Guess they needed some good news after all their recalls.

Anyway, the Focus has changed quite a bit as well and as you've mentioned you get more for the money these days on most brands.
We've seen a significant bump in all the electronic equipment a car has these days, from connectivity to electronic assistance features that is supposed to keep us save. Just recently a friend of mine mentioned that in a car she was looking at there was a warning light coming on suggesting you take a break.

There are a couple ways you can keep costs low; obviously the less changes you have on the line the more you can manufacture and that will bring the cost down, but the balancing between inventory, cost and customer service on such a scale is not very easy and therefore it's common to see different models on the same/similar platform and sharing some components as well.

Then again, the aftermarket guys have to make their money as well

The few cars that really offer custom interior styling have a price-tag that is just beyond good and evil.

 

Yes, I was pretty into the Focus ST but the msrp was 30k! No way!

 

With what options? Fully loaded I see $28.5k. With an ST2 giving you recaros it's about 2k less. Should be in the mid twenties at the right dealer.

 

It was a local dealer and they only had 1 focus st, it was the performance blue with the recaros. 30k msrp. The cheapest I have seen on local autotrader is 27.5...

 

Hmm still seems high. I can live without some things too. The recaros I like to think I can't live without.

 

you can get a st2 car for under 24k right now.

my loaded st2 at launch was lets then 26k.

 

best selling car in my drive way right now

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I think the disconnect between his arguing and the big picture is this; Ford isn't building cookie cutter vehicles that are 100% identical. Sharing the large, expensive to develop components, and commonizing things such as switchgear, isn't a bad thing. As others have said, the economies of scale play into your favor and allow you to provide more content at a lower cost, and more profit as well. We aren't seeing copies of the same car sold globally. As Drew mentioned, the customer in Idaho and one in India share very little in common. Designing something to meet a wide variety of tastes is tricky, but if the base is the same, the complexity is taken out of it. Likewise, you can't just drop an F150 in Malaysia. It won't work.

Bringing up Winterkorn and Ghosn is a good example, but what about GM, and their constant ability to drop engines from one platform to another without much hassle? This isn't anything new. While they were in bankruptcy, they've also figured out a way to quickly and easily adapt a large, complex component into a large number of vehicles. Not a bad idea.

 

Thanks, I figured that was the case. I think I was being a little generous.

 

Under 25k sounds great! Must be typical California. 30k msrp psssssshh

 

NY the cars have a higher price tag as well.

 

Well since you like to violate forum rules and then choose to insult forum members, you go ahead and talk to your housecat for a while......

 

I think the newness of the Camaro is wearing off:
http://jalopnik.com/mustang-outsells...m-up-700544454

 

Well that's awesome news. Almost 3k more units than Camaro. Sweet news

 

A win is a win but isn't a decline in sales typical with a new redesign coming up? Although Camaro fans are not happy with the new Prelude taillights GM put on the redesign so this could be the start a new trend :-)

 

Drive the ST and you will realize it is worth every penny. That money went to making the best FWD chassis/suspension setup on the planet. If you can find a dealer who will like you wring it out or if you do one of the Ford Ecoboost challenges you will see what I'm talking about.
I debated between another 'vert or the ST. Test drove the 'vert and Ford still has the suspension way too soft. I felt like I was driving my Grandparent's 2002 Buick Lasabre. I'm really hoping the IRS will allow them to tighten up the suspension or they will have a handling pack or something, maybe with the ecoboost option. (And I was only interested in the V6 because 300 hp is plenty for a daily driver).

 

Keyword best Front wheel drive. The ST is a really nice car, handles great too. Ultimately though the front wheel drive torque steer, lack of traction and wheel hopping suckiness overpowered all of the other stuff and it ceased being fun for me. If the ST was all wheel drive it would be just plain epic.

 

My complaint is more in line with what a previous poster said. I want the brand to move forward. I welcomed the SN95 and S197. I just don't like that it looks so much like the other ford cars.

 

Those new taillights on the Camaro , prelude look is horrible. GM changed a good thing they had going with the Camaro sales.

 

I think Ford took a look at the Mustang buyering demographic and knew well before even our "Retro" S197 generation came out, that if they wanted the Mustang nameplate to live on and be in continuous production, some major changes would be needed to attract a younger buying demographic. And while no doubt much loved and successful, the "Retro S197" platform was a bit of a stop gap, until they could get the global platform system worked out, in place and on line. Yes, there have been some boo boo's along the way in the Mustang's past. But I believe we have a much smarter corporate Ford these days.....there will be enough Mustang heritage in the S550 to appeal to long time Mustang fanatics and enough "new and cutting edge" to attract a wider and younger Mustang buying audience. Which is good for all of us, in that the Mustang nameplate will live on....for a while at least.