By Joann Muller | Forbes.com
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The auto industry is on track to have its best year since 2006, with car sales of about 16 million units this year, up from 14.5 million in 2012. While fuel-efficient small cars were all the rage a few years ago, now it is once again pickup trucks and utility vehicles behind the boom.
Sales of full-size pickups, buoyed by a steady housing market, the Midwest energy boom, and lower gasoline prices, are up about 20 percent this year, with all three U.S. automakers racing to keep up with demand. The trend has been especially good for Chrysler Group, where sales of its redesigned Ram pickup, up 22.5 percent, have outpaced growth in the segment. Ram sales through October totaled 292,633 and its share of the full-size pickup truck market has grown from 14.5 percent in 2010 to 16.3 percent year to date.
General Motors and Ford Motor have nothing to complain about, though. Both companies have seen 20 percent sales growth in pickups this year. GM’s Chevrolet division began rolling out a redesigned version of its Silverado pickup in June, and has done a good job managing the transition from the outgoing model to the new one without resorting to heavy discounts. Silverado sales are up 19.7 percent for the year, to 403,435.
Meanwhile, Ford, which will unveil a new F-series design in 2014, is successfully defending its hold on the title of best-selling nameplate in America by emphasizing a more fuel-efficient engine and added technology. Ford has sold 623,309 F-series pickups so far this year, up 19.8 percent from a year ago.
Heavy demand means higher prices, too. Average transaction prices for all full-size trucks in October jumped more than 5 percentage points from a year ago, to $39,189, according to Kelley Blue Book. Ford has the highest prices in the segment, though, averaging more than $40,000, because it sells more high-end luxury trucks than the others.
It’s not just pickups that are selling well, though. Crossover utilities like the Honda CR-V and Ford Escape are also hot, offering car buyers both flexibility and good fuel economy. CR-V has long been the best-seller in the segment, but the Escape, which was redesigned last year, is catching up fast. Through October, it trailed CR-V by only 1,100 units, with sales of 250,543.
The Camry looks like it will once again finish the year as the best-selling passenger car in America. Here are the top 10:
1. 2014 Ford F-150
The long-running sales champ in the U.S. is still the clear No. 1 in 2013, despite newly redesigned trucks from Chevrolet and Ram. Ford's F-150 sales are up almost 20 percent for the year, thanks to a rebound in the housing industry.
Sales of full-size pickups, buoyed by a steady housing market, the Midwest energy boom, and lower gasoline prices, are up about 20 percent this year, with all three U.S. automakers racing to keep up with demand. The trend has been especially good for Chrysler Group, where sales of its redesigned Ram pickup, up 22.5 percent, have outpaced growth in the segment. Ram sales through October totaled 292,633 and its share of the full-size pickup truck market has grown from 14.5 percent in 2010 to 16.3 percent year to date.
General Motors and Ford Motor have nothing to complain about, though. Both companies have seen 20 percent sales growth in pickups this year. GM’s Chevrolet division began rolling out a redesigned version of its Silverado pickup in June, and has done a good job managing the transition from the outgoing model to the new one without resorting to heavy discounts. Silverado sales are up 19.7 percent for the year, to 403,435.
Meanwhile, Ford, which will unveil a new F-series design in 2014, is successfully defending its hold on the title of best-selling nameplate in America by emphasizing a more fuel-efficient engine and added technology. Ford has sold 623,309 F-series pickups so far this year, up 19.8 percent from a year ago.
Heavy demand means higher prices, too. Average transaction prices for all full-size trucks in October jumped more than 5 percentage points from a year ago, to $39,189, according to Kelley Blue Book. Ford has the highest prices in the segment, though, averaging more than $40,000, because it sells more high-end luxury trucks than the others.
It’s not just pickups that are selling well, though. Crossover utilities like the Honda CR-V and Ford Escape are also hot, offering car buyers both flexibility and good fuel economy. CR-V has long been the best-seller in the segment, but the Escape, which was redesigned last year, is catching up fast. Through October, it trailed CR-V by only 1,100 units, with sales of 250,543.
The Camry looks like it will once again finish the year as the best-selling passenger car in America. Here are the top 10:
The long-running sales champ in the U.S. is still the clear No. 1 in 2013, despite newly redesigned trucks from Chevrolet and Ram. Ford's F-150 sales are up almost 20 percent for the year, thanks to a rebound in the housing industry.
2. 2014 Chevrolet Silverado LTZ
Chevrolet's long-overdue redesign of its Silverado was well-timed to coincide with a rebound in housing, which fuels pickup trucksales. Sales are up 19.7 percent through October.
3. 2014 Toyota Camry
Toyota's mid-sized flagship is still the best-selling passenger car in America.
5. 2014 Ram 1500
Ram sales are up 22.5 percent thanks to bold new styling, advanced technology and improved gas mileage. Sales are growing even faster than the red-hot market for pickups.
6. 2014 Honda Civic
America's best-selling small car got pushed down the list by stronger-selling pickups, but Civic sales are still up 10.3% for the year.
7. 2014 Nissan Altima
(#7? WTF!?!?)
The mid-sized car segment is one of the industry's most competitive, but Nissan's competent Altima is always near the top of the heap.
8. 2014 Toyota Corolla
Toyota's trusty compact got a makeover for the 2014 model year as Toyota vowed to make its cars more emotional. Corolla/Matrix sales are up 5.6% for the year.
9. 2014 Honda CR-V
Honda's CRV is the leader in the hot market for compact crossover utilities, but it's fighting off strong contenders, including the redesigned Ford Escape.
10. 2014 Ford Escape
Ford's curvy redesign of the Escape crossover is a hit with consumers, with sales up 14 percent so far this year. It's closing in on the segment leader, Honda CR-V. It'll be a dogfight to the end.
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