Foreign cars pass Big 3

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jg said:
Even including cars & trucks huh? Observations like that one from an
"expert" might give some insight into why they are losing ground.
Click to expand...

It seems like an oxymoron, yet isn't when you consider the product lines
of GM, Ford and Chrysler. At any given time over the past 10 years
none of them have had compelling products in all of the markets they
compete in. Ford, for example, had put the vast majority of it's
investment into it's trucks and SUVs over the past 1-2 decades and has
never once in that time fielded top class vehicles in each of the car
categories. It even gave up on the mid-size car class all together when
the Contour failed to meet sales expectations.

GM has the problem of too many brand as well. At any given time GM is
busy investing in one or two of it's brands while the other languish.

If you can't be one of the best in category, then you shouldn't bother
playing. However, if you are one of the top three vehicle makers in the
world then you need to play in a big way in every significant segment.
Toyota does so. GM, Ford and Chrysler do not.

Honda takes another tact. Honda knows it is not one of the biggest, so
they rifle shoot at markets where they feel they can place extremely
competitive products. Consequently, Honda's hit rate is much higher
than any of the US makers enjoy. Every one of Honda's present US
offerings consistently lands among the best-in-class ratings visa-vis
competitors. GM and Ford are lucky if they land one or two vehicles on
such lists.

John


John
 
jg said:
It sounds to me like stating the bleedin obvious. If they want to sell more
they have to get more attractive (not just in looks), otoh position on the
scoreboard might not have been their prime concern. Maybe it's profit on
what they did sell... probably doesn't bother BMW or Morgan that they are
not top of the sales tree. They have different objectives to you & I who
just want a good car. And what sells the most doesn't necessarily drive us
either.
Click to expand...

BMW's strategy is in many ways similar to Hondas in that in the
categories BMW chooses to compete in it regularly builds one of the best
in class vehicles out there. By best in class I do not necessarily mean
top selling. However, usually best in class vehicles also end up being
amongst the top sellers in the class.

John
 
John Horner said:
It seems like an oxymoron, yet isn't when you consider the product lines
of GM, Ford and Chrysler. At any given time over the past 10 years none
of them have had compelling products in all of the markets they compete
in. Ford, for example, had put the vast majority of it's investment into
it's trucks and SUVs over the past 1-2 decades and has never once in that
time fielded top class vehicles in each of the car categories. It even
gave up on the mid-size car class all together when the Contour failed to
meet sales expectations.
Click to expand...
It sounds to me like stating the bleedin obvious. If they want to sell more
they have to get more attractive (not just in looks), otoh position on the
scoreboard might not have been their prime concern. Maybe it's profit on
what they did sell... probably doesn't bother BMW or Morgan that they are
not top of the sales tree. They have different objectives to you & I who
just want a good car. And what sells the most doesn't necessarily drive us
either.
 
John Horner said:
BMW's strategy is in many ways similar to Hondas in that in the categories
BMW chooses to compete in it regularly builds one of the best in class
vehicles out there. By best in class I do not necessarily mean top
selling. However, usually best in class vehicles also end up being
amongst the top sellers in the class.
Click to expand...
Depends which magazine you read. But something other than sales volume being
their prime objective in the past, is about the only way the comment about
spreading development dollars across cars & trucks... makes sense. (and I
don't think it makes sense - they always need to spend development dollars)
 
Just Facts said:
They will get that on highway driving.
In urban driving their milage reflects their weight and engine size, the
same as similar competition.
Click to expand...

So what's city MPG with an Impala?
 
Wardlaw points out, for example, that the Ford Focus was merely refreshed
for the U.S. market while the Focus sold in Europe was completely
redesigned. Interesting.

"What Americans got was a rehashed version of the old Focus and as a
result, Ford isn't in a position to compete" against popular small
vehicles such as the Honda Civic in the U.S. market at a time when gas
prices are pushing consumers to cars.
Click to expand...
[/QUOTE]
I recently rented a new Ford Focus (1.6 L ?) manual shift SW in the UK
and although it had excellent interior space I found it very noisy
(noise being amplified in the car) and the fuel mileage was low; about
the same highway mileage as my Sebring V6 2.7 L auto.
The revs in top gear were about 50% higher than the Sebring;
about 3,000 rpm at 60 mph.
Now I'm wondering how bad the NA Focus is, but I'll have to pass on it
based on my UK experiences.
 
Jeff said:
It's already here. The companies are demanding concessions involved
health care. Soon they will involve pensions. The Big 2 and the
American part of the Dialmer-Chrysler and many of their suppliers
have pension obligations that have not yet been met. IN most of
Europe, the government takes care of the pensions.
Click to expand...

This is the same in the US, to some degree, depending on who defaults on
their pension obligations.
 
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