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Originally Posted by guym
large car is in real trouble for a number of reasons, fuel prices just one of the big important reasons.
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Sales of large cars (Falcon, Commodore, Magna) are diving, yes. HOWEVER the Falcon and Commodore badges are still sit in the top 2 (or 3, recently) positions as models sold. Now can you see Ford saying "f^&k!!!! Falcon sales are dropping, lets just can the Falcon and try and sell the Aussies some euro mid-sized sedan"??? History shows that the mondeo will be as dear if not dearer than the Falcon
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Originally Posted by guym
2 years ago I suggested that ford should bite the bullet and dump the falcon for a better car such as the mondeo or build the focus here, but a bloke called Zetec (who at the time worked for ford, don't know if he still does) got stuck into me, questioned what would I know and defending ford management for continuing with the large car. Well to you Zetec all I can say is history is fast proving I am correct.
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No your not, Zetec is correct. See the logic above for reasons why.
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Originally Posted by guym
The day of the large car is coming to an end. the drop of of sales in the large car segment is continuing to decline. Mitsubishi is in trouble with the 380 and they have annouced the second face lift in the cars history and its not even two years old. And I won't mention project phoenix. And now ford are showing their hand about the trouble of the large car segment.
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Show me a Magna/380 that has or ever will sell well in the segment. 380 has a beauty of an engine, but, for one reason or another, doesnt sell. Commodore has a shitty engine, and sells like hotcakes
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Originally Posted by guym
There seems to be a lot of talk around these days about the future of the car industy in this country and the car makers keep talking about how the government should put in more money and subsidies to the industry. Well its about time the industry itself should take some responsibility.
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That, I agree with
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Originally Posted by guym
Its ability to miss read the market at the moment is disgraceful. 4 car makers in this country and only one of them is building a 4 cylinder car, the rest continue to build large petrol guslers. If the likes of Mitsubishi and Ford stop production here they have to take some considerable responsibility themselves. Supply and demand requires you to make what the public want and the car industry has been moving to smaller more efficient and better quality for some considerable time.
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That is wrong. We dont build small cars because we are no good at it. We are only half as good as making a UNIQUE car like teh Falcon or Commodore because thats what weve been doing for decades. There is NO way we could ever compete with Toyota in Japan for making 4cyl cars
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Originally Posted by guym
And my last rant, while I am at it which is along the same theme, is can anyone explain how in this climate of fuel costs and declining large car market does the Commondore get car of the year. I would have thought that it would be thrown out because its just far too expensive to run. But as Zetec would love to point out what would I know. Well lets what history evolve again and lets see.
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If you ever look at the operating costs of a car the fuel accounts for somwhere between 25% and 33% (on most leases)
If the commodore is 50% less effecient around town than a Prius then the fuel component will increase the total cost of runnign the car by a piddly 15% Never mind the fact that a) the commodore prob uses less fuel on the highway, b) doesnt need new cells every 10 years at the cost of $5,000, c) is far safer car to travel in, d) is far cheaper to buy and e) costs half as much for parts and service, I cant see a little more fuel consumption being a real issue. If you want a family car, you dont want a Prius.