Selling Volvo no loss to Ford

Volvos or Fords, same eniggerneering.

There's not a spittoonful worth of difference except for the name.

Alan Mulally knows this because he's a Boeing man. He knows the FAA
certification board would laugh him all the way to the outhouse if either
one of these automobile brands were airplanes. There is virtually nothing
in these cars that even remotely approach the design philosophy, materials,
or production methods used even in the cheapest light planes, which cost
less than some overpriced road iron.

I have a Detroit Iron Wonder. It must have at least two hundred wires and
plastic connectors just for the integrated charging, fuel, and ignition
system. None of these wires are silver plated. None of these connections
are gold plated, each of which cost all of 2 cents to do. Silver and gold
plating makes for non-corrosive connections. None of these connections are
metal shrouded, waterproof and mechanically secure. When some of these
connections go bad, it takes a rocket scientist at $120 an hour to figure
it out. Half the cars on the junk heap are there because of one bad
connection nobody could figure out. Thanks Chrysler, Ford, GM and Volvo.

Not to mention all current cars have too touchy steering, gas pedals, and
nothing is easy to service. Mulally, at $120 an hour shop time, think five
minute replacement of alternator, starter, water pump, air-con compressor,
clutch plate, power steering pump, power brake booster, radiator, radio
receiver, heater/air-con core or any dashboard gauge. Mulally, THINK.

I don't want to hear my ideas would make a car cost $1,000,000. You could
buy Piper Cub once for $1200, when cheap cars were $800, a ratio of 1.5:1;
therefore if a car can be made to present low life standards for $18000,
then one to my pedigreed can be done for $24,000, well within the range of
today's prices. So called luxury cars today cost five times what an entry
level car costs and are made not one iota better. Its a ripoff and
everybody knows it and its showing up in listless sales. Mulally, do some
history research on this subject and come up with an honest car, not some
warmed over lead sled.

Lead sled rings a bell. Sure, you can get today's lead sleds to get an
advertised 30 mpg, but only with streamlining, low rolling resistance
tires, level roads, trick overdrive transmissions, cleaning out the trunk,
running on empty and driven by a 90 pound ex-horse jockey. But, once you
add in hills, stop and go driving, and add mvgw payloads, your mileage goes
to pot because your cars are at least 3/4 ton overweight. Advertise that!

Junk, junk, and more junk, for decades on end. That's all we get from auto
makers.

 

Sorry, there are some VERY GOOD cars out these days, but Fjord, I
mean, Volvo, isn't building them.

Think BMW 335i: Dollar for dollar, the best car in the world.

Or Audi A3: a very close second.

Deutschland, Deutschland uber alles!

 

<snip>

GAWD, George - all this babbling and not a clue you actually mean Saab
(GM). Good thing YOU'RE not making cars.

 

...unless you are over 5' 7", you can't sit in the back seat without clunking
your head on the roof !

But yes, a nice motor indeed.

Cheers
Mal
Oz

 

10 years ago I had a Ford Taurus as a company car. It was a great car.
Inexpensive, reliable, etc.....

My wife hated it, because all of my co-workers drove the same car. So we
ended up with a Volvo Cross Country. What a piece of shit. I have NEVER
had a car that has been so expensive to maintain. There was absolutely no
thought put into engineering this car to minimize maintenance costs. Some
examples:

1. My drive shaft bearing failed. The bearing was not replaceable. I
needed to buy a new drive shaft to the tune of $900.

2. The fuel pump failed. To replace it, they had to drop the fuel tank.
To do that, the dealer had to completely disassemble the rear end. Total
Bill $1,500. Why couldn't they put in an access panel so you could get at
the fuel pump from the top?

3. The ultimate kicker: The light bulb on my gear shifter burned out. To
get at it, you need to completely disassemble the center console. $130.

Forget it if you want to do any of this yourself. Shop manuals are no
longer sold. You have to get an internet subscription to their on-line
manual. $50 for 3 days of access. $3,250 for 1 year!!!!

After 20 years of Volvo ownership, I will NEVER again buy another Volvo.

Mike Schumann

 

GM might have bought Saab, but have you driven a 900 or 9000?

Saab knew how to make a car before GM bought them.

Newer Saab cars are not what they used to be, by a couple of miles...

Kinda like newer Volvos.

(And I do own a Ford BTW)

 

325 Beemer, I would have to agree, I'm driving (sometimes) my ****
friend's mother's 1991 Convertible 325.

The Audi A3 is a rebadged Volskwagen. Same expensive parts & such

Try a Turbo A4. I've driven one last year, 2,200Kms on it, brand new, my
friend's girlfriend lent it to me. Nice power for a 4-cylinder, but I
would never trade my V8 torque for that toy.

 

Lets not feed the troll folks. Check this clown's profile:

"This account has been banned because it violated the Google Groups
Terms Of Use. Enter an email address to look up the profile for an
author:"

 

Exactly what happens when a bigger brand buying a smaller,Volvo made quality
cars some years ago.
The XC and the other 4 wheel drives have another issue as well,if you get a
flat tire you MUST change both wheels,to same size,on that axle or that one
will get a real serious failure with heavy costs
A neighbour got this and he got a nice bill for the job,$4-5 000 so he old
the car to the dealer thinking it was worth loosing that money to buy an
asian car,wich is more reliable.

Will automakers learn?? well,at least one thing,the bigger lack of
reliabilty the less people wants to buy their product.
But this will unfortunately take a long time to convince the guys with the
money cause they wants just low costs at any price.

 

I smell a K-K-Klandestine poster.

Java