Ford competes with other automotive industries on many factors such as price, quality, reliability, appearance, available features, and fuel economy, just to name a few. Such intense competition within the auto industry tends to put downward pressure on prices, making it harder for Ford to price vehicles similar to other cars made by competitors. The challenging pricing environment puts pressure on Ford to increase value for customers, while at the same time trying to dramatically reduce costs to achieve prices similar to those of competitors. Ford needs to be able to price vehicles reasonably so that customers still feel like they're getting the best car for their money. Competitive pricing poses a threat to Ford because it must increasingly rely on customer-perceived value to differentiate the quality of its car from that of its competitors. Ford must be able to justify its prices in an industry where similar cars have similar prices and nearly identical features. Ford's price targets must somehow be met as other competitors are cutting costs and improving their vehicles. Negative pricing pressure threatens Ford's ability to provide exceptional value to its customers at lower or comparable prices in the competitive automotive industry