cmoore

- Question - (Example here Ford Hybrids) since the ware is spread between two power plants, internal combustion and electric motor? From a power plant point of view, Is 100,000 on the odometer of a hybrid more equal to 50,000 on a car with just a gasoline engine? This question which I don't know the answer to, gave rise to more stuff which follows. I was having lunch with a friend and found myself expressing something I never thought about before. If you think about what a car costs now coupled with how advanced we have become, the idea that 100,000 miles is still what most people see as a benchmark in durability instead of 200,000 + miles seems very outdated to me now. With the median price of a car over $30,000 combined with the quality of todays manufacturing and how computers factor into every step from design to manufacturing, and car operations, other then an old business model and the way profit is realized there us no reason why any car cannot last 200,000 miles with no major problems. No reason beyond the fact that the car industry still needs to support a business model where the lions share of profit for dealerships is in parts and service - according to the NADA (National Automobile Dealers Association) Is it at least possible that we are accepting what may be an obsolete benchmark for no other reason then to support a business model that's more then 100 years old now? This brings me to Hybrid / Electric technologies. It occurs to me that the only way we will see a shift in this will be electric technology. As far as the power plant is concerned, all the repairs and service parts related only to internal combustion engines (moving engine parts, emissions, related cooling etc.) are gone when all you have is an electric motor. You still have all the body and suspension and all of that. Seriously though how is it possible that the remaining parts cant last to 200,000, unless of course you need them to fail before that. It is possible that labor costs that effect the margins at point of sale simply wont make it possible for the current dealership model to survive without the current parts and service road map. Perhaps the only way forward is the Tesla model, where (as an example) Fords would only be sold by Corporate Ford stores and the old dealership middle man model would simply fade away. Your thoughts ?

I think I just figured out a technique that CARMAX uses to move cars. I noticed at 2010 FF Hybrid but for close to 2k over BB. I thought I'll sit back and see if what I heard was true that if the car wont sell in 30 days they knock the price down a bit. Then Pow "this is no longer available" I thought well they sold it..... okay. About three days later I check my Carmax favorite list where Im tracking sales, and the car is back but now for sale in their car lot two hours away in the the south SF bay area. A way more expensive area and at the same price. I had not realized until now how they are leveraging their various retail locations to try move cars this way. Interesting. Cmoore

160,000 in two years wow -- amazing!

I was considering the purchase of a 2010 Fusion Hybrid. Right now the idea of a 2010 over (as an example) a 2014 or 15 is a matter finances. Also I understand the 2010 was a very solid Hybrid car. My Honda Accord is a 1999 but only has 116,000 on it, so I don't absolutely need to buy another car at this time. An Accord Hybrid would of course be considerably more money. I wanted to get some thoughts form people on the 2010 Fusion Hybrid: Reliably and maintenance costs as well as what may be a major expense between 100 - 150,000 miles. Is 100,000 miles on a hybrid car, the same as 100,000 on an dedicated gasoline car as it pertains to reliability etc. Thanks, Clayton