Blame it on commercial customers: Ford Motor Company claimed that retail sales of its Ford and Lincoln cars were up 2 percent last month, but total sales were down 3.8 percent to 173,966 units. The loss was shared across the brands: Ford sales were down 3.5 percent to 166,991 units, and Lincoln sales were down 10.7 percent to 6975 units. Fleet sales were down by 16 percent.
Ford’s public sales numbers don’t distinguish between retail and fleet sales–so we’ve collected the winners and losers in terms of total numbers. Here they are:
Winner: Ford Cars that Aren’t Named Fiesta
Ford’s small, mid-size, and large cars all got healthy sales boosts last month. The compact Focus hatch and sedan were up 10.5 percent to 16,454 sales last year. Meanwhile, the midsize Fusion had its best July ever, with 23,326 Fusions finding new homes last month. The Taurus jumped 15.3 percent to 5256 sales, and the Mustang climbed 8.3 percent to 7371 sales.
Winner: Lincoln MKT
The strange-looking Lincoln MKT crossover continues its slow, relentless march up the sales sheet: it sold 738 units last month, 57.4 percent more than July 2011 and enough to make it the hottest Lincoln in July 2012. The MKT handily outsold the Lincoln Navigator last month, too: the pimped-out Expedition only found 525 buyers last month, down 9 percent.
Winner: Ford F-Series (sort of)
Ford’s trucks and large SUVs didn’t have an easy time last month, but the Ford F-Series sold 49,314 units last month, up just 0.4 percent from July 2011. While 0.4-percent sales increases aren’t enough to call a car a winner, the F-Series’ barely positive July marked the 12th straight month of sales increases.
Loser: Lincoln Navigator and Ford Expedition
Think that truck-based SUVs are still in fashion? Think again: Ford’s Expedition and Lincoln’s Navigator are dwindling. The Expedition fell 18.5 percent last month to 2700 sales, and the Navigator slipped 9 percent to 525 sales. Even more worrisome for the truck-based duo is that their crossover counterparts are handily outselling them. The Explorer jumped 14.3 percent last month to 11,313 sales last month, and even though the Flex family truckster was down 3.1 percent, it ended the month at 2318 sales, almost as much as the Expedition. As we already said, the Navigator was felled by the MKT last month.
Loser: The Ford Fiesta
The Ford Fiesta finished another month jealous of its bigger sibling, the Focus. While the Focus sold 16,454 units last month, up 10.5 percent, the Fiesta fell 23.4 percent to 4059 vehicles. With Ford selling four Focuses for every one Fiesta, it’s not hard to see the issues between the compact and subcompact nameplates. While the Focus is up 31 percent so far this year, the Fiesta is off 25.4 percent.
Loser: The Ford Ranger
We know, we know: the Ranger is a discontinued model, so it would be naïve to criticize the nameplate for its losses. Ford sold only 413 Rangers last month, 93.6 percent fewer than July 2011. The issue, however, is that nothing helped replace that volume in the Ranger’s absence. Sales of the F-Series didn’t make up for the lack of Ranger sales, which pushed Ford’s truck division into the red. Ford Truck sales were off 9 percent in total last month.
Source: Ford

 

The fiesta isn't cheap enough to outsell the Focus. The focus is SUCH a better car for the modest price jump. I'd rather have a $20,000 focus than a $16,000 fiesta.

 

 

Still leading the United States in overall sales...
www.usdebtclock.org/auto-sales.html

 

they are losers because Ford hasnt updated them in awhile, vs the new explorer, is exactly that NEW!

I would love to see a new revamped expy/navi with EB options, then we'll talk in terms of sales.

 

What happened with that story that the Navigator will get a 3.5L EcoBoost V6 next year? I haven't heard anything new about it in a while.

 

I would have to agree. The fiesta needs to be lowered in price. The other thing hurting fiesta sales is the fact that the focus has a 1500 rebate on it that brings it down to the same cost point. Which is stupid to say the least. I would love to see a loaded fiesta and foucs about 5k apart.

 

news to me.....Ford seems to be keeping quite a tight lip on Linc these days

 

I think the ST varient of the Fiesta will help to boost its image as a feisty urban car, ala the Fiat 500 Abarth...as long as they keep the price down.

 

True, but Fiesta ST won't be on sale for at least another 2 years.

 

I think the Fiesta needs the 3 cylinder here to differentiate it between the Focus and itself. That would make more sense.

The Expedition and Navigator need love badly. It's almost like Ford put them in the corner and forgot them.

 

the fiesta needs a ecoboost 2.5 5 cyl motor with awd and some crazy flares all over the body with a nice booty.

 

It will be here next year. 1.0L EcoBoost I3 rated at 99 hp and 123 hp, same engine that's currently available on European Focus.

 

I know. I'm sure they'll adjust the engine options when they refresh it.

 

I would bet we'll see the new expedition and navigator after the redesigned F150

 

I'm afraid if they keep on the way they are now, they're going to price themselves out of being competitive at all. I was looking at the build and price on the new Fusion today, and a loaded Fusion (non-hybrid no less) is around $39K!!! WTF?!?!

Same with the new Explorer. I'd like to have one, but in order to get the powertrain and the few options I'd prefer, I'd have to spend around $47K, and I'm not giving that for an Explorer. Guess I'll keep driving the ones I have now and maybe I can find a used one in a couple years that is closer to what I'm willing to spend.

 

Looks like I'm not the only one who has complains about Ford's high prices these days ...