Feb Car Sales. Ford Down 20.1% !!!! Holden Down 10.2%.

[Venomous1]

One ford doing wonders I see

[MethodX]

Originally Posted by Venomous1

One ford doing wonders I see

Out of curiosity how are ford sales in the US and EU?
China?

[unkey]

Originally Posted by Struggo

Only two sedans in the top 10, wow how times have changed.

Besides Camry and Commodore,Corolla and Mazda 3 have sedans as well.

Apparently Mazda sell 52 percent sedans and 48 percent hatches,Corolla sells 35 percent sedans,65 percent hatches,so they make up significant numbers.

[kevino]

Originally Posted by minheim

Falcon production is limited so no point flogging them hard. I suspect a big reason Ford sales are tanking is the DCT transmission in fiesta and the focus and the delay in the new mondeo. Those transmissions have a bad reputation and that is the reason I didn't buy a focus last year when buying a new car when downsizing to a single car in place of two; otherwise I would have bought one. The other negative factors are the three year warranty and pretty uninspiring advertising.

These comments are spot on.
I read somewhere Ford make 83 vehicles a day 5 days a week in Melbourne.
They sold 500 odd Falcons 227 Falcon Utes and 783 Territory,s. and probably exported say 50 to Nz.
That is sales of 1563.
January production 20 week days available after 2 public holidays = 20x83=1660.
So they just reduce production in February and production roughly equals sales.
Yes the DCT, trannys in Focus and Fiesta are not good and deal the products reputation down. We have a 2012 Fiesta with DCT and the car has been faultless except for the tranny which after a clutch replacement at 17000kms is now slipping and juddering just slightly at 31000kms. So that car will have to be sold before the 5 year warranty expires on the transmission.

Of the other product I guess they done have any Mondeo stock? Quite a lot of companies used Mondeo wagons.

Kuga should be selling in much higher numbers and I see they are TV advertising it.
Ecosport is a bit silly with a 1.5 motor which is a slug and an outside rear mounted wheel at the back.

[Fordman1]

Originally Posted by kevino

These comments are spot on.
I read somewhere Ford make 83 vehicles a day 5 days a week in Melbourne.
They sold 500 odd Falcons 227 Falcon Utes and 783 Territory,s. and probably exported say 50 to Nz.
That is sales of 1563.
January production 20 week days available after 2 public holidays = 20x83=1660.
So they just reduce production in February and production roughly equals sales.
Yes the DCT, trannys in Focus and Fiesta are not good and deal the products reputation down. We have a 2012 Fiesta with DCT and the car has been faultless except for the tranny which after a clutch replacement at 17000kms is now slipping and juddering just slightly at 31000kms. So that car will have to be sold before the 5 year warranty expires on the transmission.

Of the other product I guess they done have any Mondeo stock? Quite a lot of companies used Mondeo wagons.

Kuga should be selling in much higher numbers and I see they are TV advertising it.
Ecosport is a bit silly with a 1.5 motor which is a slug and an outside rear mounted wheel at the back.

In January there was annual leave until the 13th.

There were only 13 production days

[Venomous1]

Originally Posted by MethodX

Out of curiosity how are ford sales in the US and EU?
China?

DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. posted its eighth U.S. sales decline in the past 14 months, allowing Toyota Motor Sales to overtake it for the first time in six months.

But the automaker said today retail sales of the F-150 rose 7 percent and that average transaction prices for the pickup rose $2,000 from a year ago.

Across its lineup, Ford said retail sales were flat last month from February 2014, while fleet deliveries fell 5 percent.

Its total light-vehicle sales were down 2 percent to 179,673 units. That compares to 180,467 for Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., a 13 percent increase.

So far this year, Ford sales are up 6 percent.

USA FORD

[Iggle Piggle]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

And they are almost the size of a VS Commodore too! And bigger than an EH or XP...

Think it is the interior of Corolla that is around the same or bigger than interior of VS - can't recall where I read that, think it was about 3 or 4 years ago.

[zilo]

Originally Posted by Iggle Piggle

Think it is the interior of Corolla that is around the same or bigger than interior of VS - can't recall where I read that, think it was about 3 or 4 years ago.

I rented one last month and was amazed at the interior space.

No wonder they are being snapped up...best go-kart/corolla ever.

[csv8]

Russellw query with stats ? "On the other side, Getz is down 6.3%," Getz hasn't been on sale for some years?? Where did this stat come from???

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by unkey

Besides Camry and Commodore,Corolla and Mazda 3 have sedans as well.

Apparently Mazda sell 52 percent sedans and 48 percent hatches,Corolla sells 35 percent sedans,65 percent hatches,so they make up significant numbers.

I'm sure the Mazda hatch/sedan ratio would have been significantly higher, and Mazda 6 sales higher if Mazda offered a Mazda 6 hatch.

[kevino]

Originally Posted by Barraxr8

In January there was annual leave until the 13th.

There were only 13 production days

So now need to chase sales or advertise.

[Blem]

Originally Posted by DJM83

Puts a next to Ford. Buys a Hyundai, dont complain.

About to get a Mitsubishi lancer GSR
2.4lt 125kw 226nm
Focus is the same kw & only down 20 odd nm
but
Mitsubishi comes with 5yr warranty, 18inch alloys & on & on
Mazda 3 has real bad road noise

[csv8]

Ford need to revise car prices.. eg : Fiesta ST is $19,990 and the Focus ST is $24,990 in America..Fiesta Ambiente should be $14,990 drive away. Focus Ambiente $17,990 drive away. New Mondeo is supposed to compete with Camry ? but its $6k more than Camry. Yes, it has more equipment than the Camry, but thats going to be a hard sell. If the new Mondeo Ambiente was $28,990 drive away, it will have a chance. Cruze SRIV is much cheaper than a Focus Titanium and sells....Ford cars are priced at the high end of the model range. Ford cars aren't prestige products and shouldn't be priced as such...just my opinion

[kevino]

Originally Posted by kevino

So now need to chase sales or advertise.

Should read ''no need to advertise or chase sales''

(sales in February were greater than January production)

[minheim]

Originally Posted by Blem

About to get a Mitsubishi lancer GSR
2.4lt 125kw 226nm
Focus is the same kw & only down 20 odd nm
but
Mitsubishi comes with 5yr warranty, 18inch alloys & on & on
Mazda 3 has real bad road noise

I bought a lancer GSR auto last year; whilst the underlying design is old, it was well priced, well equipped, had good warranty and capped servicing and the lancer is considered super reliable. My daughter's lancer has had no issues in five years and her previous mirage now 12 years old and with my niece is still going strong and has had no issues. I was originally attracted to the Focus titanium or sport but the DCT and its reputation just killed it as a contender for me. Very happy with the GSR

[russellw]

Originally Posted by csv8

Russellw query with stats ? "On the other side, Getz is down 6.3%," Getz hasn't been on sale for some years?? Where did this stat come from???

Fixed.

[mik]

Originally Posted by russellw

Fixed.

The stats are a good read Russel(thank you sir), how many hours goes into doing all that ?

[russellw]

Originally Posted by mik

The stats are a good read Russel(thank you sir), how many hours goes into doing all that ?

Generally about 4-5 hours each month now that it's all set up to do a lot of the work for me.

Cheers
Russ

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by borough

501 FG X Sedans. Just close the doors already.

Which would match how many were built roughly. Uninformed comment

Territory gets built in greater numbers and sells in greater numbers.

Originally Posted by Blem

About to get a Mitsubishi lancer GSR
2.4lt 125kw 226nm
Focus is the same kw & only down 20 odd nm
but
Mitsubishi comes with 5yr warranty, 18inch alloys & on & on
Mazda 3 has real bad road noise

The problem with the Mitsubishi is it can only sell on price alone, it's old and significantly outclassed by most of it's rivals. Sales have tanked as a result. And it's only going to get worse as a replacement is still years away.

[XR Martin]

People whinge about the Falcon being old, but Lancer is even older and dates back to 2007.

[XR Martin]

Originally Posted by csv8

Ford need to revise car prices.. eg : Fiesta ST is $19,990 and the Focus ST is $24,990 in America..Fiesta Ambiente should be $14,990 drive away. Focus Ambiente $17,990 drive away. New Mondeo is supposed to compete with Camry ? but its $6k more than Camry. Yes, it has more equipment than the Camry, but thats going to be a hard sell. If the new Mondeo Ambiente was $28,990 drive away, it will have a chance. Cruze SRIV is much cheaper than a Focus Titanium and sells....Ford cars are priced at the high end of the model range. Ford cars aren't prestige products and shouldn't be priced as such...just my opinion

Toyota lose money on every Camry sold, you can bet once they wrap up production here prices will go up
Hell the Camry is cheaper than a Corolla sedan that is made in Thailand.

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

People whinge about the Falcon being old, but Lancer is even older and dates back to 2007.

Which is a good thing FOA have only just caught up, with styling the falcon the same as a 2007 lancer

[au2000]

Yeah I've been warned about the autos in the focus, although I love the look of em I'd never own one just for that reason, that's why unless they an improve it in the next two years my mrs will end up in a mustang 4 or a a class merc

[minheim]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

People whinge about the Falcon being old, but Lancer is even older and dates back to 2007.

It may date back to 2007 but over the years it has been updated in spec and features and sharpened in appearance.. The GSR has auto wipers and lights, reverse camera, touch screen display, Bluetooth streaming, 18" alloys and body kit, 7 airbags, fog lights, rear privacy glass and a 2.4 litre engine as standard and the convenience of a hatchback with a five year warranty and services capped at $250 with 15,000 km/12 month intervals. Sure they have to price it low but it's was a bargain at less than $24000 drive away in auto and made in Japan. Sure it's resale will be lower than others but I keep my new cars for 5 or 6 years and moving to a single car I wanted reliability.

It may not be as comfortable as the falcons and the 380 I have owned but it's easy to park in town and has reasonable if not the greatest fuel economy. If the focus had a CVT or regular automatic box I'd be driving one as I think they look smart and have good performance. We did actually go to two dealers to check out the sport and titanium at one stage when first thinking of updating, but then all the complaints about the DCT and ford's decision to extend auto warranty confirmed there were issues a plenty. After waiting while I saw the GSR and thought it was a bargain and being a hatchback it meant I could move from a sedan and a wagon without losing too much versatility.

[STINKY NINJA]

Originally Posted by Blem

About to get a Mitsubishi lancer GSR
2.4lt 125kw 226nm
Focus is the same kw & only down 20 odd nm
but
Mitsubishi comes with 5yr warranty, 18inch alloys & on & on
Mazda 3 has real bad road noise

If it had have come in a sedan instead of sportback id have most likely got one instead of a my 15 ralliart,cj lancers are great cars,ive previously owned a 2010 activ and it was great, not one issue,then i sold it and got a new fg turbo ute.... warranty city lol
The cj lancer may be an old style but it will beat the ba-fg falcon any day for reliability!
Dont see falcon coming with 5 years warranty lol

[NX74205]

Originally Posted by neptune blue

I haven't seen a single add for the new falcon on TV ( although I don't watch a lot ). I think if you asked the man in the street they probably would even know there is a new model
The nose dive in sales isn't suprising . Same thing happend to Mitsubishi. No one wants to buy a car from someone that is going out of business

But Ford aren't going out of business. They'll still be around until long after Australian factories have closed. Just because they aren't manufacturing here doesn't mean they won't have a presence in Australia.

Originally Posted by csv8

Ford need to revise car prices.. eg : Fiesta ST is $19,990 and the Focus ST is $24,990 in America..Fiesta Ambiente should be $14,990 drive away. Focus Ambiente $17,990 drive away. New Mondeo is supposed to compete with Camry ? but its $6k more than Camry. Yes, it has more equipment than the Camry, but thats going to be a hard sell. If the new Mondeo Ambiente was $28,990 drive away, it will have a chance. Cruze SRIV is much cheaper than a Focus Titanium and sells....Ford cars are priced at the high end of the model range. Ford cars aren't prestige products and shouldn't be priced as such...just my opinion

That's assuming that Ford are chasing volume rather than profit. I don't think they're chasing the same market as Toyota; I don't think they seek market leadership in terms of sales volume. What they are about is building the best car they possibly can, but making them fun to drive and affordable as well.

Unlike Toyota, Ford are not ubiquitous white goods on wheels. Their cars have character and style. Yes, it may cost a bit more, and yes, they won't sell at the same volume as Toyota. But so what?

Profit > Volume.
Profit ≠ Volume.

[Windsor220]

Originally Posted by csv8

Ford need to revise car prices.. eg : Fiesta ST is $19,990 and the Focus ST is $24,990 in America..Fiesta Ambiente should be $14,990 drive away. Focus Ambiente $17,990 drive away. New Mondeo is supposed to compete with Camry ? but its $6k more than Camry. Yes, it has more equipment than the Camry, but thats going to be a hard sell. If the new Mondeo Ambiente was $28,990 drive away, it will have a chance. Cruze SRIV is much cheaper than a Focus Titanium and sells....Ford cars are priced at the high end of the model range. Ford cars aren't prestige products and shouldn't be priced as such...just my opinion

They seem to be priced similar to Mazda and they sell ok

[unkey]

Originally Posted by Blem

About to get a Mitsubishi lancer GSR
2.4lt 125kw 226nm
Focus is the same kw & only down 20 odd nm
but
Mitsubishi comes with 5yr warranty, 18inch alloys & on & on
Mazda 3 has real bad road noise

The Lancer sedan still looks good,the hatchback has got to be the ugliest car on the market after the Cruze hatchback,and they are the least popular of all the competitors in their segment.
No threat to Toyota or Mazda...

[unkey]

Originally Posted by Iggle Piggle

Think it is the interior of Corolla that is around the same or bigger than interior of VS - can't recall where I read that, think it was about 3 or 4 years ago.

The new Corolla sedans interior is huge,as is the boot,way bigger than that of the hatch.
They are selling like hot cakes,expecially in the base model Ascent trim line,as they are well equipped.

All the fleets and rental companies are now buying them in volume.Very practical buy,with good resale values many years down the line.

[Dr Smith]

Maybe we should all find out what the build rate was in Feb 2014 and then see if a drop in sales numbers was unexpected. Ford has openly stated they are not chasing fleets sales like hire cars etc...so they know they will never sell more cars per month then previous times, maybe we should build a massive bridge and get over it. These monthly figures mean nothing now so long as the plant sells most of what it pus out.

Ford decided to close first, Holden found out it wasn't to get anything near the previous Fed government money and decided to go next and Toyota has been run over once by the tax office for it's international pricing policies and decide to close as well because other plants around the world build the same cars as here.