From Autoblog:
"Confirming what has long been suspected, Ford today announced in its quarterly financial report that it will not invest in a next generation of sedans for North America.
"Over the next few years, the Ford car portfolio in North America will transition to two vehicles — the best-selling Mustang and the all-new Focus Active crossover coming out next year," the statement reads. "The company is also exploring new 'white space' vehicle silhouettes that combine the best attributes of cars and utilities, such as higher ride height, space and versatility."
By 2020, Ford says 90 percent of its portfolio in North America will be trucks, SUVs and commercial vehicles. This move is due to consumer demand and product profitability."
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I'm not a typical Ford sales target, I consider Honda, Mazda, Subaru, Kia, and Hyundai as my likely next vehicle manufacturers, in that order - based on their current lineups. However, I do have a soft spot for the Focus and Fiesta ST models... if they could bring their quality/reliability levels up a bit. I'm a fan of 4-door hatchback body-styles, but I like them small and nimble.
The annoying part of this is that when I think of what I would get to replace my 2010 Honda Fit Sport (which is fine, I'm just letting my mind wander) what I usually end up with in my head is one of the small crossovers with some mild mods. Like a Mazda CX-3, which has the same basic motor as the Miata - do some of the milder Miata motor mods that are out there and then mildly modify the suspension as one would on an amateur rally race car.
The problem with the small economy cars that I like is that they tend to have a long front overhang and lots of very low-hanging aerodynamic aids under the bumper. Even in a city like Austin with its mild winters the roads just aren't that great, and they still have horrible parking lot entrances and exits that cause everything up front to drag on the pavement.
My Honda Fit has beveled away the edges of these pseudo-spoilers yet still drags on certain spots around town. I'm somewhat of an aggressive driver when there's no traffic around, partly because the Fit is kinda fun to toss around corners though it's not fast enough to get in any real trouble. But because of how low the front is, I often have to back off because of bumps in the road, poorly engineered railroad crossings, etc.
So - someday, I suppose I may join the masses in buying a crossover type vehicle, but I'll be damned if I leave it as boring as it comes from the factory!
Any comments on the state of our automotive industry?
Favorite types of daily-driver vehicles?
"Ideal" daily driver characteristics?
"Confirming what has long been suspected, Ford today announced in its quarterly financial report that it will not invest in a next generation of sedans for North America.
"Over the next few years, the Ford car portfolio in North America will transition to two vehicles — the best-selling Mustang and the all-new Focus Active crossover coming out next year," the statement reads. "The company is also exploring new 'white space' vehicle silhouettes that combine the best attributes of cars and utilities, such as higher ride height, space and versatility."
By 2020, Ford says 90 percent of its portfolio in North America will be trucks, SUVs and commercial vehicles. This move is due to consumer demand and product profitability."
____________________________
I'm not a typical Ford sales target, I consider Honda, Mazda, Subaru, Kia, and Hyundai as my likely next vehicle manufacturers, in that order - based on their current lineups. However, I do have a soft spot for the Focus and Fiesta ST models... if they could bring their quality/reliability levels up a bit. I'm a fan of 4-door hatchback body-styles, but I like them small and nimble.
The annoying part of this is that when I think of what I would get to replace my 2010 Honda Fit Sport (which is fine, I'm just letting my mind wander) what I usually end up with in my head is one of the small crossovers with some mild mods. Like a Mazda CX-3, which has the same basic motor as the Miata - do some of the milder Miata motor mods that are out there and then mildly modify the suspension as one would on an amateur rally race car.
The problem with the small economy cars that I like is that they tend to have a long front overhang and lots of very low-hanging aerodynamic aids under the bumper. Even in a city like Austin with its mild winters the roads just aren't that great, and they still have horrible parking lot entrances and exits that cause everything up front to drag on the pavement.
My Honda Fit has beveled away the edges of these pseudo-spoilers yet still drags on certain spots around town. I'm somewhat of an aggressive driver when there's no traffic around, partly because the Fit is kinda fun to toss around corners though it's not fast enough to get in any real trouble. But because of how low the front is, I often have to back off because of bumps in the road, poorly engineered railroad crossings, etc.
So - someday, I suppose I may join the masses in buying a crossover type vehicle, but I'll be damned if I leave it as boring as it comes from the factory!
Any comments on the state of our automotive industry?
Favorite types of daily-driver vehicles?
"Ideal" daily driver characteristics?
