Reductive Design... from Ford CEO

[Uncle Gump]

Wow… this got side tracked.

Even though the Honda Fit might be a fine automobile... I'll put this as nice as I can. Hell NO...

 

[snoranger]

Wow… this got side tracked.

Yeah, that NEVER happens around here.

 

[stmitch]

Ford is cutting out features that only a small percentage of buyers use which is fine. But they're not doing it to give customers more options or make it easier to buy the specific combo of features you might want. This will make them cheaper to build, and many of the features that are removed will be available as add-on options.
So things that are now standard, no cost options, become things the customer has to pay for moving forward.

 

[Ranger850]

So things that are now standard, no cost options, become things the customer has to pay for moving forward.

^^^^^THIS^^^^^^

 

[Uncle Gump]

Well I think anything they do to drive the price of a new vehicle purchase lower is a step in the right direction.

Unless I'm mistaken... don't we typically pay for things that we want? Where the problem comes in is paying for something that I want and the only way to get that is to pay for a few other things that I don't want. Now I've been in assembly plants and have some understanding of the complexities of scheduling, synchronization and the on time process. Allowing people to pick and choose what they want adds a level of madness and parts proliferation to the process. But if they compartmentalized some of these offerings... some of it could be install the hardware... plug it in... and flash the correct software.

Perhaps it's only a dream that I would get to pick the way I want my new Bronco built... I just hope that I can start with a base trim level and add the things I want without having it end up being the highest trim level and have a bunch of techy creature features I don't want.

 

[19Walt93]

I don't see any value in keyless entry, I open the doors on my 77 Mustang without using a key because I don't lock it, the windows are made of unobtainium and it has a clutch pedal and a carburetor so young people couldn't steal it anyway. My Ranger will be unlocked, too. My wife always locks the Escape because she worked for Dartmouth college for years surrounded by "educated" liberals who apparently aren't trustworthy. I hate anti stop brakes(ABS) and traction control and it irritates me to have to pay for them, now we have to pay for rear view cameras as standard equipment because millennials can't find the mirrors. No vehicle should have a touch screen, every control should be operable in the dark by feel without having to look at the dash while driving. They're adding "safety" equipment- at our expense- to enable people who don't pay attention to their driving.

 

[91stranger]

You don't have to buy a new vehicle. No one is making anyone buy a truck or car with features that they don't want so you can't blame the manufacture because they didn't make one how YOU like it. Get used to it. Chevy has about the best aftermarket stuff for their trucks/cars compared to ford and dodge. The reason why there is so much tech in vehicles is because they have to make something better than the year before and the year before that and so on. You wouldn't want to pay 50k for a truck and not have basics like power windows/locks or remote start. There just isn't a market for bare bones trucks.... 95% of people buying new vehicles DO want remote start, power everything and as much tech as they can get because why?? Because they are spending a ton of money on it and wouldn't want to spend a ton of money on something without those creature comforts... Why not just buy a used truck for a fraction of the price of a new one and ADD the features you want. It's not hard to swap an axle to get the gear ratio you want and the older the vehicle the less tech it will have. I really don't see the use in complaining about the tech they put in vehicles.... It's not going to change or get less techy.... Everything Rusty describes in a truck he would want just sounds like the truck he already has so what would be the point in buying new? And leaving your 70's car unlocked thinking no one can steal it because they "don't know how to drive a manual transmission" is asinine. I'm a millennial and I can drive anything.... I know a lot of people my age who would gladly take a joy ride in a 70's muscle car because some dumbass owner left it unlocked with the key in it because you forgot your keys in the ignition one day... Just saying... Don't take people for granted because it can bite you in the ass.

 

[snoranger]

The best thing Rusty can do is leave that car unlocked. If someone wants to get inside, it’s just a piece of glass to them... to Rusty it’s a window that’s almost impossible to find a replacement. It’s usually cheaper to let someone open the door and take something, then replace the window.
Studies show that only 18% (that seems low to me, but I know a lot of car guys... that may be your case too.) of Americans can drive stick. And only 5% of new cars have manual transmissions... that 18% isn’t going to get higher. Seems like that manual trans is a deterrent to 82% of the country.
Add a carb into the mix... Most carb’d engines have a quirk where you have to pump it X times, then crank it for Y seconds, then give it a little gas to get it to start cold. (Or some other hokey pokey) This is second nature to the owner. If I jumped in it to steal it, I’d probably flood it. At that point, it’s time to move on before someone catches me.

 

[stmitch]

I don't see any value in keyless entry, I open the doors on my 77 Mustang without using a key because I don't lock it, the windows are made of unobtainium and it has a clutch pedal and a carburetor so young people couldn't steal it anyway. My Ranger will be unlocked, too. My wife always locks the Escape because she worked for Dartmouth college for years surrounded by "educated" liberals who apparently aren't trustworthy. I hate anti stop brakes(ABS) and traction control and it irritates me to have to pay for them, now we have to pay for rear view cameras as standard equipment because millennials can't find the mirrors. No vehicle should have a touch screen, every control should be operable in the dark by feel without having to look at the dash while driving. They're adding "safety" equipment- at our expense- to enable people who don't pay attention to their driving.

This is some serious "grumpy old man" shit right here. Car theft is political? Cameras are because of Millenials, and not the poor visibility from super high belt lines required by modern crash tests and sloping roofs to maximize fuel economy? You could've had the bitter old fart trifecta, but you forgot to throw in "get off my lawn", or "back in my day", or "kids these days have it so easy". I'm sure you'll get the trifecta next time!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

This is some serious "grumpy old man" shit right here. Car theft is political? Cameras are because of Millenials, and not the poor visibility from super high belt lines required by modern crash tests and sloping roofs to maximize fuel economy? You could've had the bitter old fart trifecta, but you forgot to throw in "get off my lawn", or "back in my day", or "kids these days have it so easy". I'm sure you'll get the trifecta next time!

*modern car mirrors are tiny and border on worthless in the name of better aerodynamics/mpg too.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

The point is rusty could buy the new truck he wants instead of having to rebuild his old stuff over and over.

I have two choice, spend my life working on shit i enjoy, or buy something with a large payment i have to simply tolerate because what i really want isnt available.

I could care less about ABS, airbags, trac control, 4G connectivity, etc etc. None of that shit does me a damn bit of good when im dragging logs around or bouncing down a farm path michigan passes off as a road.

 

[Uncle Gump]

You don't have to buy a new vehicle. No one is making anyone buy a truck or car with features that they don't want so you can't blame the manufacture because they didn't make one how YOU like it. Get used to it. Chevy has about the best aftermarket stuff for their trucks/cars compared to ford and dodge. The reason why there is so much tech in vehicles is because they have to make something better than the year before and the year before that and so on. You wouldn't want to pay 50k for a truck and not have basics like power windows/locks or remote start. There just isn't a market for bare bones trucks.... 95% of people buying new vehicles DO want remote start, power everything and as much tech as they can get because why?? Because they are spending a ton of money on it and wouldn't want to spend a ton of money on something without those creature comforts... Why not just buy a used truck for a fraction of the price of a new one and ADD the features you want. It's not hard to swap an axle to get the gear ratio you want and the older the vehicle the less tech it will have. I really don't see the use in complaining about the tech they put in vehicles.... It's not going to change or get less techy.... Everything Rusty describes in a truck he would want just sounds like the truck he already has so what would be the point in buying new? And leaving your 70's car unlocked thinking no one can steal it because they "don't know how to drive a manual transmission" is asinine. I'm a millennial and I can drive anything.... I know a lot of people my age who would gladly take a joy ride in a 70's muscle car because some dumbass owner left it unlocked with the key in it because you forgot your keys in the ignition one day... Just saying... Don't take people for granted because it can bite you in the ass.

I wish they would come up with technology that would allow me to Unread this.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

You know...

Its no wonder sales are slipping. They are building computerized "devices" on wheels who only appeal to millenials and other "tech" folks who would rather just uber anyways.

Then you got HUGE swaths of the population unserved.

 

[snoranger]

You know...

Its no wonder sales are slipping. They are building computerized "devices" on wheels who only appeal to millenials and other "tech" folks who would rather just uber anyways.

Then you got HUGE swaths of the population unserved.

Go sit in a new Ram with the TV screen in the dash. I say TV because after a certain size, it’s a f’in Television!

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Go sit in a new Ram with the TV screen in the dash. I say TV because after a certain size, it’s a f’in Television!

Ive seen it and its totally stupid.