Ford: It's De-lightful, It's De-licious, It's De-lovely
As we've pointed out many times, Strategic Vision's methodology is based on something wacky called the "Tree of ValueCentered Knowledge," and the company is on the take. So, with that in mind, Ford scooped first overall in the 2007 Strategic Vision "most delightful" vehicle ratings. And if that seems subjective and arbitrary… Strategic breaks the "multifunction" segment into three subcagetories: small (VW Rabbit), medium (Volvo V50 Wagon) and luxury (Audi A3). Apparently, the ultimate multifunction vehicles– CUVs and SUVs– don't count. And what's this? Owners of GM's worst-selling Lambda CUV, the Saturn Outlook, are more delighted than those who bought the GMC Acadia or Buick Enclave (the Outlook won the "medium crossover" category). And if that Tahoe-sized family hauler is considered "medium," you have to wonder what they'd consider "large." Anyway, TTAC is less than delighted that anyone takes anything that Strategic Vision says seriously. The Detroit Free Press has the full list of winners.
![Ford's [De Facto] Exit From NA Leasing](https://cdn-fastly.thetruthaboutcars.com/media/2022/07/20/9494255/fords-de-facto-exit-from-na-leasing.jpg?size=350x220)
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jimmy2x
I’m not sure why DeSoto went belly-up
Same reason Olds and Plymouth did and Mercury's about to: piss-poor marketing, badge engineering and lack of unique product.
I've always hated that song, and their use of it does not endear me to them. OTOH, I've always liked Dee-Lite. Groove IS in the heart.
De Soto died partly for the same reasons as the Edsel (i.e., offering nothing its corporate siblings didn't except glitz, at a time when the middle market was imploding), but mostly because ChryslerCo forgot whether it was supposed to be below Dodge or between Dodge and Chrysler, and had so much price overlap between the three that buyers couldn't tell, either. The comparisons to Ford and GM now are almost too obvious to belabor...
Maybe I should have added a winking emoticon to my comment. Cole Porter's witty lyrics are a great source to work from. (And Dinah Shore did a helluva job belting out Chevy's song.) My point was that a car's delightfulness, whether alleged or real, can't save it in the face of serious problems. A nice history of DeSoto's glory days and decline is at: http://www.allpar.com/history/desoto.html Though obviously written by a DeSoto fan, the piece is good food for thought about similarities between DeSoto and other brands such as Mercury.