Ford's sporty models attract buyers of a lower age range than the normal models.

• Buyers of Ford’s sporty Fiesta ST, Focus ST, Focus RS and Fusion Sport models are three to 10 years younger than buyers of non-performance variants of these vehicles; younger customers give automakers a better chance of winning over repeat buyers
• These younger, performance-hungry customers are also more affluent; the annual income of Fiesta ST and Focus ST customers is approximately 70 percent higher than that of regular Focus and Fiesta variants
• Ford’s sporty car sales jumped 45 percent for the first quarter of 2017, bucking the trend of the overall U.S. industry that is seeing consumers shift from cars to SUVs

Customers of Ford’s sporty cars are not just young at heart; they’re actually younger on average, and more affluent, according to New Vehicle Customer Study data from MaritzCX.

Nowhere is this trend more evident than with Ford Fiesta ST. While the average age of a new Fiesta buyer is 45 years old, the average age of a Fiesta ST customer is a good 10 years younger. Buyers of Ford Focus follow the same pattern; the average age of a regular Focus buyer is 46, while the Focus RS customer is 41 on average and the Focus ST buyer is 36. Fusion customers are 48 on average, while Fusion Sport buyers are an average 45 years old.

These millennial buyers are important to Ford. Not only are they contributing to a significant increase in sporty car sales – a 45 percent increase for the first three months of the year – younger customers give the automaker a greater chance of winning over repeat buyers.

“With repeat customers making up around half of industry sales, capturing younger buyers while they still have many vehicle purchases remaining in their lives is good for business,” said Corey Holter, Ford car group marketing manager.

Millennial customers arrive at dealerships with money to spend. While household income for the average Fiesta buyer is $59,000, for Fiesta ST, that figure jumps to $102,000. The average Focus buyer has a household income of $63,000, while Focus ST and Focus RS customers show markedly higher household incomes – on average, $108,000 and $169,000, respectively (data for Focus RS is limited and not statistically significant).

And with car segments on the wane industrywide as buyers shift toward SUVs and crossovers, sales of Ford’s hot hatchbacks – Fiesta ST, Focus ST and Focus RS – are continuing to buck the trend, as the company reported late last year.

An interesting side note to this is that all of the performance models are EcoBoost®. In the case of the Fusion, many buyers opt for EcoBoost engines in non-performance vehicles, but even the EcoBoost Mustang has a younger buyer on average (41 years old) compared to non-EcoBoost Mustangs (44 years old).

USA - Ford Explorer Sport has higher %age of Gen X buyers than all other non-luxury brand midsize SUVs in the USA.

• Ford Explorer Sport has higher percentage of Gen X buyers than all other non-luxury brand midsize SUVs in the United States, according to new vehicle customer study by MaritzCX
• Exclusive Explorer Sport emerges as a favorite for professional Gen-Xers (born 1965-78)
• Average Ford Explorer Sport buyer has household income of $175,000, versus $112,000 for average midsize SUV buyer, study reveals

Professional Gen-Xers don’t always drive SUVs, but when they do they drive Ford Explorer Sport, according to a new vehicle customer study by MaritzCX.

Data from the study shows the vehicle has the highest percentage of Gen X buyers of any non-luxury SUV in the United States, reflecting this group’s preference for exclusivity and performance at a great value. 

With its 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost^® V6 engine mated to a six-speed SelectShift^® automatic transmission, Explorer Sport delivers 365 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 350 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,500 rpm.

Explorer Sport has grabbed a significant 15 percent of total nameplate sales since its debut in 2014.

Jim Mulcrone, director of research services for MaritzCX, says 23 percent of buyers of other midsize SUVs, on average, are Gen-Xers, but Explorer Sport attracts nearly 40 percent of those born between 1965 and 1978.

“Ford has a very interesting customer with this product, and what’s unusual is that many are buying it without trading anything in,” he says. “Our study shows that while 17 percent of all non-luxury SUV buyers classify themselves as ‘specialty professionals,’ that number is closer to one in four with Explorer Sport. It seems this product is breaking through.”

Peak earning years for members of Generation X are between 47 and 54 years old, and these consumers have a more practical, experiential and family-oriented mindset than baby boomers did at this stage of life, says Sheryl Connelly, Ford manager of global trends and futuring. “Boomers felt the need to display their status in more obvious ways than Gen-Xers do,” she says. “While both groups are hugely important, automakers need to pay special attention to Gen-Xers. Our Explorer Sport fits the profile of the successful member of Generation X.” 

Average household income for a buyer of Explorer Sport is $175,000, versus $112,000 for the average midsize SUV buyer, the study reveals. Mulcrone says Explorer Sport buyers broaden Ford’s base by attracting more affluent consumers, including those who have owned premium brands. Moreover, those Explorer Sport customers who do trade in a vehicle are twice as likely as average midsize SUV buyers – 12 percent versus 6 percent – to trade in a premium one. 

“When consumers look at Explorer Sport, they see all the style and performance of a luxury SUV, but at roughly $20,000 less,” says Omar Odeh, Ford Explorer marketing manager. “Our surveys show Explorer Sport owners highly rate such attributes as ‘power and pick-up,’ ‘fun to drive’ and ‘overall performance.’ The best part is they represent incremental buyers for us, in that some don’t even set out looking at the Ford brand. Explorer Sport is proving it can stand on its own.”