Ford to Stop Selling All Cars in USA By 2020 Because Americans Have Gotten Too Fat

The world has been running out of oil since 1973 or so. There is so much oil underground that you cannot possibly comprehend the magnitude, Besides, they need oil and gas to run the power plants to charge the EVs that Ford, GM, Nissan, Honda and Toyota will be shipping by the boatloads long after Tesla is a footnote.

There's also the question of whether or not those cheap Hyundai's you see on the road are money makers or not, but here's my reference...

"The lackluster results serve as a reminder of how Hyundai, which has been in the red for five years, continues to struggle due to its heavy reliance on sedan sales and slow response to rising demand for sport utility vehicles (SUVs) in China and the United States, the world’s top two auto markets.

Hyundai shares fell almost 6 percent after it reported a January-March profit of 668 billion won ($619.15 million), the weakest since the first quarter of 2012 and below 1.3 trillion won reported in the corresponding 2017 period.

The result compared with an average forecast of 1 trillion won from analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

The earnings are “very shocking, more shocking than ever”, said Ko Tae-bong, an analyst at Hi Investment & Securities."

Also when gas goes up, Ford has other plans than bringing back the Fiesta...

Thanks for this, you are more in the know than myself. I am just making assumptions. Despite the declining popularity of hybrids/EVs in the North American market, I imagine the car makers are focusing their lineups on that technology because all the other markets have much higher mileage standards. I've heard that many of the Euro makers plan to convert their whole lineup to electrified vehicles within the next decade or so. Which makes sense if the technology is affordable enough to have in every car.

I've never owned a Ford, but I drove one in France last summer. I think it was a Focus. It was four doors, 5-speed manual (it was France, after all). I was actually pretty impressed with it.

Jose el Plomero wrote:

I've never owned a Ford, but I drove one in France last summer. I think it was a Focus. It was four doors, 5-speed manual (it was France, after all). I was actually pretty impressed with it.

I am actually impressed with the driving characteristics of the Focus as well. But I would not buy one because there are too many documented relaibility issues and I hate their interiors.

vivalarepublica wrote:

I kind of hate most SUVs, CUVs, crossovers, most trucks, whatever. They do nothing well expect rumble around. You want space and cargo room? Get a van. Need to haul stuff? Get a cargo van. You want the driving characteristics of a car with the same space as most SUVs? Get a wagon or hatchback. You want actual off-road capability? Get a Wrangler or pick-up or 4Runner. Nope, everybody just buys the jack-of-no-trades SUV because it makes them feel safe and has space.

Sadly, Americans are idiot auto buyers.

It's a status symbol, especially trucks. So many trucks are being sold. It's also funny that you mention Wranglers since they're usually considered one of the worst autos out there in pretty much every way and yet basic white suburbanites buy them up like hot cakes. Consumer debt is at an all time high so I think we're in an unprecedented "keeping up with the Jones'" era. And yes, Americans are idiot auto buyers.

I've never owned an SUV, and never will....

Yes, the status symbol thing slipped my mind. The only way many people pay for these trucks is 7-year loan terms.

Yea, Wranglers make awful daily drivers and have your typical FCA reliability. A properly equipped Wrangler is still quite capable off road, but not the 4-door Unlimited boxes that seem to be popular right now. Most of those never touch the dirt.

Full disclosure, I drive a newish full-size pickup that is completely impractical for most things except my occassional camping and road trips, so I am a bit of a hypocrite. But I paid less than what people pay for something like Subaru Crosstrek or some other fake off-road vehicle.

"Subaru Crosstrek or some other fake off-road vehicle"

The Crosstreck is not meant to be a real off road vehicle. It's just for people who would like to go comfortable to a remote trailhead. It's basically a great car for outdoor enthusiasts who live in the West.

Yeah, any vehicle with Subaru's AWD system can handle it's business just fine. It won't rock crawl Moab, but there are offroad or inclement conditions between "true offroading" and "shopping mall parking lot" that are better suited for something that isn't a Corolla.

Also, record profits for a company that also gave up on trying to sell fiesta/focus/fusion equivalents...

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/chrysler/2018/04/26/fiat-chrylser-reports-record-first-quarter-earnings/34262411/

car lineup: charger/challenger/300+italian novelties...everything else is lifted or van

Dbdjdjdjd wrote:

The future is in efficient vehicles, while vehicles don’t have to be cars to be efficient, it really helps.

Cars sell if you make good ones that offer something beyond the competition.

There is a dearth of good fuel efficient cars in this country.

vivalarepublica wrote:

Despite the declining popularity of hybrids/EVs in the North American market,

Good hybrids are extremely popular and in high demand.

However they can't sell when they're not available!!!

The fact is that they are simply not available, which is the reason they're not selling.

I went into the local Honda dealer's used car division yesterday and inquired about getting an Insight, just for curiosity reasons as I'd never buy a car from them at their grossly inflated prices.

The salesman's reply was that they didn't have any used ones, and that he's never seen a used Insight there as long as he's worked there. He added on that they've never carried the new ones either.

How could people ever buy one when they're not even carried by the dealers???? They can't.

This is a political decision, not one of popularity. Hybrids would be selling if they were being carried by the dealers.

Bring back the Model A!

Lasts forever, easy to maintain, tons of curb appeal.

Jimmy Cracked Corn wrote:

2 idiots in this thread calling each other "moran".

It's "moron" you douchebags.

You might want to check who are replying to...

I have not used "moran" or "moron".

Luv2Run wrote:

Skinny Guy wrote:

Only SUVs and trucks for American bottoms now:

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2018/04/ford-to-end-almost-all-us-car-sales-focusing-on-suvs-and-trucks/

Yes, obesity is the reason. Nothing else. Oh wait, somehow global warming needs to be the cause.

What time the buffet start?

I'll be over in my New F-350. Leased it, no money down.

me and Felecia Got a hankering for BBQ tonite

Tesla would be bankrupt if not for government subsidies.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hy-musk-subsidies-20150531-story.html

I once took a dump in a Ford

Working Harder wrote:

That's because you don't own anything close to a real truck. Don't get me wrong, the Ridgeline (the last model, not current) are kind of cool but to compare them to a truck, or even a real SUV, is a joke of a comparison.

Ridgeline, ha, if it ain't got a 8' bed it's not a truck.

Totally agree. I don't own a car, but often rent when I need one. Japanese, Korean or European compact cars are generally good. They are nimble, fun to drive, drink moderately and have lots of cargo space. American sedans are pretty bad, but SUVs and Trucks are the worst. Every time they propose to "upgrade" my rental for free, I decline. Don't want to drive one of these gas-guzzling, bulky, sluggish pieces of junk if I don't have a thousand pounds of cargo to move around.

It is quite amazing that it is actually possible to convince people to buy a Suburban.