Ford goes after the Versa

[longo]

Like all American automakers, Ford is content to give us only the shabbiest of their offerings. While Europe and Australia enjoy Ford's best models, Ford fumbles about with new solutions to problems that have existed for far too long to be receiving attention only now. New solutions that'll take years to put into action, and will, like the rest of their offerings, be outdated from the first minute they're sold.

MOD, I just read this quote from Ford about how they were going to give the customers what they want in this new hatchback market segment

"Ford said its youngest customers are environmentally conscious, demanding and globally connected and will want the premium features Verve will offer, such as navigation and in-car phone controls."

You are right on..MOD, by the time Ford gets around to flogging the Verve, the Versa will already be in it's 2nd-gen design and will probably have a doz. more creatue comfort features that Ford also hasn't thought of yet.

BTW if you look at the Verve, running around now, the roofline is so low, it looks like you would have to get on your knees to crawl into it , and as for getting anyone in the back seat with that extreme slope to the roof, forgetaboutit!

That was the big Versa $eller for me...a car I could get into without being a contortionist, .......just open the door, step in and sit down.

They have the Versa to use to steal good ideas from, and already build the outstanding Euro, Focus MK2, (already has an optional Navi system) but Ford USA just doesn't get it.

Hyundai is going to beat them to the punch with a new 2009 Hatchback this fall with features that will set the Verve back another 4 years...

Ford will never catch up!

[OKVersa]

Thank you! Wow...a reasonable person! Good for you and kudos on top of that.

My 14-year old grandson plays Halo on his new 360, and yes, his bedroom is in the basement. He and his dad also go to NASCAR races. I personally also own a F-150 1997 super cab, which sets next to my Versa in our driveway.

We are the typical blue collar family, which is why I took exception to your post. However, we don't have pictures of Jeff Foxworthy on our wall, or eat grits for breakfast. Country and Western has never played in my Versa nor does "eat more beef" bumper stickers don the back of the car.

My husband does tend to hang out at the Craftsman counter however, and we seem to have every color of duct tape in various drawers about the house. Instead of shopping at Victoria's Secret at the mall to entice my husband, I take him to Home Depot to look at air compressor attachments. He adores me. For our 25th wedding anniversary we bought each other a 37-inch big screen television. The salesmen who carried it out, with a tear in his eye said to my husband, "Wow..you are one lucky guy. My wife wanted jewelry."



I can name, however, about five NASCAR drivers, I know the difference between calf fries and french fries, and my car has been seen at Sonic. This grandma also beat a Camaro off a green light. The kid driving the car was more than a little surprised. And I own the CVT.

I'm not a car girl; I'm actually a school librarian.

I read this to my hubby and he thinks I ought to go ahead and post it. But then again, he is biased. I swiped a $10 off coupon at Lowe's from my parents, so he thinks I'm great. I think it looks like I went on a tirade. Anyway, I had fun typing it.

Thanks again for being a good sport.

Don't forget to

[BBISHOPPCM]

The person I was describing in my original post was, infact, my Aunt Rose. Anyway, I am a redneck through and through... I own a few antique gasoline engines, spent my childhood fixing lawnmowers and bicycles for money to spend on the old beat-up lawn tractor I fixed up to cruise around the neighborhood on (which was a mobile home park, mind you... not one of those rack-em-and-stack-em ones, this place was actually pretty nice). My father has owned several Ford vehicles of various vintages (my mom always got the nicer vehicles). No, I'm not some college-grad yuppie, anytime I knock someone, its because I am either one of them, or know a lot of them. Right now, I'm trying to figure out how to blend a 1930's International Harvester stationary engine into the decor of my condo. No joke.

I hate televised sports of all kinds, and have only been to one drag race. Not a fan of NASCAR either. There's several different types of hicks; not sure which one I am, but I don't drink smoke or watch NASCAR, I'm the kind who loves to fix old machines and is not afraid to get dirty. And I live in the boonies. I have to drive 20 miles to get a gallon of milk!
Modified by BBISHOPPCM at 8:05 PM 1/14/2008