Ford: Think Hard in 2010-11

[A K]

A story to share with all and, hopefully, Ford.



Sometime in August, I borrowed my father's Adrenalin so that he could take mine for service. I had it parked in our complex's secured-covered garage where I park my truck. The other cars are generally luxury brands--Jags, a Maserati, a lot of BMWs, etc. Fast forward to today. I was taking down a piece of furniture that I plan to take to goodwill sometime this week. While there, the owner of a Jaguar XK sees me and stops to chat. He asked if I also owned a red truck. I explained the story above. He said that it stuck in his memory (over 6 months ago) and wondered what it was/whose it was. He also mentioned how he could see himself driving one.



Ford--you don't realize what a nice vehicle you have. But others sure do.

 

[Rodger Tellefson]

Amen - :supercool::haveabeer::grin:

 

[Brian Drolet]

Darn right!:supercool:

 

[Ron Tobias]

As a guy who has owned 2 Sport Tracs (and still has 1) I couldn't disagree more. Don't get me wrong I love my Trac, that's why I bought a second one. However, when you compare a new Trac to a new F-150 Super Crew, the F-150 wins. The F-150 is bigger, gets as-good gas mileage, has greater towing capacity, costs less than a V-8 Trac, on and on...



I too get comments on my '07 about how nice it looks. Then when I tell them I get 15mpg in the city and 20 on the hwy, they cringe. That's usually followed by something like, couldn't you be driving a full size truck and getting that kind of mileage? Why yes, I could and a class III trailer hitch too.



With the updates in the F-150 closing the cost and function gap, I don't think the Sport Trac is a good seller anymore. My local Ford dealer's (and we only have one) used lot is littered with Tracs.

 

[Richard L]

I agree. I always said that I was not a pickup truck kind of person, and never had any desire to buy one.... Fast forward to the summer of 2000, when I saw my first Sport Trac at a hardware store parking lot I said to myself: "That's a pickup truck that I would consider buying"....And I did. In fact, I bought two of them, a 2001 and later, a 2003.



I traded in my Sport Trac just before the gas prices jumped and the economy hit the dumpster. That was when prices on SUV and Trucks dropped. I was lucky and got $1000 more than the KBB and Edmunds indicated for a trade-in value. Of course the truck was completely detailed before I took it to the dealer which I'm sure helped me get the most money for the truck.



...Rich

 

[OLE442]

The ST might have been a better seller than the F-150 had FORD advertised it. I have never seen a ST ad on TV. I think I may have seen a ST flash by on a local generic FORD ad but it was so fast I'm not really sure.



My '07 ST is my 1st new FORD ever. I've always wanted one. I like the size, the looks and it does almost everything well. I have gotten 23.5 MPG on the highway with my V-8 ST. I'm not sure an F-150 would get that but one of my co-workes has an F-150 and she says she doesn't get anywhere close to that.



The only thing I don't like about mine is the tranny and the crappy spark plugs. The last TSB cured 95 % of the tranny issues and I'm debating changing out the plugs myself at 33,000 miles to the Champions.



I could have gotten a comparable (options wise) F-150 for less $$ at the time but I liked the size and look of the ST. I think FORD is making a mistake. The new front wheel drive unibody ST looks nice but I'll not buy one. Just MO...



'07 ST:driving:

 

[Brad B]

I surely don't want to start an arguement, but the Trac 4x4 is way cheaper than an equally equipped F-150. The base price F-150 is reasonably priced, but you have to get into an FX4 package to compare in my opinion. The interior of the base XLT Trac is so much nicer than the base F-150. I compared them when I bought my 07 Trac. The crew cab was 5-7k more in the FX4 version. While you do get a larger interior and other extras, I think the Trac is an excellent value for the money. And as far as gas mileage......everyone seems to stretch actual mileage. I think it boils down to preferences. Each has their own strengths and weakness, you just have to pick which one will serve your purpose better. This is just my opinion, don't bite my head off!

 

[Robert Caffyn]

My Trac is my 3rd new Ford vehicle that I have purchased. A '95 F-250 4x4, 11mpg and a '01 F-350 dually, diesel, 4x4 crew cab, 15mpg. So milage isn't a big deal to me, after two BIG trucks and the hassles that go with them, I knew an ST was where I wanted to be (like a Jeep, nothing else will do). There are plenty of ST's in my area and it is a shame that Ford never(if at all) promoted the truck like its other models. Allways had in the back of my head the idea of an ST sized truck and it wasn't till I looked at a new one that I was sold. Here was a vehicle that is multi-purpose, luxury interior and my wife can drive it(she's a little girl) And it really just looked cool! Plus I can pull the boat and hitch up the motorcycle trailer as well and tow them like they aren't even there. Are ther drawbacks? Yes, small bed, low mpg with the V8. But you know what? nothing else will do. BC :grin::supercool:

 

[Mark K 2]

I bought my ST because I wanted a mid-size 4-door pickup with goodies. Plus, it fits in my garage. A 4-door F150 wouldn't.

 

[EddieS'04]

I never wanted a small or full size truck. When I noticed the Tracs in '04. I went shopping. Looked at clean low milage used ones. They wanted too much for them. I went to the ford dealer I had dealt with in the past. I bought my new '04 xlt prm, for about the same as the used ones I looked at. I have never been disapointed in the purshase.

Perfect size truck ot SUT, for me. I hate that it will go away before I wear this one out.

 

[Scott Heckler]

Adam - nothing like the RED STA in person. It turns heads.:banana:

 

[Patrick Pierobon]

Ford sent a message to our dealer showing what percentage of models sell better. For the Sport Trac, they sell more adrenalins then any other model they offer in the Sport Trac. Black being number one color and Blue Flame/Colorado Red a close second. Silver being dead last.



So hopefully the information they passed onto the dealerships will register in their heads that they do have one nice machine.

 

[gary s]

from mr. toyota, i have to agree that the trac is one of the best looking vehicles out there.

in 02 when my company lease was up on my impala, i had to have a trac (2002 xlt). then another one (2004 adren). then another one (2007 lmtd) :banana:



i remember all the compliments and all the questions about it. never a negative.

well this what i have left as i moved on to a vehicle better for my needs :driving:



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[Carey Frennier]

If the only model they sell is the STA....they need to axe the ST and give that package to the F150.



Speaking in terms of residual value unless you've got an Adrenalin...your not going to get spit of your trade value because everyone else out there...for the same money...is going to buy the 0% 2010 F150 for the same payment. The ST has to complete with it's own Adrenalin package and with the entire F150 line.



Right now, Ford is all about streamlining their company. There is no hope for the ST as we know it. Ford is revamping everything that is body on frame with the exception of the half ton and larger vehicles.

 

[Kevin Lang]

But the F150 is larger than the ST, so the looks wouldn't be the same with the package. Also, I could see transitioning the Adrenaline from its own vehicle to an F150 package causing prestige loss, and perhaps sales losses as well.



Instead of being in the Pantheon of standout vehicles, it becomes one of the dime-a-dozen F150 packages, of which there are so many that I loose track of them all....King Ranch, Harley, etc. IMO the F150 is a "work truck", Ford's commercials bill it as a "work truck", and a "work truck" shouldn't look like the Adrenaline.



The F150 and the ST aren't really competing vehicles, as this thread tries to establish.



Oh, isn't the ST a half-ton truck? Manual says bed capacity is 1,200 LBS.

 

[TomT]

The Trac is the perfect sized vehicle. I've had larger vehicles (Expedition) and smaller (Ranger). Anything larger than the Trac is hard to park and they handle like a boat. Small is nice but I like having 4 doors. I hope some manufacture will step in and provide a comparable vehicle if Ford doesn't.

 

[Gavin Allan]

Look at the vehicles being sold in western Europe and there you will see our future. Gasoline will be at $7 a gallon soon because of needed tax increases to pay for the federal deficit and state's highway maintenance needs. Also, inflation is about to take off because of the feds printing money like toilet paper to try to pay for all the bailouts.



If you want to know what our cars will be like in the next ten years, look at Western Europe's vehicles.

 

[Kevin Lang]

If gas costs 7 dollars, inflated in price to pay for our tax deficit, then it will be pointless as everyone will use as little gas as possible, giving less money to the Feds.



Though distance transportation will always require fuel, so unless truckers get some special tax-free fuel, the cost of all food products will skyrocket. Marvelous.



Public Transportation won't be much use either--the morning paper just revealed how my state's wonderfully wise government is going to raise the prices of mass transit to make up for deficits. Considering that the poorer segments of society ride our mass transit, this makes no sense.



MD already has an epidemic of robberies in areas linked by mass transit to nearby seedy areas...robberies that occur within sight of bus stops. If the government has its way, you'll have to mug someone to be able to afford the bus, since they want to make the base rate 3 bucks, which is preposterous.



...and yet they want to force us to mass transit. Crap service, high rates. Sounds fun. :banghead:

 

[Ron Tobias]

If gas costs 7 dollars, inflated in price to pay for our tax deficit, then it will be pointless as everyone will use as little gas as possible, giving less money to the Feds

This has actually happened. When gas went north of $3 the consumption went way down and, as a result, so did tax income. However, because the price increase was industry driven (not tax driven) the oil industry dropped prices and consumption increased. If the price increase is based on taxes (which will never likely decrease), the free market will have difficulty affecting/adjusting the price.

yet they want to force us to mass transit. Crap service, high rates. Sounds fun

Yes, but it doesn't have to be that way. Mass transit done correctly can be very efficient and cheap. Our society is built around the automobile and as such little effort is put into building mass transit. Additionally because we are auto-centric, in most areas (except NY & DC) only those that can't afford a car use mass transit. As long as mass transit is relegated to the politically impotent (read: poor) no true effort (or dollars) will be expended to develop a decent mass transit system in the USA. As long as the oil industry is run by the politically potent (read: rich) the drive to keep as many gas guzzlin' vehicles (usually occupied by one person) on the road will remain.



I lived in Europe for 1.5 years and never owned a car. I can't imagine how much I would have had to travel on mass transit to spend an amount equal to the average U.S. car payment plus insurance & fuel. Which according to the BTS was about $8000 a year in 2008. See link:

 

[Kevin Lang]

Mass Transit isn't relegated to the poor--the "rich" have no incentive to use it, and almost anyone, anytime would rather pay to drive than suffer the hassle of public transit. Slow transit times, aging vehicles, inconvenient stops, poor maintenance of equipment, disinterested staff, and notoriously late arrival times are all factors that ahem drive people to drive.



Oh, and that excludes the ubiquitous robbery, assault, and high cost associated with public transit. (The former are more of a bus thing though)



Right now it costs 4.25 to park at one of the most popular commuter stops on the DC metro line (New Carrollton, Orange Line). To use the DC metro, a day pass makes sense as it is cheaper than the round trip cost from the outlying metro stations to the City and back...and gives unlimited riding.



A day pass is now 8.30. That lets a person ride all day, unlimited # of times, after morning rush. Paying the fare, ONE WAY, is also 8.30, which makes it 16.60 round trip, which is ludicrous.



Going with the day pass, that's 12.55 just to start, which is coming a bit high for what could become a daily expense.



However, I tend to carpool, and public transportation is unfortunately the reverse of private--the going costs more when you have more people.



When I went to DC last Wednesday, 2 of my friends and I had to pay 3(8.30) + 4.25, which is 29.15. Had we paid fare price instead of a day pass, it would have been far, far greater as we did not just make one simple round trip.



Essentially 30 bucks is ridiculous for public transit, especially when, much to my chagrin, we found that we could have parked all day in DC for 10 bucks.



Public Transit -- it's more expensive and slower than carpooling, and you don't get your own special road lane when you use it.