Camaro Sales Drop to 2-Year Low, Mustang Continues to Dominate

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The sales numbers for June 2016 are still rolling in but we already know that the Ford Mustang led the way in the muscle car segment for the 20th consecutive month, as the Chevrolet Camaro continued its sales slide – dropping under 5,000 units for the first time since late in 2014 and trailing the Dodge Challenger for the 2nd month in a row.

June 2016 really wasn’t a great month for the muscle car segment, with the Ford Mustang, the Dodge Challenger and the Chevrolet Camaro all posting month-to-month and year-to-year declines in sales volume, but it was a much better month for the Mustang and Challenger than it was for the Camaro.

The Mustang Continues to Dominate
In June 2016, Ford sold 9,776 examples of the Mustang, allowing the original pony car to once again lead the modern muscle car segment. June marks the 20th straight month where the Mustang has outsold the Chevrolet Camaro and the Dodge Challenger, dating back to November of 2014. Mustang sales were down from the month before and when compared to the same month last year, but with the entire segment down – the Ford Mustang still led the way by a considerable margin.

On the year, Ford Mustang sales are down a bit, as the push for the new generation has started to slow (after almost two years), but with 62,965 Mustangs sold during the first half of the year – Ford still has a gigantic lead over the competition in the annual sales race.

The Challenger Sits Second
While the Dodge Challenger has beaten the Camaro and the Mustang in the monthly sales race off and on over the past five years, May and June mark the first time that the Mopar muscle car has beaten one of the competitors two months in a row. Thanks to the slow sales of the new Camaro, the Challenger’s total of 5,479 units sold in June allowed the Dodge to finish 2nd in the segment for back to back months.

On the year, the Challenger has sent out 34,607 units. If the Dodge muscle car could put together a few strong months during the summer while the Camaro is struggling, the Challenger has a very real chance of moving into the 2nd place spot in the annual muscle car sales race. Since the Camaro was introduced for the 2010 model year, the Challenger has always been in 3rd place in annual sales – but that could change if GM can’t find a way to sell a great many more Camaros.

Camaro Reaches a 2-Year Low
Sales numbers for the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro have inexplicably continued to slump, with just 4,969 units sold in June 2016. This is the lowest monthly sales total for the Camaro since November 2014 and over the past 5 years, June 2016 is the 5th worst month in terms of sales volume. Compared to the same month last year, when only the 5th gen Camaro was available, June 2016 sales are down 42%.

The new Camaro is better than the previous model in every way, in my opinion, and I can’t wrap my head around the slow sales of the new model. I imagine that the folks at the GM headquarters feel the same way, as compared to the first half of 2015 – the first half of 2016 has been 13.5% worse for the Camaro. With just 36,834 units sold thus far, it seems very unlikely that the Camaro will make any sort of run at the 2016 muscle car sales title and at this point, a few more slow sales months could move the Camaro to 3rd in the annual sales race.

Submitted by Crapmaromechanic (not verified) on July 1, 2016 - 1:43PM

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Camaro sales have been in the crapper for over a year and the new model has done nothing to prop up sales. As usual another case of GM not listening to its customers and critics. Visibility on this thing is piss poor and the price past affordability. Too bad because the LT1 is brilliant with the 6 speed manual now having 3.73 gears, and an 8 speed automatic.

That's not true. GM specifically asked customers about the visibility and were told not to change it. And it's really not that bad. Unfortunately, perception trumps reality, and I think that's really what's hurting sales, because it is the superior car.

Nah what is hurting sales is that equipped the same a Camaro is $4-$k more than a comparable Mustang, also the back seat of a Camaro is completely unusable, I know I tried one out, I was going to buy one, the unusable back seat was the deal killer. The Mustang backseat is tight but my kids fit, and they love it. Plus the Mustang's interior is bigger, more livable. GM built a track car of the Camaro which is great for people that want a track car, for people that want a livable fun day-to-day car the Mustang is the far better choice.

They are not comparable if you're coming up with a $4K+ difference in price. The Camaro will definitely have more features and performance. The problem is that you can get a stripped out Mustang with a V8 and there's nothing similar in the Camaro V8 lineup. For example, the Camaro SS comes standard with what is the equivalent to the optional $2500 performance pack in the GT. However, once you start adding those extras to the Mustang to bring it in line with the features and performance of the Camaro, the price difference isn't that far off. But it creates the perception of a big difference in price when people only look at the price of the cheapest model. GM should consider a V8 LT model, without the upgraded brakes, suspension and and cooling system.

Submitted by Timd38 (not verified) on July 1, 2016 - 9:24PM

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We have a Corvette and were thinking of another fun car to replace our boring Acura. Challenge is too big, so I looked at the Mustang and Camaro. Sat in the Camaro and did not even bother to drive it. Bought the Mustang and love it. The only thing I wish is that I had gotten a manual instead of an auto trans because wife drives it all the time and I never get to!

Submitted by Greg (not verified) on July 2, 2016 - 11:21PM

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Is anyone really surprised by the low sales? As a base model (the ones that sell the most), the new Camaro is just plain ugly. Base Mustangs and Challengers are cheaper and look better. The previous car's looks with the new mechanicals would sell better. Better yet, how about a new Camaro inspired by the second generation. Either way, its back to the drawing board.

Looks are subjecrive. The Mustang does look like a 2 door Ford Fusion. I think it is ugly. A rental car fleet vehicle. I bet you don't even have a Mustang or any type of muscle car . get real!!!!!

Looks are subjective, but sales are not. I've never owned any muscle car, but I've been a fan of F bodies since the second gen. I've loved the Mustang from the beginning. My rear wheel drive, manual 3 Series is a civilized alternative for me personally. The only reason I never considered owning a muscle car is the reputation some owners have (rednecks in old Camaros).or (old geezers in new ones). The Mustang has moved away from these negative images without becoming too expensive. The Camaro wants to be a Corvette and is almost priced like it. It fails because it has strayed too far from its original affordable formula (not to mention it's ugly).

The 2016 Camaro is butt ugly. It lost its muscle car look after 2013. The performance is awesome, visibility is not an issue once you get used to the car. The price point is ridiculous.......................

Submitted by Brian (not verified) on July 3, 2016 - 12:03PM

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The Camaro is a joke. Old engines, terrible visibility, awful headroom, the mustang beats it in all these categories handily.

The Camaro is a joke. I'm not even a "fanboy" of mustangs but ford is kicking GMs ass in every segment because while ford innovates GM stagnates. There's a reason the F150 is killing GMs full size trucks. And let's not even talk about the new Fusion AWD sport that is 15k cheaper than the SS! GM is stuck in the 80s and foolish consumers (like you) who continue to buy despite better alternatives elsewhere are why.

Old engine? It's not like overhead cams are state of the art. They've been around for ages too. In the end, the Camaro makes more power and get similar mileage to the Mustang, so who cares what technology it uses or how old or new it is. Visibility issues are overblown. I'm 6'7" tall and have no issues seeing out of the car, or with headroom in the Camaro, even with a helmet on (I brought it with me to the dealer to check).

And when it comes to actual performance, which is what these cars are really about, the Camaro is out in front every time.

I don't believe you. I am 5'11" and my head barely clears the roof liner in a Camaro, I had to lean forward to see a stop light if I am first at the light, there are reviews posted that state someone 6'5" had to move the seat all the way down and their head still brushed the headliner. Also a comfortable seating position for me in the new Camaro leaves maybe 3" of clearance between the back of the front seat and the back seat, someone that eight inches taller than me is going to have tremendous issues, to say the least.
As far as the engines go - GM is sunsetting the OHV engine in favor of a OHC engine because they recognize they have taken that architecture as far as they can go. They stuck with it because in the Corvette it allowed for the low hood line, they are moving to a mid engine Corvette where engine height is not a major design constraint. I look forward to GM's DOHC V8, I'm sure it'll be awesome.
You seem to think people speaking out against the design of the 2016 Camaro just don't like Camaro's, that isn't true. I believe it's an unlivable design that is a departure from what the Mustang and Camaro started out as; "a sports car for the masses". I'd like to see GM alter it to fit that basic role, or at the very least let Ford know not to follow the Camaro simply because it is a better track car. The Mustang is not a bad track car, in fact it's a very good track car, anyone that is going to regularly track their car will have to replace shocks and springs anyway so I don't see what the fuss about the Camaro coming track ready is all about.
The Mustang track ready car - the GT350 & GT350R have a huge advantage over the Camaro - the ability to rev quickly and rev to 8200 RPM, the less you have to shift on a track the better, that rev range is proving that for the Mustang in the IMSA races.

@Nigel Your so right. I'm 5 feet 2 and seat is perfect. My bffs bf is 6 feet 5 inch tall and drove my car and he had room to spare. Any one can fit and drive. IDK why this guy hates Camaros. I have a feeling he either has no muscle car, or maybe an old 1992 rusty mustang lol. Old engine he says lol. My V6 is all new. The turbo 4 is also new. So true ANY 2016 Camaro will see the competition out of rear view mirror. If he actually LOOKED at Mustang forums. THEY even say Camaro is better. They say the usual build quality of rattles etc. is there. BUT they had none at all fit and finish with the 2016 (now 2017) Camaro. I swear if he post another unrealistic Mustang fantasy thing I will throw up lol

I have a 2016 Mustang GT Premium Yellow, yellow accent sticking, black out package I did not get the performance pack because I will never track it and don't want to deal with bending or breaking the 19" wheels, I also took the advice of reviews and skipped the recaro seats to get the heated / cooled seats, I love the cooled seats, haven't had to use the heated option.
Sure I'll give you the Camaro is a better track car than the Mustang GT. The car I bought needed to be the best everyday car. I am 5'11" , I test drove a 2016 Camaro - first BTW, my issues were - it's too small, every review of that car calls that out, the salesman told me not to even try to get into the back seat - rolled his eyes when he said it. A V6 Camaro as a sticker price of $36k and has cloth seats??? Seriously I can get a Audi A4 for $36 and you can't buy an Audi with Cloth seats. A 2SS Camaro would cost $48k optioned like the Mustang GT I have, which was just over $42, the DOHC engine has so much potential if I wanted it to be faster than that push-rod 6.2L I could do it for less than $2k, if I wanted it to ride like the Camaro I could do that for about $1200 - but I don't, I bought that car for myself, incidentally I have never seen a 2016 Camaro in the DC area where I live however if I did I'd congratulate you on your car but the Mustang is a car that keeps you smiling long after the purchase. Besides my own kids fitting back their I have helped a stranded neighbor whom had two kids with her, drove them home she was shocked they fit back there and hey still talk about the ride in the Mustang....though their mom drives a BMW 5 series.

One nice bonus of owning a 2016 Camaro is you never see them. Seems the Camaro no longer has the 60s inspired look. They took away the gills on side etc., and made it a modern car. Same for the Mustang. The Ford Fusion front end. (nice in a modern way). The only thing that screams Mustang is the back end and just a little. But there is nothing wrong with that. 2005-2014 Mustang. 2010-2015 Camaro were very retro. It was about time. The Challenger is still holding on to the refresh front end and tail lights a few years ago. Even MOPAR fans are ready for next gen. The only reason Camaro and Mustang fans debate is because they are similar. BTW the Mustang back seat isn't much better than the Camaro. But yes can fit small kids. AS for me the backseat I used rarely. lol

Well the 4 cylinder camero engine is not new tech and in order to reach its numbers it puts out alot more boost stock almost 21 psi a mustamg tune on 2.3 l at 21 boost gets you 40 hp and 60 plus lbs torque, performance wise the cars are pretty identical the ecoboost blows away the base camero and matches the v6, the gt350 beat its counterpart in track times 1/4 mile and price. So people have the option to buy a car much cheaper with alot more potential under the hood, and people love to mod thier cars, so if you could spend 4k less for the same performance and slighlty better with a car with plenty of potential, then modify it to destroy your stock competetion and pay less what would you buy facts are facts camero, is losing to challenger for a new gen thats hilarious, also btw i own a charger had plenty of reliable old GM trucks, i currently have a mustsng after spending 2k have a car putting out over 100 more hp and 100 ft/lbs or torque wirh still spending less vs rhe comparable Camero... For the record I have nothing against Chevy, but the 4 cylinder is a joke, and making the V6 the higher price point was a stupid move.

The Ecoboost is no more new tech than the Camaro T4. Turbo engines have been around for decades and comparing boost and horsepower numbers proves nothing. Different tuning for different goals. Also, the Camaro turbo 4 was never meant to compete with the Mustang Ecoboost. The V6 Camaro is the mid level offering, and how is that a stupid move? It's just a different approach. Many people prefer the low down torque and beautiful wail of a decent sized normally aspirated V6 over the turbo lag and vacuum cleaner sound of a small displacement turbo 4.

A GT350 is a rip-off when you consider than a base Camaro V8 at ~$38,000 can run the 1/4 mile (mid 12's) in the same time as a GT350 at ~$50,000. It takes a GT350R (~$64,000) to beat the new Camaro 1LE (~$44,000) on a road coarse, and even then, not by much.

Do some fact checking next time.

Submitted by Jesse (not verified) on July 3, 2016 - 2:36PM

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I have been a life-long GM follower. Between 1976 to 1985 I bought 4 compact Chevrolets. It was 2007 before another GM product....a GMC Sierra 1500. GM had me, but I had to let them go for 22 years. Didn't even consider a GM product til '07. Between '85 and '07 I bought 2 Nissan trucks, a Toyota Corolla and a Jeep Cherokee. So why isn't the Camaro selling better? On paper the Camaro is new and improved over the previous Gen 5 model. For me two things matter. First, the car has to fit me. I must feel comfortable in the driver's seat. The controls must be logical and easy to use. It must have good visibility to see whats going on around me. From what I have read the V-6 and V-8 engine performance is good with either engine. For the sake of argument, lets say the Camaro checks all those boxes. The second thing that matters is an emotional response to the vehicle. The Camaro leaves me wanting more from an emotional standpoint. I fawned like a rabid dog over the Gen 1 Camaro....and the Gen 2 was a great follow-up act. Because I remember the original Camaro, those are the glassed through which I look at the present Camaro. No, you can't bring back those 60's Camaros, but I long for those Camaros once again. The 2016 just ain't cutting the mustard. And those folks who buy today's Camaros, most weren't even around when the Gen 1 was prowling the streets. So why isn't the Camaro better? I haven't a clue. My Holy Grail Camaro is the 1969 Camaro Z-28 in hugger orange. Also offered for your consideration, the '70 1/2 Z-28 with the split front bumper.....awesome, just simply awesome!

Submitted by April (not verified) on July 3, 2016 - 8:34PM

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Once again despite being a way better car, The Camaro sales are slow. I love my 2016 Camaro. The price is the issue. The cheap basic Mustang is affordable. (Not a better car though)
Take a basic Camaro, Add a few options, (Not even the needed V6 upgrade) And can cost 36000.
The price we pay for having the Alpha platform etc.

Camaro sales aren't slow they are dropping like the Hindenberg, personally I think GM once again has it's blinders on and if they don't get past this denial stage they the results may be disastrous. On the other hand I don't really think GM invested that much into the 2016 Camaro, while Ford swung for the fences - and that ball is still going....
Any chance you work for GM you seem to have that "In spite of all evidence to the contrary, I'm right..." attitude that got them into this mess.
Ford is intelligent and realize that people are buying BMW because it's a BMW, same goes with Audi, in actual comparisons the BMW's are losing almost every one, Audi builds a good initial product however are notoriously expensive to maintain, Mercedes design and quality is head and shoulders above both yet for whatever reason people don't buy them like the other two. Ford releases they are not a german car maker, instead the looked to Lexus and followed their model to success and frankly it's working. The offer more value for the money - btw value stock investing is almost always your best bet as well. People love a great value - the smart understand that.

Being better performance wise isn't going to net you a sales leader. I traded in my C6 LS3 Vette for my 5.0 and personally I don't mind it. I was never really a fan of the Camaro Design language... and for the suspension was just easier to live with in the 5.0 compared to the vette/camaro

Submitted by BB (not verified) on July 22, 2016 - 2:51PM

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Drives like an ATS! So they get an ATS. Drives like a Vette! So they get a vette. Why spend Cadillac money on a Chevy product, or why spend near 'Vette money on a near 'Vette, just get the Vette - which you can actually see out of. ;) The mustang inspired mustang owners and brought in a new breed of buyer. The new camaro body, in a quick look, looks "just" like the old body, unless you pay attention to details or put them side by side. That lack of a sense of newness in the styling hurt initial impressions, and keeps the people who aren't "real car people" and who don't buy the 1SS/2SS models, which are the majority, out of the showrooms. The car business is emotionally driven as much as data and performance driven. And the fact that on the track the chevy is better doesn't mean squat to 98% of all pony car buyers who never even take these cars near 7/10ths of their performance, never mind the 9/10ths where the differences actually show themselves. They're buying on emotion and impressions and the Camaro visage just doesn't make an emotional impact. Bad numbers hurt positive emotional impact, but if the numbers are close, which they are, the emotions win out (almost) every time. And Ford judged their audience way better than Chevy. Ford apparently involved many viewpoints, not just the track car guys, which is apparently what GM did for the camaro.

Submitted by Mortimer Duke (not verified) on July 24, 2016 - 5:49PM

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There's no great mystery here to Camaro languishing so badly despite being so dramatically improved or Mustang's continued dominance.

Camaro rode a wave of pent-up demand after the many-year absence during the tenure of the leadership which drove GM into bankruptcy (while also ridiculing Ford for hiring the former commercial aircraft executive who ultimately saved the Blue Oval). A subjectively appealing design which resonated with Camaro faithful at the same time S197 was growing long in the tooth resulted in the nominal marketshare edge Camaro 5G enjoyed over S197.

But that all changed with S550s arrival. Mustang faithful who always have been larger and more passionate than GM's group of Transformerites flocked to showrooms to add the best-ever Mustang to their garages and, in many cases, adding a vehicle rather than simply trading out an old one. Mustang didn't just overcome Camaro's nominal volume lead. Mustang trounced it with the kind of dominance that usually only exists around an initial launch persisting for nearly two years.

Part of this is attributable to GM being unable to help itself from being GM and using incentives to pull forward as much new business as possible, leaving a disproportionate amount of Camaro owners upside down in rapidly depreciating 5G cars in time for 6G's quantum improvements to reach the market. Hell, even as dealers were trying to exact premiums above sticker for ZL1, GM was tossing cash on the hood. Being fewer and less devoted than the Mustang faithful and subjected to Camaro's far worse ownership economics at the time, GM's faithful simply haven't been able to willing to bite the bullet to make the trade, or add a second Camaro for the sheer pleasure of ownership than the Mustang faithful.

Coinciding perfectly with the overall market's dramatic shift away from passenger cars toward trucks and utilities in general, GM launched Camaro 6G into a perfect storm of unprecedented competition, marketplace malaise and its traditional over-reliance upon incentives which have driven down residuals at the expense of its own most loyal customers' ability to buy GM's latest and greatest.

Combined with Chrysler coming out of nowhere to capture the popular zeitgeist with its Hellcats which made even its own antiquated platforms seem exciting and Ford pulling out all the stops to create a GT350 which pushes even C7 off of some buyers' shopping lists and GM couldn't have launched a better Camaro into a worse conditions at a lousier possible time.

Ironically, this isn't entirely dissimilar to the other two vehicles GM launched on the space age Aloha platform. Despite being among the very best cars to drive in their classes, ATS and CTS barely manage to outsell Lincoln's dolled up Fusion COMBINED. GM is learning that being able to tick every box and top every metric only matters if, first and foremost, customers want to own (or want to be seen owning) the cars it makes - a gulf it has yet to span which many would assert due to the fact that GM exists only by the fleecing of creditors and taxpayers and every vehicle GM produces is at a legitimate maker's expense, is the world as it should be.

Nice narrative, however IMO people are "loyal" in forums when it comes to shelling out tens of thousands of dollars they get objective really, really fast. Over all I believe the first and foremost qualifier with any car is the sense you get when you sit in one and drive one as to whether you could live with it, or not. I am pretty much a Mustang fan, I had a '68 (289 original, replaced with a 351W), I still wish I had kept that car however when I read about the new Camaro I went and checked on one, with the intention to buy. When I got to the dealer, the sales guy asked me why I wanted a Camaro, I told him a fun car to drive when not driving my full size SUV or the mini-van, he immediately took me to a 2015 Camaro, other than the lame interior I was impressed, it has the visibility issues, however the interior is roomy, back seat looks comfortable for my kids. Then I said "but I want to see a 2016", the second he opened the door of the 2016 I knew I could not buy one, it's just too small on the inside. GM built a great performer sure, but it's a total failure in it's basic mission - a 2+2, and yes it's expensive, and yes even sitting next to a 2015 it's difficult to tell the difference, I'd say those three factors explain why the Camaro isn't selling, for the most part, they can only change one - make it cheaper. Honestly if you have a memory, the generation 4 Camaro had exactly the same scenario great performer, too expensive, not practical, it's amazing GM put themselves back there in just 2 generations of the new Camaro.
Also I really believe the bulk of Mustang and Camaro sales are made up of regular car buyers - people that aren't brand loyal in anyway, sure someone that buys a Mustang GT or Camaro SS is probably a die hard fan, though not necessarily, on the other than someone buying a V6 or base model - is simply looking for a good-looking car that is fun to drive and meets their transportation needs.
GM I'd be happy to come on board and turn the Camaro and Corvette around, first - we'd have objective design constraints and no matter what the cars would hit them. Second we'd get some new exterior people, simply ask them to incorporate historical design cues, but blow our minds, finally chuck the cam-in-block engines, I know they are terrific but customers are a lot more technical and a push-rod engine just loses any technical debate, and it's "the same-old, same-old". $500,000 / year sound good? And unless you give me a car be prepared for me to show up in a grabber blue Mustang GT everyday.

Submitted by Norris Primozich (not verified) on August 3, 2016 - 9:36PM

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Due to these changes in the marketplace, the Camaro and F-body stablemate Pontiac Firebird would gain the traditional ponycar market all to themselves and would amass record sales in the process.

Submitted by April (not verified) on August 26, 2016 - 10:45PM

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It's funny how yesterday a 2016 gt 350 pulled up to me and gave me a thumbs up for my 2016 v6 Camaro. True mustang and Camaro fans respect each other.The guy had every right to put down my car. I am not in a v8. Plus his is top of the line. The Camaro no matter what the mustang fake fanboys (yes the ones who post how awful the Camaro is are not real muscle car fans. Or for that matter car fans. I pay MY money to drive the car I pay for. Simply hating on me or my car just because it exist is stupid. Here is the real facts I DARE you and want YOU to tell me if I am wrong. The Camaro has the better handling. YES The Camaro has the faster cars. (The basic 4 6 8) YES. Fit of parts for quality are better in the Camaro YES. Go to Mustang forums to see this fact.
Stop being haters. The 2 things I can agree with from you fake fan boys is.. My car cost about 4 or 5 k more than a similar Mustang. AND the Mustang is out selling the Camaro.
Point is I DONT CARE! I only need one car. Why the hell do I care if it sells 100 or 1000000? Does it make the Mustang drive better than mine? NO Now shut up fan boys GOD