It isn’t any big news that truck sales dominate the American market. Pickups from Detroit’s Big Three were not only the best selling trucks in 2017, they were the best selling vehicles.
While total vehicle sales for 2017 were down compared to 2016, trucks sales continue to climb. In fact, only a handful of pickups were in the red in terms of sales in 2017. Many more models saw big gains last year. These were the best selling trucks for 2017.
Who knew a re-designed truck bed was all it would take to get some positive reviews? After a two-year hiatus, the second-generation mid-size Ridgeline made a comeback in 2016 with the 2017 model year. It had a lot of the same things that the first generation had, like towing capacity, but what it didn’t have were those polarizing “flying buttresses” on the truck bed. Good move, Honda.
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The Honda Ridgeline just barely beat out the GMC Canyon (just over 32,000 units sold) to make it on our list of top 10 best selling trucks. But it is on pace to rise even higher. Sales were up a whopping 47 percent over 2016.
The second generation Nissan Titan was introduced in 2016 for model 2017, and some buyers are taking notice. Sales for the Nissan Titan were up an impressive 141 percent. Still, the numbers aren’t at the level Nissan would like to see them.
One of the biggest hurdles for the Titan is its engine offerings. Right now you can get a gasoline V8 or a Cummins diesel. Both are great, but including a V6 option could really move some units. Nissan says a V6 is “in the plan,” according to a recent interview, but a date was not announced.
Nissan makes its second appearance on the list of best selling trucks in 2017 with the Frontier. The frontier is one of three smaller pickups to make the list (along with the Toyota Tacoma and Honda Ridgeline).
While the compact Nissan Frontier was a breath of fresh air in the scant compact truck market when it came out, it’s getting a little worn out. And sales numbers reflect that sentiment. Sales were down over 14 percent. It had better up its game before the Ford Ranger makes its comeback, or the Jeep Wrangler pickup for that matter.
Just like the Silverado and the Sierra, the Chevrolet Colorado has a GMC counterpart, the Canyon. And just like the Silverado, the Colorado puts up bigger sales numbers than its GMC cousin.
Even though the Colorado posted a respectable 4 percent sales growth in 2017, it came in just behind the Toyota Tundra. But then, that’s better than the Canyon, which fell out of the top 10 rankings.
The Tundra is the full-size big brother of the Tacoma. Despite the reliability Toyota is known for, neither the Tundra nor the Tacoma can rival sales numbers for domestic pickup trucks.
The Tundra had a pretty stale year. With only 116,285 units sold, sales weren’t even up 1 percent over 2016. Still, they were up.
The Toyota Tacoma is highest selling foreign pickup on the list. It is also the highest selling mid-size pickup. While mid-size pickup sales pale in comparison to full-size and heavy-duty pickups, it’s a growing market.
Still, the Tacoma sold nearly 400,000 fewer units than the Chevrolet Silverado alone. But it’s gaining on the GMC Sierra.
You’d be hard pressed finding two vehicles on the street as similar as the GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado. They share platforms and capabilities and then some. While the Silverado is often branded as the more value-oriented model compared to the Sierra, both bottom and top end prices for each truck are nearly identical.
However, what they don’t share are sales numbers. The Silverado nearly triples Sierra sales. In 2017 Sierra sales slipped, although slightly. GMC Sierra sales were down 1.7 percent last year.
Ram pickup trucks are the first of the top three best selling trucks in 2017. The sales number includes the Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 models.
Ram pickup sales have risen steadily since the fourth generation came out in 2009. But a 2 percent jump in sales from 2016 to 2017 may indicate the pickup is getting a little long in the tooth.
Just like the Silverado, Fiat Chrysler says it will unveil an all-new Ram 1500 pickup this year.
If General Motors branded their lineup of similar pickups like Ford does with the F-Series, we would have a clearer picture of how competitive the top spot is. The Silverado is mechanically identical to its GMC cousin, the Sierra. Still the Chevroelt Silverado does just fine on its own.
Silverado sales were up just 2 percent in 2017. However, judging by the popularity of the recently revealed redesign for the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado, expect that number to jump considerably when we look back at 2018.
The Ford F-Series has been on top of the U.S. Auto Market since, like, Jimmy Carter was president. Seriously, it’s been the best selling pickup in the United States for 41 years. And it’s been the best selling vehicle since 1981. Of the 17.2 million vehicles sold last year, nearly 5.5 percent were Ford pickups.
Of course, the title of “best selling truck” comes with a pretty big caveat. The Ford F-Series is actually a group of light- and medium-duty trucks. The number of units sold includes the ubiquitous Ford F-150 as well as its variants.
Last year, 2017, was the first full year of sales for the new F-150, now made with lightweight aluminum. It got off to a bumpy start, but customers soon warmed up. Nearly 900,000 Ford F-Series pickups hit the road in 2017. That’s up over 9 percent from 2016.
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