Business Ford to stop selling every car in North America but the Mustang and Focus Active

yahoo business ^ | 4.25.18 | Matt Burns

[central_va]

Ford today announced it will phase out most cars it sells in North America. According to its latest financial release, the auto giant will "will transition to two vehicles" being the Mustang and an unannounced vehicle, the Focus Active, as the only traditional cars it sells in the region. Ford sees 90 percent of its North America portfolio in trucks, utilities and commercial vehicles. Citing a reduction in consumer demand and product profitability, Ford is in turn not investing into the next generation sedans. The Taurus is no more.

[setha]

So the only selection will end up being golfcarts and exotics. Is nothing immune from being Europeanized to absolute blandness?

I just hope that playing the depreciated luxury car game will still be as viable down the road as it can be now. It’ll be about the only way I’ll get anything I’d want if that’s the case.

Why yes, I also like RWD landyachts. I just don’t care for the complexity that the luxury ones bring to the table. Can a modern Crown Vic or 90’s Caprice/Impala/Roadmaster not be too much to ask?

[ican'tbelieveit]

some of the new "station wagons" look a bit different, too. not an SUV, not a "wagon". i like my X1... and I have actually done this type of a drive in it, what a blast

[setha]

More like the Ford GV II, if they keep cheaping out on the Fiesta.

[JoSixChip]

The one panel on my truck got screwed up because some metal flakes contaminated it and dissimilar metals cause paint bubbling/oxidation. It happened at the factory and it was not comsidered a defect despite Ford knowing for years of this manufacturing problem.

Yikes! I hope they fixed that issue before my truck rolled down the line. The aluminum body has it's pros and cons. Twice the price of steel to get worked on in a body shop. Yet light weight and better corrosion resistant, assuming no dissimilar metals contact (galvanic corrosion). I have the extended warranty, just in case.

[avenir]

Nice!

[wbarmy]

Hopefully most of the readers will see this.

I have a 2008 Ford E350 XL van here in Sierra Leone. 5000lb towing package, ruggedized frame, deluxe springs, sits about 1.5 feet above the ground and handles pretty much anything the road throws at it here.

Was about to return to the USA and get a new one to bring back here and found out that Ford stopped making the E350. After tears and gnashing of teeth I am trying to find something just as rugged and strong for a passenger van.

Any ideas.

[gattaca]

Sounds like yogurt.

[Dr. Sivana]

I always thought a 2 wheel drive SUV on a frame is nothing more than a full size station wagon with a different name.

Some of them are getting more wagon like, but they really aren't the same.

[Dr. Sivana]

Will a 3 series wagon do?

No. First, the car isn't full-sized by American standards:

Roadmaster:
Wheelbase: 115.9 in
Length: 217.5 in(1994–96 wagon)
Width: 79.9 in (wagon)
Height 60.3 in (1,532 mm) (wagon)
Curb weight 4,400–4,700 lb

BMW 330i:

Wheelbase F31: 111 in
Length F31: 182 in
Width 71 in
Height 56 in
Curb weight F31: 3,420–3,900 lb

Second, there is no third row seating option. In fact, there is no front frow third seat bench option. Seats five in stead of 8. The Brady Bunch would need two of them.

Third, while its horsepower/torque is on par with some base model station wagons of the '60s, a turbo 4 in a full sized wagon would just be wrong. I could find no inline 6 N57 option on the BMW, though that would be fine if it were an option.

Roadmaster:

hp: 260-305
torque: 325-340 lb⋅ft@2400-3400

BMW 330i:

hp: 241
torque:258 lb⋅ft@ 5000 rpm

[cynwoody]

Do you now how much labor costs per car? What is the industry average? I know, do you?

So why not enlighten us all?

Or just STFU!

[mowowie]

Both making super ugly cars.
I’ll take the Mazda...

[PapaBear3625]

Real full-sized station wagons went away 20+ years ago, and they aren't coming back, either.

I think that was because station wagons were treated as "cars" under federal fuel-economy mandates. From wiki:

CAFE has separate standards for "passenger cars" and "light trucks" even if the majority of "light trucks" are being used as passenger vehicles. The market share of "light trucks" grew steadily from 9.7% in 1979 to 47% in 2001 and remained in 50% numbers up to 2011. [4] More than 500,000 vehicles in the 1999 model year exceeded the 8,500 lb (3,900 kg) GVWR cutoff and were thus omitted from CAFE calculations.[5] More recently, coverage of medium duty trucks has been added to the CAFE regulations starting in 2012, and heavy duty commercial trucks starting in 2014.

Get rid of federal mandates, and you would see more rationality in the auto market.

[mowowie]

The very first time i leaned to drive a stick was when i bought and drove home a beautiful looking used 1980 Z-28 back in 1986.
While shifting and driving i was like WTF this sucks...kept stalling and dragging.
I stopped at a station to get gas and the attendant said “do you know there is smoke coming from your back wheels?”

WHOOPS.....i forgot to release the parking brake....never really had to use one before.
after that all was good.

All my cars have been sticks since except the current one,
i plan on a stick for my next vehicle though.

[Dr. Sivana]

Agreed mostly. After two generations of mandates, I fear most of the upcoming generation is not interested in going back to cars.

The new round of CAFE irrationality is forcing CVTs and turbos attached to too small engines. End result, more complexity, less reliability, more expense, and greatly diminished abiity to maintain/upgrade/customize newer powertrains.

[mowowie]

Speaking of that parking brake i just remembered that after a while it broke....i ended up using a aluminum baseball bat wedged into the tire and pavement and the shifter in first gear as my new brake.
lol
bat was dual purpose, as a brake and as protection.
fit snugly between the drivers seat and door.

[mad_as_he$$]

Mechanics hardest hit.

[wita]

I am still PO’d that Ford stopped making the Grand Marquis/Crown Vic police interceptor. I have had two Grand Marquis’s shot out from under me in the last three years, by young driver hitting me coming out of a driveway and a very sturdy buck that took out my 08 Grand Marquis. Presently driving 05 Crown Vic Police Interceptor. Me thinks we are heading for Cuba like conditions, with Pick ups in the 60 to 80 grand arena, used is about all want to afford. Honda CRV is the wife’s new car but what do I want as a daily driver? Haven’t figured that out yet. Still love the rear wheel drive big Ford/Mercury.

[mowowie]

Reliable, comfortable, easy to fix, plenty of parts available..
What’s not to love about the Grand Marquis/Crown Vic?

[PapaBear3625]

I’m old enough that my first car was actually something I could do work on. I could even change the spark plugs myself. No more.

[trebb]

So - what will Lincoln be up to?