But the Tundra represents Toyota's invasion of Ford's final haven. Now Ford, like GM, has finally begun to fight back in earnest by fielding cars that can seriously challenge Toyota in the same way the Tundra challenges the F-150.
General Motors has concentrated on more compelling designs and improved vehicle quality. Ford has focused mainly on quality. But now its designs are becoming more daring - as we've seen with the radical-looking Ford Flex crossover - with a striking improvement in vehicle quality underneath.
About five years ago, Ford began using procedures that emphasized product quality at each step in the development process. Those initiatives have begun to bear fruit in a string of awards from J.D. Power and Associates and kudos from Consumer Reports on consistent delivery of vehicles that don't let down customers.
And now Ford's new three-row crossover, the Flex, arrives next summer. This vehicle will be the first developed entirely under the watch of Peter Horbury, the British-born car designer now in charge of design for all three of Ford's U.S. brands. Horbury believes in drawing on a brand's popular heritage when creating its look.
