April 2018 Mustang Sales

[garagelogic]

Actually history shows it IS the case. Competition drives progress.
Of course Ford is aware of what their competition is doing. Is it the only factor driving which changes they impart? Of course not. But it is certainly a major factor that is considered.

Camaro and Challenger are vying for the same market share. Each car is somewhat different, but plenty of people cross shop them.

No doubt many cross shop them, but the 2018 Mustang was not an “oh sh-t” reaction to anything GM did with the Camaro, it was more a natural progression of the S550 cycle. Ford does not need to match or beat GM/Fiat trim level to trim level to meet its sales goals. That is what history has shown us. Better performance does not equal better sales.

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[Jdenkevitz]

No doubt many cross shop them, but the 2018 Mustang was not an “oh sh-t” reaction to anything GM did with the Camaro, it was more a natural progression of the S550 cycle. Ford does not need to match or beat GM/Fiat trim level to trim level to meet its sales goals. That is what history has shown us. Better performance does not equal better sales.

Better performance certainly doesn't hurt sales. The Camaro for 2016-2017 had better performance metrics. It can be argued however that other metrics in the Camaro suffered in comparison - External/Internal design cues, ergonomics, visibility, trunk space, back seat room, pricing.

A certain portion of the market weighs performance (0-60, quarter mile time, stopping distance, skid pad, etc) more than anything else. They want either a part time track toy or street race car. For those better performance matters the most. However, a much larger majority of those shopping pony cars don't care if one is marginally better than another in those regards, especially if the more practical considerations mentioned above are deemed considerably different.

If Ford felt that they had no need to improve performance metrics, they wouldn't have spent the very large time and expense to do so. The 3rd gen coyote is basically brand new. Why spend that money if there were no competitors in the market?

 

[EcoVert]

No doubt many cross shop them, but the 2018 Mustang was not an “oh sh-t” reaction to anything GM did with the Camaro, it was more a natural progression of the S550 cycle. Ford does not need to match or beat GM/Fiat trim level to trim level to meet its sales goals. That is what history has shown us. Better performance does not equal better sales.

History shows that camaro has almost always has been faster had higher performance but that doesn't equal the most sales witness the 4th gen camaro . Except for the Cobra the 4th gen camaro had better performance figures but Mustang out sold camaro and firebird together that's why 2002 was the last year for the me-to car.

 

[edco]

You spend the money because there is a market. If there was only Mustang, you still need to stimulate sales. The workers at Flat Rock, MI need to feed their families every year. The VW Beetle is proof you can't sell the same car forever. I think the comment about changes to Mustang being a natural progression is more likely correct. Ford builds Mustang on a program progression. Fox Body, S95, S197, S550. That makes it easy for the competition to target. In my observation the competition has always followed Mustang, albeit with something bigger faster and frumpy. I think the comment about the competition driving Ford's Mustang program is likely incorrect.

 

[Hack]

The Camaro for 2016-2017 had better performance metrics.

You can say that, but the automotive journalists of the day certainly disagree with you.

The Mustang won the Performance Car of the Year in 2016 whereas the Camaro wasn't even in the top 4.

Mustang also got second place in best driver's car in 2016 - well above the Camaro.

 

[garagelogic]

Better performance certainly doesn't hurt sales. The Camaro for 2016-2017 had better performance metrics. It can be argued however that other metrics in the Camaro suffered in comparison - External/Internal design cues, ergonomics, visibility, trunk space, back seat room, pricing.

A certain portion of the market weighs performance (0-60, quarter mile time, stopping distance, skid pad, etc) more than anything else. They want either a part time track toy or street race car. For those better performance matters the most. However, a much larger majority of those shopping pony cars don't care if one is marginally better than another in those regards, especially if the more practical considerations mentioned above are deemed considerably different.

If Ford felt that they had no need to improve performance metrics, they wouldn't have spent the very large time and expense to do so. The 3rd gen coyote is basically brand new. Why spend that money if there were no competitors in the market?

Who ever said there were no competitors in the market?

 

[cvf-jason]

Numbers will bump up when the Mustang and Focus are the only cars Ford will still sell.

I don't know - I don't think everyone who was in the market for a Taurus will go out and buy Mustang instead. Focus is a bit smaller too.

 

[cvf-jason]

I wish they gave out the split between model types sold. I read somewhere that F-150 numbers were huge the first year of the EcoBoost (around 50%) but it's tough to know without definitive data.

 

[EcoVert]

I don't know - I don't think everyone who was in the market for a Taurus will go out and buy Mustang instead. Focus is a bit smaller too.

Those looking for a Taurus will buy a Avalon or Maxima

 

[itguy08]

I don't know - I don't think everyone who was in the market for a Taurus will go out and buy Mustang instead. Focus is a bit smaller too.

True. I own both and they are different cars. When you need to haul people in comfort the Taurus excels. When you want balls to the walls performance, that's the Mustang.

The only way they could be cross shopped is of Ford does a Porsche and introduces a 4 door Mustang with all the performance of the GT. But it would have to look good (unlike the Panamera).

 

[analogman]

Sales are down compared to last year for a simple reason - the price is now higher. Insanely higher.

That's the funny thing about prices. The more expensive something becomes, the fewer of them you'll sell. It's too bad Jim Hackett probably never took an economics class, or he'd realize this.

 

[itguy08]

If Ford felt that they had no need to improve performance metrics, they wouldn't have spent the very large time and expense to do so. The 3rd gen coyote is basically brand new. Why spend that money if there were no competitors in the market?

It's not only the Mustang. Remember the other Ford Crown Jewel, the F150 also uses the Coyote and it's largely the exact same engine.

 

[EcoVert]

Sales are down compared to last year for a simple reason - the price is now higher. Insanely higher.

That's the funny thing about prices. The more expensive something becomes, the fewer of them you'll sell. It's too bad Jim Hackett probably never took an economics class, or he'd realize this.

Sales are down because more people are buying suv's now that Mustang is in the same price range as camaro Mustang is still kicking its ass in sales.

 

[Weather Man]

Sales are down in MN because there is almost no inventory on the ground.

 

[EcoVert]

Sales are down in MN because there is almost no inventory on the ground.

Just left my dealer Mountaineer Automotive in Beckley WV they have 10 Mustangs all GT's

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