7 times 17 million
| 2019 was the U.S. auto industry’s 7th-strongest year on record. | |
| 2016 | 17,553,429 |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 17,482,841 |
| 2000 | 17,402,486 |
| 2018 | 17,318,961 |
Keep on truckin’
| U.S. light-truck sales set a record for a 5th consecutive year. | ||
| Light trucks | % of mkt. | |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 12,317,310 | 72% |
| 2018 | 11,976,738 | 69% |
| 2017 | 11,115,865 | 64% |
| 2016 | 10,657,658 | 61% |
| 2015 | 9,916,173 | 57% |
Market-share movers
| 5 brands saw their market share change by more than a quarter point in 2019. | ||
| 2019 Share | Change | |
|---|---|---|
| Ram | 4.10% | 0.7 |
| Tesla | 1.30% | 0.3 |
| Chevrolet | 11.50% | –0.3 |
| Ford | 13.40% | –0.3 |
| Nissan | 7.20% | –0.6 |
Big sales of big pickups
| Ram beat the Silverado for the first time, and full-size pickup sales rose to a record. | ||
| 2019 Sales | Change | |
|---|---|---|
| Ford F series | 896,526 | –1.4% |
| Ram pickup | 633,694 | 18% |
| Chevrolet Silverado | 575,600 | –1.7% |
| GMC Sierra | 232,323 | 5.80% |
| Toyota Tundra | 111,673 | –5.6% |
| Nissan Titan | 31,514 | –38% |
| Total full-size pickups | 2,481,330 | 2.50% |
Colorado vs. Ranger
| The Ranger, in its first year back on the market in the U.S., outsold the Colorado in the 4th quarter, foreshadowing what could be an intriguing battle in 2020. | ||
| Full year | Q4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Colorado | 122,304 | 25,484 |
| Ford Ranger | 89,571 | 33,059 |
Challenger to the Mustang
| The Mustang was tops in a 3-pony race for a 5th consecutive year. For the 2nd straight year, it was Dodge, not Chevy, trailing closest behind. | ||
| 2019 Sales | Change | |
|---|---|---|
| Ford Mustang | 72,489 | –4.4% |
| Dodge Challenger | 60,997 | –8.6% |
| Chevrolet Camaro | 48,265 | –5.3% |
Tesla dominates EVs
| The Model 3 was far and away the top-selling electric vehicle, though it gained new competition in 2019 and will face even more in 2020. | ||
| 2019 Sales | Change | |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model 3 | 180,000* | 53% |
| Tesla Model X | 22,800* | 5.60% |
| Tesla Model S | 20,400* | –23% |
| Chevrolet Bolt | 16,418 | –8.9% |
| Nissan Leaf | 12,365 | –16% |
| *Estimate | ||
Car collapse continues
| Compact crossovers outsold the combined total of compact and midsize cars — the industry’s two biggest segments as recently as 2015. | ||
| 2019 Total | 2015 Total | |
|---|---|---|
| Compact crossovers | 2,828,444 | 2,422,168 |
| Compact/midsize cars | 2,813,312 | 4,636,503 |
Car-heavy brands
| Only 3 of the 30 largest brands in the U.S. sold more cars than light trucks. | ||
| Cars | Light trucks | |
|---|---|---|
| Kia | 331,107 | 294,231 |
| Tesla | 200,400* | 22,800* |
| Mini | 22,123 | 13,969 |
| *Estimate | ||
BMW beats Benz
| BMW wrestled the luxury crown away from Mercedes-Benz for the first time since 2015. | ||
| 2019 Sales | 2018 Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| BMW | 324,826 | 2nd |
| Mercedes-Benz* | 316,094 | 1st |
| Lexus | 298,114 | 3rd |
| *Excludes Sprinter, Metris | ||
5-figure gains
| Amid a 1.2 percent decline in total light-vehicle sales, 7 brands posted increases of more than 10,000 units. | ||
| Volume increase | % change | |
|---|---|---|
| Ram | 105,655 | 18% |
| Tesla | 57,200* | 34% |
| Kia | 25,665 | 4.40% |
| Hyundai | 21,138 | 3.20% |
| Subaru | 19,982 | 2.90% |
| BMW | 13,812 | 4.40% |
| Genesis | 10,922 | 106% |
| *Estimate | ||
On the upswing
| Volvo is the only brand that reports monthly sales to post a gain every month in 2019. Seven other brands have shorter active streaks of year-over-year increases. | |
| Consecutive months | |
|---|---|
| Volvo | 12 |
| BMW, Genesis | 11 |
| Porsche | 8 |
| Audi, Kia, Mazda | 3 |
| Mitsubishi | 2 |
| Source: Automotive News Data Center | |
