# 65 mpg car Ford will not sell in the U.S. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 22, 2008, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65-mpg-car-ford-will-not-sell-in-the-u-s/464642 "2008-09-22T05:06:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65-mpg-car-ford-will-not-sell-in-the-u-s/464642/1 "2008-09-22T05:06:13Z")
[Here](http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/the-65-mpg-car-ford-won't-sell-in-us.aspx). Basically: It costs more than a Prius (though the article mentions that a tax deduction will even the prices), Diesel fuel is more expensive than unleaded gasoline, and the engines are made in England. With the exchange rate being what it is, they’re too expensive. The bottom line is that it’s the bottom line. Ford doesn’t think it can make a profit on it here. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65-mpg-car-ford-will-not-sell-in-the-u-s/464642/2 "2008-09-22T05:23:36Z")
You think THAT’S bad? The Ford fat cats have been sitting on a [_5000 miles per fillup, zero-emission_ design](http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=656) that they don’t want to sell for some reason! Oh…right. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65-mpg-car-ford-will-not-sell-in-the-u-s/464642/3 "2008-09-22T05:38:28Z")
That’s not the only [zero gasoline usage design](http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1401/565562319_3094101018.jpg?v=0). ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65-mpg-car-ford-will-not-sell-in-the-u-s/464642/4 "2008-09-22T05:41:46Z")
25% higher cost for diesel seems like a small price to pay when you’re getting 200% the fuel efficiency. I’m not sure I’m getting what the issue is. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65-mpg-car-ford-will-not-sell-in-the-u-s/464642/5 "2008-09-22T11:14:23Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > 25% higher cost for diesel seems like a small price to pay when you’re getting 200% the fuel efficiency. > > I’m not sure I’m getting what the issue is. The whole ‘americans refuse to drive deisel cars’ is bogus. Look how many deisel VWs, mercedes, Volvos have been around. I was desperately looking for a deisel VW 2 years ago when I needed to replace my commuter vehicle but was unable to find one in my price range that wasnt totally whipped to death and was new enough to qualify for a used car loan… I am seriously PISSED off that now I can afford a new car loan, VW america no longer has a deisel car. I have to go out of the country to buy and importone, whic I can’t afford to do. WTF people … I want to change over to biodeisel HELLO \>\>\>\>\>\>\>\>\>\>\>\>you know, conserve petroleum ?! ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65-mpg-car-ford-will-not-sell-in-the-u-s/464642/6 "2008-09-22T13:41:04Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > You think THAT’S bad? The Ford fat cats have been sitting on a [_5000 miles per fillup, zero-emission_ design](http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=656) that they don’t want to sell for some reason! > > Oh…right. Yeah, but the whole concept of a _nuclear reactor_ built by Ford sends chills up my spine, imagine the recalls and product defects on _that_ Ford vehicle on the upside, however, it’d be easy to find in a crowded parking lot at night, just follow the glow… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65-mpg-car-ford-will-not-sell-in-the-u-s/464642/7 "2008-09-22T14:43:23Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > …I am seriously PISSED off that now I can afford a new car loan, VW america no longer has a deisel car. I have to go out of the country to buy and importone, whic I can’t afford to do… There may be hope for you - just around the corner… [http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/03/revealed-volksw.html](http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/03/revealed-volksw.html) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65-mpg-car-ford-will-not-sell-in-the-u-s/464642/8 "2008-09-23T19:28:47Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > The whole ‘americans refuse to drive deisel cars’ is bogus. As a Southern Californian, Diesel-powered cars were somewhat uncommon. Up here in NoWA they seem to be quite popular even though Diesel fuel costs have been higher than gasoline for some time. Lots of biofuel stickers up here too, so people seem to not only be buying efficient Diesel cars but also powering them with renewable energy. The article said that Ford couldn’t charge enough to sell the cars here. Why can’t they be built here as well as in Europe? It wouldn’t be the first time an American car (Nash) used a British engine (Austin). Ford could build them under license (to themselves?). Even with alledgedly high Union wages it might be cheaper since we’d be paying dollars instead of pounds or euros, the cars wouldn’t have to be shipped across an ocean, no import tariffs, and so on. ---
**Author:** ![Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65-mpg-car-ford-will-not-sell-in-the-u-s/464642/9 "2008-09-23T19:41:24Z")
The Fiesta/Mazda2 is a tiny car, about the same size as a Geo Metro. Most Americans would not physically fit inside. Who on earth do you think is going to pay more than a Prius for it? Would you? ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65-mpg-car-ford-will-not-sell-in-the-u-s/464642/10 "2008-09-23T20:24:30Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > As a Southern Californian, Diesel-powered cars were somewhat uncommon. Up here in NoWA they seem to be quite popular even though Diesel fuel costs have been higher than gasoline for some time. Lots of biofuel stickers up here too, so people seem to not only be buying efficient Diesel cars but also powering them with renewable energy. > > The article said that Ford couldn’t charge enough to sell the cars here. Why can’t they be built here as well as in Europe? It wouldn’t be the first time an American car (Nash) used a British engine (Austin). Ford could build them under license (to themselves?). Even with alledgedly high Union wages it might be cheaper since we’d be paying dollars instead of pounds or euros, the cars wouldn’t have to be shipped across an ocean, no import tariffs, and so on. It mentions lower down in the article that Ford simply does not have the $350 mil to build a plant here to build them. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65-mpg-car-ford-will-not-sell-in-the-u-s/464642/11 "2008-09-23T20:34:41Z")
> [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](#): > > Most Americans would not physically fit inside. That’s rubbish, and you know it. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65-mpg-car-ford-will-not-sell-in-the-u-s/464642/12 "2008-09-23T20:39:26Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > There may be hope for you - just around the corner… > > [http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/03/revealed-volksw.html](http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/03/revealed-volksw.html) Vaporware. And from the sounds of it and the spelling in the article it sounds like it is aimed at the brits and canadians. They already get deisel cars. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65-mpg-car-ford-will-not-sell-in-the-u-s/464642/13 "2008-09-23T20:42:09Z")
> [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](#): > > The Fiesta/Mazda2 is a tiny car, about the same size as a Geo Metro. Most Americans would not physically fit inside. Who on earth do you think is going to pay more than a Prius for it? Would you? My 6 foot 4 inch [just under 2 meters tall] friend [Max](http://www.geocities.com/aruvqann/img01.jpg) drove a metro and was perfectly comfortable. Actually he liked it very much and jokes that he would have loved being able to break up with the girlfriend and keep the car. Hell, I was dating a guy almost that tall when I owned a Nash Metropolitan … and he had no trouble sitting and driving in it. ---
**Author:** ![MovingTarget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/edb3f5/32.png) [@MovingTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovingTarget)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65-mpg-car-ford-will-not-sell-in-the-u-s/464642/14 "2008-09-23T20:43:31Z")
Originally posted by **Throatwarbler Mangrove** > [@](#): > > Most that word…I do not think it means what you think it means… But as to the car itself, it is a pity that we can’t get more fuel efficient cars over here in the states. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65-mpg-car-ford-will-not-sell-in-the-u-s/464642/15 "2008-09-23T21:08:27Z")
> [@MovingTarget](#): > > Originally posted by **Throatwarbler Mangrove** > > that word…I do not think it means what you think it means… > > But as to the car itself, it is a pity that we can’t get more fuel efficient cars over here in the states. I used to have a 1985 Ford Escort in diesel … I have had people telling me that they never made a diesel … I loved that car, on one cross country trip it got a very memorable 60MPG _sob_ the damned rust monsters of the North East=( ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65-mpg-car-ford-will-not-sell-in-the-u-s/464642/16 "2008-09-23T21:17:57Z")
About four year or so ago, didn’t diesel used to be a lot cheaper that regular or am I misremembering. My husband swears I’m wrong about this. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65-mpg-car-ford-will-not-sell-in-the-u-s/464642/17 "2008-09-23T21:47:23Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > As a Southern Californian, Diesel-powered cars were somewhat uncommon. Up here in NoWA they seem to be quite popular even though Diesel fuel costs have been higher than gasoline for some time. Lots of biofuel stickers up here too, so people seem to not only be buying efficient Diesel cars but also powering them with renewable energy. I beg to differ with your first sentence. I have no doubt they are more common up your way, but they’re fairly popular down here – just harder to get. California was one of five states that stopped allowing the sale of new diesel passenger vehicles after 2004 while regulations were being worked on to get low-sulfer diesel fuel sold here (forgive me if I’ve screwed up some of the details – I’m happy to look for a cite if anyone cares). I got mine in 2003, fortunately, and I’m part of a national club of VW diesel owners that has a hefty membership in Southern California. I see them around all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65-mpg-car-ford-will-not-sell-in-the-u-s/464642/18 "2008-09-23T21:48:25Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > About four year or so ago, didn’t diesel used to be a lot cheaper that regular or am I misremembering. My husband swears I’m wrong about this. You’re not wrong. When we bought our diesel in August, 2003, diesel was about the same price as regular unleaded here in LA (I know we paid $1.69/gallon the first time we fueled up). A few short weeks later, gas prices spiked, but diesel stayed the same for quite a while. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65-mpg-car-ford-will-not-sell-in-the-u-s/464642/19 "2008-09-23T21:50:22Z")
> [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > It mentions lower down in the article that Ford simply does not have the $350 mil to build a plant here to build them. ☹ I seem to have skimmed over that part. Thanks. > [@Hazle Weatherfield](#): > > About four year or so ago, didn’t diesel used to be a lot cheaper that regular or am I misremembering. My husband swears I’m wrong about this. Diesel used to frequently be cheaper than gasoline. The price would rise in the winter and go down in the summer. A couple of years ago it went high and stuck, and I can’t remember the last time I saw Diesel cheaper than Regular gasoline. ---
**Author:** ![bathsheba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@bathsheba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bathsheba)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65-mpg-car-ford-will-not-sell-in-the-u-s/464642/20 "2008-09-23T21:53:26Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > WTF people … I want to change over to biodeisel HELLO \>\>\>\>\>\>\>\>\>\>\>\>you know, conserve petroleum ?! You can go an old diesel Mercedes. They convert well to biodiesel. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/65-mpg-car-ford-will-not-sell-in-the-u-s/464642.md?page=2)