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The five best-selling vehicles in America so far this year are all pickups and crossovers. I see nothing wrong with that. In fact, I think regular cars are a little ridiculous. Not only are cars more dangerous to be in than SUVs/crossovers, it's better for your orthopedic health to get in and out of a vehicle that doesn't require ducking and crouching just to get in or out.
Best selling vehicles in the US so far this year (2017):
1. Ford F-Series
2. Chevrolet Silverado
3. Ram P/U
4. Toyota RAV4
5. Nissan Rogue
The top 3 pick-ups there are likely due to a HUGE amount of fleet sales to construction companies, contractors, city/state governments, police departments, utility companies, national parks/forests, oil companies, etc. etc. No middle to upper middle class family man (or woman for that matter) goes out and buys that many pickups on a yearly basis. Unfortunately there appears to be no publically available data separating "real" sales vs fleet sales of those pickups so we'll never know.
My main theory as to why crossovers and small SUVs are ultra popular these days:
Honda CR-V cargo room: 39.2 cu ft
Honda CR-V MPG: 27-30
Base MSRP: $24,000
Honda Accord cargo room: 15.8 cu ft
Honda Accord MPG: 34-36
Base MSRP: $22,000
Looking at those numbers...I assume Toyota/Nissan/Ford/etc. have similar situations. So it's not too hard to see why families would choose a smaller suv/crossover when the price is similar and you get MUCH more cargo room and higher ride height with not a huge sacrafice in MPG
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ginmqi
The top 3 pick-ups there are likely due to a HUGE amount of fleet sales to construction companies, contractors, city/state governments, police departments, utility companies, national parks/forests, oil companies, etc. etc. No middle to upper middle class family man (or woman for that matter) goes out and buys that many pickups on a yearly basis. Unfortunately there appears to be no publically available data separating "real" sales vs fleet sales of those pickups so we'll never know.
My main theory as to why crossovers and small SUVs are ultra popular these days:
Honda CR-V cargo room: 39.2 cu ft
Honda CR-V MPG: 27-30
Base MSRP: $24,000
Honda Accord cargo room: 15.8 cu ft
Honda Accord MPG: 34-36
Base MSRP: $22,000
Looking at those numbers...I assume Toyota/Nissan/Ford/etc. have similar situations. So it's not too hard to see why families would choose a smaller suv/crossover when the price is similar and you get MUCH more cargo room and higher ride height with not a huge sacrafice in MPG
No, not on a yearly basis, but in our city where the median family income is over $160k, go to the supermarket and you will see many pickups in the parking lot, being used as a family car. My youngest age 30 just bought one, and he has no need to haul, he just likes pickups and wanted one.
OUR company signed a contract to buy 30 Canyons this year. By signing for a minimum number you get better terms. I think we are already over that number.
Pick ups and MPVs (Multi Passenger vehicles) will remain in demand for people who have use for a pick up and/or people with families. You are not going to put four kids and a dog in a Honda, and if you need to use two or three vehicles to get to your destination, your MPG is worse than f you had a suburban. So yes there will always be demand for them. The little CUVs the only purpose for them I can see is older people who have trouble folding themselves into a modern sedan buy them because they are easier to get in an out of. Otherwise, I do not see their purpose. Most of them actually have less usable storage space than a sedan with a trunk. Some of them are more comfortable though, especially with the downsizing of sedans.
Location: San Ramon, Seattle, Anchorage, Reykjavik
2,254 posts, read 2,734,097 times
Reputation: 3203
Quote:
Originally Posted by oldtrader
Not in our part of the country. Here we drive 4/4 pickups and middle size and up SUVs. We drive vehicles that will get us to our destination, not a little sardine can that gets stuck in the snow and hates ice.
That's what a lot of people said before the last gas spike. I can remember seeing a ton of people with pickup trucks trading in for small sedans. When it costs $100 a week to fuel your truck and you take home $500 after taxes your mindset changes quickly.
No, not on a yearly basis, but in our city where the median family income is over $160k, go to the supermarket and you will see many pickups in the parking lot, being used as a family car. My youngest age 30 just bought one, and he has no need to haul, he just likes pickups and wanted one.
Good point and no doubt I think MANY are buying pickups.
The only unknown is that we do not know for sure how many are consumer sales and how many are fleet/commercial sales.
We can surmise based on anecdotal data (ie your local grocery store parking lot) but without actual data it's hard to say one way or another. Common sense to me would say that fleet sales drive a LOT of those total sales numbers.
I think fleet sales are going to be corporate secrets and not known to the public easily.
Also many buy pickups lightly used as well to save money. Because there are trucks that can easily be optioned to top 50k....which is in luxury car territory.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coldjensens
OUR company signed a contract to buy 30 Canyons this year. By signing for a minimum number you get better terms. I think we are already over that number.
Pick ups and MPVs (Multi Passenger vehicles) will remain in demand for people who have use for a pick up and/or people with families. You are not going to put four kids and a dog in a Honda, and if you need to use two or three vehicles to get to your destination, your MPG is worse than f you had a suburban. So yes there will always be demand for them. The little CUVs the only purpose for them I can see is older people who have trouble folding themselves into a modern sedan buy them because they are easier to get in an out of. Otherwise, I do not see their purpose. Most of them actually have less usable storage space than a sedan with a trunk. Some of them are more comfortable though, especially with the downsizing of sedans.
Agreed.
Smaller SUVs like Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 do have larger cargo space than sedans as I posted already and their MPG is not that far off and with the higher ride height it's an easy choice for many.
Smaller SUVs like Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 do have larger cargo space than sedans as I posted already and their MPG is not that far off and with the higher ride height it's an easy choice for many.
They have larger number of inches for cargo space, but not necessarily useful/usable cargo space. The shape and configuration can be critical. Obviously it varies with the models involved, but try renting a sedan and put your suitcases in the trunk, then try renting CUVs and cramming the same suitcases into the tiny cargo space without putting down the back seats. Or you can try the same with bales of hay, or whatever. The number of inches of cargo space on a piece of paper is often meaningless in the real world - just like leg room inches.
CR-V and Toyota RAV 4 may have more cargo space than some sedans but not more than all sedans. There are some sedans where the whole cuv would likely fit in the trunk (an older Lincoln Towncar comes to mind, but there ae other newer examples). There are other sedans where the trunk it a joke and completely eaten up by the trunk lid hinges. I cannot remember what it was but I once rented a sedan where I could not even fit my vacation hat in the trunk without crushing it.
I don't see pickups going anywhere...
They're versatile can do anything vehicles.
Crew cabs you get the room to fit full grown adults in the back comfortably
Can tow.
Utilize the bed even a short box you can fit a toy like a quad or dirtbike in...
With rear dvd players, you can take one vehicle on a camping trip, kids can watch cartoons on the ride to the site while towing the camper.
Plus full frame rear wheel drive platform...
Get the same amenities as a luxury car. Heated air conditioned seats, sunroof premium stereo systems dimming rear view mirrors heated steering wheels remote start navigation rear view camera all of the goodies, and still have a bed to haul stuff.
With the electronic high amperage powersteering, you lose the ability to plow your driveway, but 3/4 ton trucks you can still plow, tow, haul an impressive weight.
Especially when coupled with a diesel. But a luxury 3/4 ton is going to start at 50/60k and go as much as 95k in the case of the F450/550 Dually crew cab on 19.5 Alcoas whether king ranch or platinum... and yes, people do buy them...
Fuel prices have no bearing on what we drive. Our family needs a large truck and SUV. When gas was $3+ per gallon we still drove the same vehicles. No matter how hard we were to try, we just can't tow a RZR or a 34' 5th wheel camper with a Honda civic. We also can't get all of our gear into it for vacation.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,553 posts, read 81,067,970 times
Reputation: 57723
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stonepa
That's what a lot of people said before the last gas spike. I can remember seeing a ton of people with pickup trucks trading in for small sedans. When it costs $100 a week to fuel your truck and you take home $500 after taxes your mindset changes quickly.
How does someone taking home $500 after taxes afford a car payment, never mind the gas?
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