Ford Taurus
10-07-2009, 06:06 PM
#111
Because it sounds weird, it messes up the name of what was a "great" car in its day, and I expected a Ford commercial to stay in line with tradition.
You can move on now. You've added nothing.
You can move on now. You've added nothing.
10-08-2009, 02:49 AM
#112
Originally Posted by wills2k106,Oct 7 2009, 01:22 PM
Well on the money side what would be worse: Reskinning an aging S80 platform and selling more models as Tauri thus further amortizing the costs of the Ford D3 and Volvo P2 chassis or design, develop, and build a whole new platform from scratch? Creating an entirely new platform is extremely expensive; the Commodore/G8 platform from GM cost more than $1 billion. The Taurus is a low volume car, Ford estimates sales between 50 and 70 thousand units annually. Why create further losses in a time when you can ill afford to.
Chassis dynamics and agility aren't exactly high on the list of things Taurus buyers are looking for. So taking a few hundred pounds off at an enormous cost sounds like bad business to me. Extending the life cycle of a successful design at little extra additional cost sounds better.
Ford did have designs for a new global large car architecture that had some flexibility but those plans have been put on hold until the economy straightens out.
Chassis dynamics and agility aren't exactly high on the list of things Taurus buyers are looking for. So taking a few hundred pounds off at an enormous cost sounds like bad business to me. Extending the life cycle of a successful design at little extra additional cost sounds better.
Ford did have designs for a new global large car architecture that had some flexibility but those plans have been put on hold until the economy straightens out.
I do still find it odd that:
1. they're applying a nameplate that *was* a very very high-volume mid-sized plain-vanilla car to a much much bigger lower-volume car at a higher price range. The name would seem to DEvalue the new car while guaranteeing it will appear to be a relative sales disappointment compared to the old one that outsold Accord/Camry. That's of course more of a marketing qustion, though...
2. that people on an S2000 forum would find this oversized/overwrought/overweight rehash of a middling fwd sedan even remotely interesting, and even something to get EXCITED about!
10-08-2009, 05:27 AM
#114
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Originally Posted by ZDan,Oct 8 2009, 02:49 AM
Best, most cogent argument for why/how the 4100+ lb. (in fwd form!) Taurus came into being. In tough times, they took a short-term view and built a hulking behemoth on the S80 to make money at lower volumes. Perfectly reasonable.
I do still find it odd that:
1. they're applying a nameplate that *was* a very very high-volume mid-sized plain-vanilla car to a much much bigger lower-volume car at a higher price range. The name would seem to DEvalue the new car while guaranteeing it will appear to be a relative sales disappointment compared to the old one that outsold Accord/Camry. That's of course more of a marketing qustion, though...
2. that people on an S2000 forum would find this oversized/overwrought/overweight rehash of a middling fwd sedan even remotely interesting, and even something to get EXCITED about!
I do still find it odd that:
1. they're applying a nameplate that *was* a very very high-volume mid-sized plain-vanilla car to a much much bigger lower-volume car at a higher price range. The name would seem to DEvalue the new car while guaranteeing it will appear to be a relative sales disappointment compared to the old one that outsold Accord/Camry. That's of course more of a marketing qustion, though...
2. that people on an S2000 forum would find this oversized/overwrought/overweight rehash of a middling fwd sedan even remotely interesting, and even something to get EXCITED about!
10-08-2009, 06:16 AM
#115
Originally Posted by Malloric,Oct 8 2009, 05:09 AM
Wrong. The fact that someone who supposedly works in structural engineering is so ignorant frightens me. At least now I know why they keep recalling planes due to them falling apart.
Yeah, airplanes are constantly falling out of the sky and cars are constantly breaking in two because structures engineers don't know what they are doing! They should be replaced by bean-counters, or better still, more highly-compensated corporate executives, who obviously MUST be much smarter...
Sounds great in theory, unfortunately manufacturers don't put designs on hold for 20 years while theoretical material science R&D is under way. It's the 2010 Taurus, not the 2062 Taurus.
Yet a further one millionth time, I am saying it is possible to have lighter weight using the SAME MATERIALS, so no need for 60+ years of material science advancements.
Park the new Taurus next to the old Taurus. You'd need a tape measure to tell its bigger.
And for all your toting for the "reasonable" size and weight of the smaller Avalon... why does it keep getting bigger and heavier? Hmm, maybe, just maybe, your precious Toyota is conforming to the same pressures. More space, more features, more saftey.
Which automaker has done better at keeping weight in check?
Weight gain has been endemic in the industry, but it is NOT unavoidable, and it does NOT have to be as egregious as the Taurus example.
The current Avalon is getting a bit short in the tooth... how much do you want to bet the next one, which should be coming soon, offers more space, more features, and more safety (and more weight)?
Maybe the next Avalon will be heavier, but not by 500 lb.
I'm not much of a betting man, but I'd put a six-pack the next Avalon is no more than 150 lb. heavier than the current one. It is certainly within the realm of possibility for it to be lighter. There once was a time when it was taken as fact that FUTURE cars would be LIGHTER-WEIGHT and more efficient...
Again, real progress is doing more with LESS, not doing more with MUCH MUCH MORE.
10-08-2009, 08:02 AM
#117
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I had the option of a base model 2010 Taurus and a loaded 2010 Fusion for my company car choice. I went for the Fusion despite the Taurus being more powerful. I just don't like the lines and curves of the Taurus.
Different strokes I suppose.
Different strokes I suppose.
10-08-2009, 08:29 AM
#118
Moderator
Regardless of three pages of weight talk, the new Taurus is selling in good numbers and is in demand in California of all places - buyers are buying the upmarket versions of the car to boot.
http://www.freep.com/article/20091006/BUSI...y-in-California
http://www.freep.com/article/20091006/BUSI...y-in-California
Redesigned Taurus unexpectedly popular in California
By BRENT SNAVELY
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER
Two months after launching the redesigned Ford Taurus sedan, Ford Motor Co. is dealing with an unexpected surprise: It underestimated demand in California.
Advertisement
California is the nation’s No. 1 car market, largely because it’s the nation’s largest state by population, with more than 36 million residents. But historically, Californians have not preferred brands from Detroit.
Amy Marentic, Ford’s marketing manager for large cars and crossovers, said California was the second-best selling market for the new 2010 Ford Taurus in September, behind only metro Detroit.
“That’s a significant change for us,” Marentic said. “The older Taurus … did not move and really wasn’t relevant in California.”
Ford launched its new Taurus in August as a full-size sedan after its efforts to rebadge the Ford Five Hundred as a Taurus in 2007 failed to reinvigorate sales.
Last September, as Lehman Brothers collapsed, industry sales fell sharply, and Taurus sales declined to 3,172, or 25%, while Ford’s total sales declined 34.5% that month.
But this September — the first full month of sales for the 2010 Ford Taurus — sales totaled 5,077, a 60.1% increase compared with last September, according to Autodata Corp.
“We can’t get enough of them,” said Beau Boeckmann, vice president of Galpin Motors in southern California.
Boeckmann said Ford miscalculated the demand for the new Taurus because it based its expectations on past sales volume in California.
“We went from a frumpy car that did not have a southern California appeal to a car that everybody is in love with,” Boeckmann said.
Marentic said Ford is working quickly to deliver more vehicles to California and also is pleased with other Taurus sales trends that are emerging. According to Ford, about 95% of customers are ordering either the higher-end lines of the Ford Taurus or are picking high-end options.
For example, Marentic said about 25% of Taurus buyers have purchased the car with a $1,995 navigation system compared with about 4% of buyers under the old version of the Taurus.
Overall, pricing for the 2010 Taurus ranges from $25,170 to $31,995 and starts at $37,995 for a performance version, called the SHO.
“We didn’t add content for content’s sake,” Marentic said. “We tried to add it for a purpose and a reason, and I think customers are seeing that.”
By BRENT SNAVELY
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER
Two months after launching the redesigned Ford Taurus sedan, Ford Motor Co. is dealing with an unexpected surprise: It underestimated demand in California.
Advertisement
California is the nation’s No. 1 car market, largely because it’s the nation’s largest state by population, with more than 36 million residents. But historically, Californians have not preferred brands from Detroit.
Amy Marentic, Ford’s marketing manager for large cars and crossovers, said California was the second-best selling market for the new 2010 Ford Taurus in September, behind only metro Detroit.
“That’s a significant change for us,” Marentic said. “The older Taurus … did not move and really wasn’t relevant in California.”
Ford launched its new Taurus in August as a full-size sedan after its efforts to rebadge the Ford Five Hundred as a Taurus in 2007 failed to reinvigorate sales.
Last September, as Lehman Brothers collapsed, industry sales fell sharply, and Taurus sales declined to 3,172, or 25%, while Ford’s total sales declined 34.5% that month.
But this September — the first full month of sales for the 2010 Ford Taurus — sales totaled 5,077, a 60.1% increase compared with last September, according to Autodata Corp.
“We can’t get enough of them,” said Beau Boeckmann, vice president of Galpin Motors in southern California.
Boeckmann said Ford miscalculated the demand for the new Taurus because it based its expectations on past sales volume in California.
“We went from a frumpy car that did not have a southern California appeal to a car that everybody is in love with,” Boeckmann said.
Marentic said Ford is working quickly to deliver more vehicles to California and also is pleased with other Taurus sales trends that are emerging. According to Ford, about 95% of customers are ordering either the higher-end lines of the Ford Taurus or are picking high-end options.
For example, Marentic said about 25% of Taurus buyers have purchased the car with a $1,995 navigation system compared with about 4% of buyers under the old version of the Taurus.
Overall, pricing for the 2010 Taurus ranges from $25,170 to $31,995 and starts at $37,995 for a performance version, called the SHO.
“We didn’t add content for content’s sake,” Marentic said. “We tried to add it for a purpose and a reason, and I think customers are seeing that.”
10-08-2009, 08:47 AM
#120
Originally Posted by JonBoy,Oct 7 2009, 06:06 PM
You can move on now. You've added nothing.