Does FORD motor co. HATE the USA??? | Page 3 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Does FORD motor co. HATE the USA???

Dude, they actually have some of the same cars over there that we have here. And believe it or not they have some cars larger than a sardine can with an engine bigger than a Vespa.
 



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Dude, they actually have some of the same cars over there that we have here. And believe it or not they have some cars larger than a sardine can with an engine bigger than a Vespa.

no they do, but less you have a 500k income, the taxes, registration, congestion, and the other 50 charges they have you will not be able to afford it.

bottom line, the cars, we hear about, and this high mileage crap is something the size of a smart, and the bmw mini being a full size car to them,.
 






Let me be a little more clear. I'm not comparing our cars to their little sardine can cars. I'm comparing ours to the same ones or comparable sized ones with comparable sized engines. And how much those cars cost have nothing to do with this conversation.
 






...how much those cars cost have nothing to do with this conversation.

actually, it does - for two reasons.

First, technology costs money so more expensive cars have better technology in them, like more valves, more cams, variable valve timing, exhaust manifolds that are more header-like, larger catalytic converters, etc. the Ute motor I posted had variable valve timing and was DOHC instead of sohc and a straight six instead of a vee (more torque, but requires a longer front end). So with better stuff under the hood you get more power and efficiency - the price makes a difference.

The 2nd reason price makes a difference is that price has a strong impact on how many of a particular model are built and driven. Monster trucks and top fuel dragsters are legal only because so few can afford them. If everybody started getting them many people would be bothered by the noise and fumes (i love the smell of nitro in the morning!), mad moms would organize, and there would be new laws.
If car pricing is the factor that influences sales so that they have only a small percentage of vehicles being standard size while the majority are compact and sub-compact, then the price is relevant to the discussion - you get a lot less emissions when the bigger vehicles are less common. If everybody in Europe could afford an American-sized car, the laws might be different. So that's the 2nd reason price DOES make a difference - fewer big cars.

Australia is different - way less people so way less cars means way less emissions.

I keep hearing that US regulations are this big problem. If that's true, then can someone provide an example of a country where they are still making muscle cars with 4v carburetors, no egr, open crankcase vents, open fuel tank vents, no seatbelts, no airbags...

If the USA is so horribly restrictive, cars in other countries should be much different, right? If vast hoardes of American lawyers are bullying our poor car companies into making safer cars that nobody really wants, then why do the European cars have seatbelts & airbags like ours. With all the additional freedom they supposedly have, what have they done differently?
 






Also.... I don't quite know how to say this, but... you people disgust me! ;)

This stupid thread has 3 pages of filthy off-topic America-hating rants (you guys watch out - "they" keep lists!) and yet nobody is bothering to provide simple info in the faq sticky!
 






US Mini Cooper, 1.6L 16v engine, combined MPG of 32mpg with manual transmission.
US

UK Mini Cooper, same engine, combined MPG when converted from imperial gallons to US gallons of 43.5mpg with manual transmission.
UK
 






Looks like your government wants you guys to burn gasoline for some reason.
 






This question may seem a little off topic but, how much is a pack of smokes over in the US?

Here in Australia it's now almost $20 for a pack of 25's

The reason I ask is that governments usually rake in a whole lot of tax dollars on Smokes and Gasoline.
 






Hey, while we're at it lets throw an Australian Mini in there.
40.6mpg
AU
 






This question may seem a little off topic but, how much is a pack of smokes over in the US?

Here in Australia it's now almost $20 for a pack of 25's

The reason I ask is that governments usually rake in a whole lot of tax dollars on Smokes and Gasoline.

Yeah the gov. taxes them a lot. And it varies from state to state how much the states tax them on top of it. I don't smoke but I think they're around $5.50 a pack these days depending on the brand. I'm sure there's someone around that can answer better.
 












How do government restrictions factor in?

The government has allowed the sale of zr1 Corvettes, the Chevy hhr, Ford gt's, 32v supercharged Mustangs and f150 lightnings, lamborghinis, 500HP vipers... do I need to keep going?

So, we're saying government regulations allow all the above, but they specifically prohibit anyone selling a car with a pickup bed? Or is it a minimun roof/hood height thing that only applies to trucks?


To name a few..
CAFE.
5mph bumpers
airbags, abs, and other safety requirements
crumple zones
bumper heights
emission restrictions


you may feel that the government is doing "the right thing" with some of its mandates, but that doesn't change the fact that those are all hurtles for the designers of the cars. yes, they have 500+ horsepower vehicles for sale, but just imagine if they didn't have to abide by the above criteria, cars could be lighter, more stylish, and much higher compression (which would give more horsepower and fuel economy).

Those 500 horsepower vehicles could easily be 1000 hp vehicles if the designers could rock high compression, larger combustion chambers, and longer duration cams.


The chevy HHR which you used as an example, was a retro vehicle if i'm not mistaken, yet it lacks many key elements i would expect in a classic. chrome bumpers, for example.
 












How do government restrictions factor in?

The government has allowed the sale of zr1 Corvettes, the Chevy hhr, Ford gt's, 32v supercharged Mustangs and f150 lightnings, lamborghinis, 500HP vipers... do I need to keep going?

So, we're saying government regulations allow all the above, but they specifically prohibit anyone selling a car with a pickup bed? Or is it a minimun roof/hood height thing that only applies to trucks?


Agreed, and trucks (for now) are exempt from the plastic bumper laws. (although they do still have crumple zones) It's cars that have plastic bumpers.. compare any of the new "retro" cars (camaro, mustang, charger, etc) with the classic muscle cars they are modeled after.
 






US Mini Cooper, 1.6L 16v engine, combined MPG of 32mpg with manual transmission.
US

UK Mini Cooper, same engine, combined MPG when converted from imperial gallons to US gallons of 43.5mpg with manual transmission.
UK

they are not the same, while cid might be the same, nothing else is, even the fuel from the gas station.
 






How are they not the same? Why are they going to make two different engines that are both 1.6L with 16v OHC to stick in the same vehicle? Yes they may be tuned a little different for variations in fuel and so forth. But that's part of my point. Even if they're not the same they are the same size engine in the same vehicle and should get comparable mileage. But they don't. And it's due to differences in emission regulation.

You are just talking out of your tailpipe. And what are you 12? You argue about everything with everybody.
 






what's the ratio of ST vs f150 & superduty ads you see? i've only seen a handfull of ST ads ever; I see truck ads every day. I think if they pushed the trac like they do the big trux, they might make up the difference in per unit profit with volume, because IMO the ST is the ideal vehicle for everyone everywhere - it should be the top selling vehicle worldwide!

That was the point a few of us tried to politely get across to the Ford brass, you might not sell a lot of Sport Tracs but you don't advertise them either. We got a shoulder shrug and a "We just run the factory, we don't decide what gets built" sort of response.

When I was in Italy I saw a lot of Fiat Pandas. Looks a lot like a Yugo. A Yugo might be a rebadged Panda. Don't know if they still make them. No way would it pass a U.S. crash test. Saw some Ford Focuses, looks just like the Focus we have here but most of them were diesels. The Mondeo wagon is a badazz looking ride. At least in Rome you wouldn't even WANT a big car, traffic is too heavy and nowhere to park. Mostly there is a white line painted a few feet out from the sidewalks and you parallel park inside the line. The Smart Car drivers get over because they are short enough to park straight in. :D

I did see a Chrysler 300C err, Magnum. Had the Dodge Magnum wagon body but a Chrysler 300C front end. They don't sell that here as far as I know. A fair number of Jeeps, both Wranglers and Cherokees, all diesel.

I'm not saying that all European cars are unsafe polluters, it's just a matter that they place more of a priority on MPG and trade off some other things to get it.

I did happen to be in Siena when the Mille Miglia went through and saw a Bugatti Veryon in the flesh.

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Jeep Diesel.

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general x, if they made that in a crew cab I would consider actually buying a Jeep. I love the look of the older Jeep's.
 






Give me a single cab, bench seat, stick shift and (dreaming) a small diesel and they couldn't take my money fast enough... Of course, it would have to be pre urea diesel so that dream was quashed even before it was an unrealistic fantasy :p
 



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