The Ford Mustang ended the year not only selling the most cars in December but also for the year.
Sales figures showed that Ford sold 7,064 cars in December and had a total of 105,932 for the year in sales.
Although Ford sold the most in the muscle car segment, its sales actually dropped by 13.4 percent when looking at sales from 2015 to 2016. The Mustang saw the largest decrease in total sales when looking at those two years.
The Chevrolet Camaro saw a decrease of 6.2 percent while the Dodge Challenger saw a decrease of 3 percent when looking at sales figures from 2015 and 2016. The Chevy sold 72,705 of the Camaro in 2016, while Dodge sold 64,433 of the Challenger.
The position of the overall sales figures also reflected how the Camaro and Challenger did during December. The Camaro came in with the second highest number of sales with 7,000 sold during the month, while the Challenger came in last with 5,257 sold during December, sales figures showed.
When looking at figures from December 2015 and December 2016, the Camaro saw the most increase with 30.5 percent followed by the Challenger with 15 percent. The Mustang saw a decrease in sales when comparing the two months with 19.2 percent less vehicles sold in December 2016.
For a complete look at how the muscle cars sold, see the chart below.
The force must have been with the Nissan Rogue in December, as it not only took the compact crossover crown in December, but it was also the best-selling car in the land for the month.
The Rogue’s sales were 40,477, the only car (that’s not a pickup) that hit the 40k mark for the month. This is a 52.9 percent increase over December 2015. The strong month also added to the Rogue’s yearly sales, which were up 14.9 percent over 2015.
It wasn’t enough to touch the top two, though, as the Honda CR-V held on to beat out the Toyota RAV4 by just over 5,000 sales. Both had a strong month, as the CR-V was up 21.1 percent for the month and the RAV4 was up 16.8 percent for the month.
The big gainers for the year were the Korean cousins, the Hyundai Tucson and the Kia Sportage, and the Jeep Compass, which actually outsold its cousin, the Patriot, for the month for the first time this year. Maybe Jeep made the right decision by naming the new model the Compass, as it will replace both the old Compass and the Patriot.
Compact crossover sales were strong across the board, with only the aging GM twins – the Chevrolet Equinox and the GMC Terrain – and the Jeep Cherokee having double-digit losses. The also-aging Dodge Journey was also down, but at a near-flat 1 percent loss. Both the Equinox and Terrain will be soon replaced with all-new models, but the Journey will soldier on for 2017.
Toyota’s Camry is again the best-selling non-pickup vehicle in the U.S., taking both the midsize sedan sales crown in December and the overall sales crown for 2016.
The Camry’s total sales of 388,618 was enough to stave off the Honda Civic by 22,000 sales. The Camry did fail to hit the 400,000 sales mark, and actually had a 9.5 percent drop over last year.
For the month, though, the Honda Accord beat out the Camry by a scant 400-odd sales. The Accord, which was the second-best selling midsize sedan, also had a drop from last year, but a smaller 2.9 percent.
Earlier last week, Honda called the sales race early, claiming they were the best selling cars when consumer sales alone were counted, not fleet sales. According to numbers provided by Honda, they had the lowest percentage of fleet sales among the top selling companies at roughly 2 percent of sales. Toyota is around 9 percent, with Ford the highest at just under 30 percent.
Without model-by-model numbers, it’s hard to tell if they’re right, but they are one of the lowest, if not the lowest, fleet sellers in the country.
The best gainer for the year was the Chevrolet Malibu, which bucked the trend of most other competitors with a 16.9 percent increase over 2015.
The Subaru Legacy at 8 percent and the Buick Regal at 1.7 percent were the only other gainers for the year.
The Chrysler 200, which is not much longer for this world, had a 66 percent drop over 2015.
We recently received this email from Shrikanth. He’s a bit disappointed with his new car’s fuel economy and he writes:
“I am a big fan of you guys and your channel. I appreciate all your reviews and videos. My question is, I just brought this brand new 2017 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium. I’ve been driving it about a week now, mostly on highways. The average fuel economy it is showing in the dash board is just 22.5 MPG as opposed to 28 MPG as recommended. I am bit disappointed regarding this. My driving habit is descent and I am very gentle on throttle. Please advise me on what could be the reason and how I can improve the economy”
Shrikanth, the EPA says the new 2017 Subaru Outback 2.5i is supposed to get 25 MPG in the city and 32 MPG on the Highway with a combined number of 28 MPG. Your car says it is getting much lower numbers, but in order to actually determine your car’s real MPG you would have to drive at least 100 miles and use the same fuel pump to measure the actual fuel economy (see video below).
In other words, using the car’s computer to measure the car’s actual MPG is not a very accurate way to determine your real-world fuel economy.
You also don’t say in your email when you last reset the car’s computer, your current outside temperature, how many people or how much stuff is in the car, what type of fuel you are using, how the traffic is on your drive, who else drives your car, how fast you drive, how many hills, etc. All of these factors will determine your fuel economy.
For instance, if you are using an ethanol blend of fuel like E85, your fuel economy will be much different (much lower) than if you are using regular gasoline.
If you are serious about determining your actual fuel economy, take a look at the video below and use this pump method to find out what MPG you are really getting. Let us know the answer and we’ll publish the results.
Good luck!
If you have any other suggestions for Shrikanth please post them below. We would love to get your thoughts and advice as well to Shrikanth question.
Why isn’t the Mazda6 selling as well as its competitors?
TFL’s Roman Mica decided to find out why after he test drove a 2017 Mazda6 and saw how fast it could go from zero to 60.
The Mazda he tested is priced at $34,550 and comes with a four-cylinder SkyActiv engine that produces 184 horsepower and 185 pound feet of torque. With competitors like the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord offering their midsize sedans with a V6 engine, that could be one of the reasons why the Mazda6 isn’t as popular.
The sales figures also show that the Mazda6 isn’t selling as many as its competitors. Toyota sold about 355,000 of its Camrys over a year period compared to Mazda selling about 41,000 of the Mazda6s during the same timeframe.
Although the engine may not be a V6, Roman said the vehicle rides nicely and has a great-looking interior. The back seat area also has room and some added features such as heated seats that many passengers would enjoy.
The Mazda6 also gets decent gas mileage, having a rating of 27 miles per gallon city and 35 miles per gallon highway.
But to see how fast it was off the line, Roman did a zero to 60 test.
How fast was the Mazda6? What other reasons could contribute to the vehicle not selling as well? Find out by watching the complete TFL video above.
(Image of a 2020 Ford Mustang Hybrid is unavailable.)
As part of a 4.5 billion dollar investment in electrifying their vehicles, Ford is planning to electrify 13 of their vehicles in the next five years, including a Ford Mustang Hybrid and a Ford F-150 Hybrid. This investment will help create 700 U.S. jobs and will include vans, trucks, police cars and taxi cabs. Ford also announced that its global utility lineup will be the company’s first hybrids powered by (turbocharged) EcoBoost engines.
Ford is not new to gas-electric hybrids, plug-in hybrids, or all-electric vehicles. The company already sells the Fusion Hybrid, the Fusion Energi, and the all-electric Ford Focus. Ford is taking to the next level with plans for a hybrid performance car (aka Mustang), hybrid pickup truck (aka F-150), and an all-electric SUV which is capable of around 300 mile of range. Ford did not provide many specifics.
“As more and more consumers around the world become interested in electrified vehicles, Ford is committed to being a leader in providing consumers with a broad range of electrified vehicles, services and solutions that make people’s lives better,” said Mark Fields, Ford president and CEO. “Our investments and expanding lineup reflect our view that global offerings of electrified vehicles will exceed gasoline-powered vehicles within the next 15 years.
An all-new fully electric small SUV, coming by 2020, engineered to deliver an estimated range of at least 300 miles, to be built at the Flat Rock plant and sold in North America, Europe and Asia
A high-volume autonomous vehicle designed for commercial ride hailing or ride sharing, starting in North America. The hybrid vehicle will debut in 2021 and will be built at the Flat Rock plant
A hybrid version of the best-selling F-150 pickup available by 2020 and sold in North America and the Middle East. The F-150 Hybrid, built at Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant, will offer powerful towing and payload capacity and operate as a mobile generator
A hybrid version of the iconic Mustang that will deliver V8 power and even more low-end torque. The Mustang Hybrid, built at the Flat Rock Plant, debuts in 2020 and will be available in the North America to start
A Transit Custom plug-in hybrid available in 2019 in Europe engineered to help reduce operating costs in even the most congested streets
Two new, pursuit-rated hybrid police vehicles. One of the two new hybrid police vehicles will be built in Chicago, and both will be upfitted with their police gear at Ford’s dedicated police vehicle modification center in Chicago” – – Ford Motor Company
The jobs added for workers in the United States is not lost on the UAW. “I am thrilled that we have been able to secure additional UAW-Ford jobs for American workers,” said Jimmy Settles, UAW vice president, National Ford Department. “The men and women of Flat Rock Assembly have shown a great commitment to manufacturing quality products, and we look forward to their continued success with a new generation of high-tech vehicles.”
Ford is looking at providing more than improved efficiency, they are looking at gains in overall performance too. “Ford’s global EV strategy is to build on our strengths,” said Raj Nair, executive vice president, Product Development, and chief technical officer. “While some others seem to be focused on marketing claims and numbers, we’re focused on providing customers even more of what they love about their Ford vehicles. This means more capability for trucks, more productivity for commercial vehicles and more performance for sports cars – plus improved fuel economy.”
There will be some interesting, high-tech automotive debuts at the 2017 CES. The Consumer Electronics Show (2017 CES) is featuring more debuts and concept vehicles than ever before. We have compiled a list of notable debuts below and we’ll follow up this preview with additional information as it becomes available.
The (FCA) Chrysler Portal Concept:
The Chrysler Portal Concept is an electric, semi-autonomous vehicle that has a 100 kWh lithium ion battery pack. It has a 350-kW fast charger that is able to charge the battery pack enough in 20 minutes to get up to a 150 mile range.
Fully charged, the Chrysler Portal Concept is said to have a 250 mile range. The power is fed through one electric motor to the front wheels.
Having a 118.2-inch wheelbase, the Chrysler Portal Concept is more of a minivan than a car. It has large sliding doors that slide away from each other and a track in the floor allowing the seats to slide, fold and be removed altogether. The interior has a multifunctional, smart electronic layout imagined by Panasonic with 10 docking stations for various devices.
The Chrysler Portal Concept is a SAE Level Three autonomous vehicle that can be driven by a passenger or it can drive itself.
The Ford Fusion Hybrid autonomous development vehicle:
Autonomous cars are a reoccurring theme at the 2017 CES and Ford was one of the pioneering automakers to jump into autonomy with both feet. The Ford Fusion Hybrid autonomous development vehicle will be on display hosting a number of advances since last year’s model. According to Ford, it is a smarter, more advanced vehicle than the one it replaces.
The Volkswagen I.D. Concept:
Autodesk VRED Professional 2016 SP1
The Volkswagen I.D. Electric Vehicle Concept will have its North American debut at the 2017 CES. This is a glimpse at what Volkswagen has in mind for the near future as they begin the process of building an electric stable of vehicles. The Volkswagen I.D. Concept will have an autonomous feature, a 168 horsepower electric motor and up to 373 miles range on a single charge.
One of the unique features of the Volkswagen I.D. Concept is its ability to “look” at things. The LED lights are backed by small cameras that can identify the driver, bikes, pedestrians and other vehicles. This enhances its autonomous abilities and it looks pretty cool when the headlights focus on and follow the driver as they approach.
The Volkswagen I.D. Concept is supposed to evolve into a production version by 2020.
The Eli ZERO:
There is very little information currently available about the Eli ZERO. While it shares the looks and proportions of other electric vehicles from Peugeot and Smart, it is being built by a startup company specifically to combat inner-city traffic.
According to the automaker, “We believe Eli introduces an advanced, yet simple product that will fundamentally shift how we engage with urban fabrics. Smaller, simpler and friendlier, Eli ZERO is the ultimate two seater mobility device for agile daily movement. Eli ZERO reimagines the NEV and addresses the dynamic transportation demands of modern cities and towns by offering a versatile driving solution for both urban and suburban neighborhoods.”
In addition to these debuts, technology from automakers like Hyundai, GM, BMW and others will be on display.
The 2017 CES runs from Thursday January 5th to Sunday January 8th, 2017.
Some cars’ existences are obvious. Midsize sedans, compact crossovers, compact cars – these are all big sellers that fill obvious places in the automotive market.
Some cars, however, are a mystery. Their existence doesn’t fit any obvious market segment. They’re either halo cars – cars that are meant to embody the essence of their brands – or in some cases don’t fit the brand at all.
TFLcar has tested and driven a lot of cars, and this is our list of the top 10 cars that shouldn’t exist, but are available now. Click the right arrow below to start the list.
The 2026 Kia K4 hatchback gives interested buyers another option in a time where hatches have been losing ground to crossovers. Here are all the details!
