I think the numbers are right for the time of year. The Northeast which makes up a large amount of sales is in basically winter conditions and sales of sports or sporty cars plummet in this weather. Once Spring starts, sales will jump up markedly. Mustang faves a lot of competition from its old "foes" Camaro and Challenger to newer imports like the Hyundai Genesis coupe and the Toyota/Subaru FRS.-BRZ twins. With the Ecoboost engine, I'm sure Ford hopes to get the tuner crowd into Mustangs instead of the usual rice rockets and build some new fans there but the Mustang really is the better value in every case. The interiors that I've been in feel well put together and high quality (even in the V6- which is what I'm buying). The handling and ride are light years better then the previous car so I'm sure with all those factors Mustang will still stay on top as even the redesigned Camaro which is coming will be more expensive than the Mustang when you look at trim levels. Anything New usually does well for awhile but I think this Mustang will stay on top a long time..

 

What you fail to take to into account is the global marketing directive in play. You do realize different countries have different rules of taxation? Outside the US, prospective customers may have to pay a tax (sometimes a not-so-insignificant tax) based on engine displacement and/or cylinder count. (3.7 > 2.3, 6 > 4.) Some countries even regulate the maximum size of a car's motor.

So taking the car global means accommodating a global market, not just the US and Canada. (Keep in mind the largest emerging economy is China, not the US.) It has absolutely nothing to do with "not allowing the EB to fail" and everything to do with making a car that can be promoted and sold globally. (Why make a 3.7L that won't sell outside the US, when there is a boosted 4, which offers just as much power, that will? Economy of scale?) Ford is not in business to make cars. Neither is GM, or Toyota, or Fiat. These companies are in the automotive business to make money. Want proof? When they don't make money, they stop making cars. (Where is Pontiac? Oldsmobile? Plymouth? Rambler? Sorry, just had to throw that one in there.)

The V8 is the halo Mustang, (which is the defacto halo vehicle for Ford, in the absence of the GT). The V6 is a very good motor, especially in the US, but on a global scale, it is much easier to make the business case for the 4. You have to ask; would (insert car company of choice here) sacrifice 5,000 sales in a saturated, near-peak market in order to gain 20,000 sales in an expanding market?

To individual consumers, a car is usually a very personal thing. (I love my Mustang.) But to Ford (or any other mass producer) it's just business.

 

agreed

 

I buy your arguments totally on the international sales component, however it does not explain why Ford does not offer a premium option for the 3.7 especially for the U.S. and Canadian market in MHO.

 

Eh, not always true. I suspect it may be true of the 2015 EB. But, an '86 SVO is a far more attractive collectible than a '86 GT. In fact, having driven both when new, the SVO was a much better Mustang than the '86 GT.

In general, with regards to the Mustang line I think you are correct; with the SVO exception. But it may not hold true in the future. Tweaking the boost on the 2.3L could easily yield 330-350HP. (Already in the plans for a Focus RS.) Boosted 4's are capable of tremendous power. (The Mercedes 2.0L is tuned to 365-HP.) If Ford chooses to offer a modern interpretation of the SVO Mustang the perception of a boosted 4 might be considerably different. (I would love to drive a Mustang with one of the Mountune prepped 2.0L's from the Fiesta GRC in it.)

 

Agreed, it is somewhat of a head-scratcher.

 

The conspiracy theorist in me figures Ford wanted to stack the deck so to speak in the EB Mustang's favor. People who don't want a V8 but want premium content are shoehorned into the EB Mustang so the marketing folks can say "See! Everybody loves turbocharged direct injected four cylinder engines over a V6".


Also its a good way to amortize costs for the EB technology by forcing people to guy into it.


To bad you can't get a premium V6 with a performance pack. I'm not really a fan of direct injection at this point and the V6 in the Mustang is a really nice piece with great potential.

 

I don't know - I was either getting a GT or the EB. I went Turbo for a multitude of reasons, and I don't regret it. I never once considered the 6. I know there are many others out there like me.

 

I see what you are saying, but I guess I didn't speak clearly. There is a big difference between a collectable and a v8 gt premium that's bought to modify and generally beat on. MOST folks buying a ten year old mustang are buying it to whup on.Yes a '86 SVO is VERY collectable, but it ain't worth much to the guy that wants to put on drag radials and a 200hp shot and go racing. I worked for Ford in '79 when the pace car came out and after a few collectors bought some, they could barley give away the rest of them. Interestingly, they also made the v8 look-alike of the pace car, and every one of those sold for MSRP- at least where I worked. I mean, at one time(circa 1973) I ran across a '67 fastback 6 cyl, with a factory installed 4 speed and a GT interior! I bought it from the original owner who bought it from a dealer who thought he had gotten a leftover POS scrap bin car on his stock order! What did I do with it? Being 16, I yanked the 6 and put in a 351W and a warmed over C4, and went bracket racing! If I had any brains(remember I was 16), I would have kept just like the day I brought it home, and sold it 30 years later for a fortune!

 

I tend to agree with that point of view. I have a 2014 V6 and it's a great little engine in this car. I'm sure the ecoboost is going to do fine and may even attract some buyers to the Mustang who otherwise wouldn't buy one because of its rather traditional image and configuration. Personally I would rather have either the V6 or V8. The modern 3.7 V6 gives the Mustang an engine that's just right for daily driving. It gets respectable mpg, still offers decent performance and can run on 87 octane although personally I burn 93. It will be interesting to see if the aftermarket gets any performance gains out of the ecoboost and what those will be.

 

I have not failed to take that into consideration. Ford has to take Europe's eccentricities into account to sell cars there. That's fine. I get why they they want to put the Ecoboost into the Mustang to please the foreigners to whom this Mustang was designed to appeal. The 3.7L is here and it's not subject to Europe's tax codes on our shores. It's available in a Mustang but I can't have a nice interior if I want the 3.7L. What does that have to do with Europe's wierdness? Nothing. It is entirely related to pumping up the number of Ecoboosts sold in North America.

I'm pushing 50 years old. I was raised in a Ford family. I've bought lots of new vehicles, predominantly Ford. But over the last decade, it seems there is a divergence of interests between what I want to buy and what Ford wants to sell. Every time I go vehicle shopping, I find I can't buy what I want from Ford due to some arbitrary packaging decision. I mean, I'm not going to buy the Ecoboost just because I want heated leather seats nor will I buy the V6 Mustang if I can't have leather seats so I guess we're at a stalemate.

I've been through this scenario with the F-150. I have been wanting a comfortably equipped regular cab since I traded in my regular cab Lariat. They haven't made a decently equipped regular cab in over a decade so I finally caved in and got a '13 F-150 XLT. I can't express how much I hate the crappy interior in this truck. I got my F-150 a couple of months before they announced the Tremor. When I first heard about it, I thought "darn, I just missed the first nice interior in a regular cab in a decade". You know what's funny about that? If you want the nice interior in a regular cab Tremor, you guessed it...you have to get it with the Ecoboost.

 

We'll all I am saying is in my case and I'm sure many others, it's a question of money. Ideally I would get an Ecoboost premium if I could afford it but since I can't I'll get the V6 even though it won't have everything I would want. My feeling is that the aftermarket should step up to accommodate the V6 customer should Ford fail to do so and offer many of the things a Premium car would have. Leather, heated seats, shaker type audio system (or better), SAT Radio, and interior bright work are just a few examples. This way a guy like me can upgrade my car as finances allow and give myself and many other owners out there other options. I have to say that having heard the V6, I can also say the car can stand on its own because it sounds and performs great! Since it also looks sexy especially with the 051A pkg it should be a car people will want to buy and not ONLY because they can't afford the EB. I know now that even if I did have more money I'm not sure I would go for the EB with its more complex motor and premium gas. The V6 has a sexy exhaust note and upgrades would keep the car fresh for me. I'm keeping this car awhile, so I'm more than ok with doing the upgrades over time and enjoying this car for many years to come.

 

Stam616, I will agree with you about how Ford insists on grouping options. I think if they would allow old school style ordering a lot of people would be happier. As a side note though, wouldn't it be fun if ford would release the stats for buyer demographics? I mean I believe you will find( at least here in the USA) MOST of the buyers continue to be old white guys. Which is funny considering virtually all of fords ads for the stang are obviously trying to get the millennial generation to pull the trigger and go into further debt. Or, perhaps the message is: If you buy this car, you'll be a 25 YO stud again, and women will throw themselves at your feet! As a futher side note, on the day we ordered the little woman's car, I had three different "old white guys" trying "help" me sort through the order form- like they were ordering for themselves!

 

Sigh! You have just been removed from my "A" Christmas list The fact is, "old white guys" like me (I am 70) have been driving Mustangs since before your parents were born. We drive them, at least I do, because I like them. I saw my first one, in 1964 at a dealer and then a few months later at the World's Fair, with my wife, as we were heading overseas to Italy, for a wonderful world tour complements of the military.

I bought my first one in 1979, a Silver over Black 5.0 Cobra TRX, which we ( now the wife and two kids) took to Germany for four years. And, it has continued since then. My wife, for 50 years, has put up with me and my cars, commenting when I had 2015 follow me home.. "you and your Mustangs"

It really is about the car, and the other people who drive them. It never fails, no matter where you are, there is another Mustang owner, age makes no difference, that will talk about his/her car when they see yours. Enjoy the ride...

 

Yes sir! I am only 38 but have always loved the Mustang. In 2005 I pulled the trigger on my first Mustang GT Deluxe (aka premium) convertible and just sold her and ordered a 2015 Mustang GT Premium Convertible. It was hard letting my 2005 go as we have been through a lot together (including Hurricane Katrina) but it was time.

I agree it is truly about the car and those of us who drive them. I love driving along, looking over when seeing another Mustang (doesn't matter what year), they look over at you, and we both give the nod of approval. Do other car owners do that? I don't think so. I look forward to eventually being one of these "Old Guys" and picking up my latest Mustang.

 

I've loved mustangs almost my entire life. Had an 87 GT and then a 89 LX 5.0. My dad had an 85 GT as well. It's s special car the Mustang, and other owners regardless of if they own a $200,000 + classic Shelby, or just a plain Jane V6 or 4 cylinder notchback will always give you that nod, or flash their lights or wave at you while driving. At car shows you can talk with a guy like Jay Leno, or some guy from down the street who makes a regular wage and you'll always feel like an equal. The love of cars in general have always been the great equalizer in my opinion, but with the Mustang it can go beyond that. Owners and enthusiasts become almost instant friends in many cases which could last for that moment or for life. It's a great hobby and I'm hoping with the Ecoboost, perhaps the younger crowd will finally see what all us car guys have known all this time... There's nothing like a Mustang!