Ford passenger cars not a priority for Blue Oval in Australia.

[Brazen]

There would be very little money in new small cars. Just picked up a new Astra, the stuff you get in small cars and their price is pretty incredible. Didn’t look at the Focus, but the market is so competitive that you can afford to be picky even with a very low budget.

[Syndrome]

Originally Posted by hackney

Just making a statement re Ford(as they were on the “nose” in Japan.)No need to be rude!

Identifying that a person has made a mistake is not being rude.

[HO 3]

Originally Posted by GO FURTHER

This is what Ford should do to resuscitate their sedan market.

I know it would probably never happen... But the demand would be immense, for the family man wanting a Mustang

image

Historically the first Mustang was designed around the Falcon unibody platform which at the time in the States came in both 2 and 4 door versions so I hear what your sayin.

Cheers Mick

[malazn mafia]

Originally Posted by GO FURTHER

This is what Ford should do to resuscitate their sedan market.

I know it would probably never happen... But the demand would be immense, for the family man wanting a Mustang

image

That would pass as a Falcon, in a funny reverse osmosis fashion as the original mustang came from the original Falcon.

[Sprintey]

Thnik I read most recent VFacts was 211 Mondeos sold in the month, thats pretty slow for Australia-wide

4 door RWD Mustang yes, bring back the F trucks while you are at it

Make Australia America Again!

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by Windsor220

We have one of the most competitive markets in the world. Corolla, Mazda3 and i30 are already entrenched in the small car segment and it would take a while to make ground there. Mitsubishi has just discontinued the long running Lancer for the same reason. People are moving to SUVs.

As for Toyota they are running off reputation from the 80s/90s with all of the older generation plus they do a lot fleet sales.

Mondeo doesn't do too bad. It is 3rd in its segment but there are not many sales there just for Camry for all of the seniors.

One excuse after another.

Apart from Corolla, both of the other two, Mazda 3 and i30 have had to earn the respect they are shown, hell, the Mazda 3 started life in the same way the Focus did, off the back of the Laser, 323 era, a neutral position from my perspective.
Mazda have succeded whilst Ford have tanked in this segment and we all know why.
How a company can ignore the obvious issues in a car that features in the largest segment in a competetive market is beyond beief.

Mitsubishi are focussed on the Outlander which is hugely popular as a replacement for those who were previously Lancer buyers, the drivelines are tried and proven and backed by a good warranty with strong customer satisfaction, Ford have burned its small car customers with the reputation of Focus and have struggled to make inroads with its small SUV offerings.
The two are chalk and cheese.

People buy Camry's because they are reliable and that reliability came about through dedication to getting it right.
The SV21 Camry was one of the most robust vehicles ever built and Toyota have successfully built on that reputation
Having said that, when Camry had its 10th birthday, Falcon was no1 in sales so im not sure how Toyota's reputation was any better than Fords in that era.

[hackney]

Originally Posted by Syndrome

Identifying that a person has made a mistake is not being rude.

Did not make a mistake @ all,was just stating a fact.Cheers

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

One excuse after another.

Apart from Corolla, both of the other two, Mazda 3 and i30 have had to earn the respect they are shown, hell, the Mazda 3 started life in the same way the Focus did, off the back of the Laser, 323 era, a neutral position from my perspective.
Mazda have succeded whilst Ford have tanked in this segment and we all know why.
How a company can ignore the obvious issues in a car that features in the largest segment in a competetive market is beyond beief.

Mitsubishi are focussed on the Outlander which is hugely popular as a replacement for those who were previously Lancer buyers, the drivelines are tried and proven and backed by a good warranty with strong customer satisfaction, Ford have burned its small car customers with the reputation of Focus and have struggled to make inroads with its small SUV offerings.
The two are chalk and cheese.

People buy Camry's because they are reliable and that reliability came about through dedication to getting it right.
The SV21 Camry was one of the most robust vehicles ever built and Toyota have successfully built on that reputation
Having said that, when Camry had its 10th birthday, Falcon was no1 in sales so im not sure how Toyota's reputation was any better than Fords in that era.

Summed it up very well.
I am yet to meet a Mazda or Hyundai buyer who didn't like the buying experience or after sales service. When my mum bought a new Hyundai, we visited 3 Hyundai dealers, all were very respectful even though we didn't buy from them. This is totally different to my interactions with the boys club known as ford dealers.
Ford are gonna stay in retail purgatory for a few years yet.

[Brazen]

My experience with Ford dealers has been really good.

Buying our latest car at Holden though, the dealer was dead quiet. Walk past one and they will probably try to shove a car into your pocket.

Expect deals on the Equinox too.

The brands outside of Mazda, Toyota, Hyundai and Kia seem to be struggling at the moment with private buyers.

[hackney]

Originally Posted by Brazen

My experience with Ford dealers has been really good.

Buying our latest car at Holden though, the dealer was dead quiet. Walk past one and they will probably try to shove a car into your pocket.

Expect deals on the Equinox too.

The brands outside of Mazda, Toyota, Hyundai and Kia seem to be struggling at the moment with private buyers.

Must admit,mine where too.I had a fairly good relationship with my local dealer when I had my two Ford’s,everything was completed without any prob’s.Cheers

[kevino]

The Ford dealer at Southport Gold Coast is terrific. they have been great updating and clutch relacing in our powershift Fiesta, they go to the trouble of loading it up in test drive with 4 burly mechanics and if its out of spec its gets fixed. Since they put a ceramic clutch in last March its been perfect. So much so that even though they are dearer I get teh Fiesta serviced there.

With my car which is a manual LZ Focus bought in Toowoomba I took it in to get the seat checked as I was getting a sore back. They were respectful and helpful. turned out the seat was fine a month or two later I found out I have spine issues. And I have had no relationship with them on the Focus didnt buy it there and I have it serviced by an (non Ford dealer)inpededent.

[kevino]

Originally Posted by Brazen

There would be very little money in new small cars. Just picked up a new Astra, the stuff you get in small cars and their price is pretty incredible. Didn’t look at the Focus, but the market is so competitive that you can afford to be picky even with a very low budget.

yeah well there is another argument. 19k for Astra on 2017 specials 110kw/250nm. Focus 134kw and 240nm 2017 specials 23500-24400.

Is a Focus 4 or 5k better than an Astra?

Fords ''premium'' pricing model drives buyers to a competing dealer.

[Windsor220]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

One excuse after another.

Apart from Corolla, both of the other two, Mazda 3 and i30 have had to earn the respect they are shown, hell, the Mazda 3 started life in the same way the Focus did, off the back of the Laser, 323 era, a neutral position from my perspective.
Mazda have succeded whilst Ford have tanked in this segment and we all know why.
How a company can ignore the obvious issues in a car that features in the largest segment in a competetive market is beyond beief.

Mitsubishi are focussed on the Outlander which is hugely popular as a replacement for those who were previously Lancer buyers, the drivelines are tried and proven and backed by a good warranty with strong customer satisfaction, Ford have burned its small car customers with the reputation of Focus and have struggled to make inroads with its small SUV offerings.
The two are chalk and cheese.

People buy Camry's because they are reliable and that reliability came about through dedication to getting it right.
The SV21 Camry was one of the most robust vehicles ever built and Toyota have successfully built on that reputation
Having said that, when Camry had its 10th birthday, Falcon was no1 in sales so im not sure how Toyota's reputation was any better than Fords in that era.

People didn't want small Fords even when they were winning awards regularly and selling well overseas. The gearbox fiasco has killed them completely. It would take 10-15 years to get Focus back to the top of its segment. It could be done but as the market is starting to shift it may not be worth it. If they cut the price they could possibly shift them but it would cheapen the product and reduce profit.

Mazdas success has been mainly off its looks and being seen as trendy. I've lost count of the number of women that have said they like the look of them and want one as their next car. Hyundai has always been the value option built on the success of the Excel 25 years ago.

[Dr Smith]

Originally Posted by Sabantien

A while back didn't Ford say they were going to bring in a whole heap of new performance vehicles?

But every time they announce an interesting new performance vehicle we get told, not for Australia. If the Ranger Raptor gets the same engine as the rest of the range, you can't really call that performance either, I don't care if it gets better brakes.

I think a big area Ford falls behind is tech.
My FG G6e has the same tech as the 90s Fairlane Ghia we have at work. About the only thing extra is the auto dimming rear view mirror. Admittedly that probably wouldn't have saved the Falcon. The base model Mondeo is light years ahead in the tech department, but they're not selling great. Large car buyers do seem to be moving to dual cab utes and SUVs.

Tech is a huge thing in the small car market. The buyers tend to be young urban dwellers. The i30 sells like hotcakes, and it's loaded with tech and gadgets. While Fiestas are fun to drive (I was surprised when I tested one), it's been left in the 90s inside.
The new Fiesta might actually compete, but we'll never see it. (Apparently one of the best selling cars in the UK too)


I honestly can't think of anything in the Ford range I'd want to buy if I went out to buy a new car tomorrow.

Focus ST, Mustang GT, Ranger Wildtrack with Tickford mods, I'd have one of each if the house was knocked down and turned into a garage.

[BENT_8]

I've only ever bought one new Ford, the only new car i've ever bought and to be honest it was a pleasant experience.
Having said that, only one of the small cars mentioned in the recent posts is subject to a class action as a result of the thousands of unhappy customers and Fords refusal to come up with a satisfactory solution to the problems.
The fact that Ford have been helpful in certain cases doesn't deminish their responsibility to ALL ccustomers who bought Focus in good faith and recieved a lemon.
That is fact unfortunately.

Looks are subjective, i dont know many people who buy purely on looks alone and to be honest i prefer the look of the Focus over any of the cars in the segment, my Wife would own one in a heartbeat if not for the issues i've told her about and is now seriously considering an Astra to replace her Camry now that the older kids have their own cars abd its time to downsize.
Hell, when we bought her Camry we both preferred the look of the Mondeo over the Camry, however, without knowing the difference between the powershift auto's in Focus and Mondeo at the time, we went with the tried and proven Camry.

[4stanger]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

There is bugger all profit in small cars though.

Maybe so,
But wouldn't small car purchases help start a customer relationship for the brand?
e.g. new small car purchase for first time new car buyers. Years down the track they look to update to something newer or better, they may consider their experience of this brand for their next choice. (don't mention powershift), also the exposure for the dealers to get ongoing sales through services and aftermarket. If the new small car is good value and the dealership experience is a success, more potential ongoing sales for more profitable vehicles down the track.

[4stanger]

Originally Posted by kevino

yeah well there is another argument. 19k for Astra on 2017 specials 110kw/250nm. Focus 134kw and 240nm 2017 specials 23500-24400.

Is a Focus 4 or 5k better than an Astra?

Fords ''premium'' pricing model drives buyers to a competing dealer.

Maybe Ford needs that money to pay for possible issues down the track

[Mercury Bullet]

They might sell something if they got rid of that stupid woman in the ads.

Watching tv last night and a Ford commercial came on and I have no idea what they were trying to sell.

She talks with a plum in her mouth and I cannot understand a word of it.

IF you ever need a study in how not to do television ads look to Ford.
They are trying to target women and it doesn't work. Huge fail.

Was looking at a small runabout car a while ago. Fiesta and focus were first off the list. Far too expensive compared to opposition.

[kevino]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

I've only ever bought one new Ford, the only new car i've ever bought and to be honest it was a pleasant experience.
Having said that, only one of the small cars mentioned in the recent posts is subject to a class action as a result of the thousands of unhappy customers and Fords refusal to come up with a satisfactory solution to the problems.
The fact that Ford have been helpful in certain cases doesn't deminish their responsibility to ALL ccustomers who bought Focus in good faith and recieved a lemon.
That is fact unfortunately.

Looks are subjective, i dont know many people who buy purely on looks alone and to be honest i prefer the look of the Focus over any of the cars in the segment, my Wife would own one in a heartbeat if not for the issues i've told her about and is now seriously considering an Astra to replace her Camry now that the older kids have their own cars abd its time to downsize.
Hell, when we bought her Camry we both preferred the look of the Mondeo over the Camry, however, without knowing the difference between the powershift auto's in Focus and Mondeo at the time, we went with the tried and proven Camry.

There are no issues with the LZ Focus that I,m aware of.
I have a late 2015 LZ with a manual box 42000 on it hasnt been back to the dealer at all and is serviced at an independent. I enjoy the benefits of SYNC 2 and the 2016.75 version on have the even better SYNC3. My car averages 5.9 litres/100kms, the autos use more as it is a torque convertor auto. I think the SPORT versions looks stylish even 7 years into this body shape. The turbo gives you torque from about 1300nm so you can drive it like a granny if you want to , mine is in 6th gear at 70km/hour if not before. Handling and noise levels are excellent. I like the dashboard layout you can do stuff via voice control, touch screen or manually. The cruise control works in 1km/hr increments and holds the car at a constant speed up and down hill.
The car will blow Lancers non turbo hyundais/Kias Corollas etc into the weeds.
And out corner and outbrake them.

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by Mercury Bullet

They might sell something if they got rid of that stupid woman in the ads.

Watching tv last night and a Ford commercial came on and I have no idea what they were trying to sell.

She talks with a plum in her mouth and I cannot understand a word of it.

IF you ever need a study in how not to do television ads look to Ford.
They are trying to target women and it doesn't work. Huge fail.

Was looking at a small runabout car a while ago. Fiesta and focus were first off the list. Far too expensive compared to opposition.

Fords woes have nothing to do with whether you like the chick on the ad.

Your last sentence is one of the factors though.

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by kevino

There are no issues with the LZ Focus that I,m aware of.

Well its a shame that the damage to the nameplate is already entrenched then.
The newer version might be good but the bad press lingers on and the way Ford have handled an obvious problem to the point of customers taking court action against them doesn't lend itself to being a vehicle i'd pay overs to own an example of, sorry.
Not when i can buy a Cerato with 7yr warranty or Astra for 5k less.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by Windsor220

Mazdas success has been mainly off its looks and being seen as trendy. I've lost count of the number of women that have said they like the look of them and want one as their next car. Hyundai has always been the value option built on the success of the Excel 25 years ago.

A car company can be as trendy as they like. They'll get the sale but treat the customer like rubbish. Have a problematic vehicle and sales will drop.

Mazda 3 has been at the pointy end of private sales for a long time. They have premium pricing in their vehicles.

[Maka]

At the end of the day, we are all passionate about Ford & we all want to see them succeed here in Australia & do really well globally.

I watched a Ford ad the other night & tbh i thought the ad is a bit dated now. Something new & fresh would be good, nothing wrong with the girl imo.

If i may offer a suggestion to Ford AU marketing lol, the vision i have is - i would now have her out & about with her friends in a new ad showing off Fords zesty (& Ford owners zest for life too) new products in their element & environments with the appropriate cool soundtrack.

Ford AU marketing may already have something new marketing wise in the works?

Go Ford, Go Further & Go for Life!

cheers, Maka

[Syndrome]

Originally Posted by Mercury Bullet

They might sell something if they got rid of that stupid woman in the ads.

Watching tv last night and a Ford commercial came on and I have no idea what they were trying to sell.

She talks with a plum in her mouth and I cannot understand a word of it.

IF you ever need a study in how not to do television ads look to Ford.
They are trying to target women and it doesn't work. Huge fail.

Was looking at a small runabout car a while ago. Fiesta and focus were first off the list. Far too expensive compared to opposition.

Someone in Ford management thinks she's 'a bit alright' so they keep pushing her upon us. I've seen it before where senior management make decisions with their dicks.

[au2000]

Ford AU marketing may already have something new marketing wise in the works?


I'm sure they do, I'm tipping a full white room with some blue highlights, a ranger dead centre with a focus, fiesta and escape hidden in the background, said chick in a blue dress prancing around the ranger talking about how versatile it is....

Am I close ?

[UTXR8]

works for toyota...the chick in red isnt a patch on fordbird....

[minheim]

Originally Posted by UTXR8

works for toyota...the chick in red isnt a patch on fordbird....

However the Toyota ads have some humour and actually push the subject car features in way that the target audience can relate to; whereas the Ford ads are boring with too much focus on the presenter and make no connection with the typical buyer .

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by minheim

However the Toyota ads have some humour and actually push the subject car features in way that the target audience can relate to; whereas the Ford ads are boring with too much focus on the presenter and make no connection with the typical buyer .

Toyota has always had the best ads for as long as I can remember.

[DJR-351]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

Toyota has always had the best ads for as long as I can remember.

For sure....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isC32ev4Lw4

[csv8]

Don't know what Ford servicing is like, lately. I recently had my i20 serviced, Hyundai service Dept offered me tea/coffee biscuits. Then I got a survey from the dealer on my service experience, to win $100 fuel voucher, I didn't.. Hyundai Australia also sent me a service experience survey and I go in the draw to win $20k. Hyundai are really after customers.
The blue praying mantis on Ford ads makes me cringe, I hit the mute button.
There are too many cars on the market. Button Plan didn't work.