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Mustang Buyers Demographic is gettIng older

1453 Views 47 Replies 19 Participants Last post by  JBert
One probable reason Ford expanding the Mustang name to EVs (and possibly a 4-door sedan) is that the average age of Mustang owners is on the rise.

Ford Mustang Buyers Are Getting Older
“The demographic is, yeah, they’re getting older,” said Owens. “The baby boomer generation that remembers the 60s fondly… it isn’t substantially getting larger, but it’s more about that psychographic, that type of personality that buys the Mustang, and that’s not age dependent.”

Now that isn’t to say that the Ford Mustang isn’t interesting to younger people. We’d argue that part of the reason that muscle car owners are getting older comes down to the price point at which these things trade hands. An EcoBoost Mustang isn’t terribly expensive by any means, but we all know that it is the V8-powered models that drive enthusiasm. A base model GT now starts at $36,120, which may be a hard pill to swallow for those entering the workforce or starting their families. Add in higher insurance premiums and things get pricey quick. And while a Ford Mustang is surely not entirely impractical, the two-door coupe isn’t as accessible as similarly priced sedans and crossovers. Ford is aware of this, and even refers to the Mustang in terms that highlight this issue.

The Ford Mustang Is A Life Stage Vehicle
“Mustang is a life stage vehicle… there’s a time in your life where a Mustang just isn’t that practical for you,” said Ownes. “Now, a Mach-E can change that… it’s more of a life stage. You come into it, then go to what you need for your life, then come back into a Mustang later.”

It seems that some folks are missing out on that early stage of ownership that Owens is referring to, and are instead only buying sports cars later in life. That could be problematic for muscle cars as we move forward. Without getting younger people interested in or behind the wheel of these cars, keeping them around will be harder to justify. Apparently Ford wants the Mustang Mach-E to be an every man’s car. Sorry, but that doesn’t really “scratch the itch” for this Mustang enthusiast.
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The Mustang started as the every mans sport car, it isn't anymore because of the price as mentioned so yes the ones that can normally afford it are older. The Mach-E will never be the every mans sports car but could be the every Moms grocery getter, it's not a sports car and will never be a Mustang.
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The 1964 1/2 Mustang had manual everything, and a 170cu straight six engine that produced a whopping 164 horsepower. It sold for $2368.

adjusted for inflation at an average of 3.5% annually, this car would sell for $17,420 today.

Would anyone seeking a “sports car” today purchase the following:
manual windows
manual 3 speed transmission
164 horsepower
AM radio
Ford Falcon 1964 handling

Prior to Covid, the base Ecoboost Mustang was available at around $28,400. With 310 horsepower, a turbocharger, and amenities and advancements galore. With far better handling…. All cars in this segment start above $26,000. And that starter car is the Camaro, which the Mustang out-sells by a huge margin - for every two Camaros bought new, five Mustangs leave the showroom.

Even a Honda Civic hatchback in base configuration (no ‘sport’ options) comes in at $23,000.
What features would need to be removed from the base Mustang to compete with that?
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I think you can blame wage stagnation, real estate prices and other cost of living factors more than the cost of the actual car. In the 80s and 90s, my dad and many of his friends had sports cars and muscle cars because just about any decent job left you with a few dollars in your pocket at the end of the month. One of his friends dropped out of high school, got a job as a laborer in a machine shop and had a brand new Trans Am paid off 2 years later. You can't pull that off anymore which wipes out the sub-25 buyers.
The 30-40something crowd is scrambling to pay for a couple daily drivers, feeding a family, student loans and the mortgage. Adding a 3rd car payment and a bigger mortgage for a house with room to park 3 cars in a city where they can earn a decent paycheck is just too big a stretch.
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The Camaro as we know it is slated to go away in 2024 & may be replaced by a 4 door electric "performance" sedan with the same name. I`m glad I have my `13 GT `vert.
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It seems the Mustang demographic is keeping pretty close pace with my age . . . I was 4 when it was introduced . . . I am not sure if I should wish to outlive it at this point or not, LOL

Wage stagnation is probably part of the picture, along with all kinds of other things competing for those wages that were not around when the Mustang was born. Back then a "sports car" was one of the relatively few luxuries within reach of the "common man"; now there are all kinds of new things that we didn't even imagine back then, that we can't live without now, that consume a lot of budget.
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Costs are getting expensive with inflation, tech, and all. Put that against today's wage then it's harder for younger guys to afford them
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The 7th Gen, (2023+) Coyote Powered Mustang is earmarked for an 8 year production run, and that will take us to 2030. Things can always go off the rails, and plans change, but If I’m alive to see 2030, I’ll update my post for historical accuracy. 🤣

As a side note, these cars are much more powerful than the earlier, more affordable brethren of yesteryear. I’m not so sure it’s a bad thing that many new adult drivers, can’t afford them for a starter car. The Mustang itself has grownup, and is more suited to grownup, experienced drivers in my personal opinion. It’s a much better car all around than it used to be, and that comes with a price. Although the price is ridicules at the moment, people just seem to keep buying.

Echoing what Kenv said, I’m glad I purchased my 2014 GT when I did, and I’ll be keeping (and maintaining) it until I’m gone. I would hate to have missed out on the Mustang experience before checking out.
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Since I'm retired, I can't justify buying a new Mustang even though the ecoboost Mustangs have more HP than my 02 Mustang GT. I'll just have to try to keep my 02 and maintain it and hope nothing major fails on it. I might consider putting a Coyote in it if the engine fails and hope I'm still young enough to enjoy the extra HP. By the way, inflation over the last 12 months has been determined to be over 8%. Pretty much negates the 6% social security COLA. I suppose I can go back to work.........:(
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Many people are in the same boat. It’s possible (but not particularly likely) you could purchase a newer model used Mustang. That’s probably still more cost effective than a Coyote swap, and would likely be more satisfying.
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First, i thank Chevy for my first Mustang. It was bought during the previous hiatus when Chevy ditched the Camaro. We'll see if they really exit the 2 door sport market for good or make a return, again, on their knees.

And second, i thank the pols for my last round of purchases in 2019 and 2020 before they helped to destroy the economy over CV19.

I do agree with the article that the Mustang is a life stage vehicle. Many owners purchase them mid life when you aren't in need of a family hauler. And many also exit the Mustang when the body joints do not favor entrance and exits and your limber body decides to call it quits and you need a grabber to reach the door arm rest to close a 2 door. That takes me to #3.

And 3rd, i thank the long reach to close a 2 door for enticing me to buy a 4 door i can get in and out a lot easier. In fact 2 of them. One to have fun and the other to go where no Mustang or Charger has ever gone before.

But I'm not going to trade or sell the coyote. Its a keeper.
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I guess the reports of these 8, 10, and 12 speed auto trannys are underrated. According to a youtube mechanic, American built ATs don't have long life and that it's risky to flush the AT or even drain the oil pan. I suppose that I could go back to a stick but I prefer the AT.
The 7th Gen, (2023+) Coyote Powered Mustang is earmarked for an 8 year production run, and that will take us to 2030. Things can always go off the rails, and plans change, but If I’m alive to see 2030, I’ll update my post for historical accuracy. 🤣

As a side note, these cars are much more powerful than the earlier, more affordable brethren of yesteryear. I’m not so sure it’s a bad thing that many new adult drivers, can’t afford them for a starter car. The Mustang itself has grownup, and is more suited to grownup, experienced drivers in my personal opinion. It’s a much better car all around than it used to be, and that comes with a price. Although the price is ridicules at the moment, people just seem to keep buying.

Echoing what Kenv said, I’m glad I purchased my 2014 GT when I did, and I’ll be keeping (and maintaining) it until I’m gone. I would hate to have missed out on the Mustang experience before checking out.
I agree. While the Mustang veers away from affordability, the price does come with justifiable benefits like performance, safety, and creature comforts. Stock ponies from the '60s and '70s can only produce sub 400 horses at best and drum brakes weren't the most precise thing in the world. The "grown-up" Mustangs we have now are technically much better than their predecessors, although saying which generation is the most appealing is highly debatable.
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And 3rd, i thank the long reach to close a 2 door for enticing me to buy a 4 door i can get in and out a lot easier. In fact 2 of them. One to have fun and the other to go where no Mustang or Charger has ever gone before.
Well hold onto your hat then. There’s likely going to be a 4dr Mustang in the 7th Gen lineup. It may not be here by 2023, but it’s on the table and planned to happen during the S650 series. 4 doors, Coyote and all!
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Well hold onto your hat then. There’s likely going to be a 4dr Mustang in the 7th Gen lineup. It may not be here by 2023, but it’s on the table and planned to happen during the S650 series. 4 doors, Coyote and all!
Bet a four-door Mustang will have a similar vibe to the Aussie Ford Falcon. It's a hit down under
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I hate to be a doubting thomas but FMC has decreased HP and Torque from the coyote in 2022 models. i dont think that would bode well with a 4 door pony with increased weight. Speaking just for me, going from 485hp / 475 torque in a 4 door i have now, to a 450hp / 410 torque in another 4 door in the future would be hard for me.

But WHY is Ford so intent on violating the Mustang heritage.
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But WHY is Ford so intent on violating the Mustang heritage.
Because they must believe it will increase their bottom line I suppose? I can only imagine.

Speaking just for me, going from 485hp / 475 torque in a 4 door i have now, to a 450hp / 410 torque in another 4 door in the future would be hard for me.
I understand that it wouldn’t matter to you, but it will have appeal to others who want to stay seated in a Mustang, or are coming from a lesser car.
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For good and bad, the future is electric.

Unfortunately most manufacturers seem inclined to change the shape of cars to an “electric car”, rather than electrify the cars people like. Then again, the overwhelming majority of customers are buying SUVs so maybe it doesn’t matter anymore? And Ford just needs to leverage the Mustang name as long as it can?
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I'm old. I remember seeing the Mustang at the New York Worlds Fair. We grew up lusting for speed. Ask a kid today if driving a sports car is something that's important to them. Or even driving at all. It's a different world and it's changing quickly.
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One probable reason Ford expanding the Mustang name to EVs (and possibly a 4-door sedan) is that the average age of Mustang owners is on the rise.

Ford Mustang Buyers Are Getting Older
“The demographic is, yeah, they’re getting older,” said Owens. “The baby boomer generation that remembers the 60s fondly… it isn’t substantially getting larger, but it’s more about that psychographic, that type of personality that buys the Mustang, and that’s not age dependent.”

Now that isn’t to say that the Ford Mustang isn’t interesting to younger people. We’d argue that part of the reason that muscle car owners are getting older comes down to the price point at which these things trade hands. An EcoBoost Mustang isn’t terribly expensive by any means, but we all know that it is the V8-powered models that drive enthusiasm. A base model GT now starts at $36,120, which may be a hard pill to swallow for those entering the workforce or starting their families. Add in higher insurance premiums and things get pricey quick. And while a Ford Mustang is surely not entirely impractical, the two-door coupe isn’t as accessible as similarly priced sedans and crossovers. Ford is aware of this, and even refers to the Mustang in terms that highlight this issue.

The Ford Mustang Is A Life Stage Vehicle
“Mustang is a life stage vehicle… there’s a time in your life where a Mustang just isn’t that practical for you,” said Ownes. “Now, a Mach-E can change that… it’s more of a life stage. You come into it, then go to what you need for your life, then come back into a Mustang later.”

It seems that some folks are missing out on that early stage of ownership that Owens is referring to, and are instead only buying sports cars later in life. That could be problematic for muscle cars as we move forward. Without getting younger people interested in or behind the wheel of these cars, keeping them around will be harder to justify. Apparently Ford wants the Mustang Mach-E to be an every man’s car. Sorry, but that doesn’t really “scratch the itch” for this Mustang enthusiast.
It may be that they are like me. I am 82 y.o. now and still drive a mustang. I still have my 91 GT convt. that I bought new as well as my 19 GT PP2 and a Mache.
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