Foreign cars pass Big 3

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

 

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

 

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.

 

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)

 

So what's city MPG with an Impala?

 

Look to your north, health car costs are a fraction here as well.

 

[/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.

 

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