Car vs CUV sales

[silvrsvt]

In handy dandy chart form...check out the change between 2016 and 2017...even stalwarts like the new Civic took it the gut. The Cruze is the outlier here...making me wonder what GM is doing with it to pump its sales up. All sedans are getting hammered and I don't think a new transmission nor improved styling like some people are claiming for would make a major difference in Focus and Fusion sales given the market is moving to CUVs

 

Cars:

http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2017/05/america-20-best-selling-cars-april-2017-sales-figures.html

 

CUVs:
http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2017/05/april-2017-best-selling-suv-crossover-complete-list.html

 

 

 

[snooter]

Low gas prices is leading this...another perspective on the grocery getters is do not go sit in a mazda after you just were looking at the foci...the difference in visual appeal and quality of the interior will be blatently obvious...we are sitting out for the new foci...shall see how she stacks up upon arrival...ford is doing the right thing with the new fiesta and foci coming....the current models just got old and the competition rolled on to better things...

 

The other issue is people still associate suv and the like with an improvement on safety...women feel safer with a vehicle that sits higher and is larger than the econo boxes...i can attest mrs snoots dreads driving the fiesta on the interstate...for local grocery runs she luvs it..but get out on the interstate and its a different story....good thing she works in the sticks and only has to dodge a possum now and then or a farm tractor moving at 15mph..when she test drove the new mazda 3 she refused to go anywhere near an interstate...so its not just ford..

 

Ps..some kewl charts..thanks for posting that..heep sales for wrangler and cherokee..why i dunno considering...well i do know...heeps will sell everything branded as such toledo pushes out...i still dont get the yoda suv luv...the mazda cx design utterly destroys the yoda..but again yoda brand loyalty is synonomous with quality...but still it irks me....damn mustang sales are in the tank..local stick dealer still has a new on lot 2015 he cant sell or unload..not really surprised at stang numbers..local small town dealers are selling trucks...very little if anything ford passenger car on there lot..you will have to order or they will have to get from another dealer if they can

Edited May 3, 2017 by snooter

[blksn8k2]

The obvious off-shoot of all this is that fewer and fewer passenger cars are being built in the US. When gas prices go back up, and they eventually will, everyone will be complaining that no cars are built here except the non-union transplants and that the Big Three rely too much on trucks and SUVs. History repeats itself. Right now nobody gives a crap.

[silvrsvt]

The obvious off-shoot of all this is that fewer and fewer passenger cars are being built in the US. When gas prices go back up, and they eventually will, everyone will be complaining that no cars are built here except the non-union transplants and that the Big Three rely too much on trucks and SUVs. History repeats itself. Right now nobody gives a crap.

 

That might be true, but everyone else is in the same boat with sedan sales vs CUVs sales. Plus by the time gas prices go back up, there will be more hybrid and electric CUV options to buy.

 

Plus there really isn't a big three anymore since Fiat took over Chrysler/Dodge...both are shadows of themselves from 10-15 years ago.

[630land]

Welcome to 2017. Sure, I drive a Focus hatch, but have accepted that average buyers want more room and height with cheap gas.

Getting into and out of a car daily is a factor and eventually may have to get something with bigger.

 

Even if gas prices go up, small CUV's will still sell, and "trunk-backs" won't make a comeback to 1990's levels. Have to face reality and not dream of "all new cars every 4 years".

[snooter]

Welcome to 2017. Sure, I drive a Focus hatch, but have accepted that average buyers want more room and height with cheap gas.

Getting into and out of a car daily is a factor and eventually may have to get something with bigger.

 

Even if gas prices go up, small CUV's will still sell, and "trunk-backs" won't make a comeback to 1990's levels. Have to face reality and not dream of "all new cars every 4 years".

Pretty much this....small sedans are utterly out of favor right now....the kids grew up with parents having a suv in the driveway..they are not going to be looking at grandmas sedan....huge spike in gas can certainly change reality quickly though..problem with that is the maga train left the station and the last spike was heavily influced by the former guy in charge...manipulation of the free market was played...there is no lack of dino...

[jpd80]

Try backing out of a car park when you're sandwiched between two tall vehicles like trucks or SUVs,

if your also in a utility//SUV/truck it's not a big deal but if you're in a low riding car it's hard to see

approaching vehicles.

.

These days, women have a lot more say in the vehicle selection and with so many Utilities around the place

the feeling of safety is actually reinforced by higher seating position to se through the traffic and not have

your vision blocked by taller vehicles.

 

This is why I think that car makers like Ford will offer raised ride height car like (Fiesta Active) as opposed to MPVs (B-Max)

in the hopes of re-balancing car production against the higher rates of utility sales now being experienced around the world.

[snooter]

I dont think there can be a rebalance..sedans and small cars are being left to rot..especially small sedans...there was an artificial market created to get people into small high mpg cars..that ship has sailed..one can argue if ford waited too long on redesign..bottom line is cheap gas and subprime loans have allowed the brodozers to sell en mass..it was marketing genius who ever thunk up womenz would equate large brodozers with safety and that point was drilled in deep....

[jpd80]

I dont think there can be a rebalance..sedans and small cars are being left to rot..especially small sedans...there was an artificial market created to get people into small high mpg cars..that ship has sailed..one can argue if ford waited too long on redesign..bottom line is cheap gas and subprime loans have allowed the brodozers to sell en mass..it was marketing genius who ever thunk up womenz would equate large brodozers with safety and that point was drilled in deep....

Perhaps I misspoke when I said sedans.....

 

The re-positioning example I gave was actually CUVs like B-Max and C-Max becoming Active models,

Ford said the Active variants would spread across the range which means more than tow types....

 

Cars are definitly down the priority list for Ford at the moment and a good argument could be made for

the volume profit earners going forst and in turn providing the revenue capital for evolving cars later.

Whatever car types survive the change, they will become more niche products and perhaps, that's an

opportunity to develop something interesting for those remaining consumers - customers who want

cars that are sporty and handle well but don't cost a fortune to buy....(kinda like Cadillac upside down...)

 

And you're right with Volume, Ford adding Focus to Fusion at Hermosillo is like them resigned to permanent

reductions in volume for both. So yeah, cars are going to have to do more than be basic transport if they

don't want to face extinction...even converting to swept hatchbacks with a trunk bustle is only half the answer,

there needs to be more to convince buyers to look past perceived deficiencies compared to trucks and utilities.

Edited May 6, 2017 by jpd80

[snooter]

Not arguing..you have valid points...the market has just shifted to what was always there...only through artificial manipulation or free economic forces will the masses shift from brodozers back into the high mpg vehicles...kinda hints at the difference in political parties..one thing is markets need to finally realize opec is no longer the purple gorilla in the room...that is now USA and canadian shell...so how low can gas go

 

..if anything ford may be should have let the fiesta and focus soldier on for a few more years and not spent the cash on all new or refresh or whatever one chooses to call it...rolling investment capital in the cuv's on up that particular linage is the right play....i dont see oil going back north anytime soon barring meddling by the gubment or lil kimmie sending a missle to hawaii..the real crux is forecasting when this market would shift...under maga train that may be 7yrs out and thats a bet many are playing right now..

 

Next few years fords passenger car numbers prolly wont be that great...

[jpd80]

No, this is much more than cheap gas and low interest rates driving buyers into trucks and Utilities,

this is permanent change away from three box vehicles to vehicles with more utility and better driving position.

 

When gas prices and interest rates eventually increase, it' more likely that buyer will insist on increased incentives

and more fuel efficient versions - we may see increased use of hybrids and diesels over a return to cars.

 

Ford Europe is home room for Fiesta and Focus development and product cycle / MCE timing,

it's unfortunate that the North American upgrades or lack of them have not stayed in lockstep

with European and ROW versions - I suspect that ahs been an unfortunate consequence of

Mulally's insistance that the vehicles remain profitable in North America..

Edited May 6, 2017 by jpd80

[J-150]

Try backing out of a car park when you're sandwiched between two tall vehicles like trucks or SUVs,

if your also in a utility//SUV/truck it's not a big deal but if you're in a low riding car it's hard to see

approaching vehicles.

.

These days, women have a lot more say in the vehicle selection and with so many Utilities around the place

the feeling of safety is actually reinforced by higher seating position to se through the traffic and not have

your vision blocked by taller vehicles.

 

This is why I think that car makers like Ford will offer raised ride height car like (Fiesta Active) as opposed to MPVs (B-Max)

in the hopes of re-balancing car production against the higher rates of utility sales now being experienced around the world.

"These days"?

 

More like the past 30-35 years. Wifely input was one of the factors in the softening of the 97 F150 styling and why SUVs started moving to car platforms.

Edited May 9, 2017 by J-150

[630land]

CUV's are selling better in EU, so even if fuel is high, we wont see mass trade ins of SUV's again. As someone else said, smaller CUV's get better milage then older v6 powered mid size cars.

 

Some ex posters are probably very angry and used to endlessly post "why isn't everyone driving manual station wagons/cars"! But again, face reality.

 

At least Ford isn't giving up like Fiat-Mopar, who dropped Dart/200 to make more Jeeps.

Edited May 9, 2017 by 630land