Street Presence: do we have to wait for mustang?

[HULK_I6T]

The fg and b series were nice cars but never had the road presence of a chrysler 300c, or even a HSV car.. they may have been better substance wise with the i6t and miami v8 but the average person (non ford enthusiast) would still prefer hsv or chrysler 300c. Also considering the price of a new falcon people see a similarly priced bmw / mercedes or audi as a vehicle with higher social standing. Additionally, i tell people im considering a new falcon and they tell me why would i spend money on a bogan car. The falcon cant seem to shake off the bogan label (much like commodore).

Is the FGX going to give the falcon some street presence? and lift its social standing? Im not sure it will..

To me current falcon just looks too subtle, too safe, doesnt stand out or look anything special.. Not many people (non ford people) say wow when they see a fg or a b series, the fpv cars included. But non ford people would more likely be impressed by a 300c or even a hsv car and easily impressed by euro cars..

I know you buy cars to drive them not worry what your neighbour thinks and the falcon excels on this basis but cars are also a status symbol. Sort of like wearing designer clothes instead of target. Falcon just doesnt wow anyone (non ford enthusiasts) and is more target than designer label.

So with this in mind, many of us contemplating dropping $60k on a new fgx falcon, am I going to get a car with some road presence? Socially will the new falcon be able to flick off the bogan tag?

Is fgx going to change this??

I think mustang brings its own identity, unique look and its own history.. its not a falcon, its an american hero car familiar to even non ford people...and at falcon price.

im really thinking of skipping fgx and going straight to mustang... I want some street presence.... I also dont wanna spend $60k and be labelled a bogan for my trouble.

are others going fgx or mustang?

[turbo4]

Dude, it's not even friday yet! We can't start the week with a hulk thread.

[commodorenutt]

I know exactly what you mean, and you're right, far too many people are hung up on the false facade provided by a "luxury" euro car.

Interesting conversation at work when I was choosing between the G6 and a Mondeo Titanium. Unlike most of my colleagues, I chose the G6.

One person in particular piped up with "oh, the Mondeo is German precision, not Aussie rubbish" which our subsequent fault/warranty analysis proved to be the opposite, with almost every mondeo having a major issue in the first 12 months - several gearboxes, expensive A/C failures etc - but I digress.

One detractor commented that he would never own a "Taxi" and would buy a 10 year old Mercedes for the same dollar value.

A German colleague (a Falcon fan) piped up with "In my country, Mercedes Benz are taxi, just like Falcon is in this country, why you want German taxi for?"

But that is the attitude - people want to impress the neighbours with a flash looking Euro, even if it's 10 years old and cost as much as a new XR6. Baby Merc, BMWs and Audis sell for that exact reason - the perceived status. Hell, in the 80s, Mercs that cost twice as much as a Fairmont Ghia had vinyl trim & 4 cylinder engines - but that didn't stop the status seekers.

I don't think the Falcon could ever shake that - nor could the commodore. HSV & FPV were only slightly better off. Even the Fairlane/LTD suffered against small, cheap Euros - company car carparks that used to be filled with the various levels of Falco-dores from base models to the luxury ones for the MD are now full of Hyundais & small/medium Euros.

Here's Ford's chance to re-invent a new image for a flagship model, and the feedback in the pricing thread suggests that's what they're trying to do.

They won't change the minds of many older locals who still see the Mustang as a cost-effective way to turn the Falcon into a pony car.... nor will the shake off the bad memories of the dismal Mustang II and the 80s era, but if they market it well, to cashed-up Gen Y who are too young to remember, then they may just make it work.

Very few cars could match the presence of a 300C though - but it polarizes people too. Ford are too conservative for a bold move like that!

[Brodes]

Originally Posted by HULK_I6T

I also dont wanna spend $60k and be labelled a bogan for my trouble.

Who cares? If it's a car that suits your needs then take your own advice and not care what your neighbour thinks. Sounds like you buy cars not for yourself, but to please other people's opinion.

[HULK_I6T]

Originally Posted by Brodes

Who cares? If it's a car that suits your needs then take your own advice and not care what your neighbour thinks. Sounds like you buy cars not for yourself, but to please other people's opinion.

Plenty people buy cars as a status symbol.

Why else would someone buy a large Audi a6 instead of a falcon g6et..surely they are not going to pay more than double just for a few gadgets more.. It's a status thing... What you drive?? "An Audi" sound better than a falcon

Or when they drop the kids off to school in a flashy Audi people think "they must be doing ok" but if driving a falcon they say "commoners".

For the same price I'm pretty sure mustang will sit better than falcon as a status thing and have more wow factor..

[Maka]

Originally Posted by HULK_I6T

Plenty people buy cars as a status symbol.

Why else would someone buy a large Audi a6 instead of a falcon g6et..surely they are not going to pay more than double just for a few gadgets more.. It's a status thing... What you drive?? "An Audi" sound better than a falcon

Or when they drop the kids off to school in a flashy Audi people think "they must be doing ok" but if driving a falcon they say "commoners".

For the same price I'm pretty sure mustang will sit better than falcon as a status thing and have more wow factor..

Thats right, quality is the last consideration when buying a status symbol aye Hulk!

cheers, Maka

[turbo4]

Originally Posted by HULK_I6T

Plenty people buy cars as a status symbol.

..

And they are all knobs

[phat_stak_tipa]

There are plenty of people who buy things, cars included that are expensive but they may not be doing OK, they overspend 'to keep up with the jones' and live right on the edge of financial ruin.......dont judge a book....you know the rest....

and it goes the other way also plenty of people here that have loads of cash and could probably buy anything they want, but appreciate value for money......i could pull all the equity out of my investments and buy a C63 AMG tomorrow to 'impress' the masses but that would not be smart, and im sure owing to the fact i live in near Mt druitt, id be labelled a drug dealer!!!!

[Franco Cozzo]

Hell it even happens within our own circle, except its RWD supreme master race vs FWD.

Don't even need to look past our own backyard lol.

[Dash_XR]

Mustangs are just as bogan as Falcons, ask anyone in the US that doesn't own one.

Buy the car that YOU like, put chev badges on it if you wanna up your street cred.

[xexr6t]

I troll, I troll it's off to ford forums I go. The Hulk theme song, sung buy dwarfes and the mental equivalent. Well done Hulk more offensive rubbish your the best.

[Poetic Justice]

Just on 300c, I think I'd be safe in suggesting that there are more people that dislike the 300c than like it - it's quite a polarising vehicle if you don't like its styling.

The Mustang will have street presence, until there's 500,000 of them on the roads

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by HULK_I6T

Plenty people buy cars as a status symbol.

Why else would someone buy a large Audi a6 instead of a falcon g6et..surely they are not going to pay more than double just for a few gadgets more.. It's a status thing... What you drive?? "An Audi" sound better than a falcon

Or when they drop the kids off to school in a flashy Audi people think "they must be doing ok" but if driving a falcon they say "commoners".

For the same price I'm pretty sure mustang will sit better than falcon as a status thing and have more wow factor..

Have a think before you post.
Plenty of people buy because believe it or not THEY LIKE IT. I never bought any of my cars to appease anyone except myself. Not that any of my cars meanimdoing well for myself. Sooner you realise this the better.

[290GTP]

I only buy cars that impress me. I dont really give a rats **** what other people think of them.

[Vesper Martini]

Hulk, I'm not sure if you think about it too much, or whether you worry about what other people think too much.
But I have observed this with you posts, you are very hung up on the status symbol of car ownership, whether good or bad.

[Auslandau]

To much so ....... and threads designed just to force a negative reaction.