Forbes came up with a list of 10 worst automotive flops of 2011.
Lincoln MKT / Navigator / Town Car
The Lincoln MKT seems like a huge miscalculation - they shut down the Town Car cash car, but spent a boat load of money on a over the top overstyled SUV which is actually an avant garde rehash of the boxy Flex when a mild upgrade like the Aviator probably would have been cheaper and sold better. It was supposed to be an efficient alternative to the Navigator.
Now few people have noticed Ford has finally made a success out of the Volvo derived Ford Five-Hundred wagon (called the unloved Freestyle) after being turned into the Flex and now the Ford Explorer, and turning the Five Hundred into the Taurus. Ford is missing out on the Crown Victoria market by dropping it and making people buy the sophisticated Taurus instead of instead of offering the Australian Falcon which has evolved into an awesome V6 (and sometimes V8) full size rear drive car from the old American compact of the 1960s.
This is what an Aussie Falcon is like now: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_FG_Falcon
Just don’t ask McElroy about some of the cars on the market this year. You’re likely to get a different story.
“The Lincoln MKT is an unmitigated disaster,” McElroy says. “It’s actually a vehicle I like, but nobody agrees with me. No matter how you slice it, the MKT is just a dud.”
The MKT joins eight other vehicles that have performed significantly less than expected this year in the United States. Along with the Acura ZDX, Mitsubishi Outlander Sport and Chevrolet Aveo, these are the worst automotive flops of 2011.
continues http://autos.yahoo.com/news/worst-car-flops-of-2011.html
Lincoln MKT / Navigator / Town Car
The Lincoln MKT seems like a huge miscalculation - they shut down the Town Car cash car, but spent a boat load of money on a over the top overstyled SUV which is actually an avant garde rehash of the boxy Flex when a mild upgrade like the Aviator probably would have been cheaper and sold better. It was supposed to be an efficient alternative to the Navigator.
Now few people have noticed Ford has finally made a success out of the Volvo derived Ford Five-Hundred wagon (called the unloved Freestyle) after being turned into the Flex and now the Ford Explorer, and turning the Five Hundred into the Taurus. Ford is missing out on the Crown Victoria market by dropping it and making people buy the sophisticated Taurus instead of instead of offering the Australian Falcon which has evolved into an awesome V6 (and sometimes V8) full size rear drive car from the old American compact of the 1960s.
This is what an Aussie Falcon is like now: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_FG_Falcon
Just don’t ask McElroy about some of the cars on the market this year. You’re likely to get a different story.
“The Lincoln MKT is an unmitigated disaster,” McElroy says. “It’s actually a vehicle I like, but nobody agrees with me. No matter how you slice it, the MKT is just a dud.”
2011 Lincoln MKT
McElroy says the MKT suffers from “ungainly” body styling and an “unmitigated disaster” in sales. The fact that the Lincoln brand is no longer en vogue, coupled with the fact that Ford shuttered its sister brand, Mercury, has only served to enlarge the problem. So far, only 4,000 have been sold stateside this year
The MKT joins eight other vehicles that have performed significantly less than expected this year in the United States. Along with the Acura ZDX, Mitsubishi Outlander Sport and Chevrolet Aveo, these are the worst automotive flops of 2011.
Their list:
- Smart Fortwo
- Jetta - turned bland for the US market, but still a strong seller and nice alternative to Focus, Corolla or Chrysler 200
- Civic - falls from "best", but still the highest value nameplate compared to what else it competes against.
- Outlander Sport - too small SUV from company that doesn't sell many cars. If Chrysler rebranded it, it would sell better as well as the excellent eclipse
- Acura ZDX - wierd SUV sports car
- Lincoln MKT - wierd looking over the top when all they needed was to do to the Flex what they did to make a Navigator of the Expedition
- Dodge Nitro - With Chrysler consolidating Dodge Chrysler and Jeep, why do they need a naughtier Liberty?
- Chevrolet Aveo - I liked these as rental cars, but you can get better cars for not much more money.
- Nissan Titan - Americans love their Ford Chevy and Dodge, no matter how nice the Japanese pickups are. So how is Toyota what-ever-they call their fullsize pickup these days?
continues http://autos.yahoo.com/news/worst-car-flops-of-2011.html
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