New Focus Auto Express article

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Sun 5 Sep 2004 16:51
New Focus Auto Express article - BobbyG
This is maybe one for HJ or any other journalists on site.

Having read this week's article in Auto Express, I had to check to see if it was actually an advertisement! I have never read such a biased opinion on a car.

Terminology like "Ford's new best seller", "astounding driving experience"

Maybe the car is that good, maybe they were short of news this week, but something makes me think that Ford may have helped "contribute" to the article.

Am I being unfair?
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Sun 5 Sep 2004 18:31
New Focus Auto Express article - googolplex
No more so perhaps than the opposite side of opinion which persistently derides Ford for no good reason. Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in the middle!
Splodgeface
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Sun 5 Sep 2004 23:12
New Focus Auto Express article - machika
No more so perhaps than the opposite side of opinion which
persistently derides Ford for no good reason. Perhaps the truth
lies somewhere in the middle!
Splodgeface


Ford get a lot more support in this country than they ever receive in negative comments. I find a lot of Ford supporters are very sensitive to any criticism of Ford cars in general.

They consistently outsold the opposition when the Escort and Fiesta were very ordinary cars. Many people in Britain perceive them as a British company, when a great deal of their range is manufactured abroad, as it has been for years. In addition, the idea that their cars are easier and cheaper to maintain and service than the opposition, generally no longer holds true.

Whether the new Focus is good, bad or indifferent, it will sell very well in Britain.
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Sun 5 Sep 2004 23:19
New Focus Auto Express article - Aprilia
I have never been much of a Ford fan, right from the days of the Mk 2 and Mk3 ('roly-poly') Cortina.
Have to say, though, that the very latest Fords (say, 2000-on) do seem to be getting it right and deserve to sell well.
Having had to repair many Fords over the years I think it really is the case that they are easier and cheaper to maintain than most cars. Because of the sheer number sold, most factors will have parts on the shelf for you. Most back street dealers will be familiar with the 'stock' faults and so you're unlikely to get stuck with some intractable problem. Dealer parts are also cheaper than a lot of competitors - even common brands like Vauxhall.
Mind you, I have never actually owned a Ford myself - although that might change after driving all over Europe in a C-Max this summer....
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Mon 6 Sep 2004 10:57
New Focus Auto Express article - machika
I fail to understand why dealer parts should be so much cheaper than other popular makes. If so, these other manufacturers are doing themselves no favours.

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Mon 6 Sep 2004 19:58
New Focus Auto Express article - L'escargot
I fail to understand why dealer parts should be so much
cheaper than other popular makes.
Perhaps it's because every company charges what they think the market will stand. If people buy cars that have high spares prices, and those people pay those high prices (which apparently they do), then high prices will continue to be charged.

--
L'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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Mon 6 Sep 2004 20:50
New Focus Auto Express article - NowWheels
I fail to understand why dealer parts should be so much
cheaper than other popular makes. If so, these other manufacturers
are doing themselves no favours.


People pay the prices, so the companies get lottsa moolah. Looks to me like the makers are doing themselves big favours
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Tue 7 Sep 2004 08:13
New Focus Auto Express article - machika
>> I fail to understand why dealer parts should be so
much
>> cheaper than other popular makes. If so, these other
manufacturers
>> are doing themselves no favours.
People pay the prices, so the companies get lottsa moolah. Looks
to me like the makers are doing themselves big favours

>>

Logically then, Ford should be charging more for their spares and thus making even more money. Or are they into philanthropy on a big scale?
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Wed 8 Sep 2004 02:02
New Focus Auto Express article - NowWheels
Logically then, Ford should be charging more for their spares and
thus making even more money. Or are they into philanthropy
on a big scale?


aren't they losing lottsa money these days?
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Wed 8 Sep 2004 22:45
New Focus Auto Express article - machika
>> Logically then, Ford should be charging more for their spares
and
>> thus making even more money. Or are they into
philanthropy
>> on a big scale?
aren't they losing lottsa money these days?


Doesn't help if they are undercutting the competition on spares then. What kind of accountants are they employing?
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Mon 6 Sep 2004 21:12
New Focus Auto Express article - bartycrouch
>>> Am I being unfair?
Yes and no,

I doubt that Ford had any major part to play. The real problem is that a headline "new Ford Focus slightly better than old model" ain't going to make you pick up any car magazine.

They are not alone. "What Car?" are well-known for their "new is always better" philosophy. If you go through a few issues you can see them fall out of love with some cars. Other Haymarket publications have the same problems.

If a car is awful though (like the 1990 Escort) you can get headlines and sales that way.
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Wed 8 Sep 2004 03:19
New Focus Auto Express article - daveyK_UK
try getting parts for hyundai and kia.

nightmare and a big reason why they are never considered by fleet.

hopefully the market will increasingly get flooded with pattern parts (ie - duplicates) for alot less.
lets hope this also expands to lesser volume vehicles.

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Wed 8 Sep 2004 14:35
New Focus Auto Express article - blank
sniffpetrol.com has a more interesting article on the new Focus, IMO. Hope it acts as a good antidote to all those who found the AE article a little hard to digest.

Andy
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Wed 8 Sep 2004 15:01
New Focus Auto Express article - NowWheels
Nice advert there: tinyurl.com/3sxdo
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