[OAC_Sparky]

2001 ZTS,Jan 10 2006, 11:49 AM Wrote:Or in the case of the Focus ship, the press over to Europe to drive beautiful European Focuses on beautiful European roads get rave reviews and then sell something else here.
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Reality check -- as posted on another board:

Quote:This is the reality. Part of it is Ford's fault, part of it is the North American consumer.

In Europe, gas has been very expensive for a very long time.
Because of this, Europeans have been driving (on average) smaller cars for a long time.

In Europe, people are willing to pay the equivalent of $30G for a well built, economical and sporty little car.

In North America, until recently, gas has been very cheap.
Because of this, North Americans prefer BIG monster cars, trucks because it doesn't cost much to fuel these cars.

North Americans, on average, look at a a well built, economical and sporty little car that costs $30,000 and says "WTF?? For that kind of money I can get a _________(Insert name of gas guzzler vehicle here)."

This is precisely what half of the problems of the first North American Foci were due to. Take a great design (the Euro Focus was already out to rave reviews and ratings) and try to make it cheaper to still be saleable (and profitable) to those that view it as a "cheap econobox". Voila, recall city.

Until North Americans catch up to the Europeans in the thinking that good things can come in small packages AND be willing to pay for it (hey, it could happen), don't look for the C1 Focus here too soon.