rperez817 Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 30 minutes ago, Trader 10 said: Ford’s increase looks like it was the lowest in the industry. Yes sir Trader 10. But this is actually a good thing, because it's due entirely to a sharp drop in sales to fleets. Ford has traditionally had a higher percentage of total sales go to fleets than any other automaker in the U.S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 34 minutes ago, Trader 10 said: I suspect that the extreme cold that occurred in much of the U.S. during the middle two weeks of February helped inflate everyone’s March sales, but regardless Ford’s increase looks like it was the lowest in the industry. Nice to see Escape posting better numbers in March, but even adding BS sales to Escape shows Ford way behind RAV4 (47048 March sales) and CR-V (37711). BTW Toyota and Honda sold lots of cars in March - 32541 Camry, 30908 Corolla, 19968 Accord, and 24522 Civic sales. Ford would have better volumes if they kept Focus and Fusion like the other mfrs. But the fact that they replaced that lost car volume with pickups and utilities should mean better profitability down the road. It will be interesting to see the financial results this year to see if the profits increase as expected (excluding ongoing warranty expenses). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotRunrGuy Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 9 minutes ago, akirby said: It’s hard to say what Ford expectations were but we know it was a package deal with both Bronco Sport and Escape appealing to different segments so there is no reason to think Escape alone would match the previous version sales wise. Although it would be a home run if it did that in addition to Bronco Sport. Until the electrified Escapes and the Bronco Sports are fully stocked and available it will be hard to judge success but it looks promising. The previous Escape never had an "off road" variation, so I see no reason why the current Escape can't match the previous model's sales numbers. Unless the marketplace is disappointed with the current product? Having an '18 in the fleet, I'm in no hurry to replace it with the current version. Especially after the 1.5 EB failure. HRG 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rperez817 Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 2 minutes ago, HotRunrGuy said: The previous Escape never had an "off road" variation, so I see no reason why the current Escape can't match the previous model's sales numbers. Unless the marketplace is disappointed with the current product? Having an '18 in the fleet, I'm in no hurry to replace it with the current version. Especially after the 1.5 EB failure. Yes sir HotRunrGuy, the U.S. new vehicle marketplace is disappointed with the current generation Escape. Unless you choose the hybrid, PHEV, or 2.0L versions, the Escape lacks the fundamentals to compete with the best in the segment. Less than 20% of 2021 Escapes at U.S. dealerships are the hybrid, PHEV, or 2.0L versions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordBuyer Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 31 minutes ago, akirby said: It’s hard to say what Ford expectations were but we know it was a package deal with both Bronco Sport and Escape appealing to different segments so there is no reason to think Escape alone would match the previous version sales wise. Although it would be a home run if it did that in addition to Bronco Sport. Until the electrified Escapes and the Bronco Sports are fully stocked and available it will be hard to judge success but it looks promising. Escape sales could reach 20,000/month in a certain month like June and December, but most months 15,000 and below seem more likely. Without a hybrid model, BS sales of over 15,000/month will be a challenge IMO, especially with $3 gas. I've noticed that hybrid sales have really increased with higher gas prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordBuyer Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 22 minutes ago, rperez817 said: Yes sir HotRunrGuy, the U.S. new vehicle marketplace is disappointed with the current generation Escape. Unless you choose the hybrid, PHEV, or 2.0L versions, the Escape lacks the fundamentals to compete with the best in the segment. Less than 20% of 2021 Escapes at U.S. dealerships are the hybrid, PHEV, or 2.0L versions. Looks like Ford really needs to recalibrate Escape production and build way more Hybrids, Plugins, and 2.0s. At least they now build SE, SEL, and Titanium hybrids which should help. Then maybe 17,000/month won't be rare event. Either that or add third product at LAP. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rperez817 Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 5 minutes ago, FordBuyer said: Looks like Ford really needs to recalibrate Escape production and build way more Hybrids, Plugins, and 2.0s. At least they now build SE, SEL, and Titanium hybrids which should help. Then maybe 17,000/month won't be rare event. Either that or add third product at LAP. Perfectly said FordBuyer sir. Hopefully, once the automotive industry shortages with chips and other components are worked out, Ford can update the product sales mix for 2021 and 2022 Escape to have a much higher percentage of dealer stock units be hybrid, PHEV, or 2.0L versions. As you mentioned, hybrid powertrain is now available for all trims except the base 'S'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-dubz Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 Better numbers were to be expected this month and for the next several months. Remember we are comparing to this same time last year when covid was in full swing and people were losing their jobs. I would expect to see an even larger increase next month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-dubz Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 (edited) Double post Edited April 2, 2021 by T-dubz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rperez817 Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 (edited) Duplicate post, please delete Edited April 2, 2021 by rperez817 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 46 minutes ago, HotRunrGuy said: The previous Escape never had an "off road" variation, so I see no reason why the current Escape can't match the previous model's sales numbers. Unless the marketplace is disappointed with the current product? Having an '18 in the fleet, I'm in no hurry to replace it with the current version. Especially after the 1.5 EB failure. The new one is softer and splits the market with Bronco Sport. A lot of people have said they don't like the new styling but love the Bronco Sport styling. Also fleet sales are way down. So there are plenty of reasons why Escape alone may not match the old Escape numbers but Escape plus Bronco Sport should outsell the old Escape and at a much higher profit level. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oac98 Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 4 hours ago, bzcat said: Sales up 1% over last year seems positive... this is the first quarterly increase since Ford discontinued Focus and Fiesta. But don't know what other car companies are reporting so need more data to put it in context. Also, volume is down 21k or 4% vs. Q4 2020 so it's not all positive - Ford is still shrinking while Toyota and Hyundai are both growing, almost 100% at the expense of Ford... the same pattern you see in other countries. Edge continues to freefall through neglect but Mach E is making up some of that volume in the midsize segment. Wonder what the 25% drop in Transit is about... this is the first quarter in a long time that Transit fell below 30k. A red flag situation for Ford's fleet sales operation. Where did the volume go? Have to wait to see if Promaster and Sprinter sales went up. Ranger sales momentum seems to stall at 100k annual volume which was the 2020 total (101k). I had expected the sales to continue to increase and for Ranger to pass the Chevy+GMC twins but that may not happen. With Nissan back in the segment I think we may see Ranger sales volume fall this year. Also how can the Edge have better sales if we’ve been down for over 6 weeks already for the year??? I’m not saying there isn’t some truth to what you’re saying but OAC has been hardest hit by this chip shortage. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordBuyer Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 35 minutes ago, Oacjay98 said: Also how can the Edge have better sales if we’ve been down for over 6 weeks already for the year??? I’m not saying there isn’t some truth to what you’re saying but OAC has been hardest hit by this chip shortage. A Ford dealer said Edge sales are down because of low inventory of 2020 models and very little inventory of 21 models. Makes sense why Edge sales were down for March. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzcat Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 Well, here are how the rest of the field are doing... Ford actually had a horrendous quarter bordering on disaster if you ask me, compare to double digit increases some companies are posting. Hyundai +28% Toyota +22% (+87% in March - let me repeat: EIGHTY f'ing SEVEN PERCENT - Toyota won't say it but they really want to bury Ford and cement their lead) Honda +16% Nissan +11% Stellantis +5% GM +4% Ford +0.6% Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzcat Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 1 hour ago, Oacjay98 said: Also how can the Edge have better sales if we’ve been down for over 6 weeks already for the year??? I’m not saying there isn’t some truth to what you’re saying but OAC has been hardest hit by this chip shortage. OAC is hardest hit because Ford made a decision not to send you any chips. The shortage is real but the decision to bring Edge production all the way down to zero was a deliberate corporate decision. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oac98 Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 (edited) 39 minutes ago, bzcat said: OAC is hardest hit because Ford made a decision not to send you any chips. The shortage is real but the decision to bring Edge production all the way down to zero was a deliberate corporate decision. Absolutely! The edge is not a priority for ford so it’s very deliberate. Why source parts to a vehicle that’s not your best seller. I’ve been at ford along time I know their playbook somewhat. For the past few weeks we’ve built edges and nautilus with no microchips for the past couple of weeks. 1 more week down for 3. We will build lame duck edge nautilus wind us down til 2023 then retool after more concessions in 2023 bargaining! Edited April 2, 2021 by Oacjay98 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oac98 Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 1 hour ago, FordBuyer said: A Ford dealer said Edge sales are down because of low inventory of 2020 models and very little inventory of 21 models. Makes sense why Edge sales were down for March. You can’t sell what you don’t have. There are more edges in the OAC parking lot than on dealer lots! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 (edited) bulk sales numbers don’t tell the whole story... F Series..........84,043 ........that’s a good month Ranger..............11,110.......still getting good sales Explorer...........26,404........impressive Expedition.........9,926........a good result Escape.............17,947.......a long way short of RAV4 Bronco Sport......9,780........coming good with more profit than Escape Ecosport..............4,900.........are these interfering with more BS sales? Edge.......................8,818..........a casualty of chip shortage and no hybrid Ford motor.......213,300.....(169,012) Ford was hit hard in March 2020 Toyota..............253,783....(135,730) Toyota was hit harder than Ford RAV4.................47,078 Highlander........27,993 4Runner............12,955 Tacoma.............26,993 Tundra.................6,981 Camry................32,541 Corolla..............30,908 Certainly, Toyota pulled Ford’s pants down by 40,000 sales last month but they also played to their strengths with cars, utilities and smaller trucks. While Ford had a good month with F Series and large utilities, I think that Ford needs to start selling a ton more hybrid Escapes and Bronco Sports to counter Toyota’s increasing sales. Edited April 2, 2021 by jpd80 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oac98 Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 47 minutes ago, bzcat said: Well, here are how the rest of the field are doing... Ford actually had a horrendous quarter bordering on disaster if you ask me, compare to double digit increases some companies are posting. Hyundai +28% Toyota +22% (+87% in March - let me repeat: EIGHTY f'ing SEVEN PERCENT - Toyota won't say it but they really want to bury Ford and cement their lead) Honda +16% Nissan +11% Stellantis +5% GM +4% Ford +0.6% Bronco will mitigate some losses when it comes out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rperez817 Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 56 minutes ago, bzcat said: Ford actually had a horrendous quarter bordering on disaster if you ask me, compare to double digit increases some companies are posting. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, if you look at retail sales only, Ford registered a double digit increase of about 23.1%. So it's actually the opposite of a horrendous quarter. A slight uptick in sales quantity combined with a major increase in sales quality thanks to the reduction in fleet sales. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted April 3, 2021 Share Posted April 3, 2021 (edited) The first two months of this quarter are not indicative of Ford’s situation, last month was. While Toyota skipped away to 253k sales last month, it’s sales mix is completely different from Ford’s......that’s not to say that Ford can’t or won’t improve sales, compact and mid sized vehicle sales are important bread and butter to most of the leading brands. Edited April 3, 2021 by jpd80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-dubz Posted April 3, 2021 Share Posted April 3, 2021 3 hours ago, rperez817 said: As I mentioned earlier in this thread, if you look at retail sales only, Ford registered a double digit increase of about 23.1%. So it's actually the opposite of a horrendous quarter. A slight uptick in sales quantity combined with a major increase in sales quality thanks to the reduction in fleet sales. What kind of numbers do the other brands do in fleet? I’d have to imagine Toyota or any other brands fleet sales went down just as much as ford’s right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted April 3, 2021 Share Posted April 3, 2021 10,000 sales for Lincoln in March Aviator.............2,532 Navigator........1,762 Corsair............2,979 Nautilus..........2,043 Continental.......274 MKZ..................415 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted April 3, 2021 Share Posted April 3, 2021 For those interested, I started putting together a quarterly trucks comparison of the major players in the different segments, as well as totals per manufacturer at the bottom. For midsize, Ranger is hanging in there around Colorado levels, and GM pulls ahead when adding Canyon volume. Tacoma outsells all individually. F-series continues to have a big lead over the competition, even when adding Silverado and Sierra (they nudged out the combined win last year with F-150 switchovers). Ram jumped out to a 24k lead over Silverado, and numerically Ram's growth almost directly equaled Silverado's decline. Heavy Trucks, good to see Ford's sales increasing, we'll see if they maintain that. Chevy's MD looks like impressive numbers given it's still new. Threw Maverick in there because it's easier to have it built into the chart when I first build it rather than moving things later on. 4 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rperez817 Posted April 3, 2021 Share Posted April 3, 2021 Excellent presentation of the truck sales number rmc523 sir. Thank you for taking the time to do this! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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