The U.S. full-size and mid-size pickup sales results for quarter 3 of 2019 are in. Ram continues to surge and gain marketshare, GM has good results, yet is now in chase mode and all others falter some more than others.
With the Spring launches of all the new HD trucks and the ramp up on production for GM full-size pickups, Q3 and the upcoming Q4 sales results will really show how consumers think. While the ongoing UAW strike will affect GM’s Q4 sales, these Q3 results show consumers are really liking the new Ram trucks.
Without further ado, here are the results broken down by category:
| 2019 Q3 Pickup Sales | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-Size Truck Sales | Q3 Sales | Last Year Q3 Sales | Quarterly Change | Year to Date | Last Year to Date | Year Over Year Change |
| Ford F-Series | 214,176 | 227,880 | -6.0% | 662,574 | 679,018 | -2.4% |
| Ram Truck | 161,635 | 142,044 | 14% | 461,115 | 375,583 | 23% |
| Chevrolet Silverado LD HD Total |
153,853 119,641 34,212 |
133,329 101,390 31,939 |
15.3% 18.0% 7.1% |
409,316 314,067 95,249 |
424,403 315,993 108,410 |
-3.6% -.07% -12.2% |
| GMC Sierra Total LD HD |
66,198 47,743 18,455 |
51,368 34,551 16,817 |
28.8% 38.2% 9.7% |
163,601 121,958 41,643 |
152,242 108,403 43,839 |
7.4% 12.5% -5.0% |
| Toyota Tundra | 31,569 | 31,990 | -1.4% | 86,062 | 87,782 | -1.5% |
| Nissan Titan | 7,386 | 14,545 | -49.3% | 25,412 | 37,839 | -32.8% |
| Mid-Size Truck Sales | Q3 Sales | 18 Q3 Sales | Quarterly Change | Year to Date | Last Year to Date | Year Over Year Change |
| Toyota Tacoma | 65,756 | 67,643 | -2.8% | 187,622 | 183,909 | 2% |
| Chevrolet Colorado | 31,657 | 34,963 | -9.5% | 96,820 | 104,838 | -7.6% |
| Ford Ranger | 26,211 | – | NEW | 56,512 | – | NEW |
| Jeep Gladiator | 16,132 | – | NEW | 23,384 | – | NEW |
| Nissan Frontier | 15,364 | 17,873 | -14.1% | 54,686 | 59,574 | -8.2% |
| Honda Ridgeline | 8,378 | 7,816 | 7.1% | 23,633 | 22,804 | 4.1% |
| GMC Canyon | 7,437 | 8,425 | -11.7% | 26,300 | 25,273 | 4.1% |
As we can see, Ford surrendered even more marketshare for the third quarter (July, August and September) bringing its YTD down along with it. The Ford F-Series will likely remain the best selling truck lineup in the U.S. with such a big lead, however, in the coming years, it will be interesting to see if they can maintain this lead.
Following even closer behind is Ram Trucks which took Ford’s 13k loss and nearly doubled it. They are up nearly 100k units YTD and are winning every conceivable award right now. Simply put Ram is on fire.
For decades, the Chevrolet Silverado has been the country’s second best-selling truck, however, this looks likely to change. While the LD and HD both improved year-over-year, this is short of its competition and it is unlikely they will catch Ram. This will be the first time in decades, the Chevy Silverado could very well place 3rd overall. The concern inside the Ren Center has to be high.
Following the Silverado is the GMC Sierra which had a pretty good quarter and should have a nice finish to the year.
NOTE: Combining GMC and Chevrolet truck sales, we see them between Ford and Ram, however, GM has always reported sales separately and until they change, we are not changing.
Following the pack is the Toyota Tundra which is holding on while awaiting a new model coming in the first quarter of 2020 and on the sales lots the third quarter.
The Nissan Titan took a big hit and rounds out our full-size pickup list. Nissan just unveiled a new model which should make it more competitive, but just how much is to be seen.
On the mid-size side, the Toyota Tacoma once again is crushing it for the year and slightly down for the third quarter. Nothing is going to prevent it from keeping the mid-size pickup sales crown.
Next, the Chevy Colorado is holding on with an aging interior. The ZR2 Bison seems to be doing well and the news is Chevy plans on ramping up production. There is also a rumor of a refresh coming in the next year or two which should help.
Following the Colorado is the Ford Ranger which finally got ahead of the Nissan Frontier. It seems now dealers have the mid-size pickup and incentives are likely starting to be offered after the initial launch is completed, consumers are starting to drive demand.
Next is the Jeep Gladiator with a little more sales volume than the ancient Nissan Frontier. While the Gladiator gets an amazing amount of the press, the sales numbers are still a little lower than expected and until incentives start being applied, it is hard to see volume skyrocket. It is the most expensive mid-size pickup on the market.
The Nissan Frontier might be ancient, yet it is cheap and consumers still buy thousands each year. Someday, there might be a new Nissan Frontier, just don’t hold your breath.
Rounding out the pack is the Honda Ridgeline and the GMC Canyon for QTD sales. While the Ridgeline caught and passed the Canyon, this is likely going to be reversed at year end. Both trucks don’t have a lot of energy right now for new features, styles and trim levels.
What do you think? What was your big surprise?
