We've seen article after article bemoan Toyota's falling resale values ... and discussed the lawsuits filed over that issue. It's interesting that Ford is going in exactly the opposite position, which really rests on perceived value for the individual consumer. "Ford car resale values rose an average of $2,420, the most of any automaker and almost four times the industry-wide increase, research firm Automotive Lease Guide said." To take one example: "The Fusion's resale value after three years is now $1,600 higher than that of Toyota's Camry, according to Automotive Lease Guide." It's not stated in the article, but I believe increases in resale value are both analytical and perceptive in nature. Banks, leasing companies, industry analysts, etc. crunch the numbers and watch for trends by plotting monthly data. At the same time, the analytical data would be largely for naught if buyer perceptions and purchases didn't drive the numbers the analysts crunch -- and in Ford's case, they are. The article is at: Ford resale values and its quality scores rise | freep.com | Detroit Free Press
That's good to hear. I would like to see the US car industry turn it around. Ford would have a lot more sales if they could keep up with demand for their Fussion Hybrid. I haven't seen a single one on a car lot or on the road. I see the new Honda Insight all the time. When I look at fuelly.com, I only see three 2010 FFH's and over a hundred 2010 Prius's. Ford says their Fusion Hybrid sales are close to the Insight, but my observation doesn't bear that out.
And never forget, the Camry is an American-made car (at least most of those sold here) and the Fusion is a Mexican-made car...
The Ford Fiesta is coming out soon. I saw one today with a manufacturer license plate. (I will post the photo when I transfer it from my camera to my computer)
