Good one!
I respectfully disagree. Tech improvements are similar regardless of industry. The details of what that tech is may vary, but the upgrade path is the same. New cutting edge features turn into standard features after a few product cycles. Cell phones are moving faster for a number of reasons, but the process is the same. Electronics improvements have a very valid comparison. Features like Android Auto/Car Play or even basic bluetooth integration were premium "Technology Package" add ons just a few years ago.
One thing is for sure. Improvements equals $$$$. The Mustang is adding features for the '18. So are new smartphones. The Samsung Note 8 coming out will be over a grand. The iPhone will follow with a price over a grand. Who would have thought smartphones would eclipse a grand this soon. Man. Everything is so expensive these days.
And the exact same features you can find in a Note 8 will be available in a MOTO G or a One Plus X next year for under $500. I just bought a phone that MSRPed over $700 less than a year ago for $350. Improvements don't always cost money. I know, crazy right, but true. An in-dash CD player cost more in 1990's than a 7" LCD Car-Play head unit in 2017. Heck, trunk mounted CD changers were a multi-thousand dollar option in the early 2000's.
And still losing in partial throttle races nice :lol:
Leave that $200 tablet in a car during the summer for an hour and let me know how it works when the temperature is 140 degrees F. Likewise, leave it in during a Canadian winter with sub zero temperatures.
My point was the progress of the technology, not the specifics regarding the durability of off the shelf tablets, but if we really need to get this far into the weeds to prove a point, go on Crutchfield and see how many Pioneer, Sony, Kenwood head units available under $500, almost all of which are superior to OEM offerings.
And many of those head units have had overheating issues. OEMs are held to a different standard than aftermarkets, they always have and always will. When someone bitches that their $200 stereo is broken after 2 years they throw it in the trash. When an OEM head unit breaks after 2 years, people lose their damn minds and take it back for warranty repair.
I threw a cheap Pioneer (well, cheap for AA/Carplay NEX 4200) unit in a 2006 Honda last year. I live in the middle of the desert with OAT well into the 100-teens and internal car temps probably 150+. It's doing just fine (I did melt a cell phone last week though). I guar-un-tee that SYNC3 costs Ford less than $500 more than the base radio. I would be surprised if it cost $100 more. But again, we are quibbling about specifics, which was not the point.
That is absolutely correct, based on Rental inventory, between 25% and 40% of the S550 Fleet could be Convertible specific orders, depending on region. The S550 beat everything to market and at the time Rental companies were downsizing the 2 door, RWD selection around the same time (2014). Quite frankly, there isn't as big of a Fleet/Rental pie to share this gen. I feel the Camaro was on the losing end the most. Even the Mustangs rental sales have gone from 25% in 2014 to 18% in 2015-2016. Each Mustang is 3-5% more expensive so, the profit is probably close overall. A 7% decrease in Fleet/Rental Sales but a 3-5% increase in MSRP. We would need specific numbers but assume it is currently 18% or 30-40,000 a year.
I work in automotive development. I am not sure you understand the level of work that goes into vehicle tech, whether it be a new clutch system or a new digital dash. Our development costs are far greater than what Apple or Samsung have to invest to bring you a slightly different cell phone. We are also much more regulated.
Everybody else's job always seems easy.