Ford: Americans will still buy SUVs even if gas hits $4/gallon

[Regis Philbin]

And...he's right.


http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/04/12/060412200622.3j2d0yzp.html

Americans will buy SUVs even if gas hits four dollars a gallon: Ford

Apr 12 4:06 PM US/Eastern


A core group of US consumers will continue to buy large sports utility vehicles (SUVs) even if gasoline prices rise to four dollars a gallon and stay that way, a senior executive at the Ford Motor Company said.

"There is a certain portion of the marketplace and customers who want that flexibility that is provided with a traditional SUV," Mark Fields, president of the automaker's Americas division, said during a conference with analysts.

"So I don't think our strategy would change too much."

High gasoline (petrol) prices, which currently top three dollars a gallon in some critical US retail markets, have already cut into sales of Ford's gas-guzzling large SUVs.

Fields said the company had forecast prices to be in the 2.50 to three dollar range this year and as a result has focused on expanding sales of cars and smaller more fuel-efficient crossover sports utility vehicles.

Fields said the automaker is also on track to sell 900,000 of its F-series trucks this year.

"That's more than double the sales of the industry's best-selling car," he told analysts.

A shift away from highly profitable sports utility vehicles has played a large role in the massive financial losses Ford's North American automotive sector posted last year.

[tiger_rascal]

My friend used to work for Ford, then he joined the military.

Personally, I'd rather not drive a vehicle that costs me over $70 or more a week to fill up!!! Crazy!

[Regis Philbin]

Yeah, some people like the safety and functionality of a SUV even if it does cost a few bucks more to drive...

[Richard Tafoya]

Yeah, safety.
http://www.cars.com/go/crp/buyingGuides/Story.jsp?section=SUV&story=suvRoll2006&subject=stories&referer=&year=2006

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that in 2004, rollovers were responsible for 62 percent of the 4,670 occupant deaths in SUV accidents. That rate, largely unchanged since 1990, is nearly triple the rollover fatality rate of car occupants.

[Regis Philbin]

Yeah, safety.


A Chevrolet Tahoe and a Honda Civic get in a collision, which vehicle's occupants stand the better chance of walking away...?

[Richard Tafoya]

From a road test review of the 2006 Honda Civic:
http://cars.about.com/od/honda/fr/ag_06civic.htm

Honda designed the Civic using what it calls "advanced compatibility engineering". Translation: It's designed not to get pummeled when hit by a bigger vehicle. Honda showed us a Civic that had been slammed head-on into a two-ton minivan. The Civic's front end had crumpled and passed the forces of the collision up through the roof rails, the passenger compartment staying intact and keeping its shape.

[Regis Philbin]

*sigh* Dear Lord... :rolleyes: *sigh*

I'll take my chances in the Tahoe over the Civic (or any other compact car) any day. I was talking to a lady at a gas station the other day who had just spent $77 filling up her Chevy Suburban. I asked her if she liked shelling out all that money. She said, "No". But she went on to say that it's a small price to pay for the added safety. She said if someone hits her she knows she'll be safer in the Suburban. Besides, she said it was good in the snow (4-wheel drive) and her family goes skiing a lot. There are, believe it or not, people willing to pay extra for some added peace of mind.

[Annoyedlistner]

its not just a few bucks regis...its an arm and a leg....and in my opinion if Ford keeps thinking that..then they are getting ready to loose some money....i doubt people will continue to buy suvs if prices it 4 bucks a gallon.

[tiger_rascal]

I understand that there are people out there that can afford to pay that much for gas for their vehicle each week. And, they honestly believe that they are safer in their over-sized truck or SUV, but are they really any safer in that kind of vehicle over a regular sized car?

One of my sisters is 31 and she has always drove Subarus, the all wheel drive comes in very handy for off road, plus its a 4-door family car with excellent safety records and good gas mileage. Sounds much better than any SUV.

My car is a regular sized 4-door family car. It has excellent gas mileage, an excellent safety record and in fact I know someone else who has the same exact car and she somehow managed to roll it and she walked away without a scratch, the car did not even look like it had been rolled.

Look, if the car has a good frame design to absorb impact and resist crushing, seat belts and air bags, you should feel very safe.

[DoubleEdgeSword]

I love my Sabaru. I feel safe. It gets great gas mileage. Plus, I can blast down the forest fire roads without worrying about getting stuck in the sand. It has as much ground clearance as some of the larger SUVs. Great car.

[*Katy*]

i wont!

[Stopanimalabuse]

When people only think about their safety and not about environmentally-friendly cars, you know there are problems. As long as Americans continue to act like this, global warming will only get worse.

[Annoyedlistner]

*sigh* Dear Lord... :rolleyes: *sigh*

I'll take my chances in the Tahoe over the Civic (or any other compact car) any day. I was talking to a lady at a gas station the other day who had just spent $77 filling up her Chevy Suburban. I asked her if she liked shelling out all that money. She said, "No". But she went on to say that it's a small price to pay for the added safety. She said if someone hits her she knows she'll be safer in the Suburban. Besides, she said it was good in the snow (4-wheel drive) and her family goes skiing a lot. There are, believe it or not, people willing to pay extra for some added peace of mind.


What are you rolling your eyes about? Honda making a safe car?

Regis there are people that are willing to pay extra for some added peace of mind..you know volvo is one of the safest cars around as well...but guess what..not everyone can afford one....you have a very narrow outlook on the American population..you view everyone has having money to toss around and do whatever they wish...that might be the case for you...but its not for other people.....i actually have a 4 cylinder Nissan Frontier...yea its a truck but its got a small engine in it and it gets decent gas mileage...do i want an SUV? sure id love to have one...they are safe...if you can avoid the rollovers...but no matter what...right now...there is NO WAY i could afford to put gas in it and drive back and forth to work...let alone anywhere else i wanna go....some people just cant afford to spend extra money...these gas prices are killing me and im sure they are killing others.

i saw an interview on CBS Evening News the other night...they were interviewing random people at a gas pump...one lady remarked that if gas prices continue to rise..she's going to have to make a choice...pay for gas...or pay for rent.....the gas situation is getting out of hand and Ford needs to recognize that or they may be in the same boat that GM is in now.

[DoubleEdgeSword]

When people only think about their safety and not about environmentally-friendly cars, you know there are problems. As long as Americans continue to act like this, global warming will only get worse.

Who says we can't think about both? When Subaru makes a hybrid with AWD and good safety features, I'll be the first in line to buy it.

[Annoyedlistner]

Who says we can't think about both? When Subaru makes a hybrid with AWD and good safety features, I'll be the first in line to buy it.


Honda also has a hybrid SUV i believe....i think we are headed in the right direction..however...its going to take a long time to get there...and its going to be very expensive to get there.

[tiger_rascal]

I would love to keep my current car forever, but in reality I know one day I will need a new car and I hope that car can be some type of hybrid, preferably a hybrid Subaru Outback sedan.

[*Katy*]

regis, its a misconception that larger cars are more safe. I used to drive a ford explorer and now i drive a camry,i feel much safer in a camry. I dont worry about tipping over. Anyways, its stupid to pay that much for a tahoe, if your a safe driver you shouldnt crash.

[Stopanimalabuse]

Who says we can't think about both? When Subaru makes a hybrid with AWD and good safety features, I'll be the first in line to buy it.
Hybrids are good, but I don't think they're the solution. We need to get away from fossil fuels altogether. Electric cars are the vehicle of the future.

[pinky]

Brazil is the model we need. They converted most of their cars to a form of ethanol, and expect to be completely free of gas within a few years.

If they can do it, why can't we? :scratch:

[DoubleEdgeSword]

From reports I've heard, Brazil will be totally free of gas by the end of this year. However, there is one drawback: if crude stays above $45 a barrel, ethanol is more cost effecient. If it drops below that level, gas will be cheaper. NPR had an interesting story about Brazil's energy projects a couple of weeks back. The country has basically converted to ethanol in just 10 years. We can't even get American auto makers to substantially increase gas mileage in that period of time. What's wrong with this picture?

[Stopanimalabuse]

I haven't heard much about Brazil, but I have heard that Sweden is planning to be free of fossil fuels by 2020. People say it can't be done, but it seems that other countries don't feel that way.

[*Katy*]

From reports I've heard, Brazil will be totally free of gas by the end of this year. However, there is one drawback: if crude stays above $45 a barrel, ethanol is more cost effecient. If it drops below that level, gas will be cheaper. NPR had an interesting story about Brazil's energy projects a couple of weeks back. The country has basically converted to ethanol in just 10 years. We can't even get American auto makers to substantially increase gas mileage in that period of time. What's wrong with this picture?
I remember hearing that story. Basically they said that RIGHT NOW it would be a great idea, but since the oil industry is so unpredictable its could bite us in the butt if oil prices drop alot. And like you said, auto makers here are just so stuborn and dont want to lose any money.

[oxymoron]

A Chevrolet Tahoe and a Honda Civic get in a collision, which vehicle's occupants stand the better chance of walking away...?


Honda Civic was one of the first two vehicles in history to receive a quadruple 5-star crash rating. The other was a Volvo.

[oxymoron]

Hybrids are good, but I don't think they're the solution. We need to get away from fossil fuels altogether. Electric cars are the vehicle of the future.

No, they aren't. Fuel cells are.

[oxymoron]

And...he's right.


http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/04/12/060412200622.3j2d0yzp.html

Ya. Ford's record of anticipating the car-buying wants and needs of the American public has been stellar over the past 25 years. That's why Detroit's share of the domestic auto market has dropped precipitously.

Some people will buy SUVs. Some for legitimate reasons. Others because they are selfish--and really don't care about the effect of their actions upon others.