I went to the Houston Auto Show a week ago, it used to be a 2 weekend deal but they've cut it back to 1 weekend. The most interesting thing I noted was that the Ford pavillion was by far the most crowded when I was there. Also Ford has really gone big time for high tech in the car. The My Ford Touch System is similar to OnStar in some ways, but while I think OnStar is more focused on Maps and concierge services. The My Touch really seems to want do that and add into it some really inovative ways to integrate your smart phone or ipod into the system. Also couldn't help but notice how many cars are now over 40K if you get the top of the line. I just have a feeling that the auto industry is due for a breakout year, that Americans have been postponing buying a new car due to the economy but that dam will break soon. Lot of pent up demand. I know I ordinarily would have bought a new car last year but am keeping mine for awhile longer. Also I am seeing indications that we are heading for another run up in gas prices (and under a democratic admin...how is that possible? ) If so some of the new fuel efficient cars will be popular models.
I just bought a 2011 Ford Fusion 6cyl. about 45 days ago. Have all the bells and whistles and I love it.
Very nice looking car. Ford seems to be doing some very good things and producing a quality product. How do you like that My Ford Touch system?
I could be convinced to buy a Ford. I have not bought one since 1985 when I bought a lemon that Ford refused to fix. I think 26 years is long enough to end the protest. In those 26 years, I have purchased 18 vehicles. Ford was never considered in any of those purchases.
Tom, I had a similar situation with Chevrolet somewhere in the late 80s, which would be about 20+ years ago. I haven't bought a Chevrolet since and probably never will again.
I like the My Ford on board help. It works pretty well. Ford is giving three years of that service free with a purchase.
Have generally had good luck with Chevy's......not so much with Pontiac. Pretty decent luck with Ford products and not much recent experience with Chrysler. RE: auto shows: That was my line of work. My clients transported as a group probably over 35,000 truckloads of auto exhibit material with me in the 15 years or so that I specialized in that type of freight. On a side note the company I worked for until Dec. 2008 lost GM this year for the first time in their history ( aw too bad ). They also are not doing anything for Ford other than the 4 major shows of which Chicago Auto is one. Maybe I got out at the right time because last Tuesday....the night of the blizzard.....at midnite.....in the teeth of the storm......there were 600 truckloads of exhibit material that were supposed to move out of the yard near the lake and into McCormick Place. I can only imagine the friggin nightmare that would have been because I was present at every Chicgo move-in from 1993 thru 2008. :shock: :wink: :lol:
I would have much rather helped move the chicks doing the demo's into their hotels!! :twisted: Excellent crop of product demo ladies this year. I assume they are not local and follow the show as it move from town to town, right?
Iv'e been buying GMC vehicles for the past 10-15. I had about 4 Envoys in a row but they no longer make them. Just bought a Terrain. It's OK but smaller and not as comfortable as my last Envoy. The dealership where I get my vehicles was managed by a friend until he retired a couple of years ago. I also am friends with the service manager which has make my life so much easier. I always get a loaner if my car is in the shop. If one isn't available the service manager gives me his. For the first time in 30 yrs. I thought about getting a Ford. I just couldn't give up the service. A friend has been buying Lincolns for years. He doesn't like the new models and just got himself a loaded Tarus. He really likes it.
JD Power had both Ford and Honda as the best of the regular cars. Lexus/Accura/Mercedes/Porsche get a 5* overall quality rating. No other mfg other than Ford/Honda had 4* ratings.
The Ford dealer I dealt with told me that one of every three people who come in say that the fact that Ford did not take TARP was the reason they were there. I've owned about seven Fords but the my last car was an Infiniti and I loved it. I'm back to Ford.
Exactly the reason that I will now consider Ford in my next buying decision. I am much smarter in my buying decisions now. We are going to replace My car at 5 years old but the new one will go to Cindy. We will replace the car that Cindy now drives at 7 years old. The truck we now own, will probably go to the grave with me. We have had it for 2 years and only have 15000 miles on it. 5000 of that came on the vacation we took to Death Valley and Vegas in December. Cindy will get a decked out Dodge Challenger in about 2 years. I will get something like the Chevy Volt. I will also have the Truck for anything that the Volt will not handle.
Always the drawback Terry....my clients out on the floor and in the booths always had to stay through the show.......and play with the models ( not cars mind you )......and I always finished my work and flew home before the shows opened :twisted: :evil:
Book suggestion for this topic. Recently read a book called CRASH COURSE by Paul Ingrassia.It discusses the American auto industry with emphasis on the past 40 years. Really well researched interesting story. (Of course if you live here in the Detroit area it really hits home.) I changed some of my views about how bondholders were treated and the competence of some auto execs. Facinating how Daimler misjudged their purchase of Chrysler. It talks about how Bill Ford Jr. decided that he no longer could be head of Ford since his family's income depended on Ford stock dividends. Ford went outside the "auto culture" and got an exec from Boeing. It talks about the great dreams that GM had for Saturn and how eventually the UAW pissed on them. It's an easy interesting read. I give it a big thumbs up.