Filed under: SUVs, Plants/Manufacturing, Ford, Lincoln
No surprise here: Expedition, Navigator production stopped for nine weeks
Click on the above image to see our Ford Expedition gallery
May was apparently a tough month for Ford's big SUVs. With consumer demand understandably cold for the gargantuan utes and their hard-to-swallow 12 mpg city ratings, Lincoln Navigator sales slid 37 percent while Ford Expedition sales were down 43 percent. As a result, Ford Motor Company has announced that its Wayne, Michigan, plant that assembles these vehicles will close down for nine weeks starting on Monday. While the plant sits idle, Ford will increase production of its passenger cars to better meet market demand for smaller and much more fuel efficient vehicles. Like we didn't see this coming...
Gallery: 2007 Ford Expedition EL
Gallery: 2008 Lincoln Navigator
[Source: Automotive News, subs. req'd]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Vintage 5:36PM (6/17/2008)
Boo freakin hoo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooN9INJxxy4
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joe 6:17PM (6/17/2008)
that video is informative, but also has its fair share of flaws. e.g., it suggests driving older cars, but modern safety technology is completely left out of the picture (stability control (would prevent many roll-over accidents, let alone any accidents), more airbags, stronger safety cell, etc). as another e.g., it ignores fuel consumption problems of older cars. as another e.g., it ignores that older cars tend to be poorly maintained such that they are horrible polluters and are worse polluters even when well-maintained. as another e.g., there is a huge inequality of car size on the roads nowadays such that a small toyota corolla from the early nineties would be totalled and its driver annihilated if it was involved in any serious accident with an SUV. as another e.g., it completely ignores the ability of old cars to have their parts recycled or used for scrap. and so on, and so on. it's very one-sided and seems to have been made with a conclusion already drawn and any persuasion put in the middle without balance. i don't think it is very credible.
FRagmit 9:51AM (6/18/2008)
Where does this 12 MPG come from?
I get 17 MPG, as I have stated before, in my 07 Expy.
Autoblog got 16:
Considering the curb weight of three tons and our mix of driving, we weren't disappointed when we achieved 16.0 MPG over the course of the test.
..in their own tests.
I don't know where or how someone got 12.
Dan 5:44PM (6/17/2008)
These vehicles have depreciated incredibly.
The used lots here have loaded 07 Expeditions under 20 grand and they can't give them away.
When gas was $2, the same trucks were rolling off the lots as fast as they came in for well over 30 grand.
Even at $5 a gallon, that 15 grand savings would mean you're coming out ahead for the first 75,000 miles.
(If the truck should make it so far without needing new spark plugs you can't replace or spontaneously burning to the ground or something first.)
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Matt 5:53PM (6/17/2008)
"Dan:
(If the truck should make it so far without needing new spark plugs you can't replace or spontaneously burning to the ground or something first.)"
Awesome...
Johhny 6:03PM (6/17/2008)
Dan,
Why do people like you always think the "X amount" of money people save on a "X" SUV will pay for "X amount" of gas for "X amount" of time?
People dont think like that. They dont tell themselves I have 30 grand to blow. and O must blow all 30 grand. I will buy something for 26,000 and put 4000 on my Visa then withdraw from that Visa till the 4000 runs out.
No matter what you pay for the car people still dont want to waste money on gas. Even if you go out and buy a 2006 Suburban for 20,000 the thought of "wow what a deal I got" starts to die 2 months into it and the guy parks the truck 4 months into it.
Trust me it happened to my neighbor. He bought a Suburban and told me what a great deal he got. Either 20 grand for a 35 grand truck or 20 grand for a 20 grand sedan. His happiness died off 2 months into it and now he barely drives it.
This is one of those cases where a penny saved IS NOT a penny earned. my neighbor did not put away 15 grand away for gas money. It was all in his head.
Torrent 9:54PM (6/17/2008)
you were fine until the last paragraph.
That One Person 5:49AM (6/18/2008)
(If the truck should make it so far without needing new spark plugs you can't replace or spontaneously burning to the ground or something first.)
Typical Ford hating ignorance.
nastinupe 5:52PM (6/17/2008)
I am kind of happy about the gas prices increasing. It's killing the SUV. It's like cutting off your foot because of gangrene. You're suffering, but you're killing the disease.
I will be so happy when the last of these SUV's cease to exist!
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Matt 5:54PM (6/17/2008)
Yeah, but then we have to look at vehicles like the Ford Flex and attempt to keep our last meal down.
Chris 5:57PM (6/17/2008)
don't hold you breath. When series hybrids take off SUVs will return because even they will get good mileage.
small cars and small car hybrids are only a passing fancy to be replaced by the full size cars people expect once the technology catches up. See : Chevy Volt.
SUV frames already have all the weight capacity needed for larger battery packs below the passenger area. Hell they are ideally laid out for series hybrid style technology.
If anything it will be a world of CUV type vehicles.
The Luigiian 6:51PM (6/17/2008)
What Chris said dude.
I know I can't stand SUVs, but as soon as they make a fuel-efficient pickup I'll replace my sedan with it, regardless of its size. I like fishing and need a place in the back to hold muddy fishing rods and gear in. Y'know, and golf clubs, sometimes garbage, old furniture, Christmas tree, etcetera.
Sorry, Americans will find a way to buy bigger vehicles.
Speaking of which: Ford said they were going to build the F-100 at the Expedition/Navigator plant. I'm not saying they're going to retool the plant for the F-100, but, uh, the Euro Ranger's there, Ford...
Torrent 5:59PM (6/17/2008)
Don't get me wrong, the GM and FoMoCo SUV's are very nice, but I think it'd be nice if they Cancelled production for about 2-3 years and sold all of the 06-08's before making more of them.
If you're at a party with 200 people and you make chips, but no one eats them, they're obviously not wanted.
GM and FMC make the chips (suv's) no one wants anymore.
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3cubed (4squared plus 2squared) 7:27PM (6/17/2008)
Thats why you bring beer. Everyone loves beer!
Torrent 8:02PM (6/17/2008)
....and the beer is Hybrids.
almost Dr. G.. 8:02PM (6/17/2008)
guess no one is getting high at that party.
YourNameHere 6:07PM (6/17/2008)
Hey at-least they are doing something about it rather then continuing to build them and letting them sit. its better then the "The economy will bounce back and gas prices will drop" strategy at some of the other auto makers.
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JP 6:08PM (6/17/2008)
This is just the natural swing of the market. Everyone knew eventually the SUV bubble would burst. The market shifted to smaller cars in the 70's and now we are back at that point in the cycle.
Hybrid technology is still in it's infancy, eventually they will be able to make large vehicles that get reasonable gas mileage and average vehicle sizes will swing up again.
Nothing is ever static.
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MajorGeek 6:14PM (6/17/2008)
Hey Hummer haters from a few threads below, where are you now? You should be tossing your 2 cents in here as another poster child for bad gas mileage. You don't actually think this thing get over 12 MPG do you? Course, I dont care, I think ill take my Hummer for a gas spewing ride right now. Woo hooh.
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2004m3driver 6:57PM (6/17/2008)
Have fun, I'd rather blow a tank of gas in an inefficient sports car then a lumbering suv on the streets. Whats so fun about sitting high when everyone is looking down on you and your wallet is empty.