November 2007 Compact Car Sales

[waymondospiff]

Focus - 13,213

 

Mazda3 - 7,461

 

Corolla - 25,012

Yaris - 5,448

xA - 20 (out-of-production)

xB - 3,842

xD - 1,912

 

Civic - 25,141 (3,238 hybrids included)

Fit - 5,361

 

Versa - 5,561

Sentra - 8,180

 

Ion - 2,059

G5 - 2,170

Cobalt - 13,629

Aveo - 5,185

 

Caliber - 6,313

Compass - 2,683

Patriot - 4,199

 

Elantra - 3,340

Accent - 2,238

 

Spectra - 5,342

Rio - 2,591

 

Lancer - 1,708

 

Impreza - 3,731

 

In sales order: Civic - Corolla - Cobalt - Focus - Sentra - Mazda3 - Caliber

 

Focus is up 17.8% Year-Over-Year. Impressive showing for the ugly little compact. After sitting in it and seeing it on the road...well, it's not as bad as in pictures. But you won't find me in a Ford showroom.

 

And as a reminder, the 7,461 Mazda3s? Remember American's won't pay for the "expensive" C1 chassis.

 

Scott

[range]

Not only is the 2008 Focus selling, they're selling quickly.

 

Per George Pipas, the Focus' days-to-turn numbers are an impressive 21 days.

[suv_guy_19]

Not only is the 2008 Focus selling, they're selling quickly.

 

Per George Pipas, the Focus' days-to-turn numbers are an impressive 21 days.

 

What do you think range...was this another BONer prediction that will be shot to hell?

Edited December 4, 2007 by suv_guy_19

[range]

What do you think range...was this another BONer prediction that will be shot to hell?

 

the list of bad BONer predictions seems to keep growing

[elkarlo]

Wow what happened to the Mazda3? They were doing really hot this year with 100k sold in oct. But now it looks like demand has cooled, a lot.

 

The Focus is doing better, but is still trailing 2 to 1 to Toyo and Honda.

[waymondospiff]

Wow what happened to the Mazda3? They were doing really hot this year with 100k sold in oct. But now it looks like demand has cooled, a lot.

 

The Focus is doing better, but is still trailing 2 to 1 to Toyo and Honda.

Mazda3 is up 11.8% YOY, off a sales volume of 6,673 in Nov06. For the year the Mazda3 is at 110,956 units sold, a 27.0% increase over 2006. I wouldn't be worried about Mazda3 sales. Supply has a lot to do with Mazda3 sales - my guess is there is some kind of fall slow down in shipping that appears to be cyclical as compared to last year's low November sales.

 

Scott

[silvrsvt]

The Versa is selling pretty well for a B-car, surprisingly

 

 

Why no Scion tC numbers? Most of the Scion lineup sells like dog shit..even worse then the D3's :P

[DCK]

The Versa is selling pretty well for a B-car, surprisingly

Why no Scion tC numbers? Most of the Scion lineup sells like dog shit..even worse then the D3's :P

Scion surpass their sales goal since they launched. But I don't see the new round of scions selling well, they aren't good, overpriced and the hype of the brand is gone. None the less they are low volume niche sellers.

 

I think the Versa impacted Sentra sales, it is besides the fit, the best B segment vehicle on the market and its sales are deserved.

 

And it was obvious the focus would see some upkick the first year since the current focus has rotted for nearly 8 years. The question remains how it fairs after the first initial year.

[suv_guy_19]

Scion surpass their sales goal since they launched. But I don't see the new round of scions selling well, they aren't good, overpriced and the hype of the brand is gone. None the less they are low volume niche sellers.

 

I think the Versa impacted Sentra sales, it is besides the fit, the best B segment vehicle on the market and its sales are deserved.

 

And it was obvious the focus would see some upkick the first year since the current focus has rotted for nearly 8 years. The question remains how it fairs after the first initial year.

 

 

Well, it only has to go for something like 2 1/2.

[RichardJensen]

The Focus is doing better, but is still trailing 2 to 1 to Toyo and Honda.

It's not enough volume to keep Wayne on 2 shifts, IIRC, and that's more relevant than sales comparisons with Honda & Toyota. I think we need to see Focus volume around 16-18k before 2 shifts year round works at Wayne.

[DCK]

Well, it only has to go for something like 2 1/2.

True, I just wish it wasn't soo ugly.

[suv_guy_19]

True, I just wish it wasn't soo ugly.

 

Ahh, it grows on you....Well....on me anyway.

[Biker16]

It's not enough volume to keep Wayne on 2 shifts, IIRC, and that's more relevant than sales comparisons with Honda & Toyota. I think we need to see Focus volume around 16-18k before 2 shifts year round works at Wayne.

 

there needs to be either consolidation:

 

move the focus to a smaller plant, or shared plant with a platform mate (escape)

 

or expansion:

 

keep it where it is and add more variants to better utilize the plant.

 

I would like to see them build the B-car along the Focus, and try to get a plant at 3crew or 3 shifts. to maximize the investment in new tooling.

One plant, 300,000 units on 3 crew, building the Focus, verve, reflex, bronco, B-max and C-max

[RichardJensen]

there needs to be either consolidation:

 

move the focus to a smaller plant, or shared plant with a platform mate (escape)

 

or expansion:

 

keep it where it is and add more variants to better utilize the plant.

 

I would like to see them build the B-car along the Focus, and try to get a plant at 3crew or 3 shifts. to maximize the investment in new tooling.

One plant, 300,000 units on 3 crew, building the Focus, verve, reflex, bronco, B-max and C-max

I'd rather see them flexing in Mazda C2 on 2-3 shifts; with another 2-3 shifts of CUV C2 at KC, and the Bs assembled outside the states where it's more profitable.

[elkarlo]

Mazda3 is up 11.8% YOY, off a sales volume of 6,673 in Nov06. For the year the Mazda3 is at 110,956 units sold, a 27.0% increase over 2006. I wouldn't be worried about Mazda3 sales. Supply has a lot to do with Mazda3 sales - my guess is there is some kind of fall slow down in shipping that appears to be cyclical as compared to last year's low November sales.

 

Scott

 

 

Oh ok. I haven't seen the website for Mazda's Nov sales. I figured after the Mazda3 sales have been so much, I thought interest was waning.

 

Why doesn't Ford and Mazda open up production? Mazda has been saying for 2 years that demand exceeds their MZ3 production. When are they going to resolve this? Because Ford looks to be in the same boat as well.

[Biker16]

I'd rather see them flexing in Mazda C2 on 2-3 shifts; with another 2-3 shifts of CUV C2 at KC, and the Bs assembled outside the states where it's more profitable.

 

if we can build B's here we should. because it may be easier to build here than to build a new plant elsewhere.

 

also what about volvo.

 

Mazda would likely try to move the CX9 to AAI and would try to move MZ3 there.

 

there is just less commonality between ford and mazda than Ford and volvo.

[RichardJensen]

I think Volvo is moving out of the C1/2 sphere.

 

Also, why not Cuautitlan for Bs? I think all Ford's assembling there are a bunch of hand-me-downs anyway; investment to retool that plant would be same as major work at any US plant by the time all's said and done.

 

I just think a US B strategy is too knife-edge success/fail to make sense long term.

[Blueblood]

The Focus numbers suck, I wonder how many were dumped into fleets after the 07 production left a vacuum?

 

Couldn't even outsell the old, piece of shit Cobalt! And the cheerleaders are already calling it a success!

[silvrsvt]

The Focus numbers suck, I wonder how many were dumped into fleets after the 07 production left a vacuum?

 

We don't know yet, but I doubt it, if was since 07 models ended production nearly 7 months ago

 

Couldn't even outsell the old, piece of shit Cobalt! And the cheerleaders are already calling it a success!

 

You bitch about the new Focus supposedly getting dumped into fleets, yet the reason the Cobalt outsells it is because its dumped into fleets!

[Ford Jellymoulds]

We don't know yet, but I doubt it, if was since 07 models ended production nearly 7 months ago

You bitch about the new Focus supposedly getting dumped into fleets, yet the reason the Cobalt outsells it is because its dumped into fleets!

Ford used to own Hertz with a fleet 0f 500,000 vehicles that could have been 500,000 sales for Ford every year. Hertz are going green now who will be the big winner Toyota Prius

Additionally, the Company is expanding its signature Green Collection, a collection of environmentally friendly, fuel efficient, family-sized vehicles, with a planned $68 million investment in 3,400 reservable Toyota Prius hybrid vehicles, 100 of which will be designated for the company's Manhattan fleet. The Green Collection and the introduction of hybrid vehicles complement the 105,000 EPA SmartWay™ certified cars currently in the Company's car rental fleet and more than 64% (268,000 cars) of the Company's rental fleet achieve 28mpg or better fuel efficiency and 42.4% (176,500 cars) of the fleet achieve 34mpg or better fuel efficiency. Further, Hertz continues to incorporate sustainable initiatives into its fleet and operational business practices, as part of a corporate-wide commitment to environmental sustainability. Ford shot themself in the foot when they sold Hertz, after just a few years the new owners got back the money they paid Ford for it in profits.

http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=742399

 

With over 500,000 vehicles on the road annually, Hertz maintains the largest single rental fleet worldwide. In Europe most of them are Mondeos or the Focus.

Ford has lost out on a massive profit making machine and market to make money from to create jobs and revenue from cars and big money from spares in the future. Will the Toyota Prius suffer with the latest $68 million order for fleet cars from Hertz, not one bit.

Edited December 4, 2007 by Ford Jellymoulds

[RichardJensen]

Uh, do you KNOW what selling to rental fleets does to your resale values, Jelly?

 

Rental fleets get special contracts from auto makers, called repurchase agreements, after a set number of miles (or months) the car company purchases the car from the rental agency and then sells it at auction to its own dealers.

 

What does this lead to? Used cars on the dealer's lots that are sold at a significant discounts to new models (often of the same year) sold on the same lot.

 

This is --NOT-- good for business, and Ford is --NOT-- missing much by owning a company like Hertz, as an ever present temptation to fleet dump for (very short term) sales success.

Edited December 4, 2007 by RichardJensen

[Ford Jellymoulds]

Uh, do you KNOW what selling to rental fleets does to your resale values, Jelly?

 

Rental fleets get special contracts from auto makers, called repurchase agreements, after a set number of miles (or months) the car company purchases the car from the rental agency and then sells it at auction to its own dealers.

 

What does this lead to? Used cars on the dealer's lots that are sold at a significant discounts to new models (often of the same year) sold on the same lot.

 

This is --NOT-- good for business, and Ford is --NOT-- missing much by owning a company like Hertz, as an ever present temptation to fleet dump for (very short term) sales success.

Hertz made 3 billion dollars a year profit a year after Ford sold them, $3 Billion would have helped out Fords bottom line every year, plus they could have built 500,000 Ford cars for Hertz every year would have given the job security for the folk in Detroit and massive boost from workers wages to the US economy, not to mention would make a huge amount of profit from spares for these cars & and eat into market share as a spin off. What has shit like Jaguar put back into Ford Richard nothing, its leached $12 billion in investment with just a 1000 sales a month in return.

Edited December 4, 2007 by Ford Jellymoulds

[NickF1011]

The Focus numbers suck, I wonder how many were dumped into fleets after the 07 production left a vacuum?

 

Couldn't even outsell the old, piece of shit Cobalt! And the cheerleaders are already calling it a success!

 

FAR FAR FAR too early to tell....BUT....if Pipas' numbers are right about 21-days supply on the '08 Focus, it appears that they would have sold more if they were able to ship more. We'll see how that days supply number looks in another few months and revisit this. Until then, it's ridiculous to call it a failure or a success. Indications so far are against your doom-and-gloom hope of failure though.....

[MKII]

Ford Canada has $1,250 on the hood of the 2008 Focus, and on the 2007 $3,000 to 3,300.

 

The November sales numbers, does anyone know the mix between 2007 & 2008?

[NickF1011]

The November sales numbers, does anyone know the mix between 2007 & 2008?

 

From my understanding, the '07 availability was pretty non-existent most of the month, so I'd say the vast majority was '08 sales.