2024 Mustang sales comment

[Zig]

Some ‘performance’ options are only included with more inclusive trims.

Sponsored

 

[Marty1000]

For those that have purchased the DH, The 2023 Ward's News Letter (copy attached) I will quote the Author Drew Winter

"Most hardcore enthusiasts can only dream of owning a 500-hp street- and track-focused performance car that also can be a daily driver, but that is what the Mustang Dark Horse delivers, thanks to electronic wizardry and inspired engineering.

Ford earns Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems honors for a brutally powerful V-8 that is versatile, sophisticated and affordable enough to keep the V-8 muscle car flame burning for hardcore track and street performance enthusiasts."

 

[glenng6]

Sounds good. All my Corvettes and the Mustang are strictly toys. Never drove any of my Corvettes in the rain. My Mustang has been driven in the rain once. I'm blessed to be able to pick and choose the summer days I want to drive. Don't use the radio in the Mustang either unless it's a cooler day and I have the windows up. Nothing like driving on a beautiful day with the windows down, listening to the exhaust, and grinning ear-to-ear. As I said, I'm old and easily amused.

DevilDog,
I'm like you, "old" and easily amused! I always have a smile when driving my '24 GT Vert. It's funny that my wife wonders why it takes me an hour to get milk that’s 5 minutes away! I just tell her I went there and back, but not which way!

 

[kuribojim]

What's that have to do with mustangs? Bird flu affects engine prices?

Eggs are like gas one week it's up the next it's down. I was buying them for $2/18 pack a couple weeks ago and they'll be back down to that again soon

It has everything to do with Mustangs. The point is that the rate of inflation has been relatively high since the pandemic. Inflation affects everything - it would have significantly increased Ford's input costs at almost every level of the supply chain. Under such circumstances, it's no surprise that retail prices have climbed so sharply.

In terms of the general topic, it's understandable that different people will react differently to the pricing. My GT Premium convertible - which I just picked up last Monday - cost around $95K Australian dollars. By any measure, that's pretty damn expensive. However - and this is just the local market I'm talking about now - where else can I get a fully-featured V8 under A$100K? Nowhere is the answer. If I want to look at European competitors I've really got to double the price (at least), which is an incredibly significant difference.

I understand that the Mustang has had some feature bloat, but by the same token, I personally think that when everything is considered together (the performance plus the features), the Mustang is still a reasonable deal. And I say that while fully acknowledging that here in Australia, Mustangs haven't really been "entry level" cars for a long time (perhaps forever? I don't know). Actually, as an aside, I find it quite amazing that in the USA there are so many young/new drivers with these things (thus their negative reputation, perhaps). Here in Australia, I notice - just anecdotally - that Mustangs are almost always beautifully finished and maintained and are often owned by slightly more mature drivers (35+). So they don't really have the same reputation here.

Anyway, I'm going on a tangent there. I have some sympathy for Ford. I think they are facing a lot of different pressures (cost, changing environmental/emissions standards, and changing consumer trends/expectations). It's a hell of a lot for a product team to balance. Combine this with fairly low R&D budgets and I'm frankly quite amazed the current-gen Mustang exists at all.

 

[RLE55]

Here in Australia, I notice - just anecdotally - that Mustangs are almost always beautifully finished and maintained and are often owned by slightly more mature drivers (35+).

A sign of a respectful mustang owner and one who values what they own.

 

[Marty1000]

If there are buyers undecided and thinking about getting a Mustang..........Here attached is a concluding cut page 66 from December 2023 Car&Driver magazine on the 2024 ECO-boost Mustang.

BTW- in October 2023 CD issue had the concluding lines for the Mustang GT ;
Quote "A rear-drive, three-pedal, four-seat, V8 pony car that's new and big of heart, attainable, at home in commute or canyon, and more than the sum of its parts. Yes, please--forever, all day long. Sign us up."

 

[glenng6]

If there are buyers undecided and thinking about getting a Mustang..........Here attached is a concluding cut page 66 from December 2023 Car&Driver magazine on the 2024 ECO-boost Mustang.

BTW- in October 2023 CD issue had the concluding lines for the Mustang GT ;
Quote "A rear-drive, three-pedal, four-seat, V8 pony car that's new and big of heart, attainable, at home in commute or canyon, and more than the sum of its parts. Yes, please--forever, all day long. Sign us up."

I hadn't bought a Ford in 55 years, but the 2024 GT Vert certainly called my name!

 

[IFFV68]

Noticed some negative feelings that Mustang had it's worst sales year of it's existence. That comes with some points that need consideration. Yes, the price is a big factor. Never been a higher priced Mustang. Ford has taken it out of the entry level particularly for younger guys and gals. When a manufacturer continues to add multiple features that have nothing to do with performance cost is a factor. Personally, I could do without a lot of it and go back to the option of buying a basic car like the old Fox Body LX rather than a GT. We went from that to GT and GT premium with every electronic device offered. It costs money.
I have a 2024 GT premium while leaving price out of the conversation, is a fantastic car. I thoroughly enjoy it.
I came from a 2020 Camaro LT1. That car resembled what a basic performance car should be. It had performance, comfort, with all the bells and whistles left off. Don't like to think of the price difference between that car and the Mustang but it is what it is. Try buying a new Camaro or Challenger in 2025. At least Ford is offering us a muscle car with that V-8 rumble. It's what we're willing to pay for it.

I believe IF the Interest Rate would Lower the Mustang Sales, Automobile sales in general would be a life saver for Ford and everyone else!

 

[robvas]

Only 10% of EcoBoost owners opted for the manual transmission.

This compares to 27% of the V8 model.

 

[Marty1000]

Ford's 2024 infographics for the Mustang attached. It will be interesting how it compares to the 2025 order numbers given the price changes from year to year and overall sales figures for the vehicle.

BTW- Many car media sites state the Manual tranny days are gone, but it is nice to know that Nissan and BMW are still keeping the manual. I hope Ford will keep the manual for few more years.
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a65961254/nissan-z-nismo-manual-transmission-confirmed/

 

[Abilor]

There is one trend a few automobile magazine editors have mentioned more than a dozen times, and that is the predicted return of the coupe and sedan models. Honda and other Pacific Rim makers still offer both. In addition, at lease Honda and Toyota have spent the R&D monies to pony up (pun intended) a competitive rival for the Mustang. Yes , yes, yes, they're not V8s as if that mattered!

Nissan's GT-R is a V6, and unless you have a Whipple on your Mustang, you're going to be beat regardless of the type of race. While I get the "it ain't a sports car if is ain't a V8 and row-your-own tranny," but say what you will or desire, sooner or later you won't be able to buy a manual in any passenger car from any maker (your pride notwithstanding).

I suspect if Ford decided to make an aluminum-bodied Mustang with a 650 HP V6, we wouldn't have to talk about pride in any case!

Save the Manuals!

 

[Frogdog1]

The above numbers would be

+12.2%
+8.2%
+.08%
+5.3%
+.07%

Adding one year to the next, +25.85%, or average 5.17%. Compounded, +29.8%, 5.96%.

If you bought $1 of goods in 2020, they'd cost $1.21 (+21%) in 2025. That is a general inflation number, not necessarily the amounts autos or auto parts have been increasing.

The difference between 20 and 30% is not 10, but half (20+10=30).

Each person would have their own thoughts as to if those individual increases are significant or not. Seeing a 5% bump year-to-year, I believe most would think, "OK". Seeing a 12.2% in one year would give someone pause. Seeing 20.4% in the last two years would probably also give someone pause.

Some of the prior discussions involving options, I've been surprised by the increases of many of those.

There's a lot that goes into that. Thinking globally, the last five years, all the disruptions and events...multiple forces have affected materials, shipping, energy and labor costs.

Additionally, there've been significant price increases in auto insurance over this time period; it hasn't helped.

YMMV.

Edit,

An additional factor to consider is wages and income. If your income has kept up with all the price increases, great. If not, it'd be even more difficult to consider any significant purchase.

Excellent summary of "the numbers". I suspect the average wage earner's income has not kept pace with inflation and the factors you mentioned. The UAW (which i have no respect for) was smart enough to hold the big three hostage and extort higher wages that allow them to keep pace with personal costs. Now, the consumer of American autos is paying for their over-priced labor in addition to the totally unnecessary inflation that took place between 2020 and 2025.

If people would do the same, and improve their income though changing their work situation or make other personal changes, price would be much less of a factor. A Ford Mustang never was a high school graduate's, "easy to buy" first car. There seems to be an entitlement factor in owning a nice car at a young age (or not young) before people have had the time and discipline to live within their means and save money to buy a Mustang, house, and other big things in building their life.

The lure of debt has captured a lot of people's abililty to buy what is usually the second most expensive thing they end up buying. Living above one's means excludes owning tnings like two seater "expensive sports cars". The subsequent complaining of the entitlement crowd kicks in when they can't afford what they want. There seems to be a lot of soccer mom's driving around in Yukons and other expensive vehicles so the money is there for an awful lot of people. A two seater Mustang just doesn't serve most purposes so it tends to fall into the category of a "luxury vehicle" in the household budget. Just some things to think about.

 

[rijndael]

A Ford Mustang never was a high school graduate's, "easy to buy" first car. There seems to be an entitlement factor in owning a nice car at a young age (or not young) before people have had the time and discipline to live within their means and save money to buy a Mustang, house, and other big things in building their life.

The lure of debt has captured a lot of people's abililty to buy what is usually the second most expensive thing they end up buying. Living above one's means excludes owning tnings like two seater "expensive sports cars".

I occasionally get stuck at a light where all of the high school students leave school. The number of high dollar cars is pretty staggering.

 

[Zig]

Excellent summary of "the numbers". I suspect the average wage earner's income has not kept pace with inflation and the factors you mentioned. The UAW (which i have no respect for) was smart enough to hold the big three hostage and extort higher wages that allow them to keep pace with personal costs. Now, the consumer of American autos is paying for their over-priced labor in addition to the totally unnecessary inflation that took place between 2020 and 2025.

If people would do the same, and improve their income though changing their work situation or make other personal changes, price would be much less of a factor. A Ford Mustang never was a high school graduate's, "easy to buy" first car. There seems to be an entitlement factor in owning a nice car at a young age (or not young) before people have had the time and discipline to live within their means and save money to buy a Mustang, house, and other big things in building their life.

The lure of debt has captured a lot of people's abililty to buy what is usually the second most expensive thing they end up buying. Living above one's means excludes owning tnings like two seater "expensive sports cars". The subsequent complaining of the entitlement crowd kicks in when they can't afford what they want. There seems to be a lot of soccer mom's driving around in Yukons and other expensive vehicles so the money is there for an awful lot of people. A two seater Mustang just doesn't serve most purposes so it tends to fall into the category of a "luxury vehicle" in the household budget. Just some things to think about.

Time is so cheap people spend it without thought, instead of banking it they’ll borrow against it in a heartbeat.

 

[Billycar11]

Ford's 2024 infographics for the Mustang attached. It will be interesting how it compares to the 2025 order numbers given the price changes from year to year and overall sales figures for the vehicle.

BTW- Many car media sites state the Manual tranny days are gone, but it is nice to know that Nissan and BMW are still keeping the manual. I hope Ford will keep the manual for few more years.
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a65961254/nissan-z-nismo-manual-transmission-confirmed/

second photo about 50% of the eco boost's getting the high performance package is funny
since the second year they removed it as an option
we know why though for the upcoming rtr eco boost version

Sponsored