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1,810 views May 6, 2010

2010 Mazda MX-5 Miata

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Edmund’s Auto Observer has pointed out that as of now, the Camaro is winning the pony car wars, taking a year-to-date sales of 29,907. The Mustang is trailing at 20,836 for the beginning of the year, but that is probably due to people holding off for the buzz-worthy 2011 Mustang coming out later this year. Trailing third is the Challenger, but had record sales last month.

Cars with a limited use, or no back seat, are losing ground. Everything from the expensive 911 down to the cheapest sports car available, the Mazda MX-5 Roadster, has been steadily losing sales. The MX-5 sales have jumped from 55.9 percent compared to April 2009, pretty much matching the poor-selling RX-8s sales too.

Authour of the article, Bill Visnic ends with “This time, is it the recession, or are sports cars just not that desirable anymore?”

While it might be a bit too early to make burial arrangements for the sports car, there might be some reasons why there is a lag in sales.

The country is in a recession and people are watching their money. One better way to save some cash is to buy used. It’s a well known fact that as soon as a car leaves the lot, it depreciates substantially. The used market offers buyers the chance to purchase a car they want, used, for a lot less than what a new car would cost, sometimes with $5-10,000 savings. They might not have the latest technology or the best, but some are willing to sacrifice newness to get a sports car.

Sports cars, like the Porsche 911 or 370z, are the kind that can be driven everyday with no issues. But getting from point A to point B isn’t enough. Cars need to be able to carry more than two people within comfort, or maybe bring home new table or groceries. The 911 and 370z doesn’t offer the flexibility a car like the Mustang or Hyundai Genesis does. Not to mention cars like the Golf GTi or Mazdaspeed 3 offering even more practicality.

This is just a low point in the life of the sports car genre, not the death bell tolling.

{Source: Auto Observer]