April 2017 Mustang Sales

[Glenn G]

I'm the guy who does a lot of research before I buy a coffee maker, let alone a car. However, most buyers walk into a dealership with almost no idea of what they are looking or specifications. Most people have no idea that a refresh is even coming, and if you put a picture in front of them they couldn't pick one from the other.

People buying sports cars are better informed than average, but I would still hazard to guess that many are primary shopping on looks, color, features and either don't know or don't care about the refresh.

I have to disagree with you a bit here. While I am sure there are a few people who walked into a Ford dealership looking for a Focus and got talked into leaving in a Mustang, I am sure that number is fairly small. I researched the hell out of it too. I have met exactly one Mustang owner who did not walk into the dealership knowing ex actly what the were getting.

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[Clink]

The wheelbase for the S197 and the S550 are exactly the same. :doh:

Steering ratio is still different

16:1 for S550, S197 is 15.8:1

 

[H@mmer]

Steering ratio is still different

16:1 for S550, S197 is 15.8:1

2014 turning radius - 16.7'
2015 turning radius - 18.25'

Now, being a previous Focus ST owner, and a current Raptor owner, these numbers mean nothing to me lol.

But there are differences.

 

[EcoVert]

The one "gripe" I have with my 16 GT is it won't turn around in the street like my 14 S197 Cyclone would, well if I burnout, and spin the wheel it will turn around. The wheelbase is too much for my liking.

Steering ratio is still different

16:1 for S550, S197 is 15.8:1

True but that wasn't Coyote's statement.

 

[EcoVert]

I have to disagree with you a bit here. While I am sure there are a few people who walked into a Ford dealership looking for a Focus and got talked into leaving in a Mustang, I am sure that number is fairly small. I researched the hell out of it too. I have met exactly one Mustang owner who did not walk into the dealership knowing ex actly what the were getting.

I agree when ever I go into a showroom looking for a car I already know what model car I want. I've researched the car I want and 99.99% of the time I know more about the car I'm after than the salesperson at the dealership.

 

[Omega]

2014 turning radius - 16.7'
2015 turning radius - 18.25'

Now, being a previous Focus ST owner, and a current Raptor owner, these numbers mean nothing to me lol.

But there are differences.

LOL... This

I've had my car 2 months and have only gone hard over twice, I stop turning the wheel because I'm still jaded by the ST

 

[FirstGT]

Just once I would like to see someone post actual statistics, rather than an opinion that "performance sells". Sells what? Sells how many? Do bragging rights mean 1,000 more sales? 100 more sales?

Performance is for magazine reviews; to draw interest. I grant you that. And I do understand what you are saying--a certain segment is going to be drawn to the shiniest, newest, fastest. But performance has a limited influence when the average buyer goes car shopping. How much can I spend? Do I like the looks? What kind of value am I getting for my money? Those are the type of questions most of us ask.

In fact, the specs your presented show a good example of the exact opposite--that performance doesn't sell. The 2016 SS has more HP than the GT, and with the AT is faster. Yet in 2016 the Mustang sold over 105K units in the US to 72k Camaros. By performance alone, shouldn't the Challenger be the sales leader instead of third?

Here's an interesting idea for you--take the specs of the 2016 Camaro and instead of the Mustang, compare the specs against the 2015 Camaro--Apples to apples as is the case. (Here's what you'll see.) The 2016 has more HP. It is lighter, and it is faster. So, I am open to a rational explanation of why, given a distinct performance dis-advantage the 2015 Camaro easily outsold the 2016 Camaro.

To give validation to bmr, I've never really cared for mustangs before this gen and wouldn't have gotten anything other than s550 in a mustang. Honestly I was shopping for a Camaro but price turned me off. And I couldn't find any manual transmissions for price I wanted. I can buy a lot of add ons for the difference in price.

I'm a Chevy guy from a gm family on both wife's side and my side but my most 2 recent vehicles are a tundra and now a mustang. Money talks. I made a good buy on tundra and hopefully can say the same on my mustang. Time will tell but I'm loving it so far

 

[thehunterooo]

To give validation to bmr, I've never really cared for mustangs before this gen and wouldn't have gotten anything other than s550 in a mustang. Honestly I was shopping for a Camaro but price turned me off. And I couldn't find any manual transmissions for price I wanted. I can buy a lot of add ons for the difference in price.

I'm a Chevy guy from a gm family on both wife's side and my side but my most 2 recent vehicles are a tundra and now a mustang. Money talks. I made a good buy on tundra and hopefully can say the same on my mustang. Time will tell but I'm loving it so far

Traitor! You have probably already been IP banned on Camaro5/6 :lol::lol:

 

[FirstGT]

Haha. Man I never even got far enough to look in to camaro forums. Honestly I'm really happy so far. If I go back to a truck I'd prob look at Chevy or Nissan but as far as this car I'm really happy

 

[BmacIL]

2014 turning radius - 16.7'
2015 turning radius - 18.25'

Now, being a previous Focus ST owner, and a current Raptor owner, these numbers mean nothing to me lol.

But there are differences.

LOL

All that said, I would really prefer this car to have a ratio near ~13:1 or 14:1. It needs a bit more quickness there for spirited driving of any sort and DEFINITELY events like autocross.

 

[TomcatDriver]

I have to disagree with you a bit here. While I am sure there are a few people who walked into a Ford dealership looking for a Focus and got talked into leaving in a Mustang, I am sure that number is fairly small. I researched the hell out of it too. I have met exactly one Mustang owner who did not walk into the dealership knowing exactly what the were getting.

Certainly true of people on this forum, and probably your particular circle of friends. Not sure how that translates to the overall Mustang buying public.

 

[TomcatDriver]

Just once I would like to see someone post actual statistics, rather than an opinion that "performance sells". Sells what? Sells how many? Do bragging rights mean 1,000 more sales? 100 more sales?

Performance is for magazine reviews; to draw interest. I grant you that. And I do understand what you are saying--a certain segment is going to be drawn to the shiniest, newest, fastest. But performance has a limited influence when the average buyer goes car shopping. How much can I spend? Do I like the looks? What kind of value am I getting for my money? Those are the type of questions most of us ask.

In fact, the specs your presented show a good example of the exact opposite--that performance doesn't sell. The 2016 SS has more HP than the GT, and with the AT is faster. Yet in 2016 the Mustang sold over 105K units in the US to 72k Camaros. By performance alone, shouldn't the Challenger be the sales leader instead of third?

Here's an interesting idea for you--take the specs of the 2016 Camaro and instead of the Mustang, compare the specs against the 2015 Camaro--Apples to apples as is the case. (Here's what you'll see.) The 2016 has more HP. It is lighter, and it is faster. So, I am open to a rational explanation of why, given a distinct performance dis-advantage the 2015 Camaro easily outsold the 2016 Camaro.

It's a complex equation. Looks, performance, competition, overall market trends. If it were a simple thing to figure out what the public wants and will buy then everyone would do it, right? I think one thing is clear, if you hold everything else equal, more performance will outsell less performance. The only problem is that it is impossible to hold everything else equal. In your comparison above, different years equals different markets. Maybe everyone who wanted a Camaro already bought one?

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