Ford Is Pushing Buyers Towards Higher Priced Models In A Common Automaker Maneuver

Let’s take a look at Ford, for one example.

Torque News Breaks Down How Ford And Others Move Buyers To More Expensive Cars

Before we began, let’s clarify that we aren’t just picking on Ford, here. All automakers, in one way or another, are trying to get you to spend more money on the higher trim level or more expensive model or on something from the luxury line. Car companies are businesses, and businesses are always trying to make more money.

So perhaps the most desirable features require you to stretch a few grand more for a higher trim or a package. Or perhaps you need to go to a more-expensive model to get certain things. Or maybe the entry level model from a luxury line overlaps a bit with the top-trim of a mainstream car, and some options on the mainstream car are standard on the luxury car, tempting the customer to spend more.

I know we said we weren’t trying to pick on Ford, but a Ford employee told me many, many years ago that the company does try to use feature availability to walk customers into the bigger, more-expensive models.

Now, Ford is forcing some shoppers to spend more simply by cutting models.

With the Edge and the popular Escape now axed, SUV shoppers considering Ford have to look at the Explorer, which is larger and costlier than the Edge, or the Bronco Sport. The latter shares its platform with the outgoing Escape, but upcharges for the desirable four-cylinder engine and the Badlands off-road trim.

Automotive News reports that sales of the Explorer are up 18 percent this year, even with greater economic concerns squeezing American car buyers.

The Bronco Sport’s sales did slip a little, and the Escape-related Maverick pickup dropped 12 percent. So maybe Ford buyers are seeing the Explorer as the best alternative for the Edge and Escape.

“It fits both with the demographics and what the customers are looking for,” Craig Patterson, Ford’s utility marketing manager, told Automotive News. “They want something that makes sense to take to Home Depot but also to a nice dinner or a show downtown, or to deer camp for hunting. It can be a chameleon. If you have something a little more purpose-built, it doesn’t feel as appropriate.”

The Tremor model may also be giving the aging Explorer - it’s seven model years into its sixth generation - a boost. 

AN says that the Explorer is the top choice for those trading in an Edge, and Escape owners are trading in for another Escape before inventory evaporates. After that, the Explorer and Bronco Sport are the most popular.

Escape production ceased in December, while the Edge hasn’t been built since April 2024.

According to Automotive News, the least-expensive Explorer is not quite $10,000 more than the base version of the last Escape. Ford is offering some cash to buyers to make up for the difference.

Cutting models isn’t always a good strategy - Stellantis killed the Jeep Cherokee before its replacement was ready, and company brass has publicly admitted that was a mistake.

Torque News Says Shop Smart

It doesn’t matter if an automaker is cutting models or not - the bosses want you to spend more money than you might like. That may sound shady or evil, but it’s not - all business do this. Why do you think a bag of chips is $4.99 at the grocery store instead of $5? Because your brain sees the price as under $5, which is technically true, and those extra 99 cents go towards the business.

What you can do as a car buyer is shop around. Find the car model that has the features you want and if you can do so without spending more than planned, that might be the right choice for you. If you have to move up in trims or model size/price to get what you want, negotiate and see if you can get cash back on the hood.

While most, if not all, automakers want to extract as much money as they can from a sale, automakers also know that they can undercut the competition sometimes. You might, if you research sites like this one, be able to find that an automaker is offering a model that offers what you want without forcing you to stretch your budget. Or, perhaps, there is a sale afoot.

Automakers are working to get your money - you can fight back. And if you can’t, well, ask for some cash on the hood. The customer has power, too.

Return tomorrow, or check our Torque News Home Page for more interesting automotive news articles.

Images: Ford

About The Author

Tim Healey is an experienced automotive writer and editor from Chicago. He has covered automotive news at Consumer Guide Automotive, Web2Carz, AutoGuide, and was the managing editor at The Truth About Cars. Tim is a member of the Midwest Automotive Media Association. You can find him on Facebook, X/Twitter, and on LinkedIn.