Breaking: The Ford F-Series Is Ridiculously Popular

I was inside MacPhee Ford's newish showroom in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, last night because, well, sometimes it snows on the day I need to tow my nonexistent boat to my brother-in-law's in order to help him move apartments while transporting my baby boy, my wife, my mother, and my dog to the beach. That's what I'm telling myself anyhow, because I'd feel old and paternal if I said it had a lot to do with the size of the upcoming, rear-facing convertible child seat. 

This glassed-in Ford palace - which costs more than a decent annual government salary to run every month - is a testament to the F-Series' strength. Sure, there's a small group of Fusions in one corner of the lot. (The Fusion is Canada's top-selling midsize car.) MacPhee has decided to make a conscious effort to succeed with the C-Max even as it becomes a very rare car Canada-wide, so there are a few to be seen on the lot. Summer will inevitably bring out the Mustangs; 17-year-old Fast & Furious fans will spend some time ogling a lone Fiesta ST, too. But it's the F-Series, the F-150 in particular, that does the heavy lifting. 

• All 248 Vehicle Ranked By January 2014 U.S. Sales
• All 238 Vehicles Ranked By January 2014 Canadian Sales

You've heard the numbers: the F-Series generates 90% of Ford Motor Company's global profits, Morgan Stanley says. Everything is working to the F-Series' advantage. The current-generation truck is inexpensive to build, easily reconfigurable to appeal to completely different sets of buyers, and it's perfectly marketed. 

As a result, you don't drive to the grocery store anywhere in North America without seeing at least a few. You've long since stopped noticing this omnipresence. One of the F-150's was likely a basic rear-wheel-drive, white XL work truck with the phone company's stickers. Another was filled with kids on the way to hockey practice. The third one, a black King Ranch, did make you take notice. The fourth, fifth, and sixth were identical blue or red XLTs, the affordable family rigs, but there was only one commuting occupant aboard.

How Popular Is  The F-Series In America?	2013  U.S. Sales	2012 U.S. Sales	% Change
Ford F-Series	763,402	645,316	18.3%
Toyota Camry & Corolla/Matrix	710,664	695,833	2.1%
Hyundai Brand	720,783	703,007	2.5%
Cadillac/Acura/Audi/Infiniti/Lincoln	704,189	647,335	8.8%
All GM Pickup Trucks	687,642	647,001	6.3%
Ford Utility Vehicles	681,802	619,470	10.1%
Mercedes-Benz & BMW	643,624	576,473	11.6%
Minivans	532,357	554,827	-4.0%
Subcompacts *	506,799	487,679	3.9%
All Import Brand Trucks ^	368,916	336,031	9.8%

* Aveo, Sonic, Fiesta, Fit, Accent, Rio, 2, Mirage, Versa, Prius C, Yaris.
^ Tacoma, Tundra, Frontier, Ridgeline, Titan, Equator

Yes indeed, they're everywhere. And GCBC can't avoid pointing out this fact multiple times each month, as the F-Series leads the way in truck rankings, again when we list the 30 best-selling vehicles, and again when we rank all 20+ dozen vehicle nameplates. This goes for the U.S. standings and the Canadian results, too. But it could be argued that straight lists mask the F-Series' dominance. It's assumed that the F-Series will be in the top spot each month, so eyes drift directly to the second slot. The pie chart we use in our lists of the 30 best-selling vehicles allows the eye to align more closely with reality. The tables visible in this post, however, are quite a bit different. 

Ford's 2015 F-150 Will Make Heavy (Light?) Use Of Aluminum, Therefore Shedding Up To 700 Pounds

How popular is the Ford F-Series? In America, the F-Series outsold the Hyundai, Kia, Jeep, GMC, Subaru, and Volkswagen brands. In Canada, the F-Series outsold the two most popular cars in the country combined, Honda's Civic and Hyundai's Elantra.

Trucks struggled in January 2014 to match January 2013's pace both in the United States and Canada, falling 4.5% in both countries. (Slight F-Series declines were part of the problem on both sides of the border.) But like the F-Series, the full-size truck category as a whole is a booming corner of the North American automobile marketplace. Popularity is not an F-Series exclusive. Extreme popularity, on the other hand, is something no other vehicle line can claim.

Keep in mind, it's not 2004. Trucks are a growing force, but fuel prices have risen and competition for your $35,000 is rampant. Ford sold 939,511 F-Series pickups in the U.S. that year. F-Series sales totalled 763,402 units in America in 2013, equal to 4.9% of the market's sales, down from 5.6% in 2004.

How Popular Is The F-Series In Canada?	2013  Canadian Sales	2012 Canadian Sales	% Change
Ford F-Series	122,325	106,358	15.0%
Honda Civic & Hyundai Elantra	118,823	115,912	2.5%
Acura, Lexus, Buick, Cadillac, Infiniti, Fiat, Mini, Lincoln, Land Rover, Scion, Volvo, Porsche, Suzuki, Jaguar, Maserati, Bentley	110,518	105,901	4.4%
Subcompacts *	90,680	93,042	-2.5%
Minivans	90,646	97,547	-7.1%
All GM Trucks	87,298	85,264	2.4%
Nissan Brand	82,604	74,201	11.3%
Ford Utility Vehicles	77,127	78,503	-1.8%
Mercedes-Benz & BMW	66,490	64,514	3.1%
All Import Brand Trucks ^	26,431	25,843	2.3%

* Aveo, Sonic, Fiesta, Fit, Accent, Rio, 2, Mirage, Versa, Prius C, Yaris
^ Tacoma, Tundra, Titan, Frontier, Ridgeline

RECOMMENDED READING
Historical Monthly & Yearly Ford F-Series Sales Figures
Complete 2013 U.S. Pickup Truck Sales Figures
Complete 2013 Canadian Pickup Truck Sales Figures
2013 Ram 1500 Outdoorsman Crew Cab V6 4x4 Driven Review
2014 GMC Sierra Crew Cab 5.3L SLT Crew Cab Driven Review

Small And Midsize Luxury SUV Sales In America - January 2014

No surprises here. Although U.S. auto sales slid back partway to 2012 levels in January, luxury SUVs and crossovers were selling more often, not less often. 

• All 248 Vehicle Ranked By January 2014 U.S. Sales

• All 85 SUVs/Crossovers Ranked By January 2014 U.S. Sales

Click Chart To Expand

Cars? Down. Pickup trucks? Down. Luxury utility vehicles? Not down.

The Audi Q5-led small luxury crossover class produced 6% gains thanks to gains from the Q5, Acura's RDX, two BMWs, Infiniti's renamed QX50, and the least costly Land Rover. Volvo XC60 sales plunged by 624 units, year-over-year, during the debut month for the V60, which attracted 322 buyers, incidentally.

Up a notch in size and/or price, the Lexus RX and Cadillac SRX lead the way, although the more costly Acura MDX, quite a bit more costly Mercedes-Benz ML and the substantially more costly BMW X5 put up very healthy figures. However, the M-Class's figures were down compared with January 2013 and X5 sales were down 33%. 

You can click any model name in the tables below to find historical monthly and yearly U.S. auto sales data. You can also select a make and model at GCBC's Sales Stats page. These tables are now sortable, so you can rank luxury SUVs and crossovers any which way you like. Suggestions on how GCBC should break down segments can be passed on through the Contact page.

Click Column Headers To Sort • January 2015 • February 2014 • December 2013 • January 2013

Small Luxury SUV	January 2014	January 2013	% Change	2014 YTD	2013 YTD	% Change
Acura RDX	2730	2489	9.7%	2730	2489	9.7%
Audi Q5	2774	2344	18.3%	2774	2344	18.3%
BMW X1	1332	1165	14.3%	1332	1165	14.3%
BMW X3	2699	2005	34.6%	2699	2005	34.6%
Infiniti QX50 / EX	197	168	17.3%	197	168	17.3%
Land Rover LR2	363	300	21.0%	363	300	21.0%
Land Rover Range Rover Evoque	879	929	-5.4%	879	929	-5.4%
Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class	2302	2396	-3.9%	2302	2396	-3.9%
Volvo XC60	942	1566	-39.8%	942	1566	-39.8%
---	---	---	---	---	---	---
Total	14,218	13,362	6.4%	14,218	13,362	6.4%

Midsize Luxury SUV	January 2014	January 2013	% Change	2014 YTD	2013 YTD	% Change
Acura MDX	4241	2575	64.7%	4241	2575	64.7%
Acura ZDX	14	31	-54.8%	14	31	-54.8%
Audi Q7	1268	889	42.6%	1268	889	42.6%
BMW X5	2754	4084	-32.6%	2754	4084	-32.6%
BMW X6	382	380	0.5%	382	380	0.5%
Cadillac SRX	4446	4380	1.5%	4446	4380	1.5%
Infiniti FX/QX70	645	592	9.0%	645	592	9.0%
Infiniti JX/QX60	2380	1970	20.8%	2380	1970	20.8%
Land Rover LR4	599	564	6.2%	599	564	6.2%
Land Rover Range Rover Sport	1612	1251	28.9%	1612	1251	28.9%
Lexus GX460	1443	733	96.9%	1443	733	96.9%
Lexus RX	5607	5394	3.9%	5607	5394	3.9%
Lincoln MKT	362	411	-11.9%	362	411	-11.9%
Lincoln MKX	2479	1829	35.5%	2479	1829	35.5%
Mercedes-Benz M-Class	2824	2928	-3.6%	2824	2928	-3.6%
Porsche Cayenne	1158	1500	-22.8%	1158	1500	-22.8%
Volkswagen Touareg *	544	962	-43.5%	544	962	-43.5%
Volvo XC70 *	261	334	-21.9%	261	334	-21.9%
Volvo XC90	459	506	-9.3%	459	506	-9.3%
---	---	---	---	---	---	---
Total	33,478	31,313	6.9%	33,478	31,313	6.9%

Source: Automakers & ANDC
* indicates a vehicle which is also shown in another GCBC segment breakdown
GCBC isn't here to break down segments, an impossible task for any group, but to display sales data for the sake of comparison. The more ways sales data can be displayed, the better, right? This explains why you'll see the Volkswagen Touareg and Volvo XC70 here but also with mainstream brand SUVs and midsize luxury cars, respectively... because readers have wanted it both ways. You can always find the sales results for EVERY vehicle and form your own competitive sets by using the All Vehicle Rankings posts.

RECOMMENDED READING
Small & Midsize Luxury SUV Sales In America - January 2015
Small & Midsize Luxury SUV Sales In America - February 2014 YTD
Small & Midsize Luxury SUV Sales In America - December 2013 & Year End
Small & Midsize Luxury SUV Sales In America - January 2013
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings - January 2014
Top 20 Best-Selling SUVs & Crossovers In America - January 2014

Small And Midsize Luxury Car Sales In America - January 2014

In January 2014, the BMW 3-Series (with help from its 4-Series offshoot) led all premium brand automobiles in U.S. sales volume, challenged only by two Mercedes-Benz nameplates, the C-Class and much more costly E-Class. 

Click Chart To Expand

3-Series/4-Series sales shot up 34% from January 2013 levels. A year ago, the C-Class outsold the BMW 3er by 2383 units. The C-Class will be replaced in 2014 by a more stylish; more S-Class-mini version. 

Only the recently-replaced Lexus IS and Infiniti's G/Q50 lineup reported more impressive year-over-year increases in January 2014. 

The C-Class's 20% drop certainly wasn't the most severe among luxury cars - and it may have been exaggerated by the CLA's extra 2433 sales - as multiple Volvos and Acuras failed to keep pace with last year's totals. Cadillac ATS sales slid 31%. The Audi A5 fell 23%. 

• All 248 Vehicle Ranked By January 2014 U.S. Sales
• All 143 Cars Ranked By January 2014 U.S. Sales

Overall, however, sales of entry-level luxury car sales weren't unhealthy in January, in part because of the improvement of the top seller but also because of new models (the aforementioned CLA and Volvo's new V60) and important replacements from Lexus and Infiniti.

You can click any model name in the tables below to find historical monthly and yearly U.S. auto sales data. You can also select a make and model at GCBC's Sales Stats page. These tables are now sortable, so you can rank luxury cars any which way you like. Suggestions on how GCBC should break down segments can be passed on through the Contact page.

Click Column Headers To Sort • January 2015 • February 2014 • December 2013 • January 2013

Small/Entry  Luxury Car	January 2014	January 2013	% Change	2014 YTD	2013 YTD	% Change
Acura ILX *	1157	1558	-25.7%	1157	1558	-25.7%
Acura TSX	893	1326	-32.7%	893	1326	-32.7%
Audi A3	---	231	-100%	---	231	-100%
Audi A4 ^	2498	2755	-9.3%	2498	2755	-9.3%
Audi A5 *	925	1200	-22.9%	925	1200	-22.9%
BMW 1-Series & 2-Series ^	75	304	-75.3%	75	304	-75.3%
BMW 3-Series & 4-Series ^	6494	4831	34.4%	6494	4831	34.4%
Cadillac ATS	1909	2781	-31.4%	1909	2781	-31.4%
Infiniti G/Q60 ^*	1315	2815	-53.3%	1315	2815	-53.3%
Infiniti Q50 ^	2949	---	---	2949	---	---
Lexus CT200h	1290	1001	28.9%	1290	1001	28.9%
Lexus IS	3048	1386	120%	3048	1386	120%
Mercedes-Benz C-Class	5748	7214	-20.3%	5748	7214	-20.3%
Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class	2433	---	---	2433	---	---
Volvo C30	12	166	-92.8%	12	166	-92.8%
Volvo S60	1322	1954	-32.3%	1322	1954	-32.3%
Volvo V60	322	---	---	322	---	---
---	---	---	---	---	---	---
Total	32,390	29,522	9.7%	32,390	29,522	9.7%

Midsize Luxury Car	January 2014	January 2013	% Change	2014 YTD	2013 YTD	% Change
Acura RLX/RL	420	13	3131%	420	13	3131%
Acura TL	1368	1497	-8.6%	1368	1497	-8.6%
Audi A6	1481	1259	17.6%	1481	1259	17.6%
Audi A7 *	624	698	-10.6%	624	698	-10.6%
BMW 5-Series	3269	2585	26.5%	3269	2585	26.5%
Cadillac CTS	2232	2505	-10.9%	2232	2505	-10.9%
Cadillac DTS	---	3	-100%	---	3	-100%
Cadillac XTS	1648	1900	-13.3%	1648	1900	-13.3%
Hyundai Equus	327	253	29.2%	327	253	29.2%
Infiniti Q70/M	489	413	18.4%	489	413	18.4%
Jaguar XF	658	511	28.8%	658	511	28.8%
Lexus ES	3959	5186	-23.7%	3959	5186	-23.7%
Lexus GS	1300	1099	18.3%	1300	1099	18.3%
Lincoln MKS	635	909	-30.1%	635	909	-30.1%
Lincoln MKZ	2122	453	368%	2122	453	368%
Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class *	420	553	-24.1%	420	553	-24.1%
Mercedes-Benz E-Class	5266	5469	-3.7%	5266	5469	-3.7%
Mercedes-Benz R-Class	2	7	-71.4%	2	7	-71.4%
Volvo S80	352	176	100%	352	176	100%
Volvo XC70 *	261	334	-21.9%	261	334	-21.9%
---	---	---	---	---	---	---
Total	24,711	25,823	-4.3%	24,711	25,823	-4.3%

Source: Automakers & ANDC
* vehicle also displayed in another GCBC segment breakdown
^ BMW USA, not GCBC, has decided to combine sales figures for the 3-Series and 4-Series, the 2-1-Series and 2-Series. Acura has done the same with the new RLX and old RL.
^ A4 includes Allroad, without which A4 sales were down 10.7% to 2194 in January.
^ Combined, the new Q50 and the outgoing G were up 51.5% to 4264 units in January.  Jointly, Q50 and G sedan sales were up 76% to 3851, and the Q60 & G37 coupe/convertible were down 34.5% to 413.
GCBC isn't here to break down segments, an impossible task for any group, but to display sales data for the sake of comparison. The more ways sales data can be displayed, the better, right? This explains why you'll see the Acura ILX here but also with mainstream cars like the Buick Verano, too, and the Audi A5 is also displayed with coupes and convertibles... because readers have wanted it both ways. You can always find the sales results for EVERY vehicle and form your own competitive sets by using the All Vehicle Rankings posts.

RECOMMENDED READING
Small & Midsize Luxury Car Sales In America - January 2015
Small And Midsize Luxury Car Sales In America - February 2014 YTD
Small & Midsize Luxury Car Sales In America - December 2013 & Year End
Small & Midsize Luxury Car Sales In America - January 2013
Top 20 Best-Selling Cars In America - January 2014
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings - January 2014
Large Luxury Car Sales In America - January 2014