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Ford Motor Company announced that it will discontinue the Fiesta subcompact car, the Fusion mid-size sedan and the Taurus full-size car in the U.S. USA TODAY
A 2012 Ford Taurus.
(Photo: FORD)
Ford families drive Fords. Chevrolet families drive Chevys. And they often refuse to switch.
Ford’s decision to cut nearly its entire car line, leaving only the iconic Mustang in its current form, leaves many in a quandary. If the Fiesta, Fusion and Taurus are gone, and the Focus becomes a crossover called the Focus Active, now what?
One loyalist plans to stick by Ford even though his car, a Taurus, is being discontinued.
“I will not turn my back on Ford,” says Charles Washington, a heavy-equipment repair specialist from Los Angeles who owns a 2013 Taurus SHO model. “I feel they will bring something else to the table, but they have to move on. I understand.”
Many Ford fans express dismay.
“Ford is out of their mind for killing Fusion. Unbelievable!” a Jacksonville resident said on Twitter.
@Ford is out of their mind for killing Fusion. Unbelievable!
— Adair43 (@Adair43AZ) April 26, 2018
“I love my @Ford Fusion and if I could, I would only buy Fusions for the rest of my life,” a Minnesota resident tweeted.
I love my @Ford Fusion and if I could, I would only buy Fusions for the rest of my life. pic.twitter.com/uB0BgRREPV
— Matt Wagenius (@mattwagenius) April 26, 2018
“Ford’s issue is they need to design a car people actually want to drive,” another person said.
Abandoning cars says more about Ford’s own woes than it does about the market for cars. By all accounts, the car market will bottom out at 20% market share. That’s still roughly 15 million cars. Ford’s issue is they need to design a car people actually want to drive.
— Magnvald Astgeirsson (@astgeirsson) April 27, 2018
Will loyal owners switch to competing brands? Despite an 11% decline in passenger car sales in 2017, Americans buy several million new cars every year.
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Here are 2017’s top three non-Ford sales leaders in the small car, midsize sedan and large car categories:
Will the 2018 Chevrolet Sonic be the last? It looks likely. GM will use its assembly line to build more electric and self-driving cars.
(Photo: General Motors)
Small cars
1. Hyundai Accent. This tiny car has seen better days. You’re more likely to find it on a rental car lot than in your neighbor’s driveway. But it was technically the best seller in the subcompact category in 2017.
2017 sales: 58,955
2. Honda Fit. Honda is not giving up on this category. In fact, the company announced Friday that the 2019 Honda fit would boast the same starting price as the previous model: $16,190. You’ll have to know how to drive a stick shift at that price.
2017 sales: 49,454
3. Chevrolet Sonic: There are rumors that General Motors is poised to retire the Sonic. The Sonic debuted to political fanfare shortly after 2009’s federal auto bailout and GM bankruptcy. The car was hailed as a sign of the preservation of U.S. manufacturing as its production was located in a reinvigorated Michigan factory.
2017 sales: 30,290
The 2018 Honda Accord on display at the Pittsburgh Auto Show. The Accord’s Honda Sensing suite of safety features is one of the most comprehensive around, with automatic braking, automatic high beams, lane keeping assist, and an adaptive cruise control that works down to a full stop.
(Photo: Gene J. Puskar, AP)
Midsize sedans
1. Toyota Camry. This stalwart member of the Toyota lineup isn’t going anywhere. Toyota debuted the redesigned Camry at the Detroit auto show in 2017, and sales have been strong. It’s bucking the segment’s downward trend.
2017 sales: 387,081
2. Honda Accord. This vehicle won the 2018 North American Car of the Year award after its redesign. To maintain resale values, Honda keeps discounts low. You might have to pay a little extra, but chances are high the Accord will retain brand equity.
2017 sales: 322,655
3. Nissan Altima: The Altima couldn’t escape the industry-wide decline in midsize car sales in 2017. A redesign revealed at the New York Auto Show in March 2018 gave the car new energy and appeal.
2017 sales: 254,996
A 2018 Chevrolet Impala.
(Photo: General Motors)
Full-size cars
1. Chevrolet Impala: This car fetched rave reviews when it was redesigned a few years ago. GM may consider ending the long-running nameplate amid a huge sales slump.
2017 sales: 75,877
2. Nissan Maxima: If you need a reliable full-size car, it’s hard to go wrong here, but it doesn’t have the brand cachet of the smaller Altima.
2017 sales: 67,627
3. Chrysler 300: This is one of the only car models still made in high volumes by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. It recently got a few new features, but it’s overdue for a total redesign.
2017 sales: 51,237
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