Camaro Set To Outsell Mustang. Why?

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The GT Mustang generally betters the SS Camaro in performance stats, has better build quality reports and resale numbers. So why is the Camaro outselling the Mustang? Is it the "prettier face"? Or just the fresher face? What does the Mustang need to do/offer to wrestle the sales crown back? What are your thoughts?

Patrick

Reply to
NoOp
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And the Coyote has been out for how long? 2010 model Stang sales were pretty sluggish, maybe a hold-out for the new motors? The 3.7 from Ford beats Camaro's 6er and top performer is a blue oval. Good head to head battle next year.

Reply to
GILL

My guess: All the chevy loving folks who haven't had a car to buy for more than a decade are buying. These buyers also have to also consider that government motors may not make the camaro for very long because it's not exactly a car political types generally approve of. So, basically there is pent up demand and a buy while they can feeling by people who wouldn't buy a ford anyway. This will push up sales until each of them has one.

Reply to
Brent

It's the fresher face. Lately, the American public has a very short-lived memory, so the new Camaro is, in fact, a new marque. Even now, you don't see very many of them around. Mustangs are "common as dirt," even though they are still Mustangs, but there's a good number of them running on the roads. So, if you want something out of the ordinary, you go for the Camaro.

Also, even as the Mustang, the Camaro has retro styling cues, but still manages to look like something out of Transformers. I'm sure that appeals to a lot of buyers (not this one), but when you look at these two cars, which one is destined to retain its "classic looks" well into the future?

The entry prices are almost identical for both cars. I can't say whether GM's incentives have been stronger than Ford's this year, but financing has a lot to do with buying.

Ford needs to stay the course. I'm going to be watching carefully for the next major redesign, but I think that the current Mustang is a home run. I can't think of any reason why buyers would shy away from this car.

Still... Talking about sales of Camaro v. Mustang is an academic exercise, at best. These are two niche automobiles on the fringe of the automotive market. It's like talking about earmarks when trying to balance the federal budget - the combined sales figures for both don't really amount to much in the grand scheme. It is quite possible that the available pool of buyers interested in such cars has already been mined to the max. While 300+ HP with 30+mpg is fantastic (in my opinion, as well as a lot of others'), there is still a PR war against capable automobiles and the idea of actually enjoying driving. There are powerful forces aligned against such things, and that available pool of performance buyers may dwindle as years go by.

Or, we could have a resurgence in HP awareness, a revolt, of sorts, against the commuting mindset, an insurgency that demands free-wheeling power politics behind the wheel. But I doubt it.

dwight

Reply to
dwight

Camaro off the market for so many years left the bow tie guys starving for a "affordable" performance car. Vette pricing left the average guy in the dust, not to mention a 2+2 even with a small back seat that could fit a kid in for those short trips making it a usable second car and sellable to the wife. Mustang guys have not had the pain of their marquee going away, so sales are more on a steady, even keel. I need a supercharger now to stay in the hunt with my '07, that power adder is cheaper than buying a new car even though the newer car has ongoing improvements, out on the street it's not enough to warrant me to trade up. The SC will keep me even or ahead by 30 ponies for far less than the trade in 'stang wise and ahead against the Camaro due to weight differences. Either car puts me back in '72 when ya drop the hammer, it's a mater of cost in today's financial environment, at least for me anyway.

Reply to
repairman54

Camaro off the market for so many years left the bow tie guys starving for a "affordable" performance car. Vette pricing left the average guy in the dust, not to mention a 2+2 even with a small back seat that could fit a kid in for those short trips making it a usable second car and sellable to the wife. Mustang guys have not had the pain of their marquee going away, so sales are more on a steady, even keel. I need a supercharger now to stay in the hunt with my '07, that power adder is cheaper than buying a new car even though the newer car has ongoing improvements, out on the street it's not enough to warrant me to trade up. The SC will keep me even or ahead by 30 ponies for far less than the trade in 'stang wise and ahead against the Camaro due to weight differences. Either car puts me back in '72 when ya drop the hammer, it's a mater of cost in today's financial environment, at least for me anyway.

Reply to
repairman54

Camaro off the market for so many years left the bow tie guys starving for a "affordable" performance car. Vette pricing left the average guy in the dust, not to mention a 2+2 even with a small back seat that could fit a kid in for those short trips making it a usable second car and sellable to the wife. Mustang guys have not had the pain of their marquee going away, so sales are more on a steady, even keel. I need a supercharger now to stay in the hunt with my '07, that power adder is cheaper than buying a new car even though the newer car has ongoing improvements, out on the street it's not enough to warrant me to trade up. The SC will keep me even or ahead by 30 ponies for far less than the trade in 'stang wise and ahead against the Camaro due to weight differences. Either car puts me back in '72 when ya drop the hammer, it's a mater of cost in today's financial environment, at least for me anyway.

Reply to
repairman54

Camaro off the market for so many years left the bow tie guys starving for a "affordable" performance car. Vette pricing left the average guy in the dust, not to mention a 2+2 even with a small back seat that could fit a kid in for those short trips making it a usable second car and sellable to the wife. Mustang guys have not had the pain of their marquee going away, so sales are more on a steady, even keel. I need a supercharger now to stay in the hunt with my '07, that power adder is cheaper than buying a new car even though the newer car has ongoing improvements, out on the street it's not enough to warrant me to trade up. The SC will keep me even or ahead by 30 ponies for far less than the trade in 'stang wise and ahead against the Camaro due to weight differences. Either car puts me back in '72 when ya drop the hammer, it's a mater of cost in today's financial environment, at least for me anyway.

Reply to
repairman54

Camaro off the market for so many years left the bow tie guys starving for a "affordable" performance car. Vette pricing left the average guy in the dust, not to mention a 2+2 even with a small back seat that could fit a kid in for those short trips making it a usable second car and sellable to the wife. Mustang guys have not had the pain of their marquee going away, so sales are more on a steady, even keel. I need a supercharger now to stay in the hunt with my '07, that power adder is cheaper than buying a new car even though the newer car has ongoing improvements, out on the street it's not enough to warrant me to trade up. The SC will keep me even or ahead by 30 ponies for far less than the trade in 'stang wise and ahead against the Camaro due to weight differences. Either car puts me back in '72 when ya drop the hammer, it's a mater of cost in today's financial environment, at least for me anyway.

Reply to
repairman54

Camaro off the market for so many years left the bow tie guys starving for a "affordable" performance car. Vette pricing left the average guy in the dust, not to mention a 2+2 even with a small back seat that could fit a kid in for those short trips making it a usable second car and sellable to the wife. Mustang guys have not had the pain of their marquee going away, so sales are more on a steady, even keel. I need a supercharger now to stay in the hunt with my '07, that power adder is cheaper than buying a new car even though the newer car has ongoing improvements, out on the street it's not enough to warrant me to trade up. The SC will keep me even or ahead by 30 ponies for far less than the trade in 'stang wise and ahead against the Camaro due to weight differences. Either car puts me back in '72 when ya drop the hammer, it's a mater of cost in today's financial environment, at least for me anyway.

Reply to
repairman54

In my neck of the woods, yes, S197 Mustangs are quite common, but there are very few new 5-ohs, and only a few of the new V6s. I've seen maybe three [new 5]ohs] -- a dark blue 'vert, a black and a gray coupe. New Camaros are everywhere! And Challengers are also very popular. Meanwhile 2 new 5-ohs languish on my local Ford dealer's lot

-- the same two have been sitting there for over 2 months. I don't get it.

Patrick

Reply to
NoOp

At $35,000 to $40,000, I can see why.

Reply to
me

Huh? New 5-oh GTs can be had for under $30K -- in fact I have one in my garage.

Patrick .

Reply to
NoOp

I don't think the typical car buyer, even one interested in a Mustang or Camaro, is all that familiar with the changes and improvements in the Mustang in the past 5 or so years. They just see a LOT of Mustangs on the road that more or less all look about the same.

Reply to
Ashton Crusher

Thus spake Brent :

Yeah, the F-body has been dead for so long they were lined up around the block. There's an F-body club in Austin and half the folks bought a new Camaro within 2 months. But lots of them are still in mourning for their F-birds.

Pent up demand. Give it another year.

Reply to
Dillon Pyron

I think you may be right. We'll have to see how the sales numbers stack up the next couple years. But I'm hoping Camaro, as well as Challenger, sales stay strong. I like the diversity and competition in this market.

Patrick

Reply to
NoOp

Good point. Sadly many shoppers don't look deeper than the sheet metal.

Patrick

Reply to
NoOp

If I were running GM I would do what I could to export the camaro to Iran. Every car video or set of photos that comes out of that country features Fbodies. Stupid politics getting in the way of benefical trade.

Reply to
Brent

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