May Sales numbers?

[bzcat]

Escape also has pretty significant fleet sales to boost the overall volume. It's a good vehicle but I don't know why some of you are defending a 12 years old vehicle like it is the best thing since sliced bread. Ford has upgraded the car over time and it now has decent transmission and some great optional features. But don't let the high sales number fool you... Ford is pumping up the fleet sale on the Escape this year because with new model due next year, residual is going to take a slight dump anyway. Better to push the Escape to your fleet customer than using Edge or Focus which are new and Ford has to protect the residual value for leases on the newer cars.

 

<-- 2001 Escape owner

Edited June 1, 2011 by bzcat

[NickF1011]

. RWD Transit is as good exciting as it gets in Europe these days, and l don't need a van.

 

Yes. I'm sure the RWD in the Transit makes it far more fun to drive than the FWD Fiesta or Focus. Give it a freaking rest already!

[LincolnV]

My boss just brought a new Jeep Patriot he absolutely loves it, he is as pleased as punch with it. Gotta admit its something that l would buy as well soon, as l am getting fed with waiting for FOE for evvvvvvver & ever to at the very least get something half decent out in the market worth buying. RWD Transit is as good exciting as it gets in Europe these days, and l don't need a van.

 

I really like the look of the Patriot. It reminds me of the Cherokee from the late 70's. However, when I try out a vehicle I make sure to sit in all positions available to ensure that passengers are comfortable as well. The back seat of the Patriot had the equivalent comfort of a piece of plywood covered with 3 layers of Bounty paper towel.

[ice-capades]

At least in Connecticut (CT) May started out very slow for new vehicle sales but we were able to meet our Ford sales objective which represented a 9% increase compared to last year. Our biggest problem is inventory which we don't have enough of for the 3rd consecutive year going into the summer selling season. We're down to a 30-day supply of vehicles, even less for car models, which just isn't enough to support dealership advertising that we'd like to do. Ford is being far too conservative in its production plans and it's costing our dealership business which is in a market dominated by import brands. We just took a loss on an "X Plan" Ranger that we had to transport via our carrier from 100 miles away so as to not lose the customer to an import model in hopes of keeping the customer within the Ford family.

[Ford Jellymoulds]

I really like the look of the Patriot. It reminds me of the Cherokee from the late 70's. However, when I try out a vehicle I make sure to sit in all positions available to ensure that passengers are comfortable as well. The back seat of the Patriot had the equivalent comfort of a piece of plywood covered with 3 layers of Bounty paper towel.

 

Sound like it more comfortable than a Land Rover in the back...

 

 

 

[Ford Jellymoulds]

Yes. I'm sure the RWD in the Transit makes it far more fun to drive than the FWD Fiesta or Focus. Give it a freaking rest already!

 

Don't want a van Nick, just something with a quality durable RWD drivetrain in a car from FOE i.e. like the quality BMW & Mercedes cars use. I thought Ford were looking to go more up-market where higher margins are Nick.

Edited June 1, 2011 by Ford Jellymoulds

[Extreme4x4]

I hope not, as the Mustang is one of Ford's best products. But Ford may need to make some production and distribution planning adjustments to reduce the 100+ days of inventory (May 2011 figure according to TrueCar) on that car going forward.

 

Truecars numbers are all wonky. They show the Focus with 98 days to sell.

 

I think the pertinant wording is 2011MY sales. 2011 Foci are 98 days to sell. 2011 Mustang is the same way. Frankly, Mustang inventory is awful. You can't sell what you don't have.

 

My local dealership has Zero Mustangs, Zero Fiestas, 1 Focus, 2 Fusions, and Zero Escapes. They have 1 Ecoboost F150. Frankly, inventory is the shit.

[NickF1011]

Don't want a van Nick, just something with a quality durable RWD drivetrain in a car from FOE i.e. like the quality BMW & Mercedes cars use. I thought Ford were looking to go more up-market where higher margins are Nick.

 

If you can show me any source that demonstrates that a modern FWD vehicle is any less reliable than a comparable RWD vehicle I will give you at least some credit. But there is absolutely nothing that RWD alone would do to say, the Focus, to make it a more "up-market" vehicle than it already is. Is the Ranger more "up-market" than the Lincoln MKS because it is RWD? Ridiculous.

Edited June 1, 2011 by NickF1011

[jpd80]

Ford's total Utilities sales are up 12.7% compared to last year and sure the Explorer and escape may well be canabalizing sales from Flex and Edge but it also points to what buyers want or more correctly what they can get that suits their needs.

 

I agree with the calls for a Lincoln Aviator, I think the high series Exlporer would do the trick for Lincoln but Ford has this idea that Fleets really want the MKT instead of Town car, I'm not seeing it in Figures and suspect that a more traditional LWB sedan with a big trunk may be more in keeping with Lincoln's image.

 

Also wondering if the Flex could be replaced by an Explorer EL, a long wheelbase version would add even more sales to Explorer and also give Aviator another dimension too...

[silvrsvt]

 

I agree with the calls for a Lincoln Aviator, I think the high series Exlporer would do the trick for Lincoln but Ford has this idea that Fleets really want the MKT instead of Town car, I'm not seeing it in Figures and suspect that a more traditional LWB sedan with a big trunk may be more in keeping with Lincoln's image.

 

 

 

The reason your not seeing it is that the Town car is still in production. Once it goes away, I can see MKT sales going up due to livery fleets. If anything its going to be a nicer ride with MUCH more room then a Town car L

 

As for a Lincoln Explorer...I agree its a good idea, but it seems like Ford is currently running balls to the walls with the Explorer, so it might be hard up for production space on the Lincoln variant.

[pictor]

This is the thing I found interesting but not unexpected, it looks like the timing on this introduction was impeccable.

 

" The new 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine accounted for 41 percent of F-150 retail sales in May, up 4 percentage points from April. The total V6 mix, including the new 3.7-liter engine, was 55 percent – surpassing sales of F-150s equipped with V8s."

 

From the Press release

[PREMiERdrum]

As for a Lincoln Explorer...I agree its a good idea, but it seems like Ford is currently running balls to the walls with the Explorer, so it might be hard up for production space on the Lincoln variant.

 

The reborn "Aviator" is all but confirmed (solid from several sources), but production location hasn't been discussed. If Chicago doesn't have the capacity, could it go to Oakville?

[Extreme4x4]

This is the thing I found interesting but not unexpected, it looks like the timing on this introduction was impeccable.

 

" The new 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine accounted for 41 percent of F-150 retail sales in May, up 4 percentage points from April. The total V6 mix, including the new 3.7-liter engine, was 55 percent – surpassing sales of F-150s equipped with V8s."

 

From the Press release

 

 

Ecoboost sales would have been even higher, if they had the trucks on the ground. Stock of Ecoboost trucks is pathetic.

 

If our local dealership would just so happen to have one come in, the way I wanted it, in a color I liked................... it would be next to impossible for me NOT to buy it. And no, I will not order one. I don't need one, and paying off our existing truck (have alot of positive equity in it) is very attractive, before buying the Boss. However, it is easy to not buy, when what you want isn't on the ground.

 

Our local dealer has 1 Ecoboost.

[papilgee4evaeva]

My boss just brought a new Jeep Patriot he absolutely loves it, he is as pleased as punch with it. Gotta admit its something that l would buy as well soon

I thought you hated FWD...

[BORG]

The Escape volume is the real story IMO, although I'm not surprised because it's the same price as a midsize sedan. The Flex and MKT need to call it already.

[ANTAUS]

I do believe the Explorer is pulling some Edge buyers, I mean, for not much more, you get something with a 3rd row. I would say maybe the older Explorer styling was probably dated and gravitated some buyers onto the Edge, but I cant go with that assessment since the dated Escape is selling so well.

 

Although to remind a few, the "very old" 11 year old Escape platform is just as new as the P2 (D3) that underpins Flex, Explorer, MKS, Taurus, etc. It was spun off the old 626 back in what 98-99? Pretty much around the same time P2 came out. And I'm sure in a few years we'll be dicussing the 'very old" C1 platform. Lets remember, Camrys platform origins I believe can be traced back to 1992 from what I've read, and Accord is another one hitting high up there.

 

It just hit me that again Lincoln has another product that sounds good in theory, but bad in execution. We had the Blackwood, which was supposedly styling and took it's main element that makes that vehicle work (its pick up bed, and prevented it's useage)...as for the MKT, it was another "stylish vehicle", that took what makes "IT" (3rd row) barely useable. At 399 units this month, many of us are speechless...wonder what's happening internally at Ford over this issue.

[ehaase]

I hope not, as the Mustang is one of Ford's best products. But Ford may need to make some production and distribution planning adjustments to reduce the 100+ days of inventory (May 2011 figure according to TrueCar) on that car going forward.

The Mustang is just too expensive now. The cheapest V6 automatic at the local dealers is $30,000.

[TomServo92]

The Mustang is just too expensive now. The cheapest V6 automatic at the local dealers is $30,000.

 

The pricing is in line with the Camaro/Challenger/Genesis Coupe.

[Noah Harbinger]

Ramblings from the top 20: http://online.wsj.com/mdc/public/page/2_3022-autosales.html

 

Ford has 4 of the top 10 best selling vehicles - although to be fair four of the usual top-10 occupants are facing shortages due to the tragedy in Japan (Camry, Corolla, Accord, Civic), each down ~35% compared to May '10. With them in their usual places, Ford would still be the only automaker with 3 of the top 10.

 

Focus and Cruz are neck-and-neck in sales. I imagine the Focus could be the best selling compact next month, as the sales channels fill in and the Japanese makes continue their recovery. But boy look at that Elantra, up over 100% from last year! Just over 100 units shy of edging the Ram out of the top 10.

 

The Fusion falls 1k units short of the top of its segment (where the Malibu sits for this month).

[PREMiERdrum]

The Fusion falls 1k units short of the top of its segment (where the Malibu sits for this month).

 

I would expect a lower number for Fusion next month... it doesn't seem like their capacity can support two months like this in a row.

[630land]

I remember all the whining about the 08 Escape re-do and how 'they need a new greenhouse, it's not new enough'! Well, again, the fanatics of 'all new sheet metal' were wrong again. SUV buyers don't care about 'new greenhouses', they want new features and easier to use AWD systems.

 

Oh, and I love seeing the D3 tooling paying the bills for every new Explorer sold. Shows that the one who said 'kill D3' were wrong, too.

 

And Focus is doing great, it is not supposed to have a huge back seat, so again nitpickers were wrong.

Edited June 2, 2011 by 630land

[papilgee4evaeva]

Ramblings from the top 20: http://online.wsj.com/mdc/public/page/2_3022-autosales.html

 

Ford has 4 of the top 10 best selling vehicles - although to be fair four of the usual top-10 occupants are facing shortages due to the tragedy in Japan (Camry, Corolla, Accord, Civic), each down ~35% compared to May '10. With them in their usual places, Ford would still be the only automaker with 3 of the top 10.

 

Focus and Cruz are neck-and-neck in sales. I imagine the Focus could be the best selling compact next month, as the sales channels fill in and the Japanese makes continue their recovery. But boy look at that Elantra, up over 100% from last year! Just over 100 units shy of edging the Ram out of the top 10.

 

The Fusion falls 1k units short of the top of its segment (where the Malibu sits for this month).

Of the Hondas and Toyotas, I have to wonder what percentage of their US volume is built here, as well as what percentage of their parts are supplied here.

[Noah Harbinger]

Of the Hondas and Toyotas, I have to wonder what percentage of their US volume is built here, as well as what percentage of their parts are supplied here.

 

Well I'm just talking in the abstract, but even if you had 100% domestic assembly plants with 99% domestic content, you could still be brought to a standstill if there are no alternate suppliers available for that 1% of content.

 

Edit: If you scroll down on the WSJ article, they list Toyota at:

 

Domestic Car: 32k (down 43%)

Import Car: 24k (down 32%)

 

Domestic Truck: 44k (down 20%)

Import truck: 7k (down 49%)

 

That makes roughly 78k domestic, 32k import - roughly 2/3rds domestic assembly. That the domestic production has also declined so much indicates at least some critical parts shortages from Japanese suppliers, though it is not in and of itself a measure of the total percentage of content that is domestic.

Edited June 2, 2011 by Noah Harbinger

[2b2]

The Mustang is just too expensive now. The cheapest V6 automatic at the local dealers is $30,000.

Wonder which would cost less?

• 2.3EB or

• 2.7v6 non-EB

& which would make a better entry model?

Edited June 2, 2011 by 2b2

[UltimateX]

The Escape volume is the real story IMO, although I'm not surprised because it's the same price as a midsize sedan. The Flex and MKT need to call it already.

 

The Escape has been a big seller for a while, the new Explorer is a real winner, up 134%. Fair disclosure, I bought a loaded Explorer Limited on Saturday. I just went in to get some new tires for my wife's car and I purchased a new Explorer for myself. She did get the new tires.