What Should Ford Do To Become Number One?

[fou_bleu]

Why fix something that ain't broke? The Falcon is rated better than 99% of cars in its class!!!

[robjh80]

What should Ford do?

Make more Mazda's apparantly.........

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=87731

[Whitey-AMG]

Originally Posted by Danny

The falcon has a shocking image, From the gleaming tecnhologically advanced BA that was unveiled in 02, they have quickly recieved a reputation of being crappy falling apart sh1tt3ers with low build quality. Our family has had a S1 BA XR6 and Dad Currently owns a BFII XR8 Ute.

The XR8 has the full leather and Fairmont dash with IIC and Premium Dual Zone climate, and the quality of the thing is awful! Poor button Placement, rattling buttons, some of them even sit diagonally in their slots. Awful cut lines plastic everywhere I could go on. There is a reason Falcons are as crap as they are, and that is becasue Ford build them like that. The Taxi and EA reputation will never be shed unless they begin to smarten up. Orion is a good oppotunity to fix their woes.

I bleed blue for falcons I really do, I HATE to see this reputation befall them. If I didn't have to have an economical car for uni commute, Hell I'd have a Typhoon or an XR6 Turbo. For those who buy a falcon and want a sporty classy well built car, I scream inside when die hard blue ovalists can spend that sort of (XR, Typh, GT,) money only to be told by the masses that it is a TAXI or a headgasket blowing heap of sh11t.

Honestly if something can be done, its still going to take YEARS for the Ford Falcon to shed such a reputation.... Look at Lexus, Its been 20 years and people STILL think they're a camry...

No one has ever mistaken my GT for a TAXI ??????

The build quality on my car is quite impressive. It is not exceptional and there are some ill fitting plastic bits, but I've seen similar issues in SUBARUS , Hondas and VW Jettas of late. VE is the same, if not worse.

Our MD has just taken his wifes new SAAB in for its 3rd warranty claim in as many weeks.

I'm not sure what car you drive, but there aren't too many cars on the market for the price of a Typhoon, or GT that will give the same bang for buck.

Sure TOYOTA is number 1 but I'm sure its more to do with the variety of cars it has at its disposal more than the "quality" of their cars. Have you driven a camry.................Most boring car on the planet and certainly not the best built.

[Rev28K]

Make the next one available in LHD and export it.

More numbers to spread the engineering cost across.

[Jayden]

Smear campain on Toyota.

Everyone go buy a new Toyota and park it in a high visability area with the bonnet up. Or loosen the wheel nuts and drive around town :P

ps. for dum sh*ts: I do not officially endorce these actions.

[Danny]

Originally Posted by ESP

No one has ever mistaken my GT for a TAXI ??????

The build quality on my car is quite impressive. It is not exceptional and there are some ill fitting plastic bits, but I've seen similar issues in SUBARUS , Hondas and VW Jettas of late. VE is the same, if not worse.

Our MD has just taken his wifes new SAAB in for its 3rd warranty claim in as many weeks.

I'm not sure what car you drive, but there aren't too many cars on the market for the price of a Typhoon, or GT that will give the same bang for buck.

Sure TOYOTA is number 1 but I'm sure its more to do with the variety of cars it has at its disposal more than the "quality" of their cars. Have you driven a camry.................Most boring car on the planet and certainly not the best built.

Don't be a retard. I was speaking hypothetically, and backing up a lot of the opinions on this forum. Unfortunately the Falc has a bad rep. due to its build quality and its aftersales service. I didn't want to beleive it for ages. But it's clear, they just arent bulit well. If you think that a VW Jetta has similar build quality to a Typhoon, then I laugh at you... Over and over again. VW can come out in trumps over what ford Oz has to offer. Hell, they come out in trumps over what MANY have to offer!!

While you reckon your car's never been mistaken for a taxi, it's true that the 60 odd grand you spent on that GT, could have been spent on a 60 grand merc or beemer that would have offered MUCH better build quality than the falcon you own.... and you wouldnt have been pointed and laughed at for having a falcon or a V8 hat has nothing in comparison with todays modern sports saloons.... My point is that Ford has a problem... In MANY more ways than just one...

What car I drive does not matter (You say you drive a car that offers bang for your buck.... Well I should know, seeing as how MY car HAS won the MOTOR mag "Bang For Your Buck" Comp before....), Compare apples with apples. My first 2 cars were Falcons... Both dissappointed me in quality and reliability. My parents in recent years have been dissappointed with their so called "premium" BA and BF and BFII XR Falcons.

There is a problem, and Ford needs to address it to get anywhere near shedding the rep they have at the moment... only then can they begin the long journey to losing the rep they have in most peoples eyes today......

[FLYXR6]

very well said!!!!!!!!

[flukey77]

Originally Posted by Danny

Don't be a retard. I was speaking hypothetically, and backing up a lot of the opinions on this forum. Unfortunately the Falc has a bad rep. due to its build quality and its aftersales service. I didn't want to beleive it for ages. But it's clear, they just arent bulit well. If you think that a VW Jetta has similar build quality to a Typhoon, then I laugh at you... Over and over again. VW can come out in trumps over what ford Oz has to offer. Hell, they come out in trumps over what MANY have to offer!!

While you reckon your car's never been mistaken for a taxi, it's true that the 60 odd grand you spent on that GT, could have been spent on a 60 grand merc or beemer that would have offered MUCH better build quality than the falcon you own.... and you wouldnt have been pointed and laughed at for having a falcon or a V8 hat has nothing in comparison with todays modern sports saloons.... My point is that Ford has a problem... In MANY more ways than just one...

What car I drive does not matter (You say you drive a car that offers bang for your buck.... Well I should know, seeing as how MY car HAS won the MOTOR mag "Bang For Your Buck" Comp before....), Compare apples with apples. My first 2 cars were Falcons... Both dissappointed me in quality and reliability. My parents in recent years have been dissappointed with their so called "premium" BA and BF and BFII XR Falcons.

There is a problem, and Ford needs to address it to get anywhere near shedding the rep they have at the moment... only then can they begin the long journey to losing the rep they have in most peoples eyes today......

Hmm, the Falcon build quality may not be up to the level of BMW, but for the 60 grand you would spend on a GT Falcon the best BMW that you will get is either a 130i Sport or a 320d. The 130i Sport has similar performance figures to the GT, but I can hardly see it holding 5 people and their luggage nearly as comfortably, if at all. A 320d is a slightly larger car, but would not be as roomy as a GT, and isnt quite as fast. Its all relative really, the GT is a large grand tourer and if you wanted a similar BMW you would probably be looking at a 5 series, which retail for well above 100 grand. When you factor in that the ride quality (important for a grand tourer) of the Falcon is often favourable compared to the BMWs, the GT makes a pretty strong case for itself.

[VQST80]

Do you want to be number 1 for vehicles sold or for the number 1 in product quality??

It seems as though Toyotas market share has come from undercutting the local boys in price for the past 20 years.
Even if toyota sell a camry at cost its better than losing the sale to a falcon or commodore in the mind of toyo motor corp.


If Ford wanted to be the best product on the market, Ford HQ really need to start listening to the customers, Ie Product feedback via Internet forums not just blind SSS forums.
The LS1 VE wish list was a huge success in my opinion, and Im sure having a company feel like they are listening to the clients would be the back bone to long term brand loyalty.

My 2c

I didnt vote because none of the options seemed very realistic..
Maybe more options are needed.

[FLYXR6]

I think throughout the whole forum you can see that Ford Australia really needs to get out and speak to its customers. Listening seems to be the key, if their not listening then nothing will change. God knows what the Orion will come out with if ford arn't listening to us....... they'll probably even release it left hand drive in Australia cause they will "know" thats what we want hahahah Honestly if ford keep building cars as good as the BA BF then i'll be happy, I don't get my car serviced by ford anymore so that side of the coin doesn't affect me fortunatly.

MY 2 cents

[irsa76]

Originally Posted by Danny

Don't be a retard. I was speaking hypothetically, and backing up a lot of the opinions on this forum. Unfortunately the Falc has a bad rep. due to its build quality and its aftersales service. I didn't want to beleive it for ages. But it's clear, they just arent bulit well. If you think that a VW Jetta has similar build quality to a Typhoon, then I laugh at you... Over and over again. VW can come out in trumps over what ford Oz has to offer. Hell, they come out in trumps over what MANY have to offer!!

While you reckon your car's never been mistaken for a taxi, it's true that the 60 odd grand you spent on that GT, could have been spent on a 60 grand merc or beemer that would have offered MUCH better build quality than the falcon you own.... and you wouldnt have been pointed and laughed at for having a falcon or a V8 hat has nothing in comparison with todays modern sports saloons.... My point is that Ford has a problem... In MANY more ways than just one...

What car I drive does not matter (You say you drive a car that offers bang for your buck.... Well I should know, seeing as how MY car HAS won the MOTOR mag "Bang For Your Buck" Comp before....), Compare apples with apples. My first 2 cars were Falcons... Both dissappointed me in quality and reliability. My parents in recent years have been dissappointed with their so called "premium" BA and BF and BFII XR Falcons.

There is a problem, and Ford needs to address it to get anywhere near shedding the rep they have at the moment... only then can they begin the long journey to losing the rep they have in most peoples eyes today......

A couple of points.
Firstly, yes it is possible to get a BMW, Merc, Audi or the like for the same price as a Falcon GT. BUT you are getting a car that is some what smaller, much smaller engine and is the base model. Not to mention in the case of the BMW and Merc C class built in South Africa. While I can't speak for the BMW, the C class is NOT as good as the legend has it. Yes it FEELS better when new, love the hubcaps on a $50,000 car not to mention the vinyl trim, but they are just as unreliable as Falcons are. As for VW being better, then explain to me why I know so many people with new VWs that are constantly getting fixed? Or why I had so much practice replacing window regulators on Golfs I could do it in nearly half book time? As claiming people think all Falcons are like old Taxis, you drive a Renault Clio. I should remind you that Renault's, french cars really, have a very bad reputation for falling apart as soon as you look at them. Not always warranted I know, I've run a Renault Trafic for work in the past, but there you go.
And insulting people is not a good move. Tends to cause people to disregard everything you say.

[ClevlndStemer]

Originally Posted by Danny

The falcon has a shocking image, From the gleaming tecnhologically advanced BA that was unveiled in 02, they have quickly recieved a reputation of being crappy falling apart sh1tt3ers with low build quality. Our family has had a S1 BA XR6 and Dad Currently owns a BFII XR8 Ute.

The XR8 has the full leather and Fairmont dash with IIC and Premium Dual Zone climate, and the quality of the thing is awful! Poor button Placement, rattling buttons, some of them even sit diagonally in their slots. Awful cut lines plastic everywhere I could go on. There is a reason Falcons are as crap as they are, and that is becasue Ford build them like that. The Taxi and EA reputation will never be shed unless they begin to smarten up. Orion is a good oppotunity to fix their woes.

I bleed blue for falcons I really do, I HATE to see this reputation befall them. If I didn't have to have an economical car for uni commute, Hell I'd have a Typhoon or an XR6 Turbo. For those who buy a falcon and want a sporty classy well built car, I scream inside when die hard blue ovalists can spend that sort of (XR, Typh, GT,) money only to be told by the masses that it is a TAXI or a headgasket blowing heap of sh11t.

Honestly if something can be done, its still going to take YEARS for the Ford Falcon to shed such a reputation.... Look at Lexus, Its been 20 years and people STILL think they're a camry...

FINALLY someone with a brain and no blinkers. Well done mate, well said. Problem is here too many people are so biased and so brainwashed into thinking Ford is sent from the Gods. I really pray to those gods that the engineers and execs at Ford do not think like these sheep. Obviously there is an issue with the Falcon based products, i mean sales are reflecting this.

Yes you can only get a small BM or Merc for 60k, but if there weren't all the import costs, tarrifs and taxes and things like that on the cars they wouldn't be anywhere near that expensive. Think about it!!

Maybe Ford need to move their manufacturing of the Falcon overseas and keep the engineering here. Or they may need to source their parts from overseas, either way one of these should happen because of these factors is killing the quality of the falcon. 10 15 years ago, no one really cared, but now there are more cars on the market that offer a lot more for the $$.

People here can be blinded all they want, keep spending your 60+K on a flimsy Falcon because it has a V8 (one that i wouldn't be so proud of). Keep supporting the current falcon product, don't criticise it, don't demand improvements and see how long it will last. For my money out of the current crop of Fords, none of them would be Australian made. Myself and my family are Ford through and through (we have had 8 or so falcons and we have a pretty bad run with all, the BA/BF we have are the worst, funny that) but we have put up with enough BS and dodginess, we'll remain Ford fans but shop elsewhere when spending the hard earned.

[Danny]

Originally Posted by irsa76

A couple of points.
Firstly, yes it is possible to get a BMW, Merc, Audi or the like for the same price as a Falcon GT. BUT you are getting a car that is some what smaller, much smaller engine and is the base model.

True, I don't disagree with you one Iota, but point out to me where I referred to SIZE per dollar in my arguments, and you'll find I was talking about BUILD QUALITY per dollar alone...

Originally Posted by irsa76

you drive a Renault Clio. I should remind you that Renault's, french cars really, have a very bad reputation for falling apart as soon as you look at them.

Also here, I never went out to say that the Clio was a gem Hell, the thing looks like a barina inside, and rattles a bit much for something brand new, but I didn't pay 60-70 grand for it and its not possible to buy a brand new car that can do 0-100 in under 7 secs with as much kit as the 182 does brand new for less.... I bought the car with this in mind. I bought it for its rep as a great value fast hot hatch, warts and all... If I wanted quality, I'd have gone a VW Polo GTi.

If you search, this thread and others, you'll probably find constant reference from me about how the quirky quality and ergonomics of the clio rub the shine off the otherwise awseome driving experience. But I wasn't talking about My car, we're talking about falcons, and how for 60 - 70 grand, the quality of a great number of units just does not cut the mustard...

[robjh80]

Originally Posted by ClevlndStemer

FINALLY someone with a brain and no blinkers. Well done mate, well said. Problem is here too many people are so biased and so brainwashed into thinking Ford is sent from the Gods.

"Hear Hear"........

The way some people go on about Ford around here is so laughable, you would think they owned a large slice of the company themselves in shares or something.

What is it with this "brand loyalty" crap, some people would just buy a wooden crate on wheels so long as it had a shiny "Blue Oval Ford badge" on it.

They are so intense in knocking "any other brand" of vehicle regardless of what it is and completely oblivious to the benefits that could be had if they would only just open their eyes and minds to something other than Ford.