Look Out Ford F-150. There’s About to Be a New No. 2 Best-selling Truck

As the No. 2 best-selling truck in America, the Chevrolet Silverado is clinging to its shrinking sales lead over Ram 1500 in a high-stakes fight that few anticipated.This is not just about prestige and tradition. This is about money. Trucks generate crazy profits for automobile companies."Something better change," said Karl Brauer, executive publisher of Kelley Blue Book. "I think people would be surprised to see the market share split between Ram and Silverado. They've already moved more than most people would've ever believed. That's not a good trend line for Chevrolet."He continued: "Ford F-Series has managed to stay stable, and Ram has managed to climb mostly at the expense of Chevy."Fiat Chrysler's Ram closed the gap dramatically on Silverado from 2017 to 2018, according to Kelley Blue Book:Ram sold 22% of pickups purchased, climbing to 536,980 from 500,723.Chevy sold 24% of pickups purchased, holding steady at 585,581 compared with 585,864.The gap disappeared in the first quarter of 2019, with Ram selling 120,026 trucks vs. 114,313 Silverados sold during the period, according to company filings.Pricing played a role in Ram's progress, said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst at Autotrader. "Ram is putting far more money on the incentive table to boost sales. Chevrolet incentive offers have been very moderate."GM reported a 15.7% quarterly drop in Silverado sales from 135,545 a year ago.The full-size pickup market segment is growing about 2% a year, so Ram is recruiting buyers once loyal to other brands, Brauer said."The low cost of fuel and the increasingly wide range of full-size truck iterations have made them capable of serving almost any need," he said. "Plus, the economy is generally good, so more people are doing lifestyle stuff — water-skiing, camping, off-roading — that a truck is good for. This is why new buyers are coming in and where Ram is getting more of them than Silverado."  Continue reading...