05/01/2008, 2:59 PM
Ford News
Ford’s April truck and SUV sales take a massive dip, Smart’s sales strong
With rising fuel costs and a slumping economy, it comes as no real surprise that truck and SUV sales are on the decline. However, it is quite shocking to see just how far those sales have dropped in such a short time. Ford announced on Thursday that April sales of its F-150 — the best selling truck in the U.S. for over three decades — dropped off by 21 percent.
Ford’s overall truck sales plummeted 19 percent in April and SUV sales fell by a whopping 36 percent. With that kind of drop off, we’re not sure that even a more economical 4.4L diesel powerplant will rally enough sales to stop the bleeding.
According to Automotive News, Ford’s April sales — including all divisions — fell 12.1 percent to 200,007 units.
While the Blue Oval’s truck division fell flat on its face, the Ford Focus was a bright spot for the Dearborn-based automaker. The fuel-sipping compact saw its sales rise 43.5 percent from last April, with Focus retail sales up 88 percent. The Ford Escape, Edge and Fusion, Mercury Milan and Mariner and Lincoln MKX also saw an April sales increase.
Ironically, Ford’s soon-to-be-Tata-owned Jaguar division posted a 25.4 percent April sales gain, thanks to strong sales of its new XF sedan.
In other automaker news, Toyota saw its April sales drop — 2.7 percent for the Toyota brand and a sharp 22.1 percent decrease for the Japanese automaker’s Lexus brand.
Mercedes-Benz saw a slight April dip — falling 3 percent — but the overall group was buoyed by strong sales of the company’s Smart brand. Smart sold 2,683 units during the month of April.
05/01, 3:05 PM
posted by:
nestle_s
well with the way that gas prices are going up i can see why truck and suv sales have dipped.
05/01, 3:17 PM
posted by:
xyunya
What the news here?
05/01, 3:19 PM
posted by:
Payton Byrd
Truck sales will not stay down, although large-SUV sales probably will for a while. People won’t stop getting married because of high gas prices and having a wife almost necessitates the purchase of a truck. If you don’t understand that statement then you aren’t married.
05/01, 3:21 PM
posted by:
mayer_ray_nagin
Gotta admit I’m glad to see Lexus taking a hit. In addition to basically being putzy grandpa cars (except the IS) the dealers are arrogant bastards. Double digit drops for Lexus almost makes them as crappy as asscr-Acura.
05/01, 3:22 PM
posted by:
mayer_ray_nagin
I agree, Payton; high gas prices can’t stop me from marrying, but experience has.
05/01, 3:29 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
Marriage eventually gives most of us gas. Is there any way to harness that?
05/01, 3:33 PM
posted by:
Carwatcher
Lexus and Mercedes taking a sales hit while Ford’s cars enjoy and increase? Interesting. It’s usually the opposite.
05/01, 3:34 PM
posted by:
Carwatcher
I meant Ford’s cars enjoying an increase.
05/01, 3:57 PM
posted by:
mayer_ray_nagin
Johnny’s onto something about harnessing nuptial gas as a potential solution for our energy woes. Also note on the issue of climate change that dating significantly adds to knobal warming whereas marriage has the sad effect of knobal cooling.
05/01, 4:02 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
Marriage also eliminates any possibility of wind power being a viable energy source as there is little chance of ever being blown again.
05/01, 4:11 PM
posted by:
cwa107
Johnnycanuck, that is hilarious, may I borrow that one?
“DUH!” on the truck sales slipping - who’da thunk it?
What I find interesting is the sales of Smart ForTwos. I’m still scratching my head over to the usefulness of that particular vehicle. Let’s get this straight - room for only two, $15K (more than the cost of an entry level Korean vehicle), only 35MPG and it requires premium fuel. Anyone buying that car is doing so as a social statement, or to be able to park in tight places. Otherwise, it holds no advantage over a decent subcompact… particularly one that runs regular fuel.
05/01, 4:33 PM
posted by:
gizmo2
The sale of Smart will taper off as soon as the fans with cash get theirs. But I agree, unless I am buying that car for making a statement, what’s the big deal? With the size of that thing it should easily make 50MPG
05/01, 4:55 PM
posted by:
Payton Byrd
There’s a really good reason why the SmartFor2 has sucky gas mileage: Aerodynamics. That think looks like it creates a vacuum behind it the size of a semi.
05/01, 5:58 PM
posted by:
A4
Yeah LLN, and how fast is the tundra/sequoia selling? Oh yeah, thats right.
05/01, 5:59 PM
posted by:
A4
and last time i checked the Escape is an SUV.
05/01, 7:42 PM
posted by:
LaCaLover
The CdA of the Smart for2 is only 7.5 sq ft. SO its aerodynamics are not that bad. In context about the same as the CdA for a BMW 1 series
05/01, 8:02 PM
posted by:
Rafa LL
Happy for Smart and sorry for Benz, all they do is red numbers:(.
05/01, 9:05 PM
posted by:
autonut
I suspect that Smart sells strong only in US. It is definitely wasn’t selling in Europe and everyone I spoke with in Europe concluded that this car is for retards.
Ford news to be expected. Brand loyalist will buy whatever small car Fords will offer, even Smart with blue oval.
05/01, 11:13 PM
posted by:
Payton Byrd
The BMW is about style, not gas mileage. They should be targeting the Civic and Prius for aerodynamics in a car aimed at the issue of fuel economy.
05/01, 11:48 PM
posted by:
murderedout
Everyone forgets just how well the big 3 did in the mid to late 1990’s. I would love to see LLN in the 90’s. People wouldn’t be talking about GM vs Toyota, rather Ford VS Chevy. And gas prices at 1.00 a gallon. It’s not really that long ago if you think about it, less than 10 years ago gas was 87 cents a gallon,in 1999.
05/02, 10:49 AM
posted by:
Payton Byrd
Honestly, gas is on a bubble once again. This cycle plays itself out over and over again. Lots of inefficient vehicles are sold, demand for gas goes up; buyers get nervous, make drastic changes to purchasing habits, price of gas goes down; lots of inefficient vehicles get sold……
The problem for the oil producing countries is that before they could always count on the inefficient vehicles coming back in large numbers, but with the advent of Li-Ion batters, feul cells and reasonable nio-feuls (not the ones that use food-stock) we’ll see a sustained drop in demand for gasoline that will eventually see it drop below the $1.00 mark again. Also, let us drill that 46 billion gallons in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota and actually let us build refineries for that oil and you’ll see dependence on those oil-producing nations drop sooner rather than later (within 10 years). Hell, just getting new refineries built would allow us to import more oil from friendly countries such as Mexico and Canada which would have positive economic effects for all of us here in North America.
05/02, 1:26 PM
posted by:
Buhbye
Looks like the American people are catching on that Lexus is a re-badged Toyota and not worth the extra money. They learned it from the Japanese people, who just buy Toyotas.
05/04, 7:04 PM
posted by:
Fleming in Tennessee
If Ford made the Ranger look a bit like that ‘48/’49 Ford the F150 is pulling, they’d be in big trouble trying to build enough of them! Small is back in style and the Ranger could become a best seller again! EcoBoost 4 and 6 and a small diesel could just be the right ticket! Line up behind me!