Despite Sharp Midsize Truck Decline, U.S. Pickup Truck Sales Rose 4 Percent in August 2017

Timothy Cain
by Timothy Cain

Noteworthy year-over-year sales declines were reported in August 2017 by the three lowest-volume members of America’s five-strong midsize pickup truck category. As a result, U.S. sales of midsize pickups tumbled 8 percent last month, driving their share of the overall pickup truck category down from 18 percent in August 2016 to 16 percent in August 2017.

The Honda Ridgeline, America’s lowest-volume pickup truck in each of the last two months, reported a 24-percent drop to 2,610 units. For the 2018 model year, Honda will make the all-wheel-drive Ridgeline distinctly less affordable. The GMC Canyon, which persistently and predictably generates far less showroom traffic than its Chevrolet Colorado twin, tumbled by a fifth to 2,698 sales. And the Nissan Frontier, which last year reported its best calendar year results in 15 years, continued its 2017 tumble with a 51-percent plunge to only 4,637 units, its lowest-volume month since January.

But those are low-volume midsize trucks, scarcely relevant in the overall pickup truck scheme. Total pickup truck volume rose 4 percent in August because full-size trucks jumped 6 percent, thanks mainly to the best-selling vehicle line in America: Ford’s F-Series.

The F-Series share of America’s full-size truck market, already climbing in the earlier part of 2017, soared to 38.5 percent in August 2017 — up from 35.6 percent a year ago and 38.1 percent during the first seven months of 2017.

Year-to-date, F-Series volume is up 9 percent. As much as Ford is pleased with the overall lineup’s volume improvement, the automaker is also touting the number of high-end variants consumers are selecting.

In August, the average transaction price for F-Series Super Duty trucks rose $5,500, year-over-year, to $55,000 as more than half of all Super Duty customers chose Lariat, King Ranch, or Platinum trims. Ford says that’s $7,000 higher than the average transaction price in America’s luxury vehicle category. Super Dutys typically account for around one-third of F-Series sales. Ford says the average transaction price across the F-Series lineup rose 8 percent to $45,600 last month.

In boosting total full-size truck sales, Ford finally received some help from the segment No.2, Chevrolet’s Silverado. Silverado sales were down 6 percent through 2017’s first seven months but rose 4 percent to nearly 55,000 units in August. That was the best month for the Silverado since December 2015.

A 5-percent Toyota Tundra improvement and a 182-percent Nissan Titan leap (equal to 2,273 additional sales) pushed the full-size truck category forward despite modest declines from the Ram P/U and GMC Sierra.

RankPickup TruckAug. 2017Aug. 2016% Change2017 YTD2016 YTD% Change F-Series77,00766,94615.0%576,334527,8479.2% Silverado54,44852,4083.9%363,354380,176-4.4% P/U37,60840,265-6.6%327,759313,2944.6% Tacoma17,39415,37313.1%129,362126,9881.9% Sierra17,25417,478-1.3%136,370146,372-6.8% Tundra10,3209,8754.5%74,51875,315-1.1% Colorado10,2569,24211.0%71,76369,6643.0% Frontier4,6379,537-51.4%50,09761,792-18.9% Titan3,5211,248182%31,7768,490274% Canyon2,6983,363-19.8%20,34724,257-16.1% Ridgeline2,6103,437-24.1%23,7929,429152%Small/Midsize37,59540,952-8.2%295,361292,1301.1%Full-Size200,158188,2206.3%1,510,1111,451,4944.0%Total237,753229,1723.7%1,805,4721,743,6243.5%

Ford certainly welcomed the F-Series’ significant August uptick. Excluding pickup trucks, August 2017 sales at the Blue Oval slid 10 percent. F-Series included, Ford was down just 2 percent.

At General Motors, the Silverado/Colorado surge was part of an 11-percent improvement at Chevrolet. With booming Acadia and Terrain sales, GMC was up 12 percent despite the Sierra/Canyon letdown. Cadillac and Buick, the latter in particular, both reported harsh declines.

Ram’s 7-percent pickup slide was part of a general decline at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles where Jeep tumbled 15 percent, Chrysler was down by a third, Dodge slipped just 2 percent, and Fiat was down 23 percent. Total FCA sales, Alfa Romeo included, were down 11 percent.

[Images: Nissan, © The Truth About Cars]

Timothy Cain is a contributing analyst at The Truth About Cars and Autofocus.ca and the founder and former editor of GoodCarBadCar.net. Follow on Twitter @timcaincars.

Timothy Cain
Timothy Cain

More by Timothy Cain

Comments
Join the conversation
4 of 13 comments
  • JohnTaurus JohnTaurus on Sep 03, 2017

    Well, all that professional commentary about midsize trucks being superior to full-size, how once we got some fresh players that midsize trucks would start to dominate, and how *every* truck out there is better than F-Series, sure has panned out well. Proof is in the pudding. How do you say that in Australianese? Oh, I know, its Efff Won Fidy. Its a g'day to be a Ford man.

    • See 1 previous
    • Art Vandelay Art Vandelay on Sep 05, 2017

      @el scotto You forgot the Chicken Tax

  • Art Vandelay Art Vandelay on Sep 03, 2017

    And the Aussies wept.

  • AZFelix Hilux technical, preferably with a swivel mount.
  • ToolGuy This is the kind of thing you get when you give people faster internet.
  • ToolGuy North America is already the greatest country on the planet, and I have learned to be careful about what I wish for in terms of making changes. I mean, if Greenland wants to buy JDM vehicles, isn't that for the Danes to decide?
  • ToolGuy Once again my home did not catch on fire and my fire extinguisher(s) stayed in the closet, unused. I guess I threw my money away on fire extinguishers.(And by fire extinguishers I mean nuclear missiles.)
  • Carson D The UAW has succeeded in organizing a US VW plant before. There's a reason they don't teach history in the schools any longer. People wouldn't make the same mistakes.
Next