Cash For Broncos
Think the auto industry’s supply crunch is over? Think again. Ford debuted the insanely popular Bronco at a very unfortunate time — right in the middle of the pandemic — and that’s kept a lot of models from reaching buyers’ driveways. The automaker has a bunch of Bronco orders it needs to fill, and now it’s going to pay you cash money if you consider another Bronco trim level or switch to another model entirely. Automotive News explains it thusly: That excludes the Mustang Mach-E. I know what you’re thinking because I thought the same thing: get a $2,500 cancellation discount and then a $7,500 EV tax credit for that car, right? But no, it doesn’t work that way. Probably because the Mach-E is facing similar supply and demand challenges. Sad. Alternatively, customers can get the same discount by choosing another Ford vehicle. The automaker says customers can opt for any 2022 or 2023 in-stock model or elect to order an Escape, Bronco Sport, Edge, Explorer, Expedition, Ranger or F-150. Here’s what Ford has to say about the matter:
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Why doesn’t Tesla fix Autopilot? All these Model 3s crashing into swimming pools lately, it’s getting tiresome. “It’s cosmetic, or could be cosmetic,” Marentic made clear, saying owners can keep driving and “posting the way they’re posting and showing what this vehicle is capable of.”
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The talks are still in a preliminary stage, and a deal may ultimately fall through. In addition to BYD, Ford is also talking to other manufacturers, including Magna International Inc., a Canadian contract auto manufacturer, and financial investors, who could potentially join with a manufacturer, the people said. “After all this time, Autopilot still doesn’t allow collaborative steering and doesn’t have an effective driver monitoring system,” said Consumer Reports Auto Testing director Jake Fisher in a statement. Support our mission of championing car culture by becoming an Official Autopian Member.
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It’s really killed his enthusiasm for the model and I think he’s going to wind up canceling his order and going in another direction. I get that these are ridiculous times for car manufacturing and the supply chain, but honestly shame on Ford for how hard they’ve overpromised and under delivered with this, the Maverick, and the Mach E. They all seem like great cars…but to make desirable cars, then tell customers they can get whatever they want, then tell customers they can get most of what they want, and eventually tell customers “lol sorry it may never happen” is weak as hell. It’s also frustrating to hear this Ford rep spewing excuses. Just admit you overpromised and underdelivered. It’s what all these damn companies do. Hell, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if it came out later that Ford has been limiting supply on purpose. It’s what pretty much all these manufacturers are doing with enthusiast models…and it’s enabling scalpers to eat up supply and profit, bloodsucking dealerships to slap ridiculous markups on them, et cetera. All these companies want to make excuses about how none of this is their fault but guess what? A lot of it is. I’m a day 1 reservation, still waiting. As a Base ManSquatch hopeful, this news has nudged me to switch to a base Base. If it gets built this MY, I’ll be under $30k out the door. If not, I’m just not a Ford customer going forward (another common refrain). I feel extra bad for people that have to sacrifice on their $50k+ WildTrak order for a relatively small incentive. I had wanted a Bronco since I was a little kid, and I thought my dream was going to come true. They crushed that right out of me. In the process of handling my Bronco order, then my Maverick order when I gave up on the Bronco, then their lack of effort in handling my request to find another vehicle when I couldn’t wait on the Maverick any more, and finally their ineptitude in the final service of my previous vehicle, the dealer destroyed the trust I had in my 15 year relationship with them. I will never go back to them for anything, ever again. Apparently, an enormous company like Ford still hasn’t learned that if you do it cheap once, you just do it expensive twice. From the forums, the first issue of the tops delaminating was a design issue from the Ford side, but it was partially or completely masked by manufacturing issues on the Webasto side. If the plant had been up and running sooner, that’s the sort of issue that would have been caught in C sample (production intent, non production process) or D sample (production intent, production process) testing. I haven’t heard much about the cracking around the rear window, but I also stopped following Bronco news after I cancelled my order due to extensive delays with poor communication from my dealer and Ford (I got left out of all the “sorry” gifts from Ford). At the end of the day, the average consumer thinks that Ford screwed up, and Ford must be incompetent for these issues. Many times the issues were impossible to predict or were the results of other upstream issues they couldn’t prevent. But, as with my comment on another article, the lack of clear and timely communication with customers is what kills relationships. Which is a very convenient way to not only take away the $2500 credit (it’s not a rebate, it’s not cash in your pocket, it’s store credit.) And also to line their own pockets, as the 2024 will likely have no significant changes, the same unavailable options, and a significant price increase. (I’m hearing $1750+ for affected trim levels.) “The talks are still in a preliminary stage, and a deal may ultimately fall through. In addition to BYD, Ford is also talking to other manufacturers, including Magna International Inc., a Canadian contract auto manufacturer, and financial investors, who could potentially join with a manufacturer, the people said.” I’m not ruling BYD out by any stretch – they have the full financial backing of the Chinese government. But I’d definitely put Magna out in front of them in terms of preference. BYD is a direct competitor to Ford; Magna International is a key and major supplier for Ford. Selling their plant to an active partner that makes parts for their BEVs means having their cake and eating it too. They get a bunch of cash, and they get more capacity for their own products. (Yes, Magna makes things for other people too. But Ford still benefits. It’s a win-win there.) BYD is a direct competitor, especially with BYD very recently introducing a pickup truck that would compete with the Maverick/Ranger in Europe. “We’re not sure yet exactly how Honda will adjust the European car’s powertrain, which consists of a 2.0-liter inline-four and two electric motors that combine for 181 horsepower, for the U.S. market.” The third gen Insight wasn’t a flop because of a lack of power. It was a lack of completely failing to understand the market. It was cheap, it actually felt cheap, and next to the new Civic the 4th gen interior felt painfully dated. Honda only managed to move 5,722 of them in the first 6 months of last year – 1/4th the number of Priuses (Pririi? Priiiiiiii?) Toyota moved. And it’s extremely easy to see why just by comparing the two visually, particularly the interior. I mean come on. The new for 2019 Insight’s infotainment screen looked like they made a trip to BestBuy and asked for the cheapest thing they had on the shelf. And then found a way to make it look and feel even cheaper. Absolutely zero “I bought a hybrid” green credibility; it’s just an Accord with badges. Except next to any other 2019 Honda it looked and felt chintzy and cheap – because it was. Nobody aspired to an Insight. Nobody respected an Insight. Nobody was impressed by an Insight. And it simply brought nothing to the table as a car other than the feeling of a penalty box commuter. “Why doesn’t Tesla get its shit together when it comes to Autopilot?” Because they don’t give a shit and never have given a shit. Move fast, kill people. What’re you gonna do, sue them? They don’t even pay their rent. I wonder how it compares in size/volume with my Alltrack. Not that I’m trading in—I freaking love that car—but the Honda has its appeal. I know being unfettered with rules and regulations can lead to innovation, but at this point in the game I feel like regulations would benefit the public at this point. enough with the branded name systems, here is the list of required levels of automation and here is what you have to call it if it can meet these levels. To fix Autopilot, Tesla would have to admit they screwed up. The engineering and design teams are capable of that, I’m sure. There just seems to be one single road block in doing so. …. Welp So, yeah, there’s that. Maybe the Chinese should clone the Bronco hard tops. I might be interested in the hose out the Sasquatch option. That and, at least anecdotally (Silicon Valley code monkey here, get plenty of 1st and 2nd hand testimonials), much of their experienced engineering workforce is being hollowed out. Place was always a dysfunctional hellhole to work at and now that the share price party is over most the folks who have no problem finding jobs elsewhere are doing just that. Remember the phrase ‘good, fast, and cheap. Pick 2’? I think it’s down to picking 1. Sure, it would be better to admit those things and fix the problems, but that isn’t as flashy and they’ve currently got a customer base that will support them. As for Autopilot. Tesla would have to admit something doesn’t work and can’t blame others. Not going to happen. If I was going to buy a Bronco, I want the red on on the header picture. The Heritage edition ones are so fucking sweet looking. I’d probably find a way to go with Federal Standard 34350 myself
