I would love to believe you are wrong, that Ford learned from that mistake, but I am not at all sure. Corporate culture has not changed as far as I can see. That is very sad. I hope we can see change. Both my Grandfathers worked for Ford ( and I mean Old Henry) so I have a soft spot in my hart for Ford. I recognize that he was not a saint but he did much to establish a middle class in the US (and yes the unions forced him, but even that was not all good). I would like to see the US Auto makers move to providing us with a sustainable form of transportation.
It's a nonsensical question because it could never happen to begin with. I think that the better question would be that "If Ford had a hybrid that competed directly with the Prius which would you buy?". I'd still go with the Prius though. Toyota is the one with the reliability and resale history that I need to see. Also, it's never Ford's fault no matter what, is it? It's not our fault, it's the tires, our roofs aren't too weak it's the way people drive, etc. etc. I couldn't bring myself to buy a car from a company like that.
No, it doesn't look like Ford learned much from the Pinto. Well, maybe except the Corporate Credo: Deny, Deny, Deny: http://www.crownvictoriasafetyalert.com
I don't know. Over here, there have just been launched the Toyota Aygo, Citroën C1 & Peugeot 107. They're all basically identical inside and out apart from the nose design and the badges (and they competed for European Car of the Year as a single entry). Citroën and Peugeot have been almost as well known for iffy build quality as Toyota have been known for reliability. And Citroën are much more respected for innovative design than the pretty bland Toyota. So it'll be interesting seeing how popular each of them are. Three pretty different brands are being stuck on the same car, so it's going to be purely down to marketing.
You did know the Probe was made by Mazda for Ford and was probally the best car Ford has sold since the fifties. Then Ford bought control of Mazda and they are not worth buying now.
Several american companies did buisiness with Nazi Germany during wartime. Coca- Cola started making Fanta so they could keep selling soda in Germany.
On-topic if Ford made a Prius I just might buy it if the Ford was a lot cheaper. Even though that would mean they had to cut corners somewhere but I'm not sure, Fords just seem inferior to me. Every Ford Focus I see that is more than a year old looks like it is falling apart.
Have you ever seen how the kids that buy them drive them? That answers a lot of questions about their longevity and lifespan. If you drove your Prius like they drive their Focii our Prii would look about the same.
That is true, I mostly see teenagers driving those, badly. I am only 22 myself but I am a good driver.
Ive owned 3 Fords. 2 of which were Mustangs which I loved. But when it comes down to it Toyota > Ford in resale value and therefore Id buy the Toyota over the Ford if it were the same exact car.
I guess now it is supposed to matter which company I worked for... do you think Toyota would ever make we walk from a remote parking lot because I didn't drive their car?
Well in case you all didn't know, The Toyota Matrix and the Pontiac Vibe is the SAME car with a different bodies. Read up on it. Call AutoZone and part places and ask them. They'll tell you that they are the same car. Pontiac somehow got Toyota to allow them to sell the Toyota Matrix under the Pontiac name. Automatic Lawnmowers Forum http://forums.robomower.biz
I'm not sure where you're coming from, since this is my first posting and I haven't read your previous postings, but I sense you aren't a Prius owner. The Prius has always had adjustable seats and tilt steering wheels. And exactly where did you get the idea that Ford is "moving in a more positive direction regarding hybrids..." Toyota has made four generations of hybrids now(3 Prius generations, then a Highlander Hybrid), was the first manufacturer to mass-produce a hybrid vehicle(in Japan in 1997), and has long ago announced plans to produce a hybrid version of every model they make by 2013. Ford has bought Toyota's technology after abandoning the hybrid idea, and has a Ford Escape hybrid that gets 4-5 mpg more than the non-hybrid version. Just so you know where I'm coming from, I've owned both Fords and Toyotas, bought the first Toyota Prius in the Rocky Mountain region in 2000, and now own a 2003 Prius. I also sell Toyotas, and have sold over 200 Priuses since they came out. I am obviously biased in many ways, but also base my opinions on fact, observation and experience. Based on Consumer Reports, J.D.Power, and NADA guides, reliability and resale value would heavily favor a Toyota over a Prius. The perfect example is one alluded to by someone else in the survey thread: the GEO experiment between GM and Toyota. If you compare a GEO Prizm(I hate it when car companies misspell words) to a Toyota Corolla, they are virtually the same car. The Corolla is going to hold its value better because it is a Toyota, with a reputation for reliability and longevity that GEO doesn't have. This reputation is not invented or concocted through ad campaigns but arises through actual testing and word-of-mouth based on actual owner experience. For those reasons, and apologizing for the overkill, a Toyota Prius would always be more desirable than a Ford Prius.
I have owned a few Fords and although they would be my first choice as an "American" car company, I would choose another in a long line of Toyota's as my next vehicle should I ever get rid of my current Toyota.
