Ford and GM brand loyalty.

Here in the UK we have a vast array of car manufacturers to choose from. I know this is the case in the U.S too, but do you still have the intense rivalry between Ford and GM? And do people literally hate the opposition or has all that faded somewhat over the years? Do people own nothing but Fords while their neighbour owns nothing but GM?

I think there will always be those brand loyal vehicle customers. I was in an accident a few months ago and was picking up the rental car. As it turned out there was a young girl picking up a car at the same time. She had an accident in her truck and the rental company had set her up with a Ford. She refused and said her family only drove Dodge and she wouldn't put a Ford in the driveway. I tend to stay away from Ford as I had one and it was nothing but trouble. I put 4 front ends in it and it never was right. Next year I will be in the market for a vehicle and I honestly have no idea what I want.

I just bought a new Ford a few months ago. So far I'm impressed and I'm already thinking about my next Ford purchase.

I owned a Chevy back in 2006 and had the same thoughts back then. I was impressed and considering buying another Chevy.

The commercials will certainly lead you to believe there is a rivalry and one is better than the other. But I don't think that's true. Some like Ford, some like Chevy. I don't have any issues with either guy and what they choose to own. I think both companies produce quality cars.

Because I own a Ford and I've built the rapport with my Ford dealer I will very likely buy another Ford.

Thanks for that Gents. Many years ago I went to the U.S, in fact I went three times. I don't remember seeing any French cars like Peugeot, Citroen or Renault. Is it till the case that they are not sold there? Or are they now available?

Joe Namath said:

Thanks for that Gents. Many years ago I went to the U.S, in fact I went three times. I don't remember seeing any French cars like Peugeot, Citroen or Renault. Is it till the case that they are not sold there? Or are they now available?

Click to expand...

Never seen those cars at all here. I'm imagine they can be imported but you would have to REALLLLLYYYY be a big fan of those cars and want one desperately as I'm sure it ain't cheap to import and then make them legal to drive in the US.

I think only the French would be enthusiastic enough to export a Citroen to the States. They have all made some classics in their time though. Citroen in particular. The 2CV, DS and the SM were groundbreaking cars, all for very different reasons. Renault are huge in Europe and have an understanding with Nissan, and Peugeot who are closely linked to Citroen seem to do well over here too. I suppose it's fair to say that certainly in recent years all three manufacturers have concentrated on economy Eurohatch models, which are not really aimed at the US market. They all sell well in the UK but they don't seem to attract brand loyalty or indeed a great deal of enthusiasm. They are bought on price rather than emotion I think. The classic Citroen DS from the 60s are worth a fortune now though. Incredible but complex car, that was restricted in sales when new due to its hefty price tag.

Joe Namath said:

Thanks for that Gents. Many years ago I went to the U.S, in fact I went three times. I don't remember seeing any French cars like Peugeot, Citroen or Renault. Is it till the case that they are not sold there? Or are they now available?

Click to expand...

Renault used to sell in the States and Canada, but they've been gone for years. I recall reading something a year or so back that Renault's partnership with Nissan keeps them out of the North American market. (Not a bother to me - I'll take any Nissan Z car, even an old Datsun 280, over a Clio without hesitation )

I remember Peugeot sold here back in the 80's I think. Today, Peugeot/Citroen has some development partnership deal with GM in Europe. We'll probably never see those badges in the US and Canada, but bits and pieces under the hood are probably shared by both at this point.

In regards to rivalry, my experience has been that the Chevy versus Ford arguments have greatly diminished over the years. If I had to guess, I'd say that Ford and Toyota enjoy the greatest brand loyalty here, outside of the luxury brands.

Edit: And come to think of it, in the late 80's, I remember seeing several Renault's all around my university campus. This makes me think they were quite affordable on the used market.

I am of the opinion that one should buy the best car for longevity. American cars in my opinion are not as well made as foreign cars. Specifically Honda's and Toyota. Trucks are a different story. Most full size American trucks are better made than foreign made. That was until recently, the Toyota Tundra was the winner of a # of awards in 2015.

I always bought American. I was raised that way as many of us were. However, I now buy what is going to be the best vehicle. American companies have changed my feelings toward purchases by moving overseas. So why should I give them my $$, unless they are going to last. When my wife's Suburban finally dies, we are going to replace it with a Honda Pilot. Only 173k miles on it and 13 years old. Engine still sounds and feels strong. So with a little luck we should get another 5 years or so out of it.

Joe Namath said:

Thanks for that Gents. Many years ago I went to the U.S, in fact I went three times. I don't remember seeing any French cars like Peugeot, Citroen or Renault. Is it till the case that they are not sold there? Or are they now available?

Click to expand...

I remember these three brands from when I was younger, going back to the early '80s and before.
But I can't remember the last time I saw any of these brands on the road around here.

We had a Renault Alliance for a few years. I think it was made in Canada. It was a fun little car that was very inexpensive to own and operate. Eventually, it was stolen and taken for a joy ride, the thieves ran it up over a curb or something and ripped a hole in the oil pan. When the oil ran out and the engine seized up, they just abandoned it and kept on running. The insurance didn't pay off because we had Liability Only coverage. And it still cost me $250 to retrieve it from the junk yard and pay for towing fees so I get my personal possessions out of the trunk.

The Peugeot and Citroen were considered upscale cars back then. I knew a few families that owned them and they loved those cars dearly.

Ford...have no real interest in any other manufacturer. I have no quarrel with GM products; I have owned a few over the years. My opinion though is that Ford makes the best full size truck on the road....period. Many people agree, some do not.
My F-150 4x4 gets flogged around the mountains and does so without a whimper or whine. Another good thing is resale value. Last I checked Ford F-150 pickups have the highest resale of any other full sized truck. That can be a good thing indeed.

My son just bought a 2016 F-150. Nice truck for certain. Truth be told I prefer the styling on my 2010 model though.

My fantasy vehicle (the one I get when I win the Mega Lottery) will be a 1996 F-150 4x4. Short bed, 5.0 liter engine, black or very dark green color, tan interior, 3" or 4" lift kit. Satellite radio and Bose speakers will round out the package. Uts Phooey on a Lexus, Mercedes or BMW. I'll take the pride of Dearborn every time......

Acmemfg said:

My fantasy vehicle (the one I get when I win the Mega Lottery) will be a 1996 F-150 4x4. Short bed, 5.0 liter engine, black or very dark green color, tan interior, 3" or 4" lift kit. Satellite radio and Bose speakers will round out the package. Uts Phooey on a Lexus, Mercedes or BMW. I'll take the pride of Dearborn every time......

Click to expand...

My fantasy vehicle is a Bentley ... chauffeur driven, of course.

Joe Namath said:

Thanks for that Gents. Many years ago I went to the U.S, in fact I went three times. I don't remember seeing any French cars like Peugeot, Citroen or Renault. Is it till the case that they are not sold there? Or are they now available?

Click to expand...

Peugeot's are not sold here in the states. I'd LOVE to own a 208.

As far as the rivalry between Ford and GM...I cannot be the only one who left that behind years ago. No one in owning either one, as neither firm can, IMO, even come close to Mazda (Japanese) or Hyundai (Korean.)

Joe:
Over here and 'back in the day', Ford stood for "F * # ^ ed-up Old Reconditioned Dodge".



But seriously, both companies make some very good cars, trucks and sedans et al (I drive a Toyota Tundra Crew-Cab).

"The cars we drive say a lot about us". Alexandra Paul

I'm in the Chevrolet camp last one I owned for 16 years, great products.

Thanks for your views, interesting stuff.
Here is another question....Is the Fiat Chrysler merger a good thing for the Mopar brands?

I'm a truck guy, and have become somewhat brand-loyal to Ford purely by default. The F-150s I've owned have been far and away more reliable than any other truck for me. Some people can apparently pick a GM product and get a good one, but not me. The last GM truck I owned soured me on the brand completely.

I've been looking at Ram trucks some. I like their styling, but the horror stories about their transmissions scare me. I've never owned a Ram.

Joe Namath said:

Thanks for your views, interesting stuff.
Here is another question....Is the Fiat Chrysler merger a good thing for the Mopar brands?

Click to expand...

With no disrespect intended to Chrysler fans, but that company should have died long ago. Chrysler was a bargain bin deal that gave Fiat manufacturing and a dealer network for their brand in North America. Chrysler enjoys one of the lowest brand loyalties of any automobile manufacturer in North America. Chrysler loyalty waxes and wanes like the ocean tide.

Jeep brand vehicles are their strongest and most consistent performers. Otherwise, they have had a series of successes, followed by poor performance. The 80's K car platform was their first saving grace, followed by the Ram trucks in the mid 90's, then the faux Bentley - the redesigned 300 - and it's variations across their lineup. But it was downhill since that, and Fiat was practically handed ownership of Chrysler.

Chrysler has done reasonably well under Fiat, with Jeep still their consistent performer, though overall they perform under market average. The recent shifter issues with Jeep could possibly cause them some financial problems for the next year or more. Fiat has been more active in their management of Chrysler than was Daimler-Benz, which can only be a good thing for everyone involved, from production line workers to investors.

Fiat needs the Chrysler brand recognition to maintain them in North America, but I bet they'd be just fine with keeping the dealer network and manufacturing, and letting the Chrysler name fade into the sunset.

Mr Bob...thanks for that. I remember the K series cars from when I was there in the late 80s.
I met a girl in El Paso, Texas and she drove her Mother's car which was a K series, with Plymouth badging.
I remember thinking at the time that the car was a 'neat' package and was tidily presented and seemed 'sensible'.
I had rented a Buick Regal and drove all the way from Florida to El Paso. The Buick seemed huge and very comfortable but it did develop an aircon fault despite being very new.
I remember seeing a new Toyota in a showroom for the same price in Dollars as we pay in Pounds. Which is not uncommon. Americans get better deals, and your fuel prices were a lot less than ours and still are.

I also noticed that everybody drove on the wrong side of the road!!!!
And the steering wheel was on the wrong side!! Mental.

I haven't had an American car in a long time after having a crummy ford that was trouble. However ive rented a few fords as of late, and have been really impressed by them! I'd consider buying one perhaps