Best-Selling Pickup Trucks: September 2016
While car sales seem to be slowing at an ever-increasing pace, pickup trucks continue to do well. Analysts are predicting that the six years of steady sales growth we've been experiencing will likely come to a halt this year, with car and truck sales totaling around 17 million units by the end of the year — a small, albeit significant, decline to last year's 17.47 million final sales.
Historically, fall is when manufacturers begin to rely on incentive spending to maintain market share. However, although there are some hefty cash-on-the-hood deals out there (we've seen as much as $10,000 on select pickup models and trims), to date it looks like the big pickup makers are being cautious about overextending themselves.
For September the big winners are the consistent players, with Ram sales up almost 30 percent, the Toyota Tacoma up more than 35 percent, and the Chevrolet Colorado and Nissan Frontier up more than 40 and 60 percent, respectively. Of course, we need an entirely different scale to put the Honda Ridgeline sales numbers into perspective. When looking at the Ridgeline's sales history, the 2016 monthly numbers are similar to the monthly sales numbers it had in the first few years after it was introduced 10 years ago.
We should also note the sharp improvement Nissan made in September. The aging Frontier made a strong showing (benefiting from aggressive pricing strategies in the hot mid-size segment), and the full-size half-ton Titan showed huge gains after its first full month of sales.
The Chevrolet Silverado and Toyota Tundra are the only pickup trucks sold in the U.S. that are having an off year, but that could change in 2017 since both are scheduled to get some significant upgrades late in the year. We'll have more sales information later this week as we dive a little deeper into the mid-size and full-size categories.
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Comments
Wow.. Ram outsold Chevy last month
Congrats to RAM. Market has spoken. Build the T-Rex ! To finish them!
Congrats to Ford and Ram.
Ford outsold Chevy + GMC last month and Ram outsold Chevy.
Where are the fanbois tha say two truck lines with one watered down Chevy is not a problem?
WAY TO GO F-SERIES !!!!!!
Honorable mention to Fiat.
Nobody can touch the Tacoma, sorry Colorado but overall sales tell the truth.
Looks like RAM may need to invest in production capacity.
RAM finally did it. 4 years after the naysayers including me said it could never be done. Ram outsold Chevy. I got to give credit to RAM.
Looks like RAM may need to invest in production capacity.
Posted by: canoepaddler | Oct 3, 2016 11:44:17 AM
They just did.
http://fortune.com/2016/09/28/fiat-ram-truck-700-jobs/
RAM is #2 for the last month. One can to go.
Oxi, they have. All Ram Truck Production moving to U.S in 2017 I believe for the New Upgraded Ram Trucks.
Way to go RAM, but check out the sales growth for the Ridgeline, man at that rate they'll take over Ford, GM & RAM in no time! LOL
September was F-Series’ best retail sales month of the year. Total Ford F-Series sales of 67,809 units.
Also Ram tops Silverado for only 2nd time since 1999! I cannot believe PUTC didn't even mention this.
Ram pickup outsells Silverado for first time since 1999
http://www.autonews.com/article/20140401/RETAIL01/140409976/ram-pickup-outsells-silverado-for-first-time-since-1999
Analysts said Silverado’s redesign had been conservative and “evolutionary, not revolutionary.” Meanwhile, they credited Ram with offering innovations such as a coil spring suspension, light-duty diesel engine, eight-speed transmission and the Rambox storage system.
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Chevy is blaming incentives but I'm not buying it. Chevy's leading has been dwindling for years and now it lost its lead.
The shay shaky is in trouble.
I'll take a white bronco!
Raptor , bronco, doesn't matter. Just more food for T-Rex.
Small cars are dead. Ford is no exception.
Fiesta -39.5
Focus -16.9
C-MAX -27.4
Fusion -17.5
Taurus -16.7
Police Interceptor Sedan -17.6
Mustang -32.0
Ford Cars -22.5
@ ×s29L9 well I read on autonews that they kill the dodge Dard and the 200 is gonna be next why because they don't have the cash yo build abother facility and that they were asking a lot of auto makers to build them for them.
I read on autonews this.
http://www.autonews.com/article/20161003/OEM11/161009993/ford-vehicles-being-probed-by-u-s-over-door-latch-lights-steering
Wait till you see canada sales numbers..... Ram currently has plenty of capacity with how they are selling this year in canada. The amount of money fca is spending to move only ram 1500 capacity is crazy. All ram hd's will still be made in mexico.
Ford seems to work on one huge upgrade after another. First the complete overhaul of the F150. Next the Super Duty overhaul, from the ground up. And now bringing the Ranger and the Bronco back to the US.
Cry baby ram is not joke read
The mad genius of killing the Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200
Why Marchionne's Bet Might Pay Off
Michael Austin
Sergio Marchionne isn't crazy. At least not with respect to the recent announcement that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will cease production of the Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200. Instead of crazy I'd call this CEO ruthlessly pragmatic, and perhaps short-sighted. The latest revisions to FCA's most recent five-year plan tell some truths about the company's finances. In other words, it can't afford to build mainstream sedans.
With only 87,392 units sold in 2015, the Dart is an also-ran in the segment. The axe falls easily there - Chrysler hasn't had a compact-car hit since the second-generation Neon. The 200 isn't so cut and dried: Last year sales increased 52 percent, and the 177,889 total for 2015 is more than those for the Subaru Legacy and Kia Optima. But looking at the overall FCA picture the Chrysler 200 has to go, at least from a short-term perspective. The vehicles that make big money – Ram trucks; Jeep's Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, and Wrangler – can't be made fast enough. FCA can't afford to idle the 200's Sterling Heights, MI, assembly plant to cut back on inventory when other plants are running flat out.
It seems crazy to throw away 265,000 sales, but FCA is leaving money on the table by not building more profitable vehicles. The Wirecutter's Senior Autos Editor (and former Autoblogger) John Neff agrees. "As bold as it looks from the outside, he's really making a safe bet that their money is better spent on designing better and building more crossovers and trucks. He's probably right about that."
But according to Jessica Caldwell, Executive Director of Strategic Analytics at Edmunds, "FCA's strategy of eliminating the Dart and 200 might be short-sighted if gas prices were to rise and Americans, once again, flocked to small vehicles. FCA must have plans to expand the lineup of small SUVs and position them as small-car alternatives in terms of price and fuel efficiency for this strategy to make sense."
Chrysler 200
Dodge Dart
FCA's latest announcement focuses mainly on the profitable brands and nameplates. There's hardly a mention of Chrysler, Dodge, or Fiat.
And future planning is where the plot holes appear. This realignment cuts dead weight from the product portfolio, but FCA's latest announcement focuses mainly on the profitable brands and nameplates. There's hardly a mention of Chrysler, Dodge, or Fiat. So what's Sergio up to? David Sullivan of AutoPacific thinks Marchionne is still looking for another CEO to hug.
"This is FCA's diet plan before the wedding to shed unwanted weight and to pad the bank account. It's not a long-term plan but more of a Hail Mary pass to tidy up their appearance for an imminent tie-up with someone. There are plenty of brands with car-heavy lineups that Jeep and Ram would match up well with, but no one wants to deal with the baggage that is 200 and Dart."
But who would have them? VW is still reeling from the emissions scandal, but an FCA tie-up would immediately provide SUV volume, a weak spot in the German company's American lineup. Or Hyundai could swoop in, eager to become a full-line automaker. Heck, Marchionne keeps beating the partnership drum so hard, don't be surprised to see a Chinese manufacturer step up.
Killing the Dart and 200 is basically an admission by FCA that it can't make a competitive product in these segments. Either the profits or the sales potential is too low. And if the company is healthier without those cars, so much the better. But lacking a backup plan if a merger never materializes or fuel prices spike, Marchionne could land Chrysler in worse shape than when Fiat first came to the rescue.
WOW, Nicely done Ram, Chevy is "shaking" not only under the hood, but in their boots as well. NIcely done Ford, loose in the monthly category compared to last year and still beat CHevy and GMC, and Ram.
FINANCE
This is Fiat Chrysler's biggest problem
Matthew DeBord Apr 19, 2016, 9:47 AM ET
Sergio Marchionne, Chief Executive of Fiat Chrysler, speaks during the first press preview day of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan January 12, 2015. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook
Thomson Reuters
FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne.
Outwardly, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles looks as if it's doing great.
The carmaker, long the most vulnerable of the Detroit "Big Three" (GM and Ford are the other two), spent the 2000s in limbo, owned first by Daimler, then by the private-equity firm Cerberus, and finally by Fiat in a bailout-and-bankruptcy deal engineered by the federal government.
FCA's recovery has been impressive: It posts month after month of positive sales in the US and has benefited fantastically well from the SUV boom, thanks to the Jeep brand.
So naturally, CEO Sergio Marchionne has made it his quixotic mission in life to get FCA merged with another major automaker. He took a shot at GM last year and was rebuffed. Now he's again making the rounds. The reason is simple: He doesn't think FCA can ride out the next downturn in the industry.
At Bloomberg Gadfly, Chris Bryant zeroes in on FCA's biggest problem - and it has nothing to do with cars:
Unlike many rivals, FCA lacks a captive finance arm. That puts it a competitive disadvantage. When sales slow, automakers with stronger balance sheets can borrow cheaply and use to proceeds to, in effect, subsidize price cuts. The company has tried to address that with a partnership with Santander to provide financing for customers.
If anything, Bryant is understating how bad this is for FCA. A lot of folks erroneously believe that automakers are in the car business. They are, but the real meat on that bone is the lending side. Car companies with their own banks, in effect, don't sell cars; they sell car loans.
FCA does this in some regions, but not in the US.
For FCA to be missing out on this is a big reason why it's overall debt position, at about $5.5 billion, is worrisome relative to its Detroit and global competition. Debt tends to be what gets carmakers in the end - the business is extremely capital-intensive, and it can be challenging for the companies to avoid spending their way into a hole to keep from losing out on market share, especially when tastes shift away from rainmaking products, as they did when SUVs fell out of favor, when gas prices spiked, or when credit constricts and consumers are reluctant to borrow to buy new cars.
So Marchionne knows he can't win a price war, and he knows that FCA debt could catch up with it. The only recourse he has is to line up, well in advance, a rescue package in the form of a merger. That's why he's been so dogged on this front.
But it's hard to see what would be gained from taking on FCA and its debt, even if Jeep is part of the package.
Hahahahahahahaha.
Over 5 billion USD is what fca has to pay do to there poor emissions...
https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-chris-grundler-epa/
That is why hemi's are dead snd you wont see a trx with a hemi and so much anticipation around ecoboost pentastars v6's
You will see the hemi disappear. What ram will have in their trucks at next major redesign 2023-2024 is ecoboost v6 and a coyote like small displacement v8.... prolly something around a 5 liter.
Epa says it will happen or fca will be paying huge fines for their polluting engines
Ford seems to work on one huge upgrade after another. First the complete overhaul of the F150. Next the Super Duty overhaul, from the ground up. And now bringing the Ranger and the Bronco back to the US.
Posted by: Job1 | Oct 3, 2016 2:44:46 PM
I believe Ford is on track with their longer vision strategy & their investment in aluminum, smaller & more powerful turbo-power plants & 10 speed transmissions will pay off in the long run.
Yep, it will be FORD domination in the next few years....
Well, it looks, that FCA knows where to spend the money.
No one asked about an aluminium, but T-Rex.
They just did.
http://fortune.com/2016/09/28/fiat-ram-truck-700-jobs/
RAM is #2 for the last month. One can to go.
Posted by: RAM | Oct 3, 2016 11:51:21 AM
Dude, article says moving production to Sterling Heights. And article quoted "USA Today reports that FCA has said the 700 new jobs will be in addition to any laid-off workers returning to the plant." There is 1300 layoffs at that site. Need to see how many layoffs come back, could be a lose of 600 works. Thus says nothing of production increases.
Wow, GM has sold almost 84,000 more trucks than FORD this year. Congrats to GM. Even when GM has a down month with 1 model, the others take up the slack and out sell all F- series combined.
Fro what I understand, it's 1300 +700.
Nobody can touch the Tacoma, sorry Colorado but overall sales tell the truth.
Posted by: oxi | Oct 3, 2016 11:42:54 AM
They're selling every Colorado and Canyon they can make. The sales numbers simply tell us that both GM and Toyota are overwhelmed by the demand for midsize trucks. It also tells us that Ford blew it when they said they didn't need the Ranger and that the new F150 would be so great that nobody would want a Ranger.
Maybe Marchionne has learned something from recent Frontier sales, stagnant middle class salary's, and preparation for a downturn with no current suiters. And that is to:
1) keep price low on existing 1500's and they will buy,
2) work on increasing production,
3) work on ironing out existing issues for the newly redesigned 1500 with not too many new bells and whistles.
4) Focus investments on engines being EPA friendly and efficient. Ie Ecoboost Pentastars and diesel.
Fords all Aluminum F150 is only improving mpg 4% for every 10% decrease in weight. That's 1mpg gain for so much of a capitol intensive controversial weight reduction effort?
Lastly, smaller engines will allow for a smaller front end, which then plays into today's full-size becoming tomorrow's midsize. So no need to capitally invest in a midsize line.
It seems likely that Colorado and Canyon are starting to cut into Silverado and Sierra sales. Depending on respective profitability numbers, that may or may not be a bad thing for General Motors.
I believe Ford is on track with their longer vision strategy & their investment in aluminum, smaller & more powerful turbo-power plants & 10 speed transmissions will pay off in the long run.
Yep, it will be FORD domination in the next few years....
Posted by: Lionel | Oct 3, 2016 3:25:21 PM
Yep, Ford will make a killing by forcing the Ecoboost on guys, then charging a TON of money for repair parts when the timing chains go just after the warranty expires. Plus the replacement parts for the EB brake booster are a goldmine (VERY expensive parts for what they are). Plus the EB carbon buildup issue is going to be a huge money maker - replace the heads when they get clogged with carbon buildup - GENIUS! Even the aluminum replacement body panels must be a big lucrative business for Ford.
Ford's replacement parts strategy is a lucrative, long-term one for sure. The EB and aluminum bodies is a cash cow, no question.
Ford owns almost 50% of the pickup market in canada. Also ford has moved to the number 1 auto manufacture for the year.
http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2016/10/canada-pickup-truck-sales-figures-september-2016-ytd.html?m=1
The Silverado hasn't been an attractive looking truck since 2003. It got worse in 2007. It got better in 2014 with the throwback square body design like the 73-87's but then with the transformer's looking mce they really made it look bad. The number 1 reason for Chevy sales sliding is the truck just hasn't consistently looked good IMO.
Contrast this with the Sierra. The Sierra stayed good looking in 2003. It was the good looking truck for the 2007 redesign and it is still the best looking now. It's really obvious to me why you don't see Sierra sales slide like you do for the Silverado. Chevrolet really needs to get their act together. I'm a Chevy guy but it gets harder and harder to be loyal to Chevrolet. I think the Dodge Ram is a sharp looking truck. I like the Ford as well but the Ram has the edge design wise. It's easy to see why Ford & Dodge are winning over Chevrolet customers.
Both Ford and Ram offer so many high trim options and other things that Chevrolet doesn't. I get that GM wants you to buy a GMC instead if you want Ford/Dodge type stuff like that but I'm just not a GMC guy. I really wish Chevy would get it together in terms of design, trims and options.
September was F-Series’ best retail sales month of the year. Total Ford F-Series sales of 67,809 units.
Also Ram tops Silverado for only 2nd time since 1999! I cannot believe PUTC didn't even mention this.
Posted by: Chris | Oct 3, 2016 12:02:27 PM
Ram pickup outsells Silverado for first time since 1999
http://www.autonews.com/article/20140401/RETAIL01/140409976/ram-pickup-outsells-silverado-for-first-time-since-1999
Analysts said Silverado’s redesign had been conservative and “evolutionary, not revolutionary.” Meanwhile, they credited Ram with offering innovations such as a coil spring suspension, light-duty diesel engine, eight-speed transmission and the Rambox storage system.
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Chevy is blaming incentives but I'm not buying it. Chevy's leading has been dwindling for years and now it lost its lead.
Posted by: Chris | Oct 3, 2016 12:06:59 PM
You are 0 for 2, Ford sold more than 70,000 at least once this year.
If you did just a very little research before going nuts with excitement, you'd know Ram outsold Silverado one month, not more than a couple years ago!
And on the second note, who's to say Ram has stopped making up numbers? They've been doing it for most of the last few years. If they truly did outsell Silverado, then kudos to them.
It looks like the Colorado and Canyon are such a capable truck they have taken sales from the larger 1/2 ton GM trucks. The amount the Silverado was down is about the same as Colorado was up in sales . The little diesel Duramax is starting to catch on now that real world fuel economy has shown higher than EPA rating and lots of torque to haul substantial loads.
I bet when the Ranger returns it will take huge sales from the f150 crowd that really only need a smaller truck. The Ranger will be back, the mid-size truck market is booming now with GM raising the bar the bar with the diesel. Ranger will sell very well.
Ram is setting up for production expansion. GIT R Done!
Bro what I understand, it's 1300 +700.
Posted by: RAM | Oct 3, 2016 4:30:06 PM
Maybe 1300 + 700, if all layoffs are hired back. What happens to Michigan plant when production moves? What will the estimated production be for retooled plant?
And FYI ram outsold chevy March 2014 also
I hear you Andy. I am on my second Ram after 12 years of trouble free R.V. off roading miles. Haters gunna hate. lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfWlot6h_JM
Hdmax, Chris is right and said Ford retail sales this month are its best.
Titan increased a whopping 1400 units over last year. I guess bulbous does not sell.
Maybe if GM gets rid of the ugly square wheel wells, the can be the full size king.
"I believe ford is on track with their longer vision strategy & their investment in aluminum"
Yeah their vision is to have the truck that can get the most holes on their bed, like swiss cheese. Hahaha.
Posted by: King Frank | Oct 3, 2016 4:57:04 PM
"Nobody cares about Canada."
So why is it, when Americans travel around the world they always say they are from Canada. Even your state department tell you not to wear an American flag on your person. LOL
The new '19-20 Ford Bronco will make two door SUV's great again!!
http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/donald-trump-forces-uaw-to-confirm-ford-bronco-is-definitely-happening/ar-BBwWR6j?ocid=spartandhp
Chevy Colorado ytd 80047 , Ford Ranger ytd 0..
GMC Canyon ytd 27206, Ford Ranger ytd 0.
I see a pattern forming here. LOL!
Ford left following the leader, GM again.
It look,like gm over sold Ford pickup this years again ,,
Re: Ranger vs Colorado vs Transit
The whole small truck segment basically imploded because those mid sized truck buyers moved elsewhere, either upwards to larger trucks or to Utilities that seem to suit their needs better...
There are still mid sized truck buyers out there but they are not the same demographic as before, most are now crew cab buyers who are prepared to pay a lot more for their trucks than comparable compact Ranger buyers form from 10-15 years ago.
GM chose the Colorado and Canyon for North America because it was a readily available product, unlike a replacement for its aging 150/250 Express vans, so the choice for them was obvious just as the choice of Transit was a natural for Ford.
It seems to have been a good bet since the GM midsize twins are outselling the Transit vans, but last heard most buyers of GM midsize twins buyers canibalized and moved from other GM products. And Ford's Ranger is closer to market than GM's next-gen vans.
GM sells slightly more trucks when you add up the 4 different models. But GM's one weakness is the Silverado. Despite Chevrolet's continuous attacks on Ford F-Series for the aluminum bed being damaged.....F Series actually increased its sales margin over Silverado. Dodge Ram, who seems to have reduced its attacks on F Series, has actually also outsold the Silverado for September. Maybe Chevy will realize that whining about the competitor doesn't work. Maybe it's their feminish TV sales spokesperson that is scaring any potential truck buyer.
Ram jumped "FCA is still king of the hill when it comes to crossover and SUV sales. and Jeep is still the best-selling crossover-SUV brand. The company’s domestic brands even gained market share, as the overall market fell by 0.7%. "
http://www.allpar.com/news/2016/10/jeep-stumble-in-september-34149
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