Ford C-MAX Monthly Sales Chart

[kostby]

Compiled from monthly Ford Retail Sales releases such as

 https://media.ford.com/content/dam/fordmedia/North%20America/US/2014/04/01/march14sales.pdf

and

http://insideevs.com/monthly-plug-in-sales-scorecard/

 

EDIT 10-02-2014  CHARTS AND SPREADSHEETS similar to those shown below no longer appear in every monthly report because each NEW monthly update contains all data from every prior month

Edited November 4, 2014 by kostby

[mtb9153]

Sorry to see it wasn't because of CMax sales.  I can't imagine why people buy those big trucks in this economy and fuel what it is?

[ArizonaEnergi]

2013 was very good but sales have crashed in 2014. What's going on?

[Smiling Jack]

2013 was very good but sales have crashed in 2014. What's going on?

 

Could it be the CR effect?

[fbov]

Take a closer look... sales haven't been the same since last August, about the time they announced the EPA rating change. 40K units shiped in the frst 12 months, ending in August, then -20% to -50% of the prior year, every month since last October... Glad Fusions are selling!

Frank

[Smiling Jack]

Take a closer look... sales haven't been the same since last August, about the time they announced the EPA rating change. 40K units shiped in the frst 12 months, ending in August, then -20% to -50% of the prior year, every month since last October... Glad Fusions are selling!

Frank

 

 

EPA ratings did not change for the C-Max Energi.  Did the C-Max Energi sales not fall off ?

[kostby]

In internet time, good news travels fast.

 

BAD NEWS (Consumers Union trashing the car TWICE, once for the EPA rating (August 2013), and again for 'Unreliability' (April 2014 cover date "Annual Auto Issue") travels much faster, spreads farther, and most people simply accept the headline, without reading the full article, without questioning the source, without understanding the test methodology, AND WITHOUT SEEING ALL the real-world experiences (both good AND bad) of actual owners, as chronicled in this forum and elsewhere.

[plus 3 golfer]

First, the sales shown in the first post are for both the C-Max Hybrid and C-Max Energi.  Ford has sold about 11,161 Energi models through Mar 2014.  So, Energi sales account for about 20.6% of C-Max sales.

 

Second, Energi sales for the first 5 full months of sales (Nov. 2012 - Mar. 2013) compared to the 5 month period (Nov. 2013 - Mar 2014) are virtually flat -  3396 vs 3401.

 

Lastly, if one removes the Energi from the statistics shown in the first post the Hybrid sales decline is worse than shown. 

 

 

C-MAX ENERGI

 12-Sep 0

OCT 144

NOV 1259

DEC 971

13-Jan 338

FEB 334

MAR 494

APR 411

MAY 450

JUN 455

JUL 433

AUG 621

SEP 758

OCT 1092

NOV 941

DEC 827

14-Jan 471

FEB 552

MAR 610

Edited April 22, 2014 by Plus 3 Golfer

[plus 3 golfer]

In internet time, good news travels fast.

 

BAD NEWS (Consumers Union trashing the car TWICE, once for the EPA rating (August 2013), and again for 'Unreliability' (April 2014 cover date "Annual Auto Issue") travels much faster, spreads farther, and most people simply accept the headline, without reading the full article, without questioning the source, without understanding the test methodology, AND WITHOUT SEEING ALL the real-world experiences (both good AND bad) of actual owners, as chronicled in this forum and elsewhere.

CR did not trash the C-Max.  Blame Ford for their own miscues - especially having to revise the EPA estimate which IMO is the likely reason for the decline in C-Max Hybrid sales after the Aug. 2013 EPA mileage revision. 

 

Fact - Original C-Max Hybrid EPA estimates were based on the Fusion Hybrid.  Ford revised the estimates downward by 4 mpg in August 2013.  Virtually all reviewers got significantly less FE than the original EPA estimate when doing reviews in the late 2012 - early 2013 time frame. CR review was published in Dec. 2012 many months before Ford's Aug. 2013 new EPA estimates.

 

Fact - Surveys of owners show significantly more trips to the dealer for the C-Max than the average. (CR and JDPower findings from surveys). Time will tell whether the survey data improves. CR survey data IIRC was in late 2013 well after Aug. 2013.

 

Fact - Consumer Union likes the C-Max.

[Smiling Jack]

First, the sales shown in the first post are for both the C-Max Hybrid and C-Max Energi.  Ford has sold about 11,161 Energi models through Mar 2014.  So, Energi sales account for about 20.6% of C-Max sales.

 

Second, Energi sales for the first 5 full months of sales (Nov. 2012 - Mar. 2013) compared to the 5 month period (Nov. 2013 - Mar 2014) are virtually flat -  3396 vs 3401.

 

Lastly, if one removes the Energi from the statistics shown in the first post the Hybrid sales decline is worse than shown. 

 

Thanks to +3 for the added info !

 

Conversely, I suppose that this means that if the Hybrid data are removed, then the Energi sales look just fine - in spite of the other bad PR associated with items that that presumably cuts across the two models: 12-volt battery, flaky my-Ford touch, sync troubles, etc.

Edited April 22, 2014 by Smiling Jack

[plus 3 golfer]

I edited my post above to show the monthly Energi sales data.  I think one has to consider how the pricing differences changed between the Hybrid and Energi and how that change might affect a buyer's purchase decision of whether to purchase and Energi or Hybrid. 

 

The deeper discounts Ford was giving for the 2013 Energi over the Hybrid could have swayed potential Hybrid buyers to the Energi in later 2013 and early 2014.  When I purchased my base SEL Hybrid in Dec. 2012, the best I could do for a base Energi was to come within about $2300 after Federal tax credit of my Hybrid price (no state tax credit in AZ).  IIRC in late 2013 / early 2014, Ford was offering about $1000 or more additional incentives on the Energi over the Hybrid plus the Federal Tax Credit was bumped up about $250 from when I purchased my C-Max.  It wouldn't take much of a shift (150-200 units or so a month) of Energi sales to Hybrid sales to balance out the decline in C-Max sales evenly between the Hybrid and Energi models.

Edited April 23, 2014 by Plus 3 Golfer

[Smiling Jack]

I edited my post above to show the monthly Energi sales data.  I think one has to consider how the pricing differences changed between the Hybrid and Energi and how that change might affect a buyer's purchase decision of whether to purchase and Energi or Hybrid. 

 

The deeper discounts Ford was giving for the 2013 Energi over the Hybrid could have swayed potential Hybrid buyers to the Energi in later 2013 and early 2014.  When I purchased my base SEL Hybrid in Dec. 2012, the best I could do for a base Energi was to come within about $2300 after Federal tax credit of my Hybrid price (no state tax credit in AZ).  IIRC in late 2013 / early 2014, Ford was offering about $1000 or more additional incentives on the Energi over the Hybrid plus the Federal Tax Credit was bumped up about $250 from when I purchased my C-Max.  It wouldn't take much of a shift (150-200 units or so a month) of potential Hybrid sales shifted to Energi sales to balance out the decline in C-Max sales evenly between the Hybrid and Energi models.

 

Good points.  To this I would add that as a result of the cut in MPG numbers for the Hybrid and with no change in the numbers for the Energi, some buyers would calculate the "payback" of the extra cost a little bit more in the direction to favor the Energi.

[ptjones]

I wonder how FFH sales did during that same period ? We might get some added info from that. It could be the whole car market is down. :)

 

Paul

[kostby]

EDITED 07-02-2014 to delete old chart

This really wasn't meant to become an active comment thread.

 

I was actually posting a test table, hence the title TEST… and posted in the TEST forum, but then I wasn't sure how to delete the post, so I left it here...

 

In any case, thanks to the Energi sales figures posted above by Plus 3 Golfer, I've revised the table and made it less colorful, but showing C-MAX Hybrid and C-MAX Energi model sales separately.

 

With a sales hold on some 2013's because of the seat-weld recall, I don't expect that April sales will be spectacular.

Edited July 2, 2014 by kostby

[plus 3 golfer]

LOL, I knew it was a test forum.  Probably should have just deleted the chart and link and edited the text to "test" before anyone commented on it. I don't believe a poster can delete a post once submitted.

 

Anyways, great spreadsheet and removing the Energi data shows the dramatic decline in Hybrid sales starting in Aug. 2013. If you bought a Hybrid after the Monroney sticker change you wouldn't get the $550 check from Ford.  That payment with the new EPA numbers likely caused many to not buy a C-Max or buy the Energi instead of the Hybrid.  

 

So the question becomes what if total C-Max sales stay at these post-Aug 2013 levels (40-50% decline from previous year levels).  Does Ford rethink / redesign the C-Max for 2015? I doubt the current C-Max can survive the way it is on sales of 30k units per year. How much can Ford cut the price of the 2014 C-Max? as I believe that may be the only way to stimulate sales of the current C-Max.  IMO, Ford needs to shave weight (maybe 200 pounds) and improve aerodynamics (new body design) to get better FE out of a new C-Max sized/style vehicle.

 

BTW the Energi data came from the Priuschat forum where they compare various Priis? sales with comparable other cars.  (for example: Prius Plug-in vs Energi sales data and so forth).

Edited April 23, 2014 by Plus 3 Golfer

[C-MaxSea]

.........it's 63.96% perception, very few buyers see beyond the headlines.  Between the negative rants & flogging out there, and similar elements here, it has become a tough sell at the dealers.  Very sad, in my book, that so few folks can see past our rants & flogs to the dynamic new hybrid the C-Max is .......................  a couple more months and we should have this beast butchered.  I know, I know...........objective yadda, yadda, yadda (most good stuff); but it adds up (and becomes a flog), especially when we are just echoing the naysayers; and for the 25-30 people visiting this site at any minute as the go-to resource, why buy in to a "lemon".  My new definition of a lemon is 'a car singled out for particular, and often unfair, ridicule'; just as we so often do in so many areas of our culture these days. 

 

Good grief, the Fusion sales are booming and it is essentially the same car - why?   Yes many reasons, but I'll hang my hat on wildly desirable perceptions leading the way for the Fusion; and wildly unfair negative ones for the C-Max - the proverbial 'whipping boy'.  (Edit, My mistake / never mind, the Fusion is much prettier; and more importantly, I forgot to see if the Fusion Hybrid sales are keeping pace with last year, I'm guessing they are (as opposed to the C-Max). (Talking hybrids here, not PHEVs/Energis))

 

Wildly upbeat on a great car with way more versatility than a Fusion,

 

Nick

Edited April 25, 2014 by C-MaxSea

[plus 3 golfer]

C-MaxSea, on 24 Apr 2014 - 1:24 PM, said:

..Good grief, the Fusion sales are booming and it is essentially the same car - why?..   

 

Are you sure the Fusion Hybrid and Fusion Energi sales are booming?  The Fusion Energi sales data  is virtually the same as the C-Max Energi from Feb. 2013 (Fusion Energi sales begin date) through Mar. 2014. I'm still looking for the Fusion Hybrid data.   

 

C-Max Energi - 8449

Fusion Energi - 8300

Edited April 24, 2014 by Plus 3 Golfer

[C-MaxSea]

Fusion Hybrid Y-O-Y up 14% in March, C-Max Hybrid down 48% for March (good guess Nick).

 

Fusion Hybrid 2014 totals vs 2013 down only 6%, C-Max Hybrid down 54%.

 

Lots of negative / poor sales figures for hybrids this year vs 2013 - so far.

http://www.hybridcars.com/march-2014-dashboard/

 

Still C-Maxing, still having fun,

Nick

Edited April 25, 2014 by C-MaxSea

[robertlane]

Renamed and moved this topic - 

[plus 3 golfer]

Now we have all the data - thanks to Nick

 

Here's the data in graphical form (I think I copied the data correctly from the monthly sheets). :)  I never like comparing monthly data y/y as it's hard to pick up trends.  So, here's the Hybrid data for a 3 month moving average. It appears that both Fusion and C-Max Hybrid sales began dropping by May 2013 and it certainly appears that the August 2013 revised EPA rating for the C-Max Hybrid is the likely reason the C-Max Hybrid sales fell faster and for a longer period of time than the Fusion Hybrid sales.  Both appear to be on the uptick from their lows in late 2013 / early 2014.  We will need to wait a few more months for future sales data to see if this continues (hopefully it will).

 

Also, in doesn't surprise me that the C-Max Hybrid sales got off to a blockbuster start for two reasons: 1) - drive one you'll likely end up buying one (the new C-Max Sal commercial) and 2) the Prius V vs C-Max silhouette commercials. 

 

 

Edited April 25, 2014 by Plus 3 Golfer

[C-MaxSea]

............. and it clearly shows the 'whipping boy' effect.  Tracked these numbers last Fall until they became too demoralizing - as the media intelligentsia & its echo chamber were whipping the C-Max. 

 

(Lots of contributing factors here of course, winter, model year end....................... but those are common to both cars.  Uncommon element all Fall:  Good press Fusion, bad press C-Max; good 'echo' Fusion, bad 'echo' C-Max)

Edited May 21, 2014 by C-MaxSea

[ArizonaEnergi]

I saw Consumer Reports special June 2014 Car Issue today and one reason is clear for the dip in sales and that is the lousy reliability rating CR readers have given the car. If I saw these ratings, and didn't explore further to find out what was behind them, I would have never bought the best car I've ever owned.

 

Time will tell if Fords efforts to fix the dead battery problem and improve the MFT system will pay off for this car and the ratings improve. If not, Ford may dump the model in a few years, our resale values will plummet, and we will have all learned a hard lesson about buying the first year of a new model. (Foolish me, I thought Ford having the "C-Max" in Europe for a few years would have eliminated such problems. Tsk tsk.)

 

BTW, CR doesn't disclose how many people those survey results represent. It could be 20 irritated Energi owners and 4,000 enthusiastic Prius owners. Their chart is suspect without that info, along with the details on the negative ratings.

 

Edited April 26, 2014 by ArizonaEnergi

[plus 3 golfer]

Here's a chart showing how the C-Max and Fusion Hybrid Sales trends compared to all other Hybrids and all auto sales (excluding C-Max and Fusion Hybrid data) trends.   

 

[C-MaxSea]

........................best car I have ever owned.

 

BTW, CR doesn't disclose how many people those survey results represent. It could be 20 irritated Energi owners and 4,000 enthusiastic Prius owners. Their chart is suspect without that info, along with the details on the negative ratings.

 

 

One of the many reasons why we should not be echoing their results here repeatedly.  This is / should be a place for real world experience, not promulgating information that is questionable, especially for introductory year vehicles, and as much based on the psychology of expectations & fanaticism as statistical survey 'science'.  CR postings here have killed many sales of a very good car.  Enough guys, pretty please?

Edited April 27, 2014 by C-MaxSea

[plus 3 golfer]

....

BTW, CR doesn't disclose how many people those survey results represent. It could be 20 irritated Energi owners and 4,000 enthusiastic Prius owners. Their chart is suspect without that info, along with the details on the negative ratings.

 

CR June 2014.jpg

 

..  This is / should be a place for real world experience, not promulgating information that is questionable, especially for introductory year vehicles, and as much based on the psychology of expectations & fanaticism as statistical survey 'science'.  CR postings here have killed many sales.  Enough guys, pretty please?

 

All one has to do is read this forum and recognize the C-Max has issues ("real world" data :)).   IMO, one should give the consumer the positives and negatives.  One can believe whatever they want to believe and rationalize their way to that belief.  The decline in C-Max sales started about the same time as the JDPowers IQS and well before the CR survey results.  I doubt most consumers want to buy a car that seemingly randomly won't start even if the chance is very small. Ratings / rankings are relative. A consumer expects a new car to start.  Also, I showed the results of a safety recall study here which may affect an owner's perception of their vehicle.

 

The details of CR's negative ratings are presented by systems (but you have to pay to see them).  I know I reported these negative ratings prior.  The C-Max gets one full "black" circle for Audio which encompases the infotainment system and a 1/2 black circle for electrical. Most other ratings are full "red" circle -  the best  The ratings are relative.  So, if the survey data for all manufacturers improves each year and one model stays the same /  falls behind, it will move down the results for that year.  The C-Max is 143% below average.  

 

There's no question that details will not be available to the reader as is the case in virtually all consumer surveys unless one pays extra.  That's why consumers should go to forums / other reviews to weigh what owners say against survey data.  As I continue to say, it's up to Ford to get it right and improve their position in the surveys. Time will tell whether consumers report an improvement in the Infotainment and electrical system via the surveys. But IMO, to say "Enough guys, pretty please?"  defeats the purpose of a meaningful forum. ;)  I certainly want Ford and the C-Max to succeed but I will not "ignore" the dead battery / no start issue (which apparently continues) and the consequences (reliability rating)  even though my C-Max has not had the issue. 

Edited April 28, 2014 by Plus 3 Golfer