i really am liking everything that has been put into the 08 focus. It really seems like a much better car then the civic and corolla. I hope the styling doesn't scare people off from giving it a try. Makes me almost wish i wouldn't have bought my 07.

 

I'm not sold on the integrated dash instead of a "center stack"......this this still isnt available to buid on the Ford website?...its october!

 

i like center stack better too.

 

For all your protestations that Ford of North America's strategy is exactly right for its domestic market, that strategy has done little to quell a sea of red ink (overall sales down 21 percent compared with a year ago). Meanwhile, Ford of Europe seems to have the right strategy for its domestic market (hint: which is also now the global market).

But then again, you're a friggin' genius. I keep forgetting that.

 

I didn't say Ford NA's "strategy is exactly right for its domestic market". Please read more slowly next time (you can move you lips if you have to). I said :

 

Hey, hey, it's Mr. Red Herring once again!

Ya know, your rebuttals are really becoming a tried refrain. I never said you said exactly that, did I? What I did do was to synthesize the implication of your argument, which seems to be that we should all stop complaining that we don't have the Euro Focus and that the current American designed Focus is quite good enough for a North American market. You rarely, if ever, criticize Ford products and seem to be of the impression that most of the Euro Fords wouldn't fly over here anyway (I don't mean literally fly, OK, so don't zero in on that next).

I.e. You said >> The US is the US; Europe is Europe. They are different markets. Just because some people want the US to be Europe doesn't make it so.

To me, by definition what you're saying here is that because they are two different markets, European vehicles won't necessarily be accepted in the North American market, and vice versa.

Now here's the tired refrain (read, red herring): "I NEVER SAID EUROPEAN VEHICLES WON'T NECESSARILY BE ACCEPTED IN THE NORTH AMERICAN MARKET"...YOU DID! YOU SHOULD HIRE AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRANSLATOR TO HELP YOU WITH SIMPLE COMPOUND SENTENCES. HAHAHA. I'M SO FUNNY .

And yeah, I know you didn't say THAT either. So give it a rest already. Trying to be clever is a poor substitute for lucid arguments.

 

By George, I think he's got it! That's all I was saying.

I have been talking in this thread strictly about the '08 Focus and it's refresh. I have not been discussing Ford's overall strategy. When you said:
You did not specify which strategy you are talking about. By saying "Ford of North America's strategy" you made it sound like you are talking about Ford's overall strategy. I was reiterating that I was talking strictly about the 2008 Focus.

Surely you can't be implying that the refresh strategy for the 2008 Focus, which did not even begin to ship to dealers until October 1, could possibly have an effect on the Ford's September sales which were down 21%? Or did I overestimate you?

Most of the '08 Focus haters have 4 points they repeat over and over:

• It's not the C1, therefore, it is ugly/crap/worthless
• There's no hatch! It will fail!
• There's no wagon! It will fail!
• We need the super duper rally car version of the Focus in the US!

The Focus does not fill the same role in the US that the Focus does in Europe. Focus hatchbacks and wagons did not sell well in the US. The performance version of the Focus did not sell well in the US. The biggest sellers in the same class of cars in the US, the Civic and Corolla, do not have a hatchback or wagon in the US, and only the Civic has a "performance" model.

The Focus is in a much lower priced segment of the market in the US than in Europe. In Europe, the Ka and Fiesta are positioned at the entry level price position that the Focus occupies in the US.

So trying to force the US Focus to mirror the exact design/marketing strategy of the Euro Focus will not necessarily work in the US. Doing so would put the Focus in competiton with the car in the next tier of pricing, the US Fusion.

Why would anyone besides the Euro Focus fanboys in the US buy a smaller less roomy car, the Focus, over the US Fusion at the same price? Until the Verve/Fiesta gets here to fill the entry level priced small car spot where the Focus currently resides, I don't see this happening.

Oh yeah, we should all have deep, insight-filled, thoughtful comments such as this:

 

Hot tip for ya: I always DID get it.

Based upon these and all the other remarks you've made on different threads, it's abundantly clear what your overall position is on Ford. But when I hold up a mirror to the root intent of what you're saying, you try to "get all clever" by obfuscating my point in favor of a line-by-line analysis to confuse the overall issue, as though your individual points somehow stand apart from the objective implied in your long battery of devoted-beyond-all-reason, pro-Ford of North America arguments.

Bottom line: If anyone here heavily criticizes any of Ford of North America's product lineup - no matter how deserving Ford may be of that criticism - you're the first person to take umbrage and begin defending Ford's strategy...even if that strategy is largely indefensible.

That would be impossible.

Again, red herring.

If you'd like, I could dredge up all of your "humorous jabs," too, but since they have no bearing on this discussion, why would I bother?