How is the build quality?

[Feeshta]

Thanks for one ford across the Continent for the quality. I'm glad we don`t have the cheap quality stuff here, while other countries always got the good stuff. Thanks Alan.

Took me a moment to realize you meant Alan Mulally. By coincidence, my name is also Alan.

I am glad Ford finally decided to bring their better products to the states. I was stationed in Germany at the turn of the century, and always wondered why we didn't get the same products back home, as the build quality and fun to drive factor was far and away better than back in the states. Some cars wouldn't translate, like the Ka, but the Fiesta was a wonderful little car, and the Focus worlds better than the old Escort. Little did I realize that Ford was actually introducing the Focus back home as I was thinking that.

Fords in Europe did have one issue that bothered me though. I had a Focus rental car once, and the thing had a mind of it's own. It kept locking the doors without any input from me. For instance, I go to get gas. I use the card reader, select the grade and go to open the gas cap, and it will not open. The darned card locked itself, and it did this all the time. Get out, close the door, walk around to the trunk to get your bag and NO! Doors locked already. It was infuriating.

Thankfully that seems to be gone from new models, or maybe it was just a German model thing I couldn't figure out how to change on my German speaking rental? I had a 2014 Focus rental a couple months ago that had 148 miles on it when I took delivery. I liked almost everything about that car with only one major gripe and a few minor annoyances. The major gripe was the automated manual transmission. My brother has an Audi with the DSG and I was expecting something similar. Not so much. I hated that transmission, but a manual would solve that.

The minor gripes were that the ergonomics on the steering wheel mounted controls were poor, the "d-pad" style controls roll away from you on the top and make it almost impossible to hit the "up" button with your thumb, and the 150HP car somehow still managed to have torque steer. Also the headliner felt very cheap and out of place with the rest of the interior and it's competition like a VW Golf. Still a pretty good car though, and it drove nicely on a back road.

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[Feeshta]

I think many people are calling craftsmanship attributes as build quality. I know most on the site aren't automotive engineers, but in the "industry", build quality refers to all the problems assembling the cars, how many and what type of defects due to assembly processes there are in each car. And as with all new vehicle launches, the first model year is going to be the worst for build quality as all the issues get fixed and changes are made to help the assembly plant put the cars together better.

Craftsmanship is more about the engineering and how the pieces are designed to fit together and function together. This 2015 redesign is head-and-shoulders better than the previous body style. A whole step up to a better, more refined vehicle. The biggest two observation I have are; A. Ride Comfort is much better, I attribute it to independent rear suspension but there are a host of changes that improve the ride, and B. Quite, interior road noise and wind noise is much less than previous body style. So quiet that people can almost understand you over the Sync microphone.

Anyway, it's enough better that mine is scheduled for build next week.

Honestly that seems a little backwards. Craftsmanship would seem to apply more to the workforce that assembles the car. In other words, how well do they do their jobs and avoid quality control issues.

Build quality in the general parlance refers to the end product though, the combination of design and craftsmanship.

 

[Grimace427]

Honestly that seems a little backwards. Craftsmanship would seem to apply more to the workforce that assembles the car. In other words, how well do they do their jobs and avoid quality control issues.

Build quality in the general parlance refers to the end product though, the combination of design and craftsmanship.

I agree.

Craftsmanship = the people building the cars.
Build quality = the people who designed the cars/parts.

 

[rkan]

As others have said, the vert I looked at at Goodwood looked pretty well put together and the materials looked very nice.
Seen a few comments about gaps between bonnets and wings.... sorry hoods and fenders but I guess that will be sorted.

That hood to front "nose cap" gap seems awful. Has any one seen it in person? Is it going to stay that large and seemingly noticeable?

 

[Seabee1973]

Does anyone honestly think that Ford would put out something that looks like a POS even if it was a demontration vehicle? Seriously...lol... can't belive this is an ongoing issue even though it isnt

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