Data is all the rage today. It is provides the basis for which every facet of business, economy, life, and even entertainment is driven, and it is what compels companies to produce the goods that make the most profit. In the automotive world, data is what allows longstanding family sedans to be axed while an inordinate amount of SUVs flood the market.
But with a flood of new SUVs coming to market seemingly every week, they don’t actually represent the largest sector of the market: Pickup trucks do.
In 2019, a staggering 49% of U.S. vehicle sales were made up by the Ford F-150, RAM 1500, and Chevy Silverado pickup trucks. On top of that, these three trucks made up the top three spots on the 10 best-selling vehicles chart. Below them, such lesser vehicles like the Nissan Rogue, Toyota Camry, and Toyota RAV4, among others, could barely keep pace.
By comparison, 35.5% of 2019 sales were made up of the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, and Chevrolet Equinox. The Toyota Camry and Honda Civic made up the 9th and 10th overall best sellers, comprising only 15.5% of the top 10 best-selling vehicles in the U.S.
When you look hard at this data, the trends represented are pretty incredible.
Most people are well-aware that the family sedan as we know it is losing the sales battle against larger vehicles. They are seen as less practical, less desirable, and less spacious than SUVs and trucks. To be fair, most SUVs and trucks are larger – or at least taller – than comparable cars, and even though cars offer their own set of upsides when compared to SUVs, those benefits aren’t necessarily what’s important to buyers in this current market.
What many people forget is that pickup trucks – even midsize ones – are still miles ahead of SUVs in terms of sales.
The Toyota RAV4 is currently the best-selling SUV on the market with nearly 450,000 sold in 2019. It is currently the 4th best-selling vehicle in America. That’s impressive, but that leaves more than 125,000 more units it must make up to reach the next best-selling vehicle, and the worst-selling of the “big 3” half-ton pickup trucks: The Chevy Silverado.
Even though the Silverado is not the worst-selling half-ton pickup truck on the market, the RAV4 would need to sell as many units as the 37th best-selling vehicle in the U.S. – The Hyundai Santa Fe – in addition to its 2019 sales to even reach the Silverado.
It would have to double its sales to even reach the best-selling vehicle in the U.S.: The Ford F-150.
All of these numbers are interesting enough, but they tell us several interesting things about the current U.S. automotive market:
Car sales are on the decline:
We acknowledged this right off the bat, and it isn’t anything new to you either.
SUV sales are on the rise:
We also knew this and addressed it earlier and in other articles.
Truck sales are still miles ahead of anything else:
Despite the SUV being the new hot family vehicle, and despite manufacturers pumping out new ones left and right, the F-150, RAM 1500, and Silverado still make up nearly half of the current market. We can all agree that there are a lot of trucks on the road, but because there aren’t as many new trucks coming out, their impact is often unrealized.
The fact that these longstanding models are still at the top of the charts paints a picture about themselves and the other vehicles in the market.
Trucks are still relevant, important, and desirable despite being generally less economic and potentially more expensive than other types of vehicles. It also show us that trucks are still more important to those looking to purchase a new vehicle than cars and SUVs.
Trucks rule the American roads:
With the popularity of SUVs growing, it may be that they overtake trucks as the most popular vehicle in the U.S. They have a long way to go before that happens though. Trucks remain the best option for new vehicle purchases. They are more versatile, more practical, and have become more user friendly over the past several years than ever before.
The bottom line is that they bridge the gap between what SUVs provide, what cars provide, and even what the few remaining minivans on the market can provide. This is important to people who want and need to do the most things possible with one vehicle. And, trucks do the best job of any vehicle to be the most things to most people.
Trucks have quietly remained the leaders in the industry, and they will most likely stay that way for years to come. They may not offer the performance of a sports car, the ride comfort of a luxury sedan, or the seven passenger capacity of large SUV, but they provide enough of just about everything to make buyers recognize their value for work, play, and life.
