"Open Road"article on demise of ford..

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Nikked

Misleading thread title is misleading...




But on SUV's....


SUV's are good for mums and dads, as the seats are at a better height so you arn't bending over to buckle up the kiddos...

Same with Prams etc, much easier to drag a pram out of the back of a SUV then lift it out of a boot...


I don't see how its so hard for people to understand SUV buying...

Well really, it doesn't matter if people understand or not, the shear weight of numbers running in favor of SUVs is compelling.

Go back 20 years and it was large sedans with box trailers but these days people go for a dual cab tray back or an SUVs..

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by redman

Not a problem with the FG G6E - the reverse camera is very handy for just this situation.

Doesn't really solve the problem at all, it only looks directly back, not to the sides.

Doesn't change the fact you can't see to your left and right and any approaching cars while reversing, and a big SUV either side blocks your view.

[Buntz]

Originally Posted by jpd80

The higher seating position in SUVs and Crossovers gives the driver a better view of traffic conditions,
something that benefits a lot of women who previously fell intimidated and bullied when driving smaller sedans and hatches......

Now they have perceived power, and overconfidence making them more dangerous than ever. Women are just tearing about in these heavy vehicles. I find women to speed about lower speeds than generally breaking the limit. Younger women are just annoying in small cars. But the family woman can be like a cyclone in her SUV.

But I can still attribute the same to most men driving Prado's and light-truck utes.

Originally Posted by wildrider

i'm a dying breed!! I still love my big sedans!! well if i cant ever own a brand new big australian sedan new, i just hope if i ever afford too buy a new car that it will be australian made. i'd love too help by buying a brand new falcon (even the territory looks great even thou i'm not much of an suv person). just cant afford it. shame too. i mite be biased here but i think australian made cars are the best looking cars made!!!

I feel the same buddy. Plus one to everything you just said.

Originally Posted by hawkgirl

Sadly, every person I know with an AWD or a 4WD would never consider taking it further than Leura, and most definitely not on dirt / gravel.

And get dirt on it? Are you Crazy? Automated car washes aren't cheap you know!

Damn I hate these mobile chicanes. They just limit vision to surroundings with their bulk. I love it when they pull up next to me on my left and I can't see traffic any more. I do see the appeal to tall vehicles with getting in and out, and loading things into them. But to us normal car drivers, these things are annoying.

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by Nikked

Misleading thread title is misleading...




But on SUV's....


SUV's are good for mums and dads, as the seats are at a better height so you arn't bending over to buckle up the kiddos...

Same with Prams etc, much easier to drag a pram out of the back of a SUV then lift it out of a boot...


I don't see how its so hard for people to understand SUV buying...

I agree, as a family car the SUV is a far more versatile vehicle for the above mentioned reasons.

Even for a person without children I see the benefits of a SUV over a sedan. For me even a hatch back is more versatile. My next car will either be a hatch again, a wagon or SUV. Brand? Doesn't bother me as long as it shows value for the $$ and I enjoy driving it.

[tezxr8man]

Originally Posted by Cambo351

Huh? What? Imported from where?

Compare a Falcon or Commodore against;

BMW 5-series
Audi 4 or 6-series
Mercedes C Class
Volkswagen Passat
Jaguar XF

Or against the Japanese/Korean manufacturers?

c'mon man what are the pricetags on german luxury cars???

[blue sleeper]

Originally Posted by Nikked

Misleading thread title is misleading...




But on SUV's....


SUV's are good for mums and dads, as the seats are at a better height so you arn't bending over to buckle up the kiddos...

Same with Prams etc, much easier to drag a pram out of the back of a SUV then lift it out of a boot...


I don't see how its so hard for people to understand SUV buying...

Yeah thats because prams are the size of motorised Go-Karts now..... Remember when they were small and could fold down to the size of a extra-large umbrella? Lets just make everything larger so everything else has to be larger......

And yes I know the safety topic about prams will come up, but has anyone ever read the headline "Child dies in horrific pram accident"?

[galaxy xr8]

Originally Posted by blue sleeper

Yeah thats because prams are the size of motorised Go-Karts now..... Remember when they were small and could fold down to the size of a extra-large umbrella? Lets just make everything larger so everything else has to be larger......

And yes I know the safety topic about prams will come up, but has anyone ever read the headline "Child dies in horrific pram accident"?

What a load of bollock's, pram's are more nimble and fold down to nothing more so these day's then ever.

[buickman]

Originally Posted by wildrider

i'm a dying breed!! I still love my big sedans!! well if i cant ever own a brand new big australian sedan new, i just hope if i ever afford too buy a new car that it will be australian made. i'd love too help by buying a brand new falcon (even the territory looks great even thou i'm not much of an suv person). just cant afford it. shame too. i mite be biased here but i think australian made cars are the best looking cars made!!!

I'm not a SUV person either and prefer the Aussie made large car which was a no brainer when I purchased a new local made Ford in 2010 Motor writers and others can whinge about trival issues with them but the Ford Falcon is great value for money given our wages and conditions imposed upon them to Thailand or Sth Korean made cars.

The other day I was at a set of traffic lights and starting looking around at how many Aussie built cars out of about 20 cars I could only see 5 cars including mine that were made in Australia and yes most were SUV or Vans not made in Australia.

[hawkgirl]

having had the misfortune to have to drive a forrester for 6 months I am in the position of being able to compare falcon, commodore & awd suv.

the winner is falcon, commodore second. Forrester = Fail. In all areas. And as someone with a back / hip issue the higher seat was not better or easier to get in or out of.

I thought it was great that the open road was actually saying "these are just as good!" instead of bashing them.

[RASER]

Originally Posted by hawkgirl

..& holden in aus.

Had a quick read & was surprised to see them actually saying that the falcon & bommadore are as good as anything imported (& actually seemed to rate the ford over the holden).

Anyone else read it?

The first paragraph basically says it all -why do people need huge awd vehicles to go shopping or take the kids to school in urban australia?

Falcodore's are like old colour tube TV's, they have had there day in the sun, nobody is interested in them anymore

The punters want SUV's and dual cab utes, also smaller cars.

Holden and Toyota are in sync. with the market and have export programs, FoA does next to nothing.

The market is changing, imports are going gang busters, FoA is wounded and dying in manufacture, they cannot force punters to like and buy the overpriced Falcon, they simply are NOT INTERESTED

[jixel 78]

Save it! Save the useless thing! Flog that dead Nag till it wont flog any more. For gods sake put the bloody thing out of is sad misery. Falcons had its day. Nobody wants it anymore.Consign that glorious nameplate to history alongside its lovely bretheren namely Fairlane, Futura, Torino, and all the other dusty Ford machines so we can get back to a healthy blue oval for the 21st century. Arrgh theyre great taxis and cop cars but seriously a niche market has completely swallowed the formula. Spare me the tears. And the horse floats,boats and burnouts. Holden read the market when they aimed at a market of aspiration to spend the hard earned on a Commodore instead of a sparkly cab or a stripey cop car. You dont want your fresh new bodyshell to have the first impression on the way home from the airport in a seedy yellow stinky taxi. People cant get past that taxi stuff. Oh yeah? FG ay? how is it? bang wobble squeak whine.

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by jixel 78

Save it! Save the useless thing! Flog that dead Nag till it wont flog any more. For gods sake put the bloody thing out of is sad misery. Falcons had its day. Nobody wants it anymore.Consign that glorious nameplate to history alongside its lovely bretheren namely Fairlane, Futura, Torino, and all the other dusty Ford machines so we can get back to a healthy blue oval for the 21st century. Arrgh theyre great taxis and cop cars but seriously a niche market has completely swallowed the formula. Spare me the tears. And the horse floats,boats and burnouts. Holden read the market when they aimed at a market of aspiration to spend the hard earned on a Commodore instead of a sparkly cab or a stripey cop car. You dont want your fresh new bodyshell to have the first impression on the way home from the airport in a seedy yellow stinky taxi. People cant get past that taxi stuff. Oh yeah? FG ay? how is it? bang wobble squeak whine.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by jixel 78

Save it! Save the useless thing! Flog that dead Nag till it wont flog any more. For gods sake put the bloody thing out of is sad misery. Falcons had its day. Nobody wants it anymore.Consign that glorious nameplate to history alongside its lovely bretheren namely Fairlane, Futura, Torino, and all the other dusty Ford machines so we can get back to a healthy blue oval for the 21st century. Arrgh theyre great taxis and cop cars but seriously a niche market has completely swallowed the formula. Spare me the tears. And the horse floats,boats and burnouts. Holden read the market when they aimed at a market of aspiration to spend the hard earned on a Commodore instead of a sparkly cab or a stripey cop car. You dont want your fresh new bodyshell to have the first impression on the way home from the airport in a seedy yellow stinky taxi. People cant get past that taxi stuff. Oh yeah? FG ay? how is it? bang wobble squeak whine.

Just don't mention that Commodore sales are down by about as much as Falcon sales are. 20% this year already, so its not just a Ford problem.

[Buntz]

Originally Posted by Nikked

image

Umm... yeah, same. If anyone else here has children, perhaps lock your computer when you're not at it, and we will get less of this.

Originally Posted by RASER

Falcodore's are like old colour tube TV's, they have had there day in the sun, nobody is interested in them anymore

The punters want SUV's and dual cab utes, also smaller cars.

Holden and Toyota are in sync. with the market and have export programs, FoA does next to nothing.

The market is changing, imports are going gang busters, FoA is wounded and dying in manufacture, they cannot force punters to like and buy the overpriced Falcon, they simply are NOT INTERESTED

Why is it your posts never make any rational sense?

FoA developed the BEST Dual Cab Ute Truck in the market. Buyers can't get enough. And the imported small cars are arguably the best that money can buy, any motoring journalist worth his salt will tell you.

Falcon is STILL (did you get that word?) - and by extension Territory - Ford's bread and butter. It's still selling just enough to remain viable, even more so with Territory. Once it gets the One Ford treatment, then it will get some well needed dollars, and integration into the Ford world.

The best manufacturers in the world still make RWD 4 door saloons. And even the Koreans are trying their hand at it. So someone still wants them, Falcon just needs some work, and a new direction.

As for Holden... you can't honestly tell me their Aussie built Cruze is a better business case than the Korean built Cruze? Hell, most Aussies thought it was Aussie built anyway. Some probably think it comes with a 173, a 202, and a 308. Like Golden Holden from the good old days. Small car, big motors.

Toyota, they sack people as well as Holden and Ford do. So are they selling more locally made cars or less when they do that?

You need to tone down on the clap trap Raser.

[duaned]

Originally Posted by The Yeti

I love big rear wheel drive sedans, the problem is that the quality is pretty ordinary, and the market is heading elseware now :o(

:(

Totally agree. The Falcon is made using poor quality materials, and put together to suit. I'm sorry, but after spending the last few weeks driving hire cars (Dualis, ASX to name a few) to Falcon is nowhere near as good as every imported car I drove in relation to tightness, quality of materials and build. Power was in the Falcon's corner, but that alone does not make a car good, unless you wear your cap backwards. I'm feeling a trade-in on an import sooner than later!

[JG34JA]

These kind of threads done many times now.

FOA should be given kudos for developing Territory, designing into a growing market. Agree the ride height and versatility/flexibility is a big seller, especially with women.

Size is something that hasn't been mentioned: in the Golden Age the Australian 'family' car size was an EH Holden or XP Falcon - 12-1300kg and about a 'Corolla' in current dimensions. (Corollas got BIG!). The large sedans were Chevy Impalas, Dodge Phoenixes or Galaxies at about 1700-1900kg and slightly larger in footprint than a VE or FG (but not too much larger) at about the same weight. They sold a fraction of the market, which is the current fate of sedans of a similar size/weight. It isn't that Australians are abandoning the 'family car' size, it's just that the goalposts shifted as cars got bigger (heavier).

Fast forward 40 years and Australians are still buying the smaller 'family' size cars, looking for price, choice of variants and options, and quality. The other differences are the heavy duty 4wd wagon gave birth to the SUV wagon, and the ute became the dual cab ute. Both of those offer flexibility and versatility in storage, space, offroad ability, etc, in comparison to the very large size sedan.

For example, look at a Golf wagon, it's "EH" sized, there is choice in engines/transmissions/trims levels and even a sports pack, it costs less than the large sedan throughout the whole range and features economy from 4.7 through to about 7L/100km (50-35mpg - the small motor XP/EH could get above 30mpg on more simple engine technology) in reviews. Its flexibility is greater and the range is reported as being able to steer. With the Carry it offers a panelvan commercial variant, so has a far more complete range than the current large sedan only Falcon. It is not RWD.

I'd love to see Broadmeadows produce Territory, a RWD Focus+ size hatch/wagon/van/ute in diesel/petrol, and the Ranger dual cab ute domestically for that would corner the current market nicely. Not going to happen though.