[Candy$Cars]

Originally Posted by GTO

Ford's existing owners? Don't sweat at all.

1. Ford, GM etc. have a reputation to maintain. If they leave their customers in the lurch, it affects their global reputation in this era of social media.

2. GM has kept Chevrolet owners satisfied and Ford will do the same. Ford India has time & again proven its corporate / social responsibility.

3. Hypothetically, even if Ford were to disappear, there are enough Figos, Aspires, EcoSports & Endeavours on our roads for the after-market to support them. There is a lot of money to be made for businesses. Heck, I still get many Mahindra spare parts for my '97 Classic, despite its 2.5L engine being discontinued years ago. Thanks to the thousands of Boleros & CJs roaming around rural India.

You are okay for another 7 - 10 years easily. Once these models are too old & start going to the scrapyard (like say, Ford Mondeos), then it will be a problem.

Do you recommend getting an Ecosport now at discount?
My elder brother owns a 2016 Figo Petrol (wanted to buy the Ecosport then but couldn't due to lack of funds). He was looking to buy an Ecosport since couple of years but couldn't due to his marriage and then he got Covid hard!
When I told him that Ford is stopping car sales in India, his response was - 'saste me Ecosport le lun?'
His job is transferable but postings are in state capitals only.

So, is it wise to buy an Ecosport now? If yes, how much discount should we be aiming at?

[madhav14]

So a couple of days back, I have confirmed a dealer to collect the booking cheque on this saturday towards booking of a new Endeavour 4x4 AT. And here Ford drops the bomb! Now I'm in a big dilemma.

I know many would advise me not to worry, but if this had been for an Ecosport or a small car I wouldn't have worried. We're talking about plonking 40+ Lacs on a car which is going die very very soon. How far it is advisable to do that? Or is it better to wait for a month or so and get a used one for a good price? Or should I totally avoid this one and look for an alternative?

[VWAllstar]

Originally Posted by madhav14

How far it is advisable to do that? Or is it better to wait for a month or so and get a used one for a good price? Or should I totally avoid this one and look for an alternative?

Personally I would not go for an Endeavour post knowing that Ford has shut production. Surely, owners would get decent level of service for another 5 to 7 years but the commitment, labour and dealer motivation would go lower with each passing year.

As you rightly said, the difference between an Ecosport and Endeavour is a quater of a crore (to emphasize)

Go for a pre owned if you dont see the Fortuner as an able like to like replacement. Endeavour is a level up over Fortuner but the latter will serve you well for 15 years.

[AbhiJ]

Originally Posted by GTO

Don't sweat at all.

Does it then make sense to buy the remaining cars if available at a sizable discount?

Or will the reasale value drop negate all possible gains?

[self_driven]

Originally Posted by AbhiJ

Does it then make sense to buy the remaining cars if available at a sizable discount?

It will be utterly foolish to put money on a new Ford car. Various hardships you'll face during ownership will drain all monetary gains that you'll have now. Spare parts, service, mods, accidental repairs and resale will become an issue sooner than later.

If you have another backup car at home and are really interested in a Ford, pick up a used example by the end of this year when prices have tanked. Have fun for 2-3 years and then sell it off. Older Fords were better put together so that's another advantage. Not sure which model you're looking at, but an Ecosport diesel is what I'd suggest.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by Candy$Cars

Do you recommend getting an Ecosport now at discount?

Originally Posted by AbhiJ

Does it then make sense to buy the remaining cars if available at a sizable discount?

No. While I wouldn't worry as an existing Ford owner, I wouldn't buy a new Ford either. Reasons:

1. With reference to the EcoSport, it is old and there are many new competent crossovers in the market backed by players who will stick around for a long time to come. The Kia Sonet, Mahindra XUV300 & Tata Nexon are my 3 favourite compact crossovers which I would buy over a new EcoSport today.

2. Figo & Aspire = no man. Too old, Ford's BS6 diesel is troublesome, 1.2L petrol is weak & when I sit inside, I feel like I've been teleported to 2009.

3. Endeavour? I would buy it pre-owned. Reason = their resale will be hit, plus you could get that lovely 3.2L diesel.

There is no reason to buy a new Ford today.

[VWAllstar]

Originally Posted by GTO

There is no reason to buy a new Ford today.

There is one reason to buy a Ford - Figo AT Titanium Plus.

The 6 speed TC AT at an ex showroom price of less than 7 lakhs (post discounts) could be the deal of the year. We dont have to mention how good the engine + GB combo is considering the pricing of the competing brands in the segment.

[sunikkat]

Originally Posted by madhav14

I know many would advise me not to worry, but if this had been for an Ecosport or a small car I wouldn't have worried. We're talking about plonking 40+ Lacs on a car which is going die very very soon. How far it is advisable to do that? Or is it better to wait for a month or so and get a used one for a good price? Or should I totally avoid this one and look for an alternative?

No matter how much ever Ford says about supporting the customers for next 10 years, withdrawal tells about their commitment to Indian market. In such a scenario it’s not wise to buy a new Endeavour or an Ecosport even at couple of lakhs discount. The resale of your car will tank like Chevrolet, it will be difficult to sell your car and parts availability will be delayed.
Only if you are getting a really fat discount like > 20% on your car value or something doesn’t make sense at all

[Cyborg]

Originally Posted by madhav14

I know many would advise me not to worry, but if this had been for an Ecosport or a small car I wouldn't have worried. We're talking about plonking 40+ Lacs on a car which is going die very very soon. How far it is advisable to do that? Or is it better to wait for a month or so and get a used one for a good price? Or should I totally avoid this one and look for an alternative?

100% cancel the booking and look at alternatives. Existing owners should be fine and things should be streamlined in sometime. New buy into the brand even with a discount should be completely avoided, why buy into a sinking ship. Buy something else and live in peace without having to live with uncertainties.

Cheers

[Hayek]

This decision is always a function of the price that you get the car at, how much tolerance for inconvenience you have, and how long you plan to hold the car.

As multiple people have said, resale value for Fords HAS tanked - my estimate is by at least 15-20% versus what it was last week. But if you plan to hold onto a car for 7-8 years, resale value should not be a major factor in your consideration set while buying the car. What matters is the ownership experience.

If you get a 20% discount on an Ecosport or a Figo AT - and get it for a price equivalent to a lower segment product, you have done well for starters. However, buying a nice car is not the end of your ownership experience, you also need to maintain and run it. I am sure that dealers (during the warranty period) and independent workshops will be able to deal with all routine matters. However, the problem will arise if there are failures involving non standard parts. These can be bad enough even when a manufacturer is present in the country. It will be materially worse in this case. You should assume that despite dealers best attempts, major repairs will take longer than for any car where the manufacturer is present in India, and you will need to be willing to live without your car in such a situation. You should also recognise that there will be no potential for Goodwill warranty claims - you will need to pay for anything which falls in the grey zone. How much of a saving is this inconvenience worth? In my view about 20% - but you could have a very different perspective.

[AYP]

It comes down to your personal preference.

Ideally speaking, it doesn't make sense to buy a brand which is ceasing its India production. On the other hand, if you are a risk taker, a calculated one I'd say, then you can get a Ford while saving some money.

There can be a few other scenarios where it might be worth taking the risk. Let's say that you are looking to get a compact sedan and are willing to spend 10L. You walk in to a Ford showroom and are offered the Ecosport Titanium for 10L which is a cool 2L discount. Well, would you still buy a compact sedan or would you go for a well built compact SUV which is soon going to become an orphan? As I said, it comes down to personal preference and the volume of discount being offered by Ford.

I would consider a Ford only if the discounts are substantial enough, so much so that you are getting these cars for a price which is a segment lower.

[VWAllstar]

Originally Posted by AYP

I would consider a Ford only if the discounts are substantial enough.

Should we Figo owners walk into a Ford Showroom and check for a handsome deal to exchange the Figo for an Ecosport?

Tempting times for a risk taker, as you said it could well be a calculated one making it a blessing in disguise

[anjan_c2007]

The brand new Ecosport makes sense only if:-

- the discount is unheard of ever, and is extremely attractive to the pocket

- the car is not intended to be kept for more than 8-10 years.

Else not!

[nitkel]

While a buyer may get a great deal on a Ford right now, is the buyer prepared to have perpetual anxiety over breakdowns, warranty claims, spares and service in general which will be totally dependent on the service center with not much, if any, manufacturer backing to speak of? Add to it the rock bottom resale value, so any potential savings upfront would get neutralized in terms of the total cost of ownership.
My advice would be to buy a Ford only if you really love the car and can't consider anything else as a worthy replacement!

[mukeshgoel]

Originally Posted by VWAllstar

Should we Figo owners walk into a Ford Showroom and check for a handsome deal to exchange the Figo for an Ecosport?

If you are expecting to get an Ecosport 2.0L cheaper, expect your Figo also to fetch 1.5L less than your expectations.