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Ford: We're Serious

The Detroit News reports: Ford rolls out summer sales rebates. Poor Ford. No interest financing, big rebates... What's next? A serious attempt at rolling back those huge-ass vehicles for more practical rides? No! It's another serious rebate to reflect the somber mood of having to offer more money back on a series of vehicles that are otherwise not selling. Meaning, they put on a clown costume and offered a rebate based on the year.

An additional $2,007 cash on 2007 trucks and sport utility vehicles, excluding the Ford Edge, Freestyle and E-Series van, and the Lincoln MKX.

It's crap like this that makes us question whether Ford can really turn it around.

Free Fords!

Detroit is like Hollywood anymore: no new ideas. What one company does, the other follows. It's a stupid cycle and it's get us nowhere. Fast.

We mentioned GM was paying for some gas and now Ford has done the same thing that GM did back in Oct. 2005 -- free gas.

The Detroit News reports: Ford deal: 0% loans, free gas. Sure seems like the Road Ahead is really just an envelope with cash in it. Which we like. Every car should have envelopes with cash in the glove box. Make sure to check out the chart with the Expedition: over $13k in savings! Sweet Mercy. Ford had to make a big deal about this Road Ahead campaign when all it entailed was rebates and stuff? Zzzzz....

Meanwhile, The Detroit News reports: GM takes flack for cheap gas incentive. This article is too much fun not to quote it a bunch:

While GM has stepped up its promotion of alternative fuels, critics say the new gas program is a cynical attempt to keep selling gas hogs without regard to the environment and America's dependence on foreign oils.

"It says a lot about GM and their dire financial straits that they are so desperate to sell the gas guzzlers that no one wants, that they are paying for the gas to drive them home," said Dan Becker, director of the Sierra Club's Global Warming Program. "When did you ever hear about a junkie giving up his subsidized fix?"

Influential New York Times columnist Tom Friedman -- author of the best-selling book "The World is Flat" -- took on GM in a sharply worded column Wednesday.

"Is there a company more dangerous to America's future than General Motors? Surely, the sooner this company gets taken over by Toyota, the better this country will be," Friedman wrote, comparing GM to "a crack dealer looking to keep his addicts on a tight leash" by offering the fuel program.

GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz, who oversees the automaker's product development, said in an e-mail that Friedman "is so 'over the top' that it borders on psychosis."

Lutz said his hope "is that the majority of Americans, not being extreme liberals, and harboring a deep-seated distrust toward the media, will see his piece for what it is: the product of an unusual, but not altogether well, mind."

Ha! How soon before there's a fight on TV? Speaking of Jell-o wrestling with Alison, we're totally down with that.

Next Round's On Us!

Well, not us. GM. The Detroit News reports: GM pitch: Buyers get cheap gas. Wow, go GM. Car sales are down 12% so far so GM resorts to buying gas for people. Using its Onstar system to track your every movement (if I'm not doing anything wrong, I have nothing...) and will refund the difference between $1.99 and the price you pay. As if GM hasn't lost enough money so far. We just don't understand why GM doesn't use that money to make more fuel-efficient engines instead. Wouldn't that make more sense? This is a really good example of not having the heuvos to redo an engine from scratch, ala Honda.

Anyway, if yer gonna be buying a big ol' truck dealie thing, now's a pretty danged good time. Not only is GM doing this promotion as a limited-time offer (gotta buy or lease between May 25 and July 5), but GM is also donating $100 to a veteran organization (this would apply to GMC trucks so you'd do the double whammy of $100 donated and the gas price help).