June 2017 Mustang Sales

[Bullitt]

You couldn't be any more wrong. I doubt many people are trading up their challengers for the same v8. Dodge is great at marketing ie demon and hellcat and rely on the emotion for people to buy a new challenger. Besides, the refresh will make the mustang new again anyways and if the refresh were any sooner, it would be pointless. Updating the s197 to s550 is such a drastic physical change that does not warrant needing an update within a few years.

Well I speak from my own experience watching people I know with R/Ts and Scat Packs trading them in for Hellcats. And with the crazy lease deals Dodge had recently (~500 a month for a 65k Hellcat) that upgrade decision was a no-brainer for them.

And just wait, the Challenger sales are only going to get better. Demons and Widebody Hellcats will drive even more sales for summer and fall, and then come winter, the new all-wheel-drive Challenger GT will be selling like crazy in the snowy states. All while Ford takes their sweet time getting 2018 models out by the middle of winter, only to (mostly) sit on lots till the spring. Not only is Dodge good at marketing, but they also have smart product planning and launch timing.

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[5pointOh]

It's an all round better package. Base Challenger SXT comes with stuff like dual zone AC, touch screen for infotainment, hood struts instead of a prop rod, better seats and ergonomics, and a relatively cheap package like the Blacktop package includes 20in wheels, sirius xm, nice graphics, etc. Mustang has nothing like that. It is all or nothing with the premium package.
I also think that Mustang has been hurt by the bad publicity from the DL vibration fiasco and the AC evap fiasco. Once it became evident that Ford was not going to fix the vibration problem, it was time to shop another brand. The Challenger is a better DD for me. Way smoother and quieter than the Mustang. But size-wise, it is more along the lines of the old coupes like the T-Bird, Cutlass, Regal, etc. It's a big car.
It will be interesting to see what the July incentives are going to be. There are still a bunch of 16 Challengers on dealers lots around here.

Being as close as they are YTD I can guarantee Dodge will do whatever they can to push Challenger into the #2 spot. I loved the SXT I had for a rental while my 200 was in the shop, yes its big but the V6 has more than enough power to get you in trouble. I'd still want a Scat Pack if I were to buy a Challenger though.

 

[millhouse]

I'm on one of the Challenger forums frequently (since I own a Scat Pack) and a lot of Challenger V6/5.7L owners post up about trading up for an SRT, Scat Pack, or Hellcat quite regularly.

The '18 Mustang refresh won't make the Mustang "new again," as you said. It's simply a mid-cycle refresh. I like the front end of the '18 much better than the '15-'17 and I always welcome a power bump, but I don't think this refresh will be enough to boost Mustang sales much (although I hope I'm wrong and sales pick up big time!).

The purpose of the refresh isn't to bump sales to MY15 numbers, but to maintain. They don't need to sell 120k cars a year, as a lot of their tooling is already paid off.

 

[ApollosWar89]

Watchoo talkin bout Willis?

-T

Some people don't understand how world economies work

And its still more expensive than a Mustang. Seeing how close Challenger is to taking over the #2 spot I can see Dodge dropping more money on the hood just to push it though.

It's justified in the standard equipment you get.

I do hate the basic or boujee decision you must make with the Mustang.

 

[ApollosWar89]

The S550 is not a muscle car, nor is the 6th gen camaro.

Then is the challenger competing with itself?

 

[B4Sunrise]

You just have no idea what it's like to own such a rare car like the 6th gen Camaro. Low sales make it even rarer and more awesomer to own.

Anyone who owns a 6th gen Camaro calling a 6th gen Mustang ugly really needs a reality check. I have LS fanboi friends who think my car looks awesome and they are like MEH to the design of the 6th gen Camaro. It takes A LOT to have a LS fan to admit to liking Mustangs...

I know exactly how it feels I had a '99 Olds Intrigue, I loved that car DOHC 3.5VL 6 pulled hard for it's time. Seats were among the most comfortable I ever sat in. However I had to get rid of it because I couldn't find replacement parts for it, what I could find was marked up 2-3x what the same part would have been on a Malibu. If you understand how Ford/GM calculate funding for production of spare parts for cars you'd be very, very worried. Consider Silverado owners are having serious issues finding replacement parts for their trucks 2014-2016 and GM sells what 5-6x the number of Silverado's than Camaro? GM doesn't allocating much funding for creating a stock of replacement parts, while Ford isn't much better, they are better at it, that is why you go with a car that sells well. My advice enjoy your HVAC system while it lasts, it'll go out like all GM HVAC systems do, chances are unless you find a donor car, getting it replaced will take 6 months or more.

 

[Kevin08]

The S550 is not a muscle car, nor is the 6th gen camaro.

The semantics of what defines is a muscle car is generally lost on the mass populations that buy Mustangs, Camaros, or Challengers.

American V8 RWD Coupe = Muscle car as far as the consumer market is concerned.

 

[BmacIL]

The semantics of what defines is a muscle car is generally lost on the mass populations that buy Mustangs, Camaros, or Challengers.

American V8 RWD Coupe = Muscle car as far as the consumer market is concerned.

Perhaps, but a fairly significant portion of S550 buyers are converts from other brands, precisely because it ditched a good portion of its muscle car characteristics (live axle, all retro styling). I can say that as being one of them, along with the tens/hundreds on this forum who came from owning imports/luxury cars. To the market it is defined as Sports or Sporty Cars, a title it actually deserves now.

 

[Quackfoo]

Perhaps, but a fairly significant portion of S550 buyers are converts from other brands, precisely because it ditched a good portion of its muscle car characteristics (live axle, all retro styling). I can say that as being one of them, along with the tens/hundreds on this forum who came from owning imports/luxury cars. To the market it is defined as Sports or Sporty Cars, a title it actually deserves now.

I'm one of those. I don't live my life a 1/4 mile at a time and frankly find that type of driving BORING.

 

[1320']

The classical ideal of a muscle car is a large coupe built on a full size platform with an emphasis on speed and power over more refined creature comforts.

Currently the Challenger is the only one of the trio that is built on a full size platform..thus is the last of the classic idea of a muscle car. It's a LC, a modified, slightly shorter/etc version of the LX platform (Charger/300).

Mind you, the original Challenger was a Mopar E Body, which itself was a modified version of the Mopar B Body (Charger, etc).

So in reality..the Challenger has NEVER properly fit into the "pony car" mold like the Mustang (Falcon base) and the Camaro (Nova base).

 

[Dudie7]

I've purchased a new Camaro SS, 2 Mustang GT's and a Challenger Scat Pack over the last 2.5 years. The Challenger is growing in sales because it is a great all around car. They have great space, are fun to drive, and make for good long trip cruisers. The Challenger is a car you can justify owning. ( i still own a mustang, regardless of what my wife wants).

They've got some AWESOME deals on the Chally/Charger, too.

 

[traxiii]

Does this include world sales???

 

[1320']

Does this include world sales???

United States only.

 

[speedfrk]

Being as close as they are YTD I can guarantee Dodge will do whatever they can to push Challenger into the #2 spot. I loved the SXT I had for a rental while my 200 was in the shop, yes its big but the V6 has more than enough power to get you in trouble. I'd still want a Scat Pack if I were to buy a Challenger though.

I think Dodge is smart in limiting the V8 production numbers. I wonder what the % mix is between the different models. There are deals to be had on Scat Packs and SRT's but at nowhere near the discounts you see on the SXT's. I love my SXT and in sport mode, it is pretty entertaining. The 8 sp trans is great. I'd buy the super track pack knowing what I know now- its a cheap option. It can definitely use bigger sway bars. But for a DD, it looks great and is really comfortable.

 

[Ocotillo Boy]

I'm FAR more impressed with my S550's handling in the canyons than I am with its straight line acceleration.

A muscle car it def is not.

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