The ride quality is already iffy. Making a 22 inch tire with no sidewall a runflat doesn’t hurt that much.

Runflats and AAA. 

Of course they’re trying to convert those people to new sales, they’d be dumb not to. That doesn’t mean they didn’t have a good idea how many sales they’d still lose, which they knew would happen to some extent. 

Oh sure. But I think they know that’s the bet they’re making. 

“but they definitely expected to keep more than they did, pushing them to the EcoSport and Trax.” 

But again, they’re betting they can pull in new customers who can buy higher margin crossovers. They knew they’d lose the bottom of the market on cars where if not negative, margins were worse. IF they can move that production to higher margin cars, and sell those cars to different people, they’ll make that bet. 

Thing that Ford and GM expected to happen happened...

“they can’t bank on the SUV and truck gravy train. Eventually that will hit a dead end too.”

Yes, my comment basically covers all that. 

I don’t think Ford and GM assumed they’d keep those buyers, I think they decided those buyers weren’t worth the production if they’re not making money. The idea is that they’d get new buyers with the increased production more profitable segments.

The only justification was as loss leaders, and that’s a damn expensive way to keep them in the brand. 

65% of the world’s population is lactose intolerant. The ability to injest lactose is not even close to universal. 

The new Defender looks better blacked out because the front end design is bad though. 

“I mean body on frame cars are safer right? That’s why the Wrangler has a higher safety rating.”

You’re right, the Accord is definitely the sportier option. 

It was the person I responded to that was couching the price in terms of just not buying a truck or SUV. If that’s your concern, there’s better options for the money, even classic ones, than this.

What’s that? There’s a new coupe out? I think we all know what it looks like:

There’s other things you can buy that are a better value than this if your concern is “not a truck or SUV.”

Yeah, 2014+ are all still under warranty.

RRs are fine. Everything else they sell isn’t. You can’t succeed on the sales of your lowish production halo car.