The Car Thread ... !

[duffman9000]

Hell no!

If I was to go electric, I would go all in with a Tesla. Or pick up a used Volt. I just can't understand how GM just killed the Volt and I get it cars are falling out of favor, so at least never transferred the technology to a CUV. The Volt was the best bridge between an ICE vehicle and completely electric. And GM just freaking blew it. But they are all in with electric vehicles right now.

I’m looking for an EV now.
I have no idea what GM is doing with EV cars.
I’ve tried to convince myself that I should get a Tesla. The only one I find interesting is the Y, but it’s not luxury and there are plenty of ICE vehicles that fit my requirements. The fact that I’m trying to convince myself I like or want something means it’s the wrong product for me.

And the Teslarati community is the worse community I’ve come across.

 

[quagmire]

I’m looking for an EV now.
I have no idea what GM is doing with EV cars.
I’ve tried to convince myself that I should get a Tesla. The only one I find interesting is the Y, but it’s not luxury and there are plenty of ICE vehicles that fit my requirements. The fact that I’m trying to convince myself I like or want something means it’s the wrong product for me.

And the Teslarati community is the worse community I’ve come across.

Only EV GM has right now is the Chevy Bolt. But they are about to unveil the GMC Hummer EV( no reveal date after getting postponed due to COVID) and the Cadillac Lyriq will be unveiled next month.

If the Model Y doesn't appeal to you, don't get it. You're right that if you're trying to find ways to justify it, it isn't the vehicle for you. What is holding me back from EV's is simply don't have the charging capability where I live, plus as stated needed to have a V8 powered car before they start disappearing or getting really expensive.

 

[S.B.G]

Thought's on Ford's decision to eliminate all cars from their lineup and only sell trucks and SUV's?

Officially all cars but the Mustang have been canceled.

Ford:
Fiesta
Focus
Fusion
Taurus
Thunderbird (Going back many years, I know)

Lincoln:
MKZ
Continental

GM and Chrysler are still selling cars as of right now in various brands and flavors.

Ford says they're adapting to market demand for SUV's and trucks. I can't argue with either as they both are useful, practical and needed, but there is still a segment for sedans, coupes, hatchbacks and convertibles, I think.

I included the Thunderbird up there only because I loved them. We (my parents) had a 1989 Super Coupe and it was a great car with tons of performance in it.

I had a 2014 Fusion and a 2016 Focus hatchback and loved both of them. I don't know about other parts of the country but I see Fusion's everywhere around me. They're highly popular, a good average car for a fair price too.

Canceling all cars like this is a mistake for the company I think. There are certainly plenty of 'car' people like myself out there and in several years when our leases are up, or we're looking for something new, we'll have to go look at other manufacturers for them. Ford will end up losing sales.

Am I too far off on this line of thinking?

 

[Matz]

Thought's on Ford's decision to eliminate all cars from their lineup and only sell trucks and SUV's?

Officially all cars but the Mustang have been canceled.

Ford:
Fiesta
Focus
Fusion
Taurus
Thunderbird (Going back many years, I know)

Lincoln:
MKZ
Continental

GM and Chrysler are still selling cars as of right now in various brands and flavors.

Ford says they're adapting to market demand for SUV's and trucks. I can't argue with either as they both are useful, practical and needed, but there is still a segment for sedans, coupes, hatchbacks and convertibles, I think.

I included the Thunderbird up there only because I loved them. We (my parents) had a 1989 Super Coupe and it was a great car with tons of performance in it.

I had a 2014 Fusion and a 2016 Focus hatchback and loved both of them. I don't know about other parts of the country but I see Fusion's everywhere around me. They're highly popular, a good average car for a fair price too.

Canceling all cars like this is a mistake for the company I think. There are certainly plenty of 'car' people like myself out there and in several years when our leases are up, or we're looking for something new, we'll have to go look at other manufacturers for them. Ford will end up losing sales.

Am I too far off on this line of thinking?

I am a car guy. While my preferred ride is not a Ford, it is a sedan. I am very unlikely to switch to an XUV for my daily driver. But we car folks seem to be a shrinking segment of the population. Will that segment go to zero? No.

Ford will definitely lose some sales, but I suspect the bean counters have decided it's still more profitable to eliminate their participation in a shrinking market that is well supplied by not only GM and FCE, but Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, and Kia. And the Germans.

Effectively competing in such a market is expensive in terms of available resources. Unless a company can offer something perceptibly different and better than the competition, the margins can get pretty thin.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Thought's on Ford's decision to eliminate all cars from their lineup and only sell trucks and SUV's?

Officially all cars but the Mustang have been canceled.

Ford:
Fiesta
Focus
Fusion
Taurus
Thunderbird (Going back many years, I know)

Lincoln:
MKZ
Continental

GM and Chrysler are still selling cars as of right now in various brands and flavors.

Ford says they're adapting to market demand for SUV's and trucks. I can't argue with either as they both are useful, practical and needed, but there is still a segment for sedans, coupes, hatchbacks and convertibles, I think.

I included the Thunderbird up there only because I loved them. We (my parents) had a 1989 Super Coupe and it was a great car with tons of performance in it.

I had a 2014 Fusion and a 2016 Focus hatchback and loved both of them. I don't know about other parts of the country but I see Fusion's everywhere around me. They're highly popular, a good average car for a fair price too.

Canceling all cars like this is a mistake for the company I think. There are certainly plenty of 'car' people like myself out there and in several years when our leases are up, or we're looking for something new, we'll have to go look at other manufacturers for them. Ford will end up losing sales.

Am I too far off on this line of thinking?

In Europe trucks are pretty rare. I’ve never seen the appeal.
As for SUV’s I prefer my ride height much lower thanks. Not great for driving through bends etc.

 

[D.T.]

Thought's on Ford's decision to eliminate all cars from their lineup and only sell trucks and SUV's?

Officially all cars but the Mustang have been canceled.

Ford:
Fiesta
Focus
Fusion
Taurus
Thunderbird (Going back many years, I know)

Lincoln:
MKZ
Continental

GM and Chrysler are still selling cars as of right now in various brands and flavors.

Ford says they're adapting to market demand for SUV's and trucks. I can't argue with either as they both are useful, practical and needed, but there is still a segment for sedans, coupes, hatchbacks and convertibles, I think.

I included the Thunderbird up there only because I loved them. We (my parents) had a 1989 Super Coupe and it was a great car with tons of performance in it.

I had a 2014 Fusion and a 2016 Focus hatchback and loved both of them. I don't know about other parts of the country but I see Fusion's everywhere around me. They're highly popular, a good average car for a fair price too.

Canceling all cars like this is a mistake for the company I think. There are certainly plenty of 'car' people like myself out there and in several years when our leases are up, or we're looking for something new, we'll have to go look at other manufacturers for them. Ford will end up losing sales.

Am I too far off on this line of thinking?

I just sort of go with the flow.

Ford is actually talking about spinning the Mustang off into its own "brand", which was some of the thinking with making the Mach-E a "Mustang". Mustang is __killing__ it in its own market (and even then, it's a fading segment), Dodge a not too distant 2nd, GM, well, Camaro sales are in the crapper, so I would not be shocked if other manufacturers start really trimming down their offerings, and re-evaluate their product lines. Mustang may survive by being both a decent product and the foundation for a whole new generation of products (Mustang Shelby-E CUV ... )

There's only so much sales opp in the various segments, especially the ones where it's a small segment to start with (aka, domestic muscle/performance cars). How much design, engineering, after-the-sale support costs to you put into supporting the Fusion if that segment only represent some tiny x% of overall sales (vs. trucks for example).

I kind of figured the Fiesta and/or Focus would continue (and make come back) as a HEV, or pure EV, but with the Mach-E, I think they want to enter that market with a brand new model (er, I guess while tethering it to one of their existing marques that has solid brand equity).

There's so many great rides out there if you're willing to shop across all manufacturers, so while it's kind of sad to see some of the classic product disappear, I just try to keep an open mind - realize it's progress, of some sort ...

 

[quagmire]

GM is not too far behind in killing off their cars. Only the Malibu, Camaro, Bolt, CT4, and CT5 remain right now. Malibu is rumored to be killed around 2023. Camaro also appears to be heading towards a 2002 redux in 2023. Some rumors of Camaro coming back as an EV, but I think that is just hope from the faithful right now than solid info.

With CUV's getting decent fuel economy, as much as this reminds me of the situation leading up to 2005, I don't think it will repeat itself. Doesn't mean I like it though.

 

[44267547]

The Taurus probably should’ve been discontinued long before 2019, but was only kept around due to ‘Police utility sales’. The complaints started rolling in heavily in 2016 With the Taurus sedan that it lacked the necessary space, severe Blindspot’s and Once agencies started migrating towards the Police Explorer, (which has exact same engine/transmission, and yet added more cargo space with leg room), The civilian Taurus was never a really large seller towards the latter part of its lifespan, especially from the SEL/SHO standpoint. My point is, I think the Taurus would’ve been pulled long before 2019 if it wasn’t due to government sales, specifically for the sedan Model, as the Explorer Service skyrocketed somewhere around 31% in sales.

Anyways, in some respects I remember when Ford announced the discontinuation of multiple sedans in their lineup and there was an uproar naturally. But in some ways, I see Apple and Ford similar to each other, they make decisions that consumers may not agree with In the present, but in some ways, they envision the future that they make these changes now, instead placing focus on the highest selling vehicles, and in my area of the country, Ford truck sales are just massive. If you drive around lots during the ‘pre-winter season‘, you’ll see nothing but Ford F-150s For both commercial and consumer use.

I know it’s heavily discussed that crossover/SUVs are the ‘happening’ right now, and it is for similar price points that sedans were offering and of course you have AWD, additional seating, legroom, etc, but all together For the future of all vehicles, I think we will see internal combustion move to the wayside in place of electric, but that maturity point is merely getting started with some manufactures.

Nonetheless, even with the discontinuation with some sedans, it doesn’t mean you can’t find them ‘slightly used‘ with warranties offered, it just means you won’t be able to Purchase factory new year after year. There still be a huge influx of them available with dealers not moving them as quickly as they probably would like, which in some ways, benefits the consumer for For those who are not interested in SUVs/a higher price tag.

 

[D.T.]

GM is not too far behind in killing off their cars. Only the Malibu, Camaro, Bolt, CT4, and CT5 remain right now. Malibu is rumored to be killed around 2023. Camaro also appears to be heading towards a 2002 redux in 2023. Some rumors of Camaro coming back as an EV, but I think that is just hope from the faithful right now than solid info.

With CUV's getting decent fuel economy, as much as this reminds me of the situation leading up to 2005, I don't think it will repeat itself. Doesn't mean I like it though.

Ahh yeah, I wasn't even sure what cars (i.e., not truck/*UV) they still had).

I mentioned the Camaro specifically because it's one of those car that has an solid enthusiast following (both consumers and inside GM) while also looking bad on the books. The "car guys" want to keep building it, the bean counters want it gone, being an enthusiast, I think it stinks the latter will probably win out.

I've read the EV rumor, along with products that would be a CINO (Camaro In Name Only), see Mach-E "Mustang"

 

[DCIFRTHS]

Nice! Do you have the option to save seat settings?
Also, I see tiny holes in the seats, so these support air-conditioning/heat, no?

I love that feature - for the A/C. My friend has it in his Lexus.

 

[JohnR]

Thought you guys who like the Corvette would like to see these pics. I live about 90 minutes north of the factory/museum

 

[Allyance]

Beautiful looking car, I'm sure they are going to be rare as hens teeth.

 

[duffman9000]

Thought's on Ford's decision to eliminate all cars from their lineup and only sell trucks and SUV's?

Officially all cars but the Mustang have been canceled.

Ford:
Fiesta
Focus
Fusion
Taurus
Thunderbird (Going back many years, I know)

Lincoln:
MKZ
Continental

GM and Chrysler are still selling cars as of right now in various brands and flavors.

Ford says they're adapting to market demand for SUV's and trucks. I can't argue with either as they both are useful, practical and needed, but there is still a segment for sedans, coupes, hatchbacks and convertibles, I think.

I included the Thunderbird up there only because I loved them. We (my parents) had a 1989 Super Coupe and it was a great car with tons of performance in it.

I had a 2014 Fusion and a 2016 Focus hatchback and loved both of them. I don't know about other parts of the country but I see Fusion's everywhere around me. They're highly popular, a good average car for a fair price too.

Canceling all cars like this is a mistake for the company I think. There are certainly plenty of 'car' people like myself out there and in several years when our leases are up, or we're looking for something new, we'll have to go look at other manufacturers for them. Ford will end up losing sales.

Am I too far off on this line of thinking?

TBH, I didn't know Ford still made a Fiesta or Taurus.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I'm down for that.


Well even I don't see many on the road here unless I drive into the affluent areas like Rochester, Troy or Bloomfield Hills where I also get to see Ferrari's, Lambo's, Porsche's and whatnot.

In 2019 Lincoln only sold 6,500 units of the Continental, so that's why we don't see many on the road. They're still producing the car through the 2021 model year but I'm not holding my breath that it will last much longer than that with the ever declining sales figures.


I just looked up the length of the 2019 SHO and the 2020 Continental and I was surprised that the SHO is actually almost an inch longer! I didn't expect that to be the case at all.

Of course, if one opts for (and can find one) the Coach Door edition Continental, it gets stretched another 6 inches and has the rear hinge suicide doors. But I don't have $120,000 to spend on one. If I did, I would!

Normal Edition:

Coach Door Edition:

I think there is a reason brands like Lincoln don’t sell in Europe. That car looks like a bit of a Frankenstein in terms of styling and features nicked off about half a dozen different European luxury and Japanese marques. I don’t think outside of the US you’d be able to sell that car especially as on price it would compete with Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Jaguar.

 

[S.B.G]

TBH, I didn't know Ford still made a Fiesta or Taurus.

Both were canceled in 2019.

 

[S.B.G]

In Europe trucks are pretty rare. I’ve never seen the appeal.

As a utility vehicle the appeal is exceedingly high in the US regardless of manufacturer (Ford, GM, [Dodge] Ram.

Ford truck sales are just massive.

Just as I mentioned the other day that I see Fusion's everywhere I also see even more F-150's everywhere.

Truck sales in general are as you say, massive. I dare say I see more trucks than any other style of vehicle around where I live. Of course my community is far more rural with farmland than it is urban or suburban. Regardless of that, many people own trucks who do not use them as work trucks on job sites and whatnot. To them it is just a mode of transportation with useful utility features and towing/hauling capacity built in. I too was one of those people. I had a Ranger and two F-150's and I loved all of them too.

Someone at work recently bought a new F-150 Lariat, all black and chrome and boy is she pretty too.

 

[nebo1ss]

As a utility vehicle the appeal is exceedingly high in the US regardless of manufacturer (Ford, GM, [Dodge] Ram.

Just as I mentioned the other day that I see Fusion's everywhere I also see even more F-150's everywhere.

Truck sales in general are as you say, massive. I dare say I see more trucks than any other style of vehicle around where I live. Of course my community is far more rural with farmland than it is urban or suburban. Regardless of that, many people own trucks who do not use them as work trucks on job sites and whatnot. To them it is just a mode of transportation with useful utility features and towing/hauling capacity built in. I too was one of those people. I had a Ranger and two F-150's and I loved all of them too.

Someone at work recently bought a new F-150 Lariat, all black and chrome and boy is she pretty too.

When i lived and worked in New York. Our company was part of a merger and relocated south to the Carolinas. Many of us left but some moved south and we used to joke with them that they would buy a truck and install a gun rack in it.

 

[44267547]

Just as I mentioned the other day that I see Fusion's everywhere I also see even more F-150's everywhere.

Truck sales in general are as you say, massive. I dare say I see more trucks than any other style of vehicle around where I live. Of course my community is far more rural with farmland than it is urban or suburban. Regardless of that, many people own trucks who do not use them as work trucks on job sites and whatnot. To them it is just a mode of transportation with useful utility features and towing/hauling capacity built in. I too was one of those people. I had a Ranger and two F-150's and I loved all of them too.

Someone at work recently bought a new F-150 Lariat, all black and chrome and boy is she pretty too.

So... you know how when you go to a department store a month Or two before the ‘Pre-holiday’ season arrives, and everything is holiday Decor? That’s how it is in late September/early October with trucks making their way in already for the year. If you drive around any of the Ford lots in my area right now, you’ll see nothing but Mustangs of all trims, Focus ST‘S/RS’s, ect. But once October arrives, you won’t find a mustang for sale within 500 miles, because they’ll purposely remove them off their lot to make way for trucks arriving. That’s how big truck sales are in my area, especially for municipal/commercial use.

I can tell you one thing about the truck segment, there are loads of guys in my area who love the eco-boost F150s. Surprisingly, they brag on the torque and the fuel efficiency being the main highlights. I’ve never owned a truck and I tried many times to convince myself that I wanted (Maybe needed) one, Specifically with the Raptor, I just don’t have the use for a truck.

 

[S.B.G]

If you drive around any of the Ford lots in my area right now, you’ll see nothing but Mustangs of all trims, Focus ST‘S/RS’s, ect. But once October arrives, you won’t find a mustang for sale within 500 miles, because they’ll purposely remove them off their lot to make way for trucks arriving.

The opposite is true at my local dealership. They have one Mustang on the lot and it's been there for a while, too. Otherwise, all year around they have a huge stock of trucks on hand and SUV's.

I guess the market for performance vehicles in my local area is very small, much to my disappointment of course.

 

[D.T.]

Beautiful looking car, I'm sure they are going to be rare as hens teeth.

They actually build a decent number of Corvettes, you know, relatively speaking (vs. something like a Camry). The GM product manager says the MY20 production will be just over 20,000, and generally they build into the mid 30Ks, sometimes hitting 40K in the 2nd, 3rd year of a new model.

They do tend to be much more prevalent in some areas though, like here in FL, there's quite a few (weather, target buyer/demographics, etc.)

 

[Apple fanboy]

As a utility vehicle the appeal is exceedingly high in the US regardless of manufacturer (Ford, GM, [Dodge] Ram.

Just as I mentioned the other day that I see Fusion's everywhere I also see even more F-150's everywhere.

Truck sales in general are as you say, massive. I dare say I see more trucks than any other style of vehicle around where I live. Of course my community is far more rural with farmland than it is urban or suburban. Regardless of that, many people own trucks who do not use them as work trucks on job sites and whatnot. To them it is just a mode of transportation with useful utility features and towing/hauling capacity built in. I too was one of those people. I had a Ranger and two F-150's and I loved all of them too.

Someone at work recently bought a new F-150 Lariat, all black and chrome and boy is she pretty too.

I’m aware. But over here things are quite different. I used to be a Ford person, but found the feel of them deteriorated. Still happy with my VW Golf, (although I think it needs a wheel bearing replaced) I can’t see my next car coming anywhere other than Germany.

 

[D.T.]

As a utility vehicle the appeal is exceedingly high in the US regardless of manufacturer (Ford, GM, [Dodge] Ram.

Yeah, there's quite a "truck culture" here, and with some of them having interiors and features as nice as a luxury model (and a price tag to match), it's not even a compromise vs. a sedan.

 

[senseless]

I've owned 2 compact trucks and have a full size 3/4 ton at work. I don't understand the "love" for trucks, as a daily driver. Unless you have a hauling/ towing need, of course.

 

[D.T.]

I've owned 2 compact trucks and have a full size 3/4 ton at work. I don't understand the "love" for trucks, as a daily driver. Unless you have a hauling/ towing need, of course.

Yeah, I mean if you're looking to to tow, many SUVs have a decent capacity (talking non-5th wheel / 12K type capacity), and usually more passenger space, and decent hauling (that's also weather proof and secure), you know, unless we're talking 2000 lb loads of dirt.

We have neighbors, and husband and wife _both_ drive a truck ...

 

[bunnspecial]

Hopefully the MG engine is going back together next week. A lot depends on parts arrival timing.

In other news, on a whim my dad stopped by the local Ford/Lincoln dealer on Tuesday. He's been unhappy with his Nissan(Versa? Some sort of CUV) that he traded his MKS in on a few months ago, saying "it's not a Lincoln."

He asked it they had any used Continentals, since there again he had several of the previous gen(98-02) and has wanted one since they came out. They said no that they didn't have any used ones, but had a NEW 2019 that they were really itching to sell and had marked down $17K off sticker.

Long story short, he traded my mom's car for it, my mom is driving the Nissan, and the Continental is sitting in their garage. He's really, really excited about it. I haven't yet had a chance to see it, but I'm excited to see it and hopefully drive it.

Of course buying "stale" new cars is not without its minor issues, including that it's been test drive/moved around the lot some and came with 53 miles on the odo. Still, though, he's happy to finally get one, and especially to get it new.

When he asked me for an opinion, I said "go for it" especially considering that he's wanted one since they came out, he's basically paying 1-year old used prices for a new one, he likely won't have another chance to get one, and he balked at the $50-60K sticker of new ones. Just talking to him, he's as excited over it as I've heard him be about a car in a long time(he use to trade cars every year or two, until he "settled down" with the Continentals because he liked them so much, then fell back into that routine).

I actually don't know what engine he got-I hope it's one of the TT options, but we'll see. Even so, the 3.7L NA V6 in his MKS was no slouch even in a car that size, and I think that's one of the options for the Continental.