Autoblog

The Bloomfield Hills, Michigan-based RDA Group has found that Ford is on par with top-level stalwarts Toyota and Honda when it comes to vehicle quality. Ford managed 1,284 "things-gone-wrong" (TGW) per 1,000 vehicles during the first three months of ownership this year, statistically matching the two top Japanese brands, which are tied at 1,250 TGW. Though it certianly won't be the last word in the ongoing debate as to who makes the best cars, it is at least a good sign for Ford. Perhaps what's most impressive is that 36 of 40 Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda nameplates improved this year versus 2007. Ford's performance in this study marks an eight-percent improvement over the previous year, at which time they were tied with Toyota, but trailing industry-leader Honda. While Ford is glad to see quality improving, every automaker would surely like to sit alone at the top of the quality rankings, and Ford is no different.

Ford builds some pretty good vehicles these days, but faces a large perceived quality gap, as only 41-percent of consumers consider Ford vehicles according to their own internal data. For that reason, expect Ford to tout these new quality findings as part of their Drive One campaign.

[Source: Ford]

Back in the mid eighties, we think Ford could have had a winner with the corporate slogan "Bold Moves", with vehicles like the original Taurus (and our editor's personal fave, the SHO) boldly going where no vehicle had gone before. These days, with uninspiring designs like the current Taurus, "Bold Moves" just doesn't seem to fit. So, out with the old and in with the new: "Ford. Drive One." We think that the new tagline is much more in line with the Blue Oval's current position, as they make pretty good cars which do well when compared directly with their competition. Unfortunately, as was already mentioned, striking styling and innovative design are a bit lacking, so getting customers in the drivers seat is something Ford should be concentrating on.

This new tagline is the work of marketing maven Jim Farley, chosen by Alan Mulally as the man to lead Ford back from the brink, and was developed in coordination with Ford's dealer network. Ford hasn't had a hit slogan since "Have You Driven a Ford Lately" -- which is indelibly marked on the brain of anyone who's ever watched television in the eighties and nineties. According to Ford's own data, only 41% of consumers consider Ford vehicles, and this new tagline was developed to improve on that dismal number. The next hurdle will be converting those drivers into buyers. So, is this the slogan that finally sticks? We're not sure, but we do think it's a helluva lot better than "Bold Moves".

[Source: The Wall Street Journal]