Ford "Core Brand" Sales Up 4.6 Percent In July, Volvo Down 33 Percent

by Edward Niedermeyer

Published: August 3rd, 2010

Ford may have beat its July 2009 number last month, but sales at the Blue Oval brand still fell compared to the month before. Perhaps more embarrassing still is the fact that the recently-canceled Mercury brand managed to move more volume than Lincoln, despite the fact that both brands underperformed compared to both June 2010 and July 2009.

In fact, the only Mercury nameplate that saw year-over-year sales growth last month was Mountaineer, which improved by 73 units (18 percent). On the Lincoln front, the MKZ saw a 3.8 percent improvement (to 1,590 units), while Navigator improved by 116 units. And in its last month under Ford Control, Volvo tanked 33 percent, with only the XC60 (+48.2%, 1,129 units) and S80 (+66 units) growing at all. But then, we’re used to seeing Ford’s luxury offerings fall flat, only to be rescued by the Ford brand, and last month was no exception. Fiesta is ramping up, hitting 3,349 units, F-150 grew nearly 40 percent to 50,449, Taurus hit 5,046 units, and Explorer charged to 4,763 units. Transit Connect had a relatively good month at 2,633 units, and Edge edged up to 9,342, but Focus (-29.4, 15,417 units), Escape (-27.4%, 13,689 units) and Ranger (-32.3%, 5,213 units) all failed to hit their Cash-For-Clunker-boosted July 2009 levels.

#FordLincoln #Mercury #NewCars #Sales #Volvo

Edward Niedermeyer

More by Edward Niedermeyer

Comments

Join the conversation

4 of 57 comments

PartsUnknown on Aug 04, 2010

Nullo, Point taken, and I'd like to add that I find your posts to be at least coherent and well-written. I also understand your frustration with *ahem* the "other poster" - I think many on TTAC feel the same way. I'd also like to retract my "zero credibility" remark as it pertained to you. Perhaps too harsh considering your familiarity with Ford products. I do take issue, however, with your assertion that your "goal is only to make sure that the truth and facts are known." Statements such as "The MKS absolutely competes with, and in fact destroys, the Genesis" (Destroys??) and "a heavily revised MKX coming out next month that is superior to the RX and the MDX in every way" (In EVERY way?? Really??) are not factual at all . It is opinion bordering on hyperbole, and when you start spouting things like that you diminish your otherwise valid points re: the competitiveness of Ford products. Don't post down to the level of Z71.

Like Reply
- See 1 previous
- Ajla on Aug 04, 2010
  
  +1. Don't feed the trolls and remember that you can talk up a vehicle without taking pot shots at its competition.
  
  Like
- NulloModo on Aug 04, 2010
  
  Yeah, you are probably right there. Perhaps the MKS doesn't destroy the Genesis, but I do honestly believe it delivers a more complete luxury experience. Certain things that come to mind are real wood vs fake, higher quality leather, more well developed technology and infotainment systems, air conditioned seats for both front passengers instead of just one, and available all wheel drive. The Genesis certainly has some strong points, and at the end of the day, I realize it is a good car. I actually think the Genesis is more honest competition to the MKS than the RX is to the new 2011 MKX. The MDX has one big feature the MKX doesn't - a third row seat, and for those that need that, the MDX is superior. My experience with the RXs I've driven though has been that while they are nice, they are nothing special. The RX, like the Camry, sells more on name and reputation than it does on the actual quality of the vehicle. I've had a number of customers trading in recent RXs, mainly with complaints about uncomfortable seats and awkward ergonomics. The new MKX is a ground breaking entry into the luxury midsize crossover segment, and I only hope that the TTAC review doesn't downplay the significant technological advances as gimmicks, or result to beating up on the engine which is just as smooth as anything else in the segment.
  
  Like
Thornmark on Aug 05, 2010

Trust a shill/troll or Edmunds? Remember the mission of this site? The TRUTH! about cars! Edmunds, in effect, states that the MKS is not really competitive (other than price wise) with any number of similarly priced and even some lower priced cars: ....Besides the aforementioned and highly regarded Hyundai Genesis (V8 or V6) or more prestigious Cadillac CTS, Jaguar XF or Mercedes-Benz E-Class, you could also do better (and spend less) with cars like the Acura TL SH-AWD or Volkswagen CC VR6 4Motion. Even affordable front-wheel-drive cruisers like the Hyundai Azera and Toyota Avalon could be considered as viable alternatives to the base MKS. In short, it takes more than a tarted-up Taurus to do battle with some of the world's best all-around sedans.... ...The 2010 Lincoln MKS drives like what it is: a really expensive Ford Taurus. In fact, the base MKS with its 3.7-liter V6 would have trouble keeping up with a Ford Fusion SEL V6, and its coarse noises aren't exactly what buyers with $40,000-plus budgets are hoping to hear. The twin-turbocharged engine is far more satisfying from a driving standpoint. When taken on a curvy road, the MKS's handling is a letdown, feeling dull and overly soft. Yet this softness doesn't translate into comfort, as the MKS is in fact rather firm-riding. It's the worst of both worlds -- rides like a sport sedan, handles like a boat...... http://www.edmunds.com/lincoln/mks/2010/review.html The last line was Edmund's concluding line. Read that or any number of reviews, the MKS is bottom drawer. If consistency is a virtue, at least it is representative of the Lincoln line.

Like Reply

Recent Comments

Redapple2 I gave up on Honda. My 09 Accord Vs my 03. The 09s- V 6 had a slight shudder when deactivating cylinders. And the 09 did not have the 03 's electro luminescent gages. And the 09 had the most uncomfortable seats. My brother bought his 3rd and last Honda CRV. Brutal seats after 25 minutes. NOW, We are forever Toyota, Lexus, Subaru people now despite HAVING ACCESS TO gm EMPLOYEE DISCOUNT. Despite having access to the gm employee discount. Man, that is a massive statement. Wow that s bad - Under no circumstances will I have that govna crap.
Redapple2 Front tag obscured. Rear tag - clear and sharp. Huh?
Redapple2 I can state what NOT to buy. HK. High theft. Insurance. Unrefined NVH. Rapidly degrading interiors. HK? No way !
Luke42 Serious answer:Now that I DD an EV, buying an EV to replace my wife’s Honda Civic is in the queue. My wife likes her Honda, she likes Apple CarPlay, and she can’t stand Elon Musk - so Tesla starts the competition with two demerit-points and Honda starts the competition with one merit-point.The Honda Prologue looked like a great candidate until Honda announced that the partnership with GM was a one-off thing and that their future EVs would be designed in-house.Now I’m more inclined toward the Blazer EV, the vehicle on which the Prologue is based. The Blazer EV and the Ultium platform won’t be orphaned by GM any time soon. But then I have to convince my wife she would like it better than her Honda Civic, and that’s a heavy lift because she doesn’t have any reason to be dissatisfied with her current car (I take care of all of the ICE-hassles for her).Since my wife’s Honda Civic is holding up well, since she likes the car, and since I take care of most of the drawbacks of drawbacks of ICE ownership for her, there’s no urgency to replace this vehicle.Honestly, if a paid-off Honda Civic is my wife’s automotive hill to die on, that’s a pretty good place to be - even though I personally have to continue dealing the hassles and expenses of ICE ownership on her behalf.My plan is simply to wait-and-see what Honda does next. Maybe they’ll introduce the perfect EV for her one day, and I’ll just go buy it.
2ACL I have a soft spot for high-performance, shark-nosed Lancers (I considered the less-potent Ralliart during the period in which I eventually selected my first TL SH-AWD), but it can be challenging to find one that doesn't exhibit signs of abuse, and while most of the components are sufficiently universal in their function to service without manufacturer support, the SST isn't one of them. The shops that specialize in it are familiar with the failure as described by the seller and thus might be able to fix this one at a substantial savings to an OEM replacement. There's only a handful of them in the nation, however; if you're not near one, that means figuring out how to get the car to them or removing and shipping the transmission. A salvaged unit is another option, but the usual risks of cannibalizing an unknown car are magnified by similar logistical challenges to trying to save the original.I hope this is a case of the seller overvaluing the Evo market rather than still owing or having put the mods on credit because the 'best offer' won't be anywhere near the current listing.