Jim Farley, a marketing star at Toyota Motor Corp., is joining Ford Motor Co. as group vice president of marketing and communications.
Farley, 45, joins Ford next month.. He will be senior marketing officer and will report directly to CEO Alan Mulally.
Farley spent two decades at Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc., most recently as general manager of Lexus Division. He previously was group vice president of marketing for Toyota Division.
Farley also oversaw the launch of Toyota's youth subbrand, Scion.
It seems to me this is a smart move. I've thought for a long time Ford's biggest problem was Marketing and Product Planning, not the quality of the actual products. After pedaling some of the Toyota stuff, selling Fords should be a breeze.
Picasso wrote in news:470f35ce$0$14859$ snipped-for-privacy@news.aliant.net:
It's not the badges themselves, but the market those badges are aimed at, and the image that goes with the badges.
GM's Harley Earl and Alfred Sloan started this back in the '20s. It was conceived as a way of keeping customers loyal to GM's brands all the way up the socio-economic ladder, while helping to keep production costs down.
You started at the bottom with Chevrolet, then moved up the mountain until, maybe, one day you could reach the peak with a Cadillac.
Unfortunately, over the years the lines and pricing between brands got blurred as GM's managers lost their focus. This situation was made even worse when, for legislative and regulatory reasons, it became economically impossible for each brand to have nearly-unique cars and its own engines.
As each brand manager demanded a copy of a platform for himself, the distinctions disappeared almost entirely (think Cadiallac Cimarron), and customers got disgusted and confused. "Badge-engineering" continues to this day, probably to help keep the dealers happy.
Ford and Chrylser did the same thing with their brand portfolios.
Writer Brock Yates has amply documented this phenomenon in his 1983 book "The Decline & Fall of the American Automobile Industry".
Honda and Toyota have been much more careful with their Earl/Sloan branding, keeping sharp distinctions between their brands, even as they share many parts.
Lexus ES350/Toyota Camry Lexus LX470/Toyota Land Cruiser Lexus GX470/Toyota 4 Runner Lexus RX350/Toyota Highlander (although they at least look different) The rest of the Lexus line except maybe the LS are sold in other markets as Toyotas.
This when you lose me. You are repeating a bunch of BS that has no basis in fact. Fact - in 2006 Toyota recalled more vehicels than Ford. Fact, the previous generation of 4Runners had a far higher rollover death rate than an Explorer. Fact - the difference in relaibility between a current Ford and a current Toyota is trivial.
You got me. Its just BS and no factual basis. Its just the same BS that Lexus are thinly designed Toyota that you pay thou$and. I'm not going to defend toyota. I'm a Toyota owner but not a satisfied customer.
You think there is a significant difference between an ES350 and a high line V6 Camry? You think there is a significant difference between a LX470 and a Landcrusier? You think the GX470 is radically different than a 4Runner? You probably though the Lincoln Versailles was radically different than a Granada also.
Well, for years Detroit wasn't building cars and the workers lived like CEOs. Now all three are under new management and the workers are heading back to work. I think these top level Toyota managers see what's coming. So they dumped Toyota now.
Yes, I think there is a difference that more than meets the eye. Lexus is essentially a luxury car, how to define luxury is up to you. Lets compare the resale values of lexus and toyota, are they the same? Even ford makes *thinly disguised* Edge and the mazda CX, or the fusion and mazda6. Focus and mazda3. Is it also luxury brand?
3 Little boys conversation while playing in the sand box:
Boy 1: When I grow up, I want to have a RAV4 Boy 2: When I grow up, I want to have an Explorer Boy 3: When I grow up, I want to have a Pu$$y. Boy 1 and 2: Why would you want to have that?!? Boy 3: Well, my sister has a pu$$y and her man gave her a BMW and a Mercedez!
Well you are exactly the sort of person Toyota created Lexus for. There was more of difference between the often derided Lincoln Versailles and a Ford Granada than between a Lexus ES350 and a V6 Top Level Camry. The big Lexus sedan is a unique and interesting vehicle - but not something I'd be interested in buying.
Resale value has more to do with perception than reality. The Lexus ES350 has exactly the same drive train as a V6 Camry. There is no reason to think it will last any longer.
I didn't say Ford didn't make thinly disguised models and sell them under other brands. The Fords and Mazda you mentioned are not as closely related as the ES350 and a Camry. The Fusion is derived from the Mazda 6 but is larger and has a different automatic transmission and other significant differences. The current Focus is actually based on a prior generation European Focus. Mazda had input into that design, but I don't think it is correct to say the current Focus is related to a Mazda 3 (might be better if it was). The current Ford 4 cylinders used in the Focus, Fusion, and Ranger are Mazda developed engines.
To be honest if I was to buy a Lexus the ES would not be my choice. I would prefer an IS or a GS Hybrid
I'm not saying it will last longer, drive train has nothing to do with luxury.
Its just because the "..After pedaling some of the Toyota stuff, selling Fords should be a breeze" to me is intriguing. Lexus remains the best selling import luxury (foreign and domestic) brand in the US and had great reviews even in Europe and beat the German brands.
I really hate to defend Toyota or Lexus since as I earlier mentioned, I am an Toyota owner but not a very satisfied customer. Maybe another member can do better than me in defending Toyota. If only my 07 Camry had a flawless shifting, then I would bow down to Toyota and recommend it to anyone I know. I do like what ford did with the Fusion that comes in AWD, I do hope that Toyota jumps into this AWD bandwagon in the midsized sedan category soon.
The GS sells in tiny numbers (fewer than 23K per year). The hybrid GS hardly sells at all (fewer than 81 last month). I guess exclusivity is worth something. The IS is a little more popular - around 56K per year). The biggestest selling Lexus models are trucks and SUVs, not cars. They do sell more cars than trucks (150,585 car and 94,071 Light Trucks in the US thru Sept 07). BMW sold 169,761 cars trhu September (not including mins or light trucks). So much for being the biggest seller of "luxury cars." They did outsell Mercedes in cars (MB sold 127087 car through September) and Cadillac (Caddillac sold 92,473 car through September). Lincoln hardly counts when it comes to Luxury cars (they only sold 52,227 cars through September 2007 in the US - Lincoln almost sold as many light trucks as car - 51,332 LTs through Spetember).
Shocks, spr "With a very comfortable ride, quiet interior, and lavish amenities, the ES provides a big luxury car feel and refinement in a trimmer package. It is quick yet sparing with fuel. Agility is not a strong suit, and the ES is not even remotely fun to drive. The few negatives include limited rear-seat head room and rearward visibility."
For the V-6 Camry:
"The Camry is capable, quiet, and well rounded in all test versions, but is not exciting to drive. Handling is sound, but not sporty. The ride is comfortable and the interior is roomy. All powertrains are refined and economical; the V6 XLE is very quick and the Hybrid combines good performance with great fuel economy."
If I am going to spend big bucks for a luxury car it will be a BMW or a Mercedes. At least they drive nicely. Different strokes for different folks I guess. Even Cadillac is more interesting to me than the Lexus vehicles. Only Lincoln has acheieve the level of boredom I associate with Lexus.
I don't understand why Toyota is having problems with the tranmsission. It is from the same family as the one used with the V-6 Fusions and no one ccomplains about the shifting of a Fusion.
Uhm, Not so, every luxury car "requires" "enough power". If you step on it and don't have enough "get up and go", it will not be a "luxury" car, period.
My statement is applicable to the subject of two cars who share the same drivetrain, but one being a luxury brand. Now luxury and power is different. There is what you call a performance luxury sedan. And there are luxury vehicles which are limousines which is only for the passengers luxury and not the drivers.
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