The landscape of American pickup truck sales has long been predictable, with Ford consistently at the top, followed by Chevrolet and a distant Ram. This trend has persisted due to Ford’s strong popularity in the U.S., which significantly overshadows Chevrolet’s appeal among working-class consumers. However, a recent development has altered this hierarchy: in the first quarter of 2019, Ram surpassed Chevrolet’s sales figures, earning the position of second in the full-size truck market.
Ram achieved this milestone by selling approximately 120,026 trucks through March, marking a 15 percent increase from the previous year. This surge in sales was bolstered by Chevrolet’s challenges, as its 2019 Silverado 1500 failed to meet expectations. Chevrolet sold a total of 114,313 pickups in the first quarter, reflecting a nearly 16 percent decline compared to Q1 2018.
It’s worth noting that if one combines Silverado sales with those of its GMC Sierra counterpart, the two brands together outsold Ram, with 154,859 units compared to 120,026. However, when considering individual model sales, Ram remains in the lead.
Neither Ram nor General Motors could come close to matching Ford’s impressive numbers, as the Detroit giant sold a total of 214,611 F-Series pickups.
Ram’s recent success can largely be credited to the 2019 Ram 1500, a model that is gaining popularity for its enhanced capabilities compared to the previous 2018 version, which is still available under the “Ram 1500 Classic” name. The particular model tested by The Drive’s Jerry Perez featured a premium Laramie Longhorn trim but was found to deliver significant improvements in refinement and convenience. This favorable reception seems to resonate with consumers, leading to increased interest in Ram’s diverse trim offerings.
These modest sales gains in the full-size pickup sector occur in the face of a notable industry-wide price increase, resulting in Americans paying 61 percent more for trucks than they did a decade ago. Despite this, buyers are undeterred, continuing to invest in high-end, well-equipped pickups that regularly approach the $65k-$70k price range.
.
