Different Cars

The Focus cars made in the EU are better quality and more reliable than the ones made in America, Canada and Mexico.Why would that be?

Reply to
GM
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Better quality workforce, better quality parts.More expensive parts. Europeans care more about the quality of their small cars than Americans do, To Americans the Focus is generally a 2nd or 3rd car usually driven by the other half and the expectations are not as high.

Regards

Andy Lee

Reply to
Andy Lee

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In alt.autos.ford.focus Andy Lee suggested:

Sounds reasonable, in addition the Focus isn't a small car in Europe, it's considered IIRC somehow "lower-middle-class", the majority of cars driven over here is this size/class.

Reply to
Michael Heiming

I sincerely hope this to be nonsense.....

Reply to
Zweef®

For the UK market (probably others in the EU too) Foci are built both in Spain and Germany. As a general rule the German cars are better built. (fit and finish, lack of rattles etc)

Tim..

Reply to
Tim (Remove NOSPAM.

Bullshit

Premium, grade A bullshit

You need to get out of the house away from watching American TV shows.

Freddie

Reply to
Freddie the Crook Finder

"Freddie the Crook Finder" skrev i meddelandet news: snipped-for-privacy@news.texoma.net...

I sure heard that Americans have a lot of those Ford, Dodge and Chevrolet pick up trucks, so much that these are their most sold models, and all sorts of SUV's and Mini Vans too, am I deceived here. /per

Reply to
per

Very rude person, you responded to this persons post and demeaned them. I see that you are in Texans I always thought Texans were polite and friendly people?

Bullshit

Premium, grade A bullshit

You need to get out of the house away from watching American TV shows.

Freddie

Reply to
GM

forget the stereotypes...He said what I was thinking when I read the persons original post...I'd have answered a little more politely but I don't think our expectations are lower because it's a Focus...I'm a female and I want a smaller car that is fun to drive and new so I don't have to worry too much about it. Fords tend to be less expensive to buy and fix and insure than other cars - from my first Maverick in 1973 to my current 2003 Focus. I've had pick-up trucks in there 4 wheel drive and a diesel too but I prefer my smaller cars. The arrogance of this...

Since women make decisions on what car or truck is bought 74% of the time in the US I don't think ANYONE intelligent in this business would dare to think that way and survive too long. I've been in dealerships where guys try to treat me like that I take my business elsewhere...to a smarter salesperson - male or female. And I do report the offending dealerships to the automakers. Linda

Reply to
HbgpodLW

What's the quickest way of telling which country it was made in?

Useful if you're looking at some second hand examples.

Reply to
Chris Game

If this is true I'm sure that's one point of difference between UK (if not Europe) and the US. Do women pay attention to quality issues, read up on them in Which? or other consumer mags, or are they swayed by a good paint job?

Reply to
Chris Game

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You need to encrypt the VIN Number:

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(There's somewhere an online calculator, don't have the URL handy)

My Focus was according to its VIN built in Saarlouis (Germany).

Reply to
Michael Heiming

"Freddie the Crook Finder" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@news.texoma.net...

Agreed

Strongly disagree. Here's some news for you: Because European cars tend to be smaller than US ones, people who'd buy a Focus over here (I'm Irish by the way, but I travel to the US a few times a year) are the same ones who'd buy a Taurus over there. A European Focus costs about $23K (Which *will* buy a Taurus in the US), compared to $14K in the US, (which will get you a Hyundai Getz here . See

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. The Euro-Focus is marketed and priced as a mid-range family car. The Ameri-Focus is marketed as a car for young drivers or as a 2nd or even 3rd car in a household.

Because European Focus owners are paying Taurus money, the fit and finish is higher than the US car (that $9K isn't just extra profit for FMC). The engines and transmissions are all different. Most of the interior trim is different. Our ignitions don't break (we have those hexagonal key things), and our brake discs last as long as other manufacturer's cars.

Gary

Reply to
Gary Pigott

Another clueless response. Most women are better informed about the financially relevant aspects of car ownership when it comes time to make a purchasing decision. They place an emphasis on quality ratings, fuel economy, service costs. It's usually the men who are acting on impulse...

Reply to
Stephen F.

Pardon me, lady. At least I think your female; whatever you are your either too lazy or just plain too rude to sign some kind of name so we at least know what gender we're addressing.

Having said that, we are very friendly people, but like people everywhere, we object to being patronized and stereotyped which is exactly what the man I was resopnding to did with his remarks about Americans and their automobiles. As for the use of the word, bullshit, that's simply one of our more polite, genteel colloquialisms.

I fail to see how being honest demeans anyone.

Freddie

Reply to
Freddie the Crook Finder

Hi thats less than twenty kilometers from my home. Mine is from there also. bye Jupp

Reply to
Josef Erbs

This was only true in 2000 and 2001. Since then, quality of North American Foci has been as good as anyone in the market segment.

But as to the explanation for the first two years, I dealt with that in a recent post, but to repeat here:

"...Ford North America invited the local suppliers to participate in product development, hoping this would improve quality. Bad move. More than one supplier apparently used this opportunity to boost their profits rather than make a better car.

Another thing is timing. I understand that the North American operations were forced to rush their cars into production in the late summer of 1999, when they were still trying to incorporate the lessons of the first year of European production, which had revealed some problems. They would have preferred to wait until later in the year."

Reply to
Dave Gower

The person you were addressing "Very rude person..." had the name of Gary...if you had read the whole message you'd have seen it I think. I have AOL so I don't know if it shows up differently on yours...I always sign mine with my name...Linda

Reply to
HbgpodLW

I always read the whole message. How could I be an effective Crook Finder and fail to do so. All I saw on the "Very rude person" message, including in the complete header was: From "GM" ginnaam@ nospamhotmail.com. That's a genderless soul if there ever was one. Either a lazy one or simply one who could care less. In any event, there never is a problem when people like you and I take the extra 2 seconds to sign our messages.

Freddie

Reply to
Freddie the Crook Finder

If you are going to counter my suggestions at least have the ability to back it up with something other than 1 line of abuse otherwise all you do is reinforce the steerotype of Americans being lowbrow grunts or maybe that is what you are after all.

so all Americans make the Focus their number one choice of car and all those SUV's etc that are the top selling cars in America are a figment of my imagination then

Don't flatter yourself American TV is not worth the effort of watching, unless I'm having trouble getting to sleep.

Reply to
Andy Lee

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