Ford decision makers have me wondering at times

Supercharged · 14-04-2011, 10:39 PM

Ford decision makers have me wondering at times.
I was talking to the new car sales manager at the local dealership a couple of years ago and asked why the Focus was set out in European layout with the indicators on the left side, he said that Ford had told him it would cost $15 million to develop a stalk with the indicator on the right. He also said he could sell heaps of them to the traveling Nurses to name just a few but they have other vehicle types in their fleet and they want them to be the same layout. He also said half the people interested were put off straight away even though he assured them it would take just a couple of days to get used to it.
My wife was interested in one but as soon as I said the indicator was on the left that was the end of that. My mother has just purchased a new car and asked me about the Focus, I said it was a great car but knew as soon as I said the indicator is on the left it would be off the shopping list straight away which it was.
I was reading an article recently by a motor writer and he said it was a great car and couldn’t understand why it didn’t sell better than it does, well I know one reason.

Road_Warrior · 14-04-2011, 10:47 PM

Yes indicator stalks on the left in a RHD car is retarded.

Holden pulled this little stunt back when they released the VR Commodore. Their thinking was that with the indicator stalk on the left, it would make people think they are driving a european car. Obviously consumers didn't see it their way and the "initiative" was quietly reverted to the conventional RHD layout. In fact, there would have to be so few VR's made like that they must have canned it early on because no one remembers it these days.

b0son · 14-04-2011, 10:50 PM

if you choose one car over another on the basis of the indicator stalk, you werent really interested in the other car. look at the sales of european cars in recent years - growth, while aus-built plummets. clearly, indicator stalks are a minor issue.

**Polyal** · 14-04-2011, 10:50 PM

Um I reckon the amount of cars in Oz that have indicators on the "wrong side" heavily outweighs the ones on the "right". I reckon thats $15M well saved.

This is really not an issue when it comes to decision making, have a read of the latest Ford announcement, they are issues.

Never knew the VR did that..LOL..that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard.

SumoDog68 · 14-04-2011, 10:51 PM

I drive euro and aussie car and indicators being on the opposite side is not an issue.

draxx · 14-04-2011, 10:52 PM

That's the main reason why I never bought a Ford Focus when we were looking for a new car a few years back. After a few weeks reasearching, test driving etc, it came down to a Focus, current shape Lancer or a Mazda 3.

We ended up with the Lancer, mainly due to the 5 year warranty, with the Focus being struck off the list because of the indicator stalk - reminded me too much of the Astra I used to have to drive for work

Ultimately, we only kept the Lancer for a year, before I was sick of driving inside a tin can down the Calder Hwy - sold it then bought the XR6 in my avatar!!

#Russ#Es# · 14-04-2011, 11:00 PM

Own one and tell me its a bad idea. I guess its a personal choice, but if you drive a manual it means you can keep one hand wheel at all times and the other hand to change gear and indicate (and 'signal' other drivers in Sydney). Even though my previous car was a Falcon, I got used to it straight away. Have driven other cars briefly since with the right hand indicator but had no issues adjusting. Seriously, you'll wonder what all the is about after you spend less than 2 days adjusting to it.

And I'm pretty certain the VW Golf have a left hand indicator and they seem to sell ok...

SEZ213 · 14-04-2011, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by b0son

if you choose one car over another on the basis of the indicator stalk, you werent really interested in the other car. look at the sales of european cars in recent years - growth, while aus-built plummets. clearly, indicator stalks are a minor issue.

I'm with you on that one - to choose (or not choose) a car because of an indicator stalk...that's pretty petty.

The car is tops - Fiesta, Focus, Mondeo. They all drive like dreams...and better than any other car I've driven. The Daewoo in 2000 had a left hand indicator stalk. It is a minor issue, if the engine didn't run properly, then be concerned - but they are surprisingly easy to get used to.

I think you're going to have problems in the future, particularly when everything goes to the euro platform. What are you going to do? Walk?

Supercharged · 14-04-2011, 11:04 PM

I don’t have a problem with it but it is their money and their decision what they buy it is up to the individual and as older people dis-like change more than others. I have not seen an option along this line but it may not be a bad idea.

SteveJH · 14-04-2011, 11:11 PM

Silly reason not to buy a car. Only takes a couple of minutes to get used to it, then you don't even think about it.

Wretched · 14-04-2011, 11:12 PM

really? it's that much of a problem to you? You really think Ford should spend stupid amounts of money to satisfy two people? I'm really glad some people here do not work in strategic planning roles in major organisations such as Ford.

I've got the indicator on the "wrong side" the car is a manual and I don't have a problem with it.
To be honest most of the buying public don't care either judging by the amount of cars out there with this setup.

If that's a deal breaker for you then you're better off not buying it.

vztrt · 14-04-2011, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by #Russ#Es#

Own one and tell me its a bad idea. I guess its a personal choice, but if you drive a manual it means you can keep one hand wheel at all times and the other hand to change gear and indicate (and 'signal' other drivers in Sydney).

Never found using an indicator and steering that difficult in a manual Falcon. Can hit that stalk with one finger.

I would assume that the indicator stalk is on the left side on a LHD car?

BTW, didn't have an issue changing from stalks on either side.

pottery beige · 14-04-2011, 11:23 PM

its a well known fact that a womans brain is 20% smaller than a mans... little things like this would confuse the hell out of them....

#Russ#Es# · 14-04-2011, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vztrt

Never found using an indicator and steering that difficult in a manual Falcon. Can hit that stalk with one finger.

I would assume that the indicator stalk is on the left side on a LHD car?

BTW, didn't have an issue changing from stalks on either side.

I didn't realise I said I found it difficult, funny that. I DID say one hand is always on the wheel at all times, I figured most people would be smart enough to realise I was talking about safety. Oh well.

Not sure about LHD cars, I would say it would depend on where the car is sold. A US LHD-only car would probably have a LH indicator, but this would be different for a car sold in LHD & RHD markets.

vztrt · 14-04-2011, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by #Russ#Es#

I didn't realise I said I found it difficult, funny that. I DID say one hand is always on the wheel at all times, I figured most people would be smart enough to realise I was talking about safety. Oh well.

That's what I mean. I can turn the indicator on with my hand on the wheel.

OttoXR8 · 15-04-2011, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wretched

really? it's that much of a problem to you? You really think Ford should spend stupid amounts of money to satisfy two people? I'm really glad some people here do not work in strategic planning roles in major organisations such as Ford.

I've got the indicator on the "wrong side" the car is a manual and I don't have a problem with it.
To be honest most of the buying public don't care either judging by the amount of cars out there with this setup.

If that's a deal breaker for you then you're better off not buying it.

Couldn't agree more.

Didnt purchase a Focus because of minor issue is just a lame excuse, why don't you tell us the real reason behind this?

draxx · 15-04-2011, 12:07 AM

To be honest, for me it was an annoyance, putting my wipers on every time I go around the corner! I guess I take longer to adjust than others.

It's funny how this thread has become so animated, over something so small.

stang65 · 15-04-2011, 12:17 AM

I had an escort and a cortina, no big deal as said people like euro cars and then whinge go figure.

FGII-XR6 · 15-04-2011, 12:20 AM

I personally hate indicators on the wrong side and it would be a big point in the decision making process

Supercharged · 15-04-2011, 03:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wretched

really? it's that much of a problem to you? You really think Ford should spend stupid amounts of money to satisfy two people? I'm really glad some people here do not work in strategic planning roles in major organisations such as Ford.

I've got the indicator on the "wrong side" the car is a manual and I don't have a problem with it.
To be honest most of the buying public don't care either judging by the amount of cars out there with this setup.

If that's a deal breaker for you then you're better off not buying it.

You are missing the point. It is the government fleet and in particular the Nurses that are not ordering them because of it. The reason told to me was that they didn’t want to get out of a Corolla one day and into a left indicator Focus the next but wanted them all the same.
It was the sales manager that was complaining of missed sales as a result of it that I was indicating, he had the cost figure so must have asked the question of Ford himself. Most of the popular small vehicles are right indicator such as the Corolla, what is the setup on a Holden Cruze.
Don’t bash me over it, I support Ford and wanted the wife to get rid of her Subaru for the Focus, I have purchased 4 new Falcons and 2 new Rangers in the last 5 years and just ordered a FPV GS Ute.

wrongwaynorris · 15-04-2011, 04:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveJH

Silly reason not to buy a car. Only takes a couple of minutes to get used to it, then you don't even think about it.

Coldn't agree more , bloody stupid reason not to buy a car .

Brodes · 15-04-2011, 05:14 AM

Indicator on the left hand side is great for us left one handed drivers......Would save me the conversion cost.

But yeh, if you aint gunna buy a car purely for which side the indicator stalk is on, then I guess you should be questioning your own car purchasing decision making skills.

jpd80 · 15-04-2011, 05:42 AM

If putting the indicator stalk on the correct side of the steering wheel is a trivial matter,
then why do a lot of the more popular manufacturers bother doing it for Australia?

In Automatic and DSG transmissions, having the indicator on the left is no disadvantage
but in manual gearboxes, you have to remember to indicate before downshifting....

And that's about it. Funny thing is that the fairer sex has a huge problem with using
their left hand more often...

**Luke Plaizier** · 15-04-2011, 07:25 AM

15M is a dumb amount of money to spend on switchgear.

If you did One Ford right, because you're building one model for all markets, surely you'd build reversible switchgear into all models, or make switchgear interchangeable between different models so you could design it once and swap it as you needed.

Seems dumb to spend all the effort to swap everything else around and not include the switchgear.

Maybe we can blame the pommes, who have to swap so readily to drive in the rest of Europe, that it actually confuses them to put the indicators on the right.....

When Ford drops local assembly and goes to the import-only model, perhaps it can become the worldwide centre of rhs switchgear production.

Maybe we should lobby to have rhs indicators added to the ADR.

Lukeyson

OzJavelin · 15-04-2011, 07:37 AM

I've got two aussie assembled vehicles (Commode and XR6) with indicators on RHD, a locally assembled RHD Rambler Javelin with indicators on LHS, and an imported LHD Javelin with indicators on LHS .. doesn't worry me jumping from one to the next. It's amazing how quickly you can get used to changes in switchgear position and even which side of the car you are steering from

LTDHO · 15-04-2011, 08:06 AM

Not buying a car because the side the indicator stalk is like not buying a car because the tures are not black enough....

I drive a VW van for two weeks and it doesn't take long to get used to having the indicators on the left. Sure you might use your wipers to indicate from time to time... :P

MAGPIE · 15-04-2011, 08:15 AM

If you base your car buying decision on what side the indicator stalk is on your a moron

If you cant adapt to driving with the indicator being on the opposite side to what your used to your also a moron and probably shouldn't be on the road at all.

I dont have an issue when interchanging between my two cars, and on the odd occasion I do go for the the wrong stalk well I clean the windscreen instead, big deal.

**Silver Ghia** · 15-04-2011, 08:24 AM

Indicator stalk whether on the left or right is not an issue at all. Just a matter of getting used to it. My wifes Polo has it on the left, the XR50 has it on the right, I alternate between the two cars regularly and its not a problem at all.

If anything its about time Australia gets with the rest of the world and puts the indicator stalk on the left side.

Smoke Pursuit · 15-04-2011, 08:31 AM

No dramas here..

I actually prefer it on the left for some dumb reason??

All our trucks have them on the left too. Means one hand is on the wheel at all times and the other is either shifting gears or putting the indicator on!

Joe5619 · 15-04-2011, 08:40 AM

Good lord, if the only problem you have with Ford is the indicator location, life is great I would have thought!!