it was a very pleasant vehicle. Smooth and quiet. Definitely tuned more for cruising than sport. The engine puts out less HP than the RL, but I expected it to be livlier than the RL since it was driving two less wheels (hers was a FWD model). Definitely more sedate than the RL. Compared to the MKS, my RL felt much more athletic.

The domestics are finally starting to get it about workmanship. The new Taurus is a VERY nice looking car, and having sat in one I will say that the interior is about thebest I've ever seen in a domestic car. EVER. As I'm sure Bob will attest with the CTS, the interior on that car is pretty nice, probably very close to the RL. The new Camaro is breathtaking (IMO). The interiors in the newer Mustangs are also an improvement compared to mine. Check out the new 2010 Buick LaCrosse. At first glance it looks like a Lexus, and the interior looks like it was lifted right out of an Acura or Lexus. Definitely not your Grandpa's Buick, with the upscale version sporting a slightly detuned version of the CTS 3.6L V6.

Saying all that, the proof will be how well the cars hold up over time. With all the positive comments I've made so far, I will say that they haven't surpassed the luxury Asian marques... yet.

IMO it's good to see the domestics stepping it up. It drives competition, especially round styling and that can only be a good thing for us consumers.

 

I hope Ford can come up with something better than a couple decibel sound improvement while you're parked next to a jet powered Top Fuel Dragster.... I don't remember the last time I was parked next to one. Either way, Ford is attempting to display various advantages its product has over luxury benchmarks, so maybe it is flattering for the RL? I don't think it is meant to be an all out comparison, they are merely comparing attributes. For the same reason they compare engine performance to the A6 V8....too bad they couldn't have compared the SHO to the RL V8....

 

It is classic automobile comparison advertising. Compare selective attributes of your product to competitive or higher ranking products to give an impression of besting the market.

This was most recently done with the GENESIS introductory commercials, with comparisons to acceleration and braking against iconic vehicles such as BMW. GENESIS impresses me, but does it FEEL like a BMW?

Advertising hopes these one note comparisons will leave consumers impressed that the overall product trumps the competition. And I would admit, Ford has offered many interesting and market leading features with the new TAURUS.

What is often loss in the selection and comparison process is that on paper, features and attributes may appear to be best or favorable, but the execution and value of those features could still produce a mediocre product. And do these features blend, compliment and integrate well? Is there a harmony in the vehicle that may, like our RL be dismissed over a tenth of a second, a dozen ft lbs, a few inches here or a brazen attention getting styling cue? Does organic harmony in an automobile get overlooked as 'boring'?

Ford has stepped up, and is aggressively challenging the iconic market, as is Hyundai. And in the current market climate, that is a brilliant thing to do. Yet still, no matter how good the ingredients may be a bad cake may still be baked with a bitter aftertaste.

 

Wow! Speaking of cake, you just said a mouthful!

I agree with your statements. Ford and Hyundai are making some very impressive moves and they have chosen a good time to do so. I, for one, am hoping that they capitalize on those moves and are embraced by the market. Hopefully Acura can step up their game to a higher plateau as well. The industry has changed and if they don't change with it or modify what they already have to meet the demands, then they will certainly be left scratching they heads.