April vehicle sales

[Gomez]

Originally Posted by BroadyFord

....But Ford had a particularly difficult month. After tracking well in the first three months of the year -- up by 3.4 per cent -- sales dropped by 20 per cent compared with the same month the previous year.

Falcon sales were down by 50 per cent in April -- with fewer than 1500 recorded

I did my bit, picked up a new (October build) XR50 in April.

600km's later....nothing has fallen off yet!!

[GTP-03]

Well I for one wont consider a new Korean car, Id rather buy a second hand dedicated FG Falcon than a brand new Hyundai. I know the I30s are great value for money and have a ripper warranty, but I love full size cars rear wheel drive and Lpg has enough power and very cheap to run. If I wasnt a Ford fan or that much into cars and didnt really care about our manufacturing industry in this country, I would buy a new Hyundai or equIvelant, at the end of the day, value for money is what people want. This includes cheap running and servicing costs and a good warranty. The Koreans and Chinese can build a car that tick all of the boxes so its no suprise they are selling so well!

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by The G6ET Spot

Quite interesting that you bring up build quality. As today someone at work was asking me about my G6ET and what the build quality was like.As on the weekend he had been to look at G6 50th Anniversary (he currently owns a Aurion Sportivo ZR6) The thing that struck him was that when the salesman opened the bonnet all the engine block was rusty and even the bellhousing.

He said that he understands that it doesn't affect the way the cars drives at all but just doesn't give a good look to how the car is built.

Interesting considering as Silver Ghia has said, you have to go some some effort to be able to see it and alloy parts don't rust. If you ask me, its making a mountain out of a molehill.

[stevz]

Has anybody got the full numbers yet?

[Gomez]

Originally Posted by Ford_The_Win

I have driven an FG and they are fantastic inside and out, an absolute dream of a car. But car sales are obviously not dependent on how the car drives... if they were then why is Falcon not selling? It's because in the last 20 years the Falcon name has turned to garbage. The B-series weren't exactly a masterpiece in technology, build quality or reliability. If a nameplate or brand has a bad reputation, people won't even step into the showroom.

I've had an EF XR8 since 1996.

My new XR50 was purchased without a test drive, I didn't see the point.

Falcons are built to suit local conditions. I knew it'd ride well, have plenty of space, and plenty of grunt.

What was a surprise, was the amount of gadgets Ford has fitted the Falcon with in last 15 years. Auto headlights, trip computer, info screen, climate control, electric seat, outside temp sensor, drip wipe function, sunlight sensor, traction control, stability control, side airbags, decent headlights, awesome six speed auto, seatbelt warning, cylinder shutdown when overheated (massive win), decent smartshield, Bluetooth, iPod connectivity, more hp than a 5L V8, etc, etc.

All the above for $12,000 LESS than the EF was when new!!

Absolute bargain buy, these things.

[falcon convert]

In 2008 I bought a G6E. My first ever Falcon and 3 years on I still love it. It has given absolutely no troubles.
While it is no fuel miser I always get better mileage than the Australian Standards say I should - better than most SUVs and some mid sized.
I guess what I'm trying to convey here is that whatever the problem is, in my view it is NOT the car itself.
That said, chances are my next car will not be another Falcon - it will be a Territory as but I want a little more flexibility and a few more seats. But I am very happy with my experience of an Australian built Ford and will be more than happy to buy another Aussie built Ford.
While I accept that everyone has the right to their opinion, personally I tire of reading so much whining and moaning on this forum.

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by jpd80

No, what's really hurting Ford is a lack of buyers.
They have a gazillion XR6s up the cazoo for $34,990 and still, hardly anyone wants them....

Huh? They sold more I6 sedans then Holden V6 sedans in 2010, buyers aren't the issue. And as someone else mentioned, they are all base XR6s. Who wants to buy a base standard XR6 for $35k when the same money was getting a decked out 50th Anniversary a couple of months ago? The VEII SV6 is also a superior package these days. What's hurting them is a very narrow range like I said. How many Sportwagons do Holden sell per month? V8s also account for more than 20% of their sales last I heard. Take them away from the ~3000 units units Holden pushed last month and it starts to look ugly.

[phillyc]

Originally Posted by Gomez

I've had an EF XR8 since 1996.

My new XR50 was purchased without a test drive, I didn't see the point.

Falcons are built to suit local conditions. I knew it'd ride well, have plenty of space, and plenty of grunt.

What was a surprise, was the amount of gadgets Ford has fitted the Falcon with in last 15 years. Auto headlights, trip computer, info screen, climate control, electric seat, outside temp sensor, drip wipe function, sunlight sensor, traction control, stability control, side airbags, decent headlights, awesome six speed auto, seatbelt warning, cylinder shutdown when overheated (massive win), decent smartshield, Bluetooth, iPod connectivity, more hp than a 5L V8, etc, etc.

All the above for $12,000 LESS than the EF was when new!!

Absolute bargain buy, these things.

Congrats on the purchase! Yeah, i've been pleasantly suprised by how many gadgets are on the FG. Only missing the 18s and colour screen (which we got on ours). Been a great car, averaged mid 9s economy since we got it which the ZF 6spd really helps with.

Ford have made a great car in the FG. Just the sales aren't nearly what they should be largely due to Ford's marketing and GMHolden are discounting the hell out of the VE Omega to fleets.

[Road_Warrior]

I don't think Ford sold that many XR8's to really make a dent in the Falcon's sales. The big problem is lack of LPG and a refresh against new and improved competition - and the lack of a fuel efficient option to show people that you can have a large car AND have low running costs...

[DanielXR8]

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

Interesting considering as Silver Ghia has said, you have to go some some effort to be able to see it and alloy parts don't rust. If you ask me, its making a mountain out of a molehill.

It probably is, but for what $10 a car Ford could fix it - but they don't.

So another customer walks.

Someone sees the great ad for the drive away deals on XR6 and then goes and looks one of the cars over and notices the ugly LCD screen that saved Ford a few dollars, perched in the center of the dash. Maybe they notice the car doesn't have a full electric drivers seat or memory so the wife can get setup in the car easily, or the radio doesn't sound to good, because the speakers are the cheapest Ford could find.

So they walk. They didn't bother to drive it, because the basics aren't there.

A few hundred dollars spent on each FG out of the factory, would make a world of difference to the perception of the car.

The entire Falcon range needs an upgrade in standard equipment, better materials and attention to finish.

Basically the XR50th equipment list should be the standard. Then improve from there.

Nothing major, just focus on the little things to bring the car right up to scratch. They are nearly there, but can't help themselves and go back to their cost cutting ways, once to often on FG. Its a crying shame, because FG is unquestionably a great drive and you can tell the Ford engineers put some real effort into this car.

Thing is FG's competition isn't a Commodore, its a Hyundai or Kia and right now they want Fords market and slowly but surely they are getting it. They will put the extra kit in, they will add the value and they will keep chipping away at a competitor like Ford, that isn't moving quickly enough. Each generation of the Koreans is a leap and Falcon in contrast is incremental, sometimes too incremental for the cars good. That doesn't work anymore.

The mechanical package in FG is spot on. The technology going in, is what Falcon needs. Time for Ford to finish the car with better materials and more content. It is what FG needs to go from a good car to a very good car.
They are so very close with FG.

The new Territory sales will ultimately disappoint too, if Ford doesn't learn this lesson.

Dan

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Adrenaline

Huh? They sold more I6 sedans then Holden V6 sedans in 2010, buyers aren't the issue. And as someone else mentioned, they are all base XR6s. Who wants to buy a base standard XR6 for $35k when the same money was getting a decked out 50th Anniversary a couple of months ago? The VEII SV6 is also a superior package these days. What's hurting them is a very narrow range like I said. How many Sportwagons do Holden sell per month? V8s also account for more than 20% of their sales last I heard. Take them away from the ~3000 units units Holden pushed last month and it starts to look ugly.

Sigh, I will try again:
Ford is suffering a lack of buyers.

They are building vehicles for buyers that don't exist. I believe you regarding incorrect factory optioning.

It is now painfully obvious what happens when Ford build cars that no one wants,
and continues building them for 6 to 8 months, slows the plant to 3 day weeks,
offers them for sale at discounted price...what next?

[Resurrection]

Originally Posted by stevz

Has anybody got the full numbers yet?

FAPM release the numbers on the third workday of every month. So wait one more day.

[Ford_The_Win]

Originally Posted by Adrenaline

Commodores aren't much better yet they are selling 3000+ units a month. .

They have still fallen a hell of a long way since their heyday 10 years ago when they were selling 8,000 per month... Fallen just as much, if not more than Falcon in that sense.

Originally Posted by fordv8!

yeah it's a damn shame but the reality is the general public think of a falcon as unreliable, petrol guzzler etc...... i see as many commodores "pulled over" as falcons but holden's where known to be junk aswell how come the mud "sticks" when its a ford? how have holden overcome this?

Holden are constantly advertising to counteract their lacklustre model lineup. Commodore is far worse than Falcon in terms of quality, performance and reliability, it has almost always been the way. But at the end of the day, it's a Holden eyy, maaate!!

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Sigh, I will try again:
Ford is suffering a lack of buyers.

They are building vehicles for buyers that don't exist. I believe you regarding incorrect factory optioning.

It is now painfully obvious what happens when Ford build cars that no one wants,
and continues building them for 6 to 8 months, slows the plant to 3 day weeks,
offers them for sale at discounted price...what next?

Which comes down to the fact that their range is too narrow. Why else are they be building so many XR6s? They have nothing else to build. And don't kid yourself into thinking Ford would be moving substantially higher numbers by simply packaging the XR6 differently, it would help private sales which would account for 20% if they are lucky. Let's break down the issue with the numbers, using Commodore as the benchmark, tell me if you disagree.

1. Ford have no wagon. Say goodbye to at least 400 units. Holden's Sportwagon is a smash hit and is making up a very decent percentage of Commodore sales.

2. Ford currently have no fuel efficient option (being LPG), Holden have their 3.0L SIDI and judging by how many I see making the rounds, fleets love them.

3. Ford haven't got a V8 option. I'm sick of people saying that the XR8 didn't sell so it doesn't matter. The XR8 didn't sell because it just couldn't compete, full stop. Holden do have a good V8 available on multiple cars across their range and it makes up 20% of Commodore sales. Right now it has the market all to itself.

Fleets don't want 4.0L petrol Falcons. From many accounts, the Falcon is disappearing from fleet options lists. This is a big problem when fleets make up 80% of your sales. If Ford had a fuel miser Falcon to go toe to toe with the 3.0L Commodore, things would be different.

Those points are easily worth 1000+ units per month. I think to still be moving 1500 units with the range the way it is and petrol prices the way they are, compounded by the fact that the market is running away from the segment, Ford aren't doing too badly. Are we on the same page here?

[stang65]

Originally Posted by Ford_The_Win

So the useless sh-sh-sh handbrakes, warping rotors, crap ball joints on the Terri, the IRS that scrubs out bushes, water contamination into the gearbox due to crap trans cooler lines, 'shockwave' paint peeling off in huge flakes, all of these problems present in the last generation of local Fords didn't put off potential buyers?

Oh and what does the EL have to do with anything? It's turned out to be a crap box as well.

Shh SHH hand brake and warping aren`t really that big a deal, as for warping FORD were machining under warranty (discs are rda and solution was to replace with different pad under warranty) I notice you don`t have a late model car so why does something that has been fixed bother you if you put out your hard earned then you would have at least justification. And if it was a **** box go buy a Holden you think they don`t have problems?

TERRITORY ball joints Well we have a 2005 TERRY so far so good has only affected some terries the way people have gone on you think it affected all. ADMITTEDLY THEY COULD HAVE HANDLE IT BETTER. i`ll give you that but it`s not relevant to the Falcon.

IRS scrubbing out bushes never heard off, water contamination due to faulty radiator yes , but not what your saying if fails under warranty Ford fix for free I decide to put in seperate transmission cooler and bypass radiator..

Shockwave paint doesn`t peel off in big flakes but there was a problem with the paint, brother bought a futura in shockwave 2005 model second hand 1 year out of warranty and guess what Ford painted it for free as it was starting to wear in spots the whole car he was wrapped.

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by Ford_The_Win

Holden are constantly advertising to counteract their lacklustre model lineup. Commodore is far worse than Falcon in terms of quality, performance and reliability, it has almost always been the way. But at the end of the day, it's a Holden eyy, maaate!!

Are you talking from experience or are you just talking?

[Ford_The_Win]

Originally Posted by stang65

Shh SHH hand brake and warping aren`t really that big a deal, as for warping FORD were machining under warranty (discs are rda and solution was to replace with different pad under warranty)

It is a big deal if I were to spend $30k plus on a brand new car and the handbrake didn't work, the brakes shuddered and it made funny noises. I would NOT be happy with that and neither would the general public.

And if it was a **** box go buy a Holden you think they don`t have problems?

Did I mention anything about Holden when I gave my input as to why local Fords aren't selling? Do you think I'm some kinda closet Holden lover here to bag out the beloved Falcon?

TERRITORY ball joints Well we have a 2005 TERRY so far so good has only affected some terries the way people have gone on you think it affected all. ADMITTEDLY THEY COULD HAVE HANDLE IT BETTER. i`ll give you that but it`s not relevant to the Falcon.

No, it's not relevant to Falcon. But it is relevant to local Ford vehicles which are selling poorly.

IRS scrubbing out bushes never heard off, water contamination due to faulty radiator yes , but not what your saying if fails under warranty Ford fix for free I decide to put in seperate transmission cooler and bypass radiator.

Shockwave paint doesn`t peel off in big flakes but there was a problem with the paint, brother bought a futura in shockwave 2005 model second hand 1 year out of warranty and guess what Ford painted it for free as it was starting to wear in spots the whole car he was wrapped.

If I buy a car I expect the big parts like transmission and paintwork to last longer than the warranty period. All well and good if Ford replace it during warranty but what about when it's over?

[Ford_The_Win]

Originally Posted by Adrenaline

Are you talking from experience or are you just talking?

We have had a VN, VR, VS and VT and a Korean Barina in the family. I have a VR work car as a daily. I will admit I am not overly familiar with models after that but I'm basing that comparison with the Ford equivalents of the era. In many ways they are as bad as each other.

[stang65]

But you didn`t spend $30K

YOU SAID YOUR EL WAS A *******

Thats right it`s not relevant and the Territory is actually selling well it outsold both craptiva models last month.

Please re read my post my brothers car in shockwave was 1 year out of warranty, so there is your answer.

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by Ford_The_Win

We have had a VN, VR, VS and VT and a Korean Barina in the family. I have a VR work car as a daily. I will admit I am not overly familiar with models after that but I'm basing that comparison with the Ford equivalents of the era.

The problem is, 15 years ago isn't relevant today. Today you will find that the Commodore has a superior range with a very stylish wagon, finally a good V6, a great V8 and currently, in my opinion, a superior overall package (taking into account things like standard interior appointments). This will of course change when FGII comes out - its a seesaw like always. In terms of quality, the VE Commodore is no worse than your average FG Falcon.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Adrenaline

Which comes down to the fact that their range is too narrow. Why else are they be building so many XR6s? They have nothing else to build. And don't kid yourself into thinking Ford would be moving substantially higher numbers by simply packaging the XR6 differently, it would help private sales which would account for 20% if they are lucky. Let's break down the issue with the numbers, using Commodore as the benchmark, tell me if you disagree.

1. Ford have no wagon. Say goodbye to at least 400 units. Holden's Sportwagon is a smash hit and is making up a very decent percentage of Commodore sales.

2. Ford currently have no fuel efficient option (being LPG), Holden have their 3.0L SIDI and judging by how many I see making the rounds, fleets love them.

3. Ford haven't got a V8 option. I'm sick of people saying that the XR8 didn't sell so it doesn't matter. The XR8 didn't sell because it just couldn't compete, full stop. Holden do have a good V8 available on multiple cars across their range and it makes up 20% of Commodore sales. Right now it has the market all to itself.

Fleets don't want 4.0L petrol Falcons. From many accounts, the Falcon is disappearing from fleet options lists. This is a big problem when fleets make up 80% of your sales. If Ford had a fuel miser Falcon to go toe to toe with the 3.0L Commodore, things would be different.

Those points are easily worth 1000+ units per month. I think to still be moving 1500 units with the range the way it is and petrol prices the way they are, compounded by the fact that the market is running away from the segment, Ford aren't doing too badly. Are we on the same page here?

You could save yourself a lot of typing by just admitting that people don't want to buy the
Falcons that Ford now produces, agree to that and all the rest can be consigned to history
because no amount of LPG, V8 or station wagons will change Ford's position.

The problem is that Falcon is a large sedan, that cannot be changed and it's why people don't want it.
Commodore has only a year or two's grace on Falcon before Holden realise the same sad fact.
The market is saying no to large cars, I believe the die back we're seeing is permanent.

The change is no doubt being accelerated by higher fuel prices,
large cars are the first ones to suffer cutbacks when that happens
as fleets move onto more efficient and cheaper vehicles.

It's a sign of the times I'm afraid Ford and its Falcon fans aren't ready for it....

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by jpd80

You could save yourself a lot of typing by just admitting that people don't want to buy the
Falcons that Ford now produces, agree to that and all the rest can be consigned to history
because no amount of LPG, V8 or station wagons will change Ford's position.

The problem is that Falcon is a large sedan, that cannot be changed and it's why people don't want it.
Commodore has only a year or two's grace on Falcon before Holden realise the same sad fact.
The market is saying no to large cars, I believe the die back we're seeing is permanent.

The change is no doubt being accelerated by higher fuel prices,
large cars are the first ones to suffer cutbacks when that happens
as fleets move onto more efficient and cheaper vehicles.

It's a sign of the times I'm afraid Ford and its Falcon fans aren't ready for it....

The new LPG and upcoming I4T will go a long way in getting Falcon back in the minds of fleet operators when the time comes, it's not all doom and gloom just yet.

[Hally]

I have a general question in regards to the acceptance of the EcoLPi Falcon. Upon initial release, do you think that it will sell in the numbers that the old egas model did?

My opinion is that if I were a fleet manager especially, I would want to give it some time to get feedback -especially on reliability - from early buyers before I committed to basically bulk buying of these.

I am sure it will be a well sorted and engineered product but am coming at this from a business perspective. Looking forward to hearing other peoples opinions.

[csv8]

Will EcoLPi sell in June ?? or will people wait until FG2 is released, in October. Seems a strange decision to put a new engine in an"old model car" ,when a new model is coming?????

[Smoke Pursuit]

EcoLPi will be on sale in July, the question is who will buy them?

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by Hally

I have a general question in regards to the acceptance of the EcoLPi Falcon. Upon initial release, do you think that it will sell in the numbers that the old egas model did?

My opinion is that if I were a fleet manager especially, I would want to give it some time to get feedback -especially on reliability - from early buyers before I committed to basically bulk buying of these.

I am sure it will be a well sorted and engineered product but am coming at this from a business perspective. Looking forward to hearing other peoples opinions.

Due to Fords lack of supply most fleet companies have had to find alternatives, plus a fair whack of the Egas Falcons purchased prior were wagons, so those customers are long gone.

My guess is that egas may struggle for a while, I dont think they will do 500 a month as none of the hire fleets will buy them. They will do well with Egas utes tho, should equal atleast 200 sales a month if not 300 - 400 when ramped back up.

[turbo4me]

Originally Posted by Ford_The_Win

So the useless sh-sh-sh handbrakes, warping rotors, crap ball joints on the Terri, the IRS that scrubs out bushes, water contamination into the gearbox due to crap trans cooler lines, 'shockwave' paint peeling off in huge flakes, all of these problems present in the last generation of local Fords didn't put off potential buyers?

Oh and what does the EL have to do with anything? It's turned out to be a crap box as well.

That's funny because i had an EL before my BA and the only problem i had with the EL was a failed coil pack and the only problem i have had with the BA is a blown 4 speed auto which was bound to go considering i am around the 300rw. So i must be one of the lucky one's

[stang65]

I think people are forgetting that not everybody has the cash, times are tough.
If Holden are discounting more than Ford or offering sweeteners the only thing that will help Ford is to offer more options in their models. In saying that times are tough , i think more people are worse of now than when the GFC hit.

IF i was cashed up I would be buying a new falcon, preferably a coyote...GRRRR.

[bobthebilda]

Originally Posted by stang65

I think people are forgetting that not everybody has the cash, times are tough.
If Holden are discounting more than Ford or offering sweeteners the only thing that will help Ford is to offer more options in their models. In saying that times are tough , i think more people are worse of now than when the GFC hit.

IF i was cashed up I would be buying a new falcon, preferably a coyote...GRRRR.

No, the list of sales for the first 3 months, seems to indicate people are still buying cars in near record numbers. But as the Falcon is just one of literally hundreds of cars available to chose from, I dont see why people expect it to sell more than it is. Regardless of how good of a car people think the Falcon is, it suffers from a few disadvantages (main one being volume production= lower possible sale price to recoup investment), that others on the list dont


Pos Model 2011
1 Mazda3 11,159
2 Holden Commodore 10,644
3 Toyota Corolla 9,712
4 Toyota Hilux 9,411
5 Holden Cruze 7,446
6 Hyundai i30 6,705
7 Nissan Navara 6,586
8 Hyundai Getz 5,086
9 Mitsubishi Lancer 4,980
10 Toyota Yaris 4,629
11 Mitsubishi Triton 4,496
12 Mazda2 4,475
13 Ford Falcon 4,448
14 Subaru Impreza 4,421
15 Toyota Camry 4,229
16 Toyota Prado 3,831
17 Ford Fiesta 3,764
18 Subaru Forester 3,353
19 Toyota RAV4 3,345
20 Suzuki Swift 3,296
21 Toyota Kluger 3,182
22 VW Golf 3,157
23 Ford Focus 3,140
24 Holden Barina 2,889
25 Ford Ranger 2,789
26 Holden Colorado 2,652
27 Toyota Land Cruiser 2,587
28 Hyundai ix35 2,573
29 Ford Territory 2,533
30 Nissan X-Trail 2,497
31 Nissan Dualis 2,438
32 Mazda CX-7 2,296
33 Holden Commodore Ute 2,220
34 Toyota Aurion 2,190
35 Mazda BT-50 2,135
36 VW Tiguan 2,053
37 Holden Captiva7 2,022
38 Mitsubishi Outlander 1,987
39 Ford Mondeo 1,961
40 Nissan Micra 1,829
41 Honda Civic 1,794
42 Ford Falcon Ute 1,651
43 Kia Rio 1,643
44 Hyundai i20 1,622
45 Honda Jazz 1,617
46 Toyota Land Cruiser Ute 1,590
47 Mazda6 1,499
48 Honda CR-V 1,422
49 Mitsubishi Pajero 1,420
50 Mitsubishi ASX 1,405
51 Kia Cerato/Koup 1,398
52 Subaru Outback 1,352
53 Subaru Liberty 1,335
54 Mercedes C Class 1,283
55 Isuzu D-Max 1,225
56 BMW 3 Series 1,194
57 VW Polo 1,149
58 Nissan Tiida 1,092
59 Honda Accord Euro 1,088
60 Ford Escape 1,085
61 Hyundai Santa Fe 1,077
62 Suzuki Alto 1,046
63 Nissan Patrol 1,035
64 Great Wall V240 989
65 Hyundai i45 976 0.4%

[1TUFFUTE]

put it this way...how many times over the years..and recently have you seen in mag comparoes the holden breaks down. I can remember half a dozen times and onle once for a falcon and im sure it was a burnt out clutch...not a pump or electrical shutdown like in the comadores.

These cars are all built to a price hence will always have problems. People know that.