2023 Ford Tremendous Obligation F-350 Restricted
Ford
DETROIT – America maintained its love affair with pickup vehicles in 2023 — however a top-selling car from Toyota Motor almost ruined their tailgate social gathering.
Gross sales of the Toyota RAV4 compact crossover got here inside 10,000 models of Stellantis‘ Ram pickup truck final yr, a near-No. 3 rating that will have marked the primary time since 2014 {that a} non-pickup claimed one of many prime three U.S. gross sales podium positions.
The RAV4 has quickly closed the hole: In 2020, the car undersold the Ram truck by greater than 133,000 models. Final yr, it lagged by simply 9,983. Stellantis bought 444,926 Ram pickups final yr, a 5% decline from 2022.
“Trucks are always at the top because they’re bought by not only individuals, but also fleet buyers and we saw heavy fleet buying last year,” stated Michelle Krebs, an govt analyst at Cox Automotive. “The RAV4 shows that people want affordable, smaller SUVs, and the fact that there’s also a hybrid version of that makes it popular with people.”
At 750,789 models bought, Ford Motor’s F-Collection pickups, which embody the F-150 and its bigger siblings, led the trade for the 42nd consecutive yr. They have been adopted by Normal Motors’ Chevrolet Silverado pickup with gross sales of 543,780 models.
Rounding out the highest 5 have been the RAV4 at 434,943 models bought and the Tesla Mannequin Y at 394,497, in accordance with knowledge and gross sales estimates from Motor Intelligence. (Tesla doesn’t disclose regional gross sales by car.) The Mannequin Y moved up one place within the rankings in contrast with 2022.
Toyota RAV4
The success of the RAV4 is notable. It aligns with Toyota’s rising lead as America’s second bestselling automaker, behind GM however outselling Ford annually since 2020.
Toyota first overtook Ford through the coronavirus pandemic and has continued to extend its gross sales lead since, outpacing the Detroit automaker by greater than 250,000 models in 2023.
The Japanese automaker additionally notably bested GM to change into the nation’s top-selling automaker for the primary time ever in 2021 amid main manufacturing and provide chain disruptions brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. GM has since reclaimed its crown and outsold Toyota by tons of of 1000’s of automobiles in 2022 and 2023.
Ivan Drury, director of insights at Edmunds, stated the RAV4 in addition to the Honda CR-V, which ranked sixth final yr in gross sales, provide one thing fully completely different than American pickups: Small, economical automobiles that match many American’s life and budgets amid excessive rates of interest and financial uncertainty.
“It’s all these other problems that we’ve experienced throughout the last year that kind of force people into practical purchases,” he stated. “I think these vehicles speak to the most practical purchase you can buy.”
Total gross sales
New car gross sales have been stronger and extra constant than anticipated all through 2023, notching the trade’s finest yr of gross sales since 2019.
Motor Intelligence reviews automakers bought 15.6 million automobiles within the U.S. in 2023, a 12.3% enhance from 2022. That compares with greater than 17 million automobiles bought in 2019 earlier than the coronavirus pandemic upending the worldwide auto market.
December gross sales, which have been reported this week, have been surprisingly robust, as automakers upped incentive spending to maneuver merchandise.
Auto gross sales to finish the yr elevated 13% in contrast with December 2022, greater than double some analyst forecasts.
Automotive analysts and forecasters anticipate gross sales this yr to be between roughly 15.6 million and 16.1 million automobiles. GM stated Wednesday it expects the trade to hit 16 million models bought in 2024.
Listed here are the ten bestselling automobiles within the U.S. by unit gross sales for 2023, in accordance with Motor Intelligence.
1. Ford F-Collection: 750,789 models – up 14.8% from 2022
2024 Ford F-150 Raptor
Ford
2. Chevrolet Silverado: 543,780 – up 5.9%
2024 Chevrolet Silverado HD ZR2
GM
3. Ram pickup: 444,926 – down 5%
A RAM car is displayed on the New York Auto Present, April 13, 2022.
Scott Mlyn | CNBC
4. Toyota RAV4: 434,943 – up 8.8%
5. Tesla Mannequin Y: 394,497 – up 56.5%
Tesla Mannequin Y
Courtesy: Tesla
6. Honda CR-V: 361,457 – up 51.8%
7. GMC Sierra: 295,737 – up 22.4%
2022 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Final
GM
8. Toyota Camry: 290,649 – down 1.5%
9. Nissan Rogue: 271,458 – up 45.6%
10. Jeep Grand Cherokee: 244,594 – up 9.5%
Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk PHEV Idea
Jeep