a big thing ford needs is better quality standards. i worked for toyota and it was 80% maintenance, 20% mechanical repairs. ford is almost the opposite, from annoyances to transmission replacement. why cant ford build a car that can compete with the japanese? people who consider toyota rarely take a look at ford before making their purchase.
they do need a simpler lineup, but one with more inspiration. they need to compete on all levels with the other automakers, but they have to make cars people actually want. (quality and longevity play a major role in this, too)
Toyota offers a 268hp V6 in the Camry...the Fusion offers 220hp max...ugh.
FOCUS - beat everything when it came out, but nothing has changed. major re-tooling and better variety (a 2-door coupe and a higher performance model, ala dead SVT or Dodge SRT-4?) needed
FUSION - good car but looks arent for everyone, give it more power and a little more refinement, maybe tone down the angles and "BOLD"-ness and people might notice. make camry buyers look twice.
FIVE HUNDRED - kill it. come back with a rear-drive 4 door that offers everything from simple V6 powered luxury to sporty V8 horsepower to compete with Dodge Charger/Chrysler 300 AND the SRT variants. (Aussie Falcon???)
***Also have a 2-door based on the same chassis with similar engine options, just offer a manual trans and call it a Thunderbird.
CROWN VICTORIA - old standby, if it sticks around it needs some re-working. or merge this line with the car that replaces the 500. have everything from a simple sedan to a sports sedan to a cop car to an old folks cruiser. Chevy does it with the Impala, so why not?
FREESTAR - better drivetrain needed here. toyota is offering that same 268hp V6 and 5-speed auto in the Sienna. ford has never had the upper hand in the minivan market, they have to do something big to compete. needs a better name too.
FREESTYLE - dead. useless. give this new edge a shot to compete with the highlander, equinox and pilot. the freestyle is nothing more than an overweight station wagon.
ESCAPE - good idea, needs tweaking. make it a bit bigger and make the V6 more powerful. offer nicer interior options too. once again that ballsy toyota V6 is available in the Rav4. The 2008 Escape looks like it should do this well.
All trucks and other SUV's are fine, though it would be quite cool to see a 2-door expedition/F150 based SUV called a Bronco. the ranger could use a re-design too. nothing more than nose refreshments since 1993.
oh yeah, merge lincoln and mercury and call them all lincolns. have sportier cars (such as infinity G series or lexus IS) SUV's and big luxury cruisers. mercurys dont sell. lincolns dont much either, but consolidate and maybe people will take notice.
so thats my take, its a nice thought to bring old names back, but i worry that all the change might confuse people even more...