Comments on: Ford shortens styling cycle: Flex redesign already underway

By: tyler_is_aero_tt

tyler_is_aero_tt — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 02:03:51 +0000

It would be cool if they could keep its shape but make it more “aero” looking and sleeker head and tail lights, oh and an up to date interior. still waiting too see on on the road…

By: tyler_is_aero_tt

tyler_is_aero_tt — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:41:45 +0000

Still waiting to see one on the road…

By: kkohlstr

kkohlstr — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 18:24:42 +0000

Putting appearance aside (nobody ever wins or loses this argument)–it’s a good thing to keep the product cycle short and product changes fresh. For all those Ford haters out there—would you say the same for Toyota? No, you would say, “Look how nimble they are…”. Also, Ford quality numbers are equivalent to Toyota and Honda—so you can’t play the reliability card anymore.
.
To Trooper1—you are an idiot. Ford just started shipping Flex vehicles to the dealers last week. Sales figures take at least 4-6 months after OK to Ship—so any comment that they are not selling is just dumb.
.

By: Veda

Veda — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 08:03:29 +0000

All auto manufacturers should follow this philosophy. 4-5 years is way too long to be looking at the same model. How often do you change your cellphones?

By: maxcar

maxcar — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 01:40:55 +0000

why not design it properly the first time around. these redesigns wreak havoc on resale values of “older” sheet metal out on the road. it’s an american attitude about car design that I’ll never understand.

By: Blakkarr

Blakkarr — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:14:09 +0000

I think Mulally raked a few design leads over the coals for the crap they have been rolling out. But then maybe this is him cleaning up a mess a decade or more in the making.

By: Brendino

Brendino — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 23:56:30 +0000

I’m sorry, but these comments have been mostly less than stellar. People have grilled Ford for years because they don’t keep their products fresh. Following an announcement that they’re going to keep their products fresh, you’re going to mock them for it?

Ridiculous.

By: NoNameDenton1

NoNameDenton1 — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:21:37 +0000

Will front end get styling cues from the verve or the spy shots of the next Taurus? Either way would be interesting.

By: A4

A4 — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:55:00 +0000

and id say fords are damn reliable, i have a 2001 explorer sport trac with 150,000 miles on it and no major issues aside from normal maintenance

By: A4

A4 — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:54:03 +0000

maybe they should redesign crap like the ranger first

By: JoshyLofty

JoshyLofty — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:30:21 +0000

I’m glad Mulally said what he did about the taurus. Shows they realize they F’d up. & now we’re getting a taurus-mondeo which is exactly what we wanted!

As for reliabiliy, I’ve had 2 fords both bought brand new, granted the last one was a 2003 Explorer Sport bought in 2002… its been a while since i bought a ford but they WERE crap! i have heard great things from friends of mine who own fords. I think the Fusion is a great car! i love them, in fact. Its just that now they’ve got the new bodystyle coming out soon so i’m not interested in it.

By: brassmonkey

brassmonkey — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 18:21:05 +0000

Sounds like the current Taurus. When the last photo leaked of the 2010 Taurus, and Mulally said, “This is the car we should have built.”, that hurts everyone: designers, bean counters, manufacturing, suppliers, and oh yeah, the customers who are buying the damn things. Did Mulally say the same about the Flex? Nah, Horbury calls freshening a “huge value”.

That’s good; admit defeat before the game starts. Real good.

By: inline6

inline6 — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:49:45 +0000

Folks…the Flex isn’t even in dealers yet.

And obviously none of you remember the days when every third year Ford would TOTALLY redesign their cars.

They are investing in the Flex by trying to keep it fresh. Would you rather they let their cars die on the vine the year after launch?

By: TomF

TomF — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:16:23 +0000

They should redesign the next Flex so it has:

No drivetrain, wheels, seats, or climate control
No fuel tank, or even any use for gasoline at all
No safety features
Unbreakable plastic body
A curb weight of 3 ounces
80GB memory and 2.5″ display screen
Headphone jack
Retail price of $249

Then you’d have a product people want, can afford to buy and operate, and like being seen with. And Steve Jobs would be quaking in his Mephistos.

The 2012 Flex: Out iPodding the iPod. Have you listened to a Ford lately?

By: howsmydriving

howsmydriving — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:44:04 +0000

The thing is, even though the mileage of the Flex isn’t bad, it’s large size gives the appearance of a gas guzzler.

By: Robert

Robert — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:28:58 +0000

The have, in fact, figured out how to make reliable cars. They just haven’t figured out how to tell the buying public. The Fusion, for example, has been nearly bullet-proof so far, more reliable than the Camry to this point, and they’ve been out similar lengths of time.

Ford has no idea what levels the Flex will sell at. They literally began selling last week. They won’t know if it is a success until at least the end of the year. Sorry, trooper, they haven’t proclaimed the car a sales success; they can’t. However, they can know that their product cycles are now down to 3 years, which means they need to start doing sketches now. It has nothing to do with the failure or success of the current model.

By: JoshyLofty

JoshyLofty — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:07:58 +0000

well shit, if the cars weren’t so ugly to begin with they wouldn’t have to worry about it!

By: mayer_ray_nagin

mayer_ray_nagin — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:58:41 +0000

I guess they figured out that the 28 year life cycle of the last Crown Vic seemed a bit excessive. When half the population of the USA is younger than the life cycle of your car, you have an issue.

By: trooper1

trooper1 — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:36:13 +0000

^tripple this is the problem with Ford, they don’t know how to build reliable cars, and their crippling debt is forcing them to buy poorer quality materials and parts in an attempt to save as much money as they can. The main reason so many people are not buying Fords is because of its poor reliability not its ugly designs. I think the new Civic is ugly but I see lots of those on the streets, and people buy them because they know its quality. We got 8 Crown Vics in our fleet and they are the least reliable of the cars we got.

By: tripleonefive

tripleonefive — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:10:30 +0000

I just hope FoMoCo makes a reliable car. They can keep the design out for 4 years maybe even 5 but it has to be reliable in order to capture the import buyers.

It’s ashamed that even Hyundai is held in higher regard that one of the former big 3 in quality

Reliability takes YEARS and not 3 years or 90 days like that bogus Shay D Powers & Associates

By: xyunya

xyunya — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:47:27 +0000

Can anyone imagine Boeing starting to redesign 777 before it hit the sky?

By: johnnycanuck

johnnycanuck — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:45:55 +0000

They should make it amphibious, that way it’ll be the only Ford equipped with SYNC that doesn’t.

By: trooper1

trooper1 — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:30:33 +0000

Already a redesign means this thing is not selling which means ford is bullshitting the public and media about what a hot seller this thing is. If its succesfull you leave it alone for a while, you don’t redesign it so soon! 2 reasons this thing is not a success. Its ugly, and its a Ford.

By: livelyjay

livelyjay — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:15:06 +0000

Had they not made it ugly as hell in the first place they wouldn’t be needing a redesign already.