Ford made nationwide headlines earlier this May when sales of its Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra rival, the F-Series, increased 11.3 percent to 84,639 units (in the United States market). The results represent the nameplate’s best May sales performance since 2000 and also mark 13 consecutive months of year-over-year sales gains. The good news for GM’s cross-town rival don’t end there, as the F-Series lineup managed to grow Average Transaction Prices (ATPs) by $1,400, meaning that the record sales didn’t come by means of profit-sapping incentives, otherwise known as giving the trucks away.
On the other end of the truck spectrum, FCA’s Ram Pickup managed to grow sales nearly 5 percent to 46,781 units in May, as the automaker launched the all-new 2019 Ram 1500.
Sales Numbers - Full-Size Mainstream Pickup Trucks - May 2018 - USA
| MODEL | MAY 18 / MAY 17 | MAY 18 | MAY 17 | YTD 18 / YTD 17 | YTD 18 | YTD 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F-SERIES | +11.33% | 84,639 | 76,027 | +5.67% | 371,934 | 351,965 |
| RAM PICKUP | +4.31% | 46,781 | 44,850 | -8.38% | 189,997 | 207,370 |
| SILVERADO | +18.35% | 51,843 | 43,804 | -100.00% | 0 | 212,425 |
| SIERRA | +22.23% | 19,802 | 16,200 | -100.00% | 0 | 83,410 |
| TUNDRA | -5.76% | 10,062 | 10,677 | +4.63% | 45,837 | 43,809 |
| TITAN | -23.46% | 3,779 | 4,937 | -5.39% | 19,173 | 20,265 |
| TOTAL | +10.39% | 216,906 | 196,495 | -31.80% | 626,941 | 919,244 |
General Motors, meanwhile, has elected to be quiet about the sales of its Silverado and Sierra due to a decision to exclusively report sales results on a quarterly basis. GM is the only automaker in the world to make such a decision. We should, however, see how Silverado and Sierra sales fared in the past three months in July, when GM reports Q2 sales figures.
Going forward, Ford’s bread-and-butter truck line will face stiff competition from GM’s 2019 Silverado 1500 and 2019 Sierra 1500, as well as the 2019 Ram 1500, all of which are new for the 2019 model year.
Stay tuned to GM Authority next Tuesday, when GM is expected to report its Q2 sales performance, and more GM news coverage.
About The Numbers
- All percent change figures compared to Ford F-Series May 2017 sales
- There were 26 selling days in May 2018 and 25 selling days in May 2017
- Sales resources:
- Running Chevrolet Silverado sales numbers
- Running GMC Sierra sales numbers
- Running F-Series sales numbers (including F-150)
- Running Ram Pickup sales numbers
Comments
I can tell you I thought the gmt800’s were excessively prone to rust and had very cheap plastics for interior construction. It really hurt Chevy’s image after a decade of the Like A Rock gmt400’s. However, it’s the gmt900’s that are really hurting Chevy right now. I get GM was bankrupt and cutting costs like no other but these trucks are just falling apart around here. Very poor construction. The beds are so rotted out they make the 800’s look like the solid built tanks that were the 400’s. You’re lucky to find an 07-13 model that isn’t a rust bucket already in the north. Interiors are just dimestore cheap and haven’t held up at all. My point is, people see these trucks that are only a few years old and falling apart and get scared off of buying a new Chevy. Sure their powertrain is excellent but what good is that if the truck is falling apart around it?? I’ve seen it time and time again, once proud Chevy guys going to Ford or Dodge (ram) instead. Add in the current lack of features on the 14-18’s compared to Ford and Ram, Chevrolet simply doesn’t look as good. Sure GMC has more stuff but that doesn’t help Chevy one bit. If anything it makes Chevy even more unappealing.
Funny because I live in right in the heart of the rust belt and I see clean GMT900’s all the time. Chevy trucks outnumber Fords 2 to 1 here and its not very often that I see a rotted out GMT900. Usually the ones with rust were owned by guys running aggressive AT tires and had no mud flaps, no wheel well liners, and never washed the salt off their truck all winter long. And when the owner does that any truck will rust. I’ve seen a few 09-15 F-150’s with cab corner rust and rust bubbling up under the e-coating on the frame. Ram trucks have rusted as bad as GM trucks as long as I can remember.
GM hurts themselves because they make it impossible to customize their trucks to make the perfect configuration. 6.2 V8? Only if you chose an LTZ. 8-speed? Only if you chose an LTZ. Axle ratios? You get one or two choices. Z71 package? Stuckers, interior trim pieces, and Rancho shocks. No change in ride height, very few changes t9 the suspension.
And now the configurability is even more restricted for 2019.. Want an LT Trailboss? You must chose the 5.3, 8-speed, and 3.23 axle ratio. They won’t allow you to chose the 3.42 gears. They also appear to have walked back their earlier promise that the Trailboss would have 33″ tires available. Not one tire in the order guide is larger than 32″. Want an LT Z71 with 3.42’s? Can’t do it. The only way to get 3.42’s is to order the max trailering package, which deletes the 2-speed transfer case and replaces it with a 1-speed transfer case. And like the K2 trucks, if you want the 10-speed, you must chose an LTZ. If you want the 6.2, you must chose an LTZ or higher. And like before, you can only chose 3.23’s or 3.42’s. Not to mention the interior is painfully similar to the K2 interior. They should have just carried over the interior from the current Suburban/Yukon. It’s a much better looking interior than the 2019 design.
Apart from that, I like the truck, it’s just that it’s almost impossible to configure a GM truck the way 95% of the market would want it.
I own a 1500 sierra for my comfort truck and Ford F550 powerstroke for my work truck. I wish they would make a HD5000 with the 3500 nose and cab because I would buy one. The 99-16 F- 250 -550 are rust buckets also. The beds rot worse than the GM’s. Ford build heavy duty trucks but they ride like a tank. Fords are also LEAKERS. The Duramax will run circles around the powerstroke when it come to motor issues. The F150 frames are rotting out also because they are boxed which will probably happen to the gm’s now that they are boxed.
Well here in the rust belt the Chevy trucks rust is no different than any Ford and is much better than Toyota and Ram.
Note too the resaleis often higher and even higher on th3 GMC models.
As for the 400 they had rust issues to the point the extended cab doors were rotting off and they were welded on. The door seams all rotted out with the bed wheel wells.
As for the interiors they were heavy on the famed GM cheap plastic of the era.
Even then GM was my first choice as it is now. No drama just decent trucks then as is now. Never been let down.
scott3, I know there are a lot of people like you and I out there that are just GM guys but. I can tell you I MUCH preferred my 2007 Classic HD Duramax over my new 2017 Denali HD Duramax. I am in South Dakota and Matt is correct about the rust and cheap interiors. The HVAC system in my old 07 Classic cooled the interior faster and quieter, with the rear vents it was so so much better. I just keep it at 65 on the dial for at least the first hour of driving then adjust. The only thing is this 17 Denali pulls and handles like a tank. GM and Cadillac have been and continue to keep promising us the moon I cant wait until they deliver. I have personally witnessed hundreds of people who switched to Ford and Dodge (RAM) and Toyota, including family. First transmissions in the 70-80’s, then rust, then diesel motors, then interiors. Growing up around here it was all GM, a very few Ford and even less Dodge. Now MOST farm trucks are RAM a few FORD even less GM. Around town most F150 a few GM, even less RAM. There are getting to be a few more GMC in the construction around here but I think most are F-250. But that F-150 is just the everyday CAR of choice. Just like my trouble with the Cadillac of today. Most of the GM truck, Cadillac car people here of the past in our area. Now are F-150 and Audi or Mercedes car people PERIOD. SAD.
No I am not just a GM guy. I am a guy who is in the performance aftermarket and also one who actually works on all these trucks.
They all have good and bad things and could give you a laundry list of all of the good and bad.
Much of many post are just opinion or often things beyond any mfg control. Such as AC as none of them are as good ad the old systems but due to regulations they all suck now compared to the old days.
Body’s they are thin and expensive to repair today but they have to lose weight.
I have seen people defect but most are disappointed that the Toyota had rust in a year and the ram had more recalls and issues 5han their last 3 trucks. They then find that sure they got a good deal at $32k but then find the trade is not as much as a Chevy Colorado of the same year.
Ford sells a to. Of trucks due to fleet sales. Ram due to massive rebates often to $19k on half tons.
Now I have not and will not say GM has their issues too. They do. But most of the complaints like rust are off base as they are as good or better than any of the others.
So you are entitled to your opinion but that still does not make it fact.
Ram has grown due to amen attractive package and very aggressive pricing.
The most loyal repeat buyers are Toyota at 75% next is Chevy at 70% Ram at 68% and I would list Ford not they were not listed. Note too factor in volume GM retains more per truck sold than all others.
Not my opinion
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimgorzelany/2016/10/18/the-most-loyal-pickup-buyers-dont-come-from-the-big-three/
Yes GM could stand to fix some things but others they are far from as bad as some would like you to think.
As for Cadillac they were on the right path and it takes time money and scheduling to revamp an entire company from the mess they were. Now JDN is gone how well it turns out will be due to how much the board gets involved. The rotation of division leads leads to little vision for the future or strength not to let the board down grade things. Mark will have a fight on his hands and the question will be is he willing to push things enough to put himself at odds with the board and risk his job or will he cave.
Even with the right product it will take years to earn their reputation back, images are earned not designed.
Yeah my two brothers and I have been working on vehicles for over 38 years, we also could do the laundry list thing. The other two still own and run a shop. This has nothing to do with my personal experiences. Opinions are not fact they are opinions. Like I think more people are loyal to Toyota do to there service and customer relations, but it is fact when my cousin tells me he bought another Toyota Tundra because of the great service and customer relation, also an Audi A7. His dad, my uncle, is on his 5th Dodge (RAM) and Mercedes. My grandpa his dad ALL GM. Now I will agree with you on the rust thing all have troubles. However when I say things like my other uncle had 4 – 350 transmissions in the 70s, and when I bought a 82 Silverado it had 2 700r4 transmissions put in it by the dealer with less than 30,000 miles. Then I put another 3 in it until 86 GM finally fixed it. All facts. I could go on and on as I expect you could. And I do think with the SB Chevy has done wonders for the aftermarket performance industry.
The only reason I started reading and writing on GM pages is do to the last 3 GM vehicles I bought, own, and drive. 1ST 2014 ATS 2.0T, recalls like your (RAM) comment, crash response system, cant figure out what gear to be in, leaky rear differential, CUE screen delaminated, 2ND 2015 Canyon All Terrain, recalls like your (RAM), seats not installed properly, HVAC linkage cracks, steering gear, and I thought our ATS didn’t know how to shift, this Canyon is terrible. 3RD 2017 Denali HD Duramax, recalls like your (RAM), rattle in the headliner, wrong seatbelts, rear wheel bearing could come loose, faulty fuel cap, reprogram for emissions, and no rear air, like our 2007 Classic HD. And to top that off, a service manager lied to us about a repair, I called GM and they sided with the dealer, finally I wrote the owner of the dealership and he had the CFO reimburse us and make it wright.
Now some write opinion that is true. This is FACT and not some survey or JD powers crap, this happened to us. I have owned 5 Cadillacs and in my opinion this ATS is the worst I have owned. I wont go that far on the two trucks but the Canyon shift thing is so bad I finally got a tune to fix it, and will probably do the same for the ATS. As far as the Denali HD, it pulls and handles a trailer GREAT. So I don’t like the word complain, I prefer inform others to my personal experiences, personal experiences, on our personal vehicles. The future GM vehicles being promised look and sound great, BUT, we will wait and see. And they have to be great, because if this Audi A4 is what they have to compete with, they better step it up.
Well in my life time we have had 30 GM cars since 1960. The 78 Buick lost a cam love and the 97 had a cracked intake. Other than that it has been mostly just hoses brakes and tires. OST were bought new.
I did head gaskets on my Chevelle just to check the engine out as I was racing it. The clutch went out because who ever put the clutch in failed to put the pilot bearing in. It was not GMs fault.
Had 3 Fords. The 63 Galaxie was the best just lost an exhaust and manifold stud and gasket.
The t bird the sway bar was coming off, the seats were sagging, the door was sagging. The brake rotors were getting thickness variation every 8k miles. The head gaskets we’re going. Oh lost the mass air. All of this was on a new car and in 65k miles. The passenger door was hitting the trim and rubbed the paint off. Paint also had many runs.
Had a Cougar the converter failed catastrophically, the interior went to hell and the paint was peeling oh in sheets.
I liked the T bird but the quality was crap.
Never owned a Chrysler because of all the things I had to fix over the years. Never was impressed enough to even consider one. Many Co workers with issues too.
Toyota’s loyalty is due to the Tavo mostly. They really were crap trucks and are now dated trucks but 5hey have a loyal blind following.
My co workers was one of the bad frames that broke in half in less than 8 years.
In laws have a 300, nice car but as much trouble as their Town cars and DTS.
I am not in full denial as some and admit GM is not perfect. But then again show me one company that is.
I drove GM not because I am blind but because I can see.
“3RD 2017 Denali HD Duramax, recalls like your (RAM), rattle in the headliner, wrong seatbelts, rear wheel bearing could come loose, faulty fuel cap, reprogram for emissions, and no rear air, like our 2007 Classic HD. And to top that off, a service manager lied to us about a repair, I called GM and they sided with the dealer, finally I wrote the owner of the dealership and he had the CFO reimburse us and make it wright.”
So you had a rattle, a faulty fuel cap, some minor recall fixes (recalls are a good thing, Ford has buried defects for decades that they still deny), and a complaint about no rear air (do you drive your truck from the back seat? how did passengers survive without rear air for 50+ years?). At least your engine has had catastrophic failures like so many Powerstroke owners have had. My family has dealt with Ford engines failures that were denied warranty coverage and cost us well beyond $15k in repair costs. The Superduty my retired father owned had major engine problems and death wobble at low mileage that they claimed they “fixed” several times. You can act like GM is the one doing everything wrong, but we’ve had zero issues with our GM trucks. Something that’s sad to say as we WERE a Ford family at one time.
Blackdragon, you are not telling me anything new. I am driving GM and will continue to drive GM trucks. I am not writing complaints, just letting people know of our experiences. I don’t think GM is doing everything wrong, however I don’t think they are doing everything right. Look at Duramax. It was a huge investment for GM. Look at Cadillac. If GM doesn’t do the huge investments at some point they simply wont stay relevant. The 6.5 diesel is what drove my brother in law to ford. And yes he has had the 6.0 Powerstroke troubles. But he also had the 6.2 and 6.5 GM diesel troubles. What constitutes a change. In not sure. However he is still driving Ford Superdutys, not Duramaxes, and you guys are driving GM not Ford.
This is what I am trying to convey. You see GM did NOT fix or do anything for my brother in law on his trouble so he switched. When he had trouble with his 6.0 Ford fixed them. So if Ford did NOT do anything for you guys, you switched, if Ford would have fixed all your troubles would you have switched? It takes time and constant pressure to overcome. If GM wants no rear vents in there trucks fine, but don’t put them in, like 2007 Classic, and than take them out like 2017 Denali. What I hate more than that is GM says, well its as good, but then put them back in for the 2019. If it was as good WHY did you put them back in. So everyone has a story, and an opinion. Like our CUE screen in our ATS Cadillac, GM knows the trouble but choses not to fix ours. They however fix others. Ford fixes the Explorer gas in cabin issue, but some people still have trouble. Automobile companies should just give them a new one, or a different one. What do these people want. We are not trying to make automakers go broke. I talked to someone in GM marketing for Cadillac, I said I would buy a new XT4 if a dealer would fix our CUE screen, nope. The Cue screens are delaminating on the dealer lots. So on and on and on it goes, people wonder WHY is there no owner loyalty any more. Those stupid young people Why don’t they just sit back and continue to let us screw them and take the stock profits. I am 50 and own stocks I also want the profits. However I would rather Cadillac, and the others FIX the problems THEY designed into there product. Take care of the people who drive and have driven there products. ALL Automakers.
LOL funny around here most guys still avoid Fords like the plague after they ripped guys off with junk like the 6.0 and 6.4 Powerstroke, 5.4 Triton, and 2011-14 Ecoboosts that ate timing chains and turbos like crazy. Judging by how weak the new Ford aluminum beds are, I’m willing to bet the guys that use their trucks hard on the farm will be looking to get rid of their Ford’s. I can’t believe how many cracked and torn beds I’ve seen so far.
The AC system in the new trucks uses a more “eco-friendly” refrigerant, so I’m not surprised you prefer the old AC system.
Our family refuses to buy another Ford. We didn’t like that GM got bailed out, but we also know full well that Ford was playing games backstage, collecting extra-low interest rate “loans”. Around the time all this was going on, my dad was blowing money from his retirement to fix his 6-blow Powerstroke for the second time in 4 years. They were pulling their camper to Texas when that piece of junk blew again. Ford passed the buck when it came time to fix it the first time. I had an F-150 with the first year 3.5 Ecoboost and that thing was being repaired or running like crap more often than it ran right. I picked up a 2014 Silverado 6.2 and never looked back. Way more power, AFM was disabled, and it’s been a solid truck. My old man got rid of his 6.0 and picked up a Sierra Duramax and loves it. Ford loses as many customers as they gain, it just takes a little time owning a Ford to figure out why GM and Ram have had huge sales numbers the last 4 or 5 years.
I see lots of F150 11-16 with blown motors in the auctions and low miles too. I would not buy a f150.
Scott is so knowledgeable , but try to forecast what GMs truck sales will be for May and year to date….Ford’s year to date are over 371,000 . .Give it a go , lets hear it . GM still tries to be relevant by trendy crap , like the massive mug front end .When what it needs is Reliability and Refinement . Until it commits to this , sales will always be competing with Ram not Ford !
Here is the deal. Ford has to sell a ton of truck as they make less than about anyone per unit. They never cut production cost and even added to it with full aluminum bodies and more expensive assembly. Now the cost of aluminum it higher and has cut into their bottom line.
GM on the other hand were able to get cost inline and increase the profit per truck. This has made incentive less painful and even help reduce the cost on the 19 models.
Ford on the other hand uses a low base price but hits hard on options.
The poor job of cutting cost is a major reason the stock prices are lingering around $11 and not close to $40 like GM.
The mistake is to think Volume alone is who wins here. Volume tempered with profits is who truly wins. right now GM has a good balance on both.
Add GMC and Denali and the profits go even higher.
I always thought the reason Ford stock prices were less was do to the Ford family owning to many shares and always have controlling vote.
It’s partly because of that, but their cehicle lineup ia in the dumps and profits have been sinking. Their crossover lineup is outdated which is really hurting them. They focused a lot of energy into the Fusion and ignored the Escape, Flex, and Edge. Many of their engines are built outside of the US which makes the tariff situation a big threat. Same goes for massive amount of aluminum they now require to build trucks, a 10% tariff will hurt badly.
It is not because of the Fords family’s controlling vote but more with the desisions and the people they put in place to run the company.
HF 1 did great things but could not move forward. If not for Edsel Ford they would have rode into the 40s in a model T not a flathead.
HF II was a train wreck. He was ill tempered and under the influence.
Then the folks they brought in like a Lee. He was a master but clashed with HF II.
Bill Ford was I’ll suited to run the company and was smart enough to know it after a short time. But the folks he brought in failed to lower cost at the company.
The major spending on the Aluminum trucks lowered weight to were GM was but it took nothing into account of cost. The Ex Boeing leader was thinking planes not trucks when he made that call.
GM’s multi material approach has proven to be the right move.
Also GM has gone back to plow money into research and development. They have recently put billions into the tech center. This will help address the issues with the short comings and also help sell others on joint ventures where GM does the work but other pay the cost.
That is what makes stock jump up. Deals like the Honda joint venture saves money. Honda can not do it alone. GM could but if you can half the cost it is all the better.
Look GM is not going to hit a home run on ever time at bat. But getting on base and advancing the runners takes more time but in the end you survive and you win the game.
Drama does not win in buisness as we see over at Tesla. But investment and continued advancement of products and controls cost are the winning formula.
GM always bested Ford in total truck sales until the bailout when things got political and GM was bring tagged ‘Government Motors”.
Also, Mark Ruess opting for ‘evolutionary’ change made new models feel tired, old, boring. (Same thing happened to Camaro!)
Interiors for both Ford and Chevy look cheap. FCA does by far the best interiors–Ram’s base looks more sleek than many higher-end trims. This is why Ram will eventually surpass Chevrolet.
Maybe Chevy is also harmed by GMC? GMC isn’t luxury but makes a Chevy look sad by comparison. Ford and Ram benefit from higher end trims.
“When what it needs is Reliability and Refinement .”
It already has that. The 5.3 and 6.2 are solid engines that can go over 500k miles, as Mobil 1 already showed us last year.
Ram is the one short on reliability (like all FCA brands, they’re at the bottom of the reliability rankings year after year) and miles behind GM in sales. Other than a car-like ride and a pretty interior when equipped, their 2019 Ram has an ancient engine, disappointing fuel economy, mediocre payload ratings, and a bed that made an already too-tall bed reach in height even worse.
Ford might be selling more full-size trucks, but that’s because they’re dumping a full third of their trucks into low margin fleet sales. They’re also knocking 35% off MSRP on the 2018 F-150. Not the greatest move when they have one of the newest, most “high tech” trucks with a totally new engine lineup for 2018.
There will be customers for the new GM trucks but there is nothing inspiring about them to warrant an upgrade from current models.
And about the Chicken tax, Lutz was right, it needs to be abolished. It’s the reason why you see the $10,000 – $15,000 discounts on trucks, the 25% tariff on foreign-assembled models. Let’s drop it and have some real competition!
let’s be honest the Camaro and corvette have had much more thorough development than the trucks because the truck buyers are more loyal. the trucks have essentially not been changed since 2007, and they were inferior to Toyota at the time. They really need to build the 2019 with a much tougher suspension/transfer case/driveline like Toyota has or I might switch for my next truck. Loyalty has it’s limits. The only trucks I would consider are the Sierra/Tundra/F-150
Not sure why you think the Tundra driveline is “tougher”. Their 6-speed has gearing that’s so tall that even with 4.30’s it has worse gearing than a GM truck witg the 6L80 with 3.42’s. That rear axle they brag about has had a lot of issues over the years. They had 3 or 4 years where wheel bearings would fail prematurely, axle seals would leak at low mileage, carrier and pinion bearins would wear out prematurely, and they had several years of vibration issues of their own. Not to mention the frame in the Tundra is a flimsy design when new and rusts the most aggressively of any brand I have seen. The way the Tundra’s bed is constructed makes it prone to aggressivve rot around the wheel wells. The multilayered steel design means that water and salt get in between the layers but can’t get out. The interior is ancient and screams 2002 Camry. And the fact that some 3/4-ton gassers are beginning to get equal or better fuel economy doesn’t bode well for the Tundra. It should have been completely redesigned in 2014 but they’re still working on its replacement, which probably won’t be ready for another 18 to 24 months.
The GM half-tons transfer case seems plenty strong to me. Their 4WD system is certainly better than the plastic vac assist junk Ford has been struggling with for years shows little sign of improvement. Between the cheap check valves, unrelaible vacuum pumps, and the plastic gears used to transfer power from the axles to the front tires, the system is a weak unreliable joke. I know guys with 2015-17 F-150’s that have had to take their trucks in multiple times because the 4WD went out for the 3rd or 4th time. GM is now building their 12-bolt axles in Michigan which will hopefully address the inconsistent quality that was coming out of AAM after they moved to Mexico.
Well to be totally honest there is as much or more investment in the trucks than any other product. Where as you have a Camaro or Corvette with only some slight variations the trucks deal with weight classes, bed size, cab configurations that would account for a division of their own let alone a model.
As for the Toyota you really might want to do your homework before buying.
Here is the kicker, GM has pulled out of massive fleet sales. Ford has picked up almost all of GM’s fleet sales. That is a high sales volume market with low price margins. GM declared they were reducing fleet sales for two reasons, #1 fleets will bargain to try and buy trucks at dealer prices, 2, sales of fleet trucks to individual buyers at half price hurt sales at dealerships, tanking profits. Chevy is restricting their sales to where they can make more money. Look at total company capital gain. GM is smoking ford when it comes to the stock market.
further on truck quality, GM drivetrain>>ford
GM body style, Subjective, but GM>>>>>ford
Interiors, Note! High country is actually chevy’s answer to the king ranch, which is not fords top trim. They have the platinum and limited trims which are undoubtedly higher than the high country. If the high country was equal to the limited, than it would be a steal as it starts at 10k less. but for comparison
LT VS Lariat, the high volume models and what most truck buyers would buy, Lariat has a LOT LOT LOT of cheap ugly plastic.
LT>>>>>>>> Lariat.
Here is the kicker, GM has pulled out of massive fleet sales. Ford has picked up almost all of GM’s fleet sales. That is a high sales volume market with low price margins. GM declared they were reducing fleet sales for two reasons, #1 fleets will bargain to try and buy trucks at dealer prices, 2, sales of fleet trucks to individual buyers at half price hurt sales at dealerships, tanking profits. Chevy is restricting their sales to where they can make more money. Look at total company capital gain. GM is smoking ford when it comes to the stock market.
further on truck quality, GM drivetrain>>ford
GM body style, Subjective, but GM>>>>>ford
Interiors, Note! High country is actually chevy’s answer to the king ranch, which is not fords top trim. They have the platinum and limited trims which are undoubtedly higher than the high country. If the high country was equal to the limited, than it would be a steal as it starts at 10k less. but for comparison
LT VS Lariat, the high volume models and what most truck buyers would buy, Lariat has a LOT LOT LOT of cheap ugly plastic.
LT>>>>>>>> Lariat
Fleet sales man
Also, sales should be slower for a last model year. Verdict, GM is not in as deep of a hole as made to be
I see that Toyota and Nissan trucks are losing sales. My neighbor across the street has one old F-150 and a newer 2016 Toyota Tundra. That second truck is parked in the garage with an electrical problem and is hardly used. Yet he drives the F-150 every day and for many years!
Ford does rucks much better, even if I am a GM fan.
As a former dept . Store Manager , we lived and died with TURNOVER or lack of it . GM shuts down a plant lately as they had over 90 days ( 3 months ) supply of vehicles being produced . If you get quick turnover you can use the suppliers money before the bills and payroll etc are paid . This is how you make money , Grocery supermarkets are the top retail as an example for with margins so low here it is critical to get quick turnover of stock . Turnover in automobiles is the same in that there is a yearly change in models to contend with…..once you get over two months unsold here , you are now getting to the point of not making money on your inventory , four months and are trying to break even but unlikely , six months and you are definitely losing money big time ! Slow Turnover in the auto industry is a killer !
Here in the St. Louis area the GM trucks and RAM trucks suffer the most from rust. Its always the same, starts in the rear wheel wells, then the cab corners and rocker panels. Was at Dick’s Sporting Goods last week and parked next to a beautiful GMT K2xx silverado crew cab ltz in the pearl or off white color and noticed the paint bubbling on the rear wheel wells. That truck is at most 4.5 years old (released in the fall of 2013). That is unacceptable.