swhite63

[QUOTE=kemer1;23867976]
The problem is they got too complacent with selling to rental fleets, and govt agencies. Then there's the issue with the UAW just killing them with their demands. Hell why does a guy that installs lugnuts need to make 40K a year? So it cost them more to make the cars, the market will only bare a certain pricepoint for the cars, so in order to make the pricepoint they've had to use lower quality components...which led to bad reliability, low confidence, and a downward spiral.
QUOTE]

Well said! Several years ago, I heard that $2000 from every vehicle GM sold went to the retired workers benefits. I wondered how they could sustain that and compete with the foreign automakers, and look what happened. Years of cutting corners on engineering and quality to meet the union obligations doomed them, and they needed the taxpayers to save them.

06a6cpo

Ford is in the catchup stage whereas GM has a great luxury car today and it seems to have proven itself not only on the track but consumer satisfaction,it's got great reliable mechanicals and many people think they also nailed the styling, the CTS naturally.
Ford is in the catch-up stage and the Taurus will be the car, you can tell this is their baby because they immeadiately want to be associated with Audi build quality, the well packaged Taurus with the 300hp V6 will be the big seller regardless of the SHO HP just as the 3.0 supercharged is for Audi.Toyota has been quietly stealing the Audi design for years successfully! so why not Ford only do it openly?
Audi has reached a summit in it's class,like the Porsche 911, all they need do is refine and make minor changes year to year, now your AVWG is making $$$. Audi started with the C5 and continues this wonderful design which apparently the top makers would like to emulate.

ex_boxster

Generally agree, but the plain CTS is just OK; it takes the CTS-V to be a really good performer, and it's very spendy. Most folks won't pay that much for a dressed-up chevy, and the sales numbers show it. Like you mention about the Taurus, the plain CTS is the bread -n- butter. Unless you're looking for some Caddy status (?), the SHO seems to be the better car for the same money. The V is nearly $20K more.

Ford's fit, finish, and overall quality has led GM's for years now, and they have the financial stability to prove it. Lincoln is their luxury division, and it generally appeals to the same audience as the Caddy.

I say the better the competition is among the manufacturers, the more we as consumers stand to benefit. Giddy-up!

kemer1

They certainly need a little modifying to comply with US standards. But those changes, I would assume, would be minor. Changing lighting to add side reflectors, change the speedo to MPH, and other minor tweaks. I'm sure the safety standards in Europe are on par with ours, and emissions would be as strict, if not stricter then here. But in any case the changeover is not impossible. GM finally heard what we were saying and brought over two of their Australian designs here. The Holden Commodore, and Menaro (Pontiac G8 and GTO), Ford is bringing over the Fiesta, and with the merger of Fiat and Chrysler the Fiat 500 is US bound as are a few Alfas.

But as stated before the cars that we would not mind having here are not the super small econoboxes. Why can't we get the Focus RS? Subaru and Mitsubishi proved that there is a market for small, nimble, super powerful AWD rockets...even at the cost of 30K. Ford is totaly missing the market on this. Hell all the auto makers can make these models here so they avoid the import teriffs and be more competitive price wise. But for some reason we get the Fusions, and Taurus (old version), while the rest of the world gets the acclaimed Mondeo. I'm just dissapointed in that they send and sell their best designs overseas, because the crap we get here would never sell anywhere else, and we get their afterthought vehicles.

JP2422

We actually may get the RS but in SVT trim. Then again, you are willing to spend $30K on a Focus and you have people here complaining about a hi-po taurus at $38K. It might be a tough sell. Hell, the "terminator" SVT Cobras sold for $35K new! I also hear they have a RWD sedan set up for 2014. They may finally make the Falcon for the American market. Oh, and the reason the Falcon will not be brought here in its current form is because it was not designed with LHD in mind.

ex_boxster

The problem with bringing those cars extends far beyond changing some lights and trim. As I understand it, while the US and Europe both have stringent safety standards, the testing methods are very different. This, in many cases, requires a different fundamental design to pass each set of tests. Add in the left/right drive issue mentioned, and it's not always economically feasible for them to bring them over.

Unfortunately the American consumer, in general, has preferred a softly sprung, smooth riding car. That's changing, and we're seeing better cars, but it won't happen overnight. Maybe we can get to a standard, world-wide safety test regime and we'll see more or these cool cars here in the states in the future.

skimobile

What's interesting is that I remember having a VW/Porsche magazine (I believe that was the name) from probably 1985 and they were actually doing a comparison with the Audi 5000 and the Ford Taurus!

JP2422

I believe that was because back then the Taurus was a hot item. It was the first mainstream family sedan to go from a blocky shape to a more "aerodinamic" shape. They were in the top ten best selling cars and easily beat the Camry and Accord. Too bad Ford payed more attention to trucks and SUVs. Ford has some technology they are working on that shows promises. They have a Laser Ignition system that may get rid of spark plugs all together.

tgdA4

Ford is a joke. GM is a joke. Please can we stop talking about them.