BREAKING: Americans really really REALLY like big SUVs

"BrtStlnd" (BrtStlnd) 03/03/2015 at 10:10 • Filed to: Mother Trucker

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Year over year numbers from GM this morning:

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Ok so maybe I was stretching the "news" bit there but this part is definitely news... Ford lost the full sized pickup crown to the Silverado (in February at least). New F-150 is struggling out of the gate.

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BrtStlnd > BrtStlnd 03/03/2015 at 10:18

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Hmm, can't edit.

Total GM truck sales were up 36% net.

As Du Volant > BrtStlnd 03/03/2015 at 10:20

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Gas is in the $2/gallon range, which means it's totally time to buy that gas guzzler you've always wanted and finance it for 7 years. Gas prices aren't ever going to go back up ya know.

Pixel > BrtStlnd 03/03/2015 at 10:20

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BREAKING: Gas prices dropped and people have no long term memory.

If gas climbs back to $4/gallon these same people will either be crying about how they can't afford to fill the tanks on their big vehicles, or desperately tryign to trade them in on small cars again.

Shift24 > BrtStlnd 03/03/2015 at 10:25

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One HUGE reason is gas prices and much improved styling at least on the Tahoe/Suburban. Though it is nice to see the Tahoe and the rebadge group are no longer as just swapping head and tail lights. Now there is a significant difference between the Yukon, Escalade, and Tahoe. Yes you can still tell they are built on the same platform but it is way more obvious to tell which one is which between the three.

BrtStlnd > As Du Volant 03/03/2015 at 10:29

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That's right! Gas prices are lower now and will never, ever go up again.

BrtStlnd > Shift24 03/03/2015 at 10:30

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My old man just ordered a new Tahoe. He considered the Escalade but said the Tahoe was so well-appointed it didn't justify the extra $15-20k.

nermal > BrtStlnd 03/03/2015 at 10:39

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That whole "strike while the iron is hot" thing.

As far as large SUVs in the $50-$80k range go, who else seriously competes with the GM offerings? The Ford Expedition is an afterthought. The Land Cruiser is sweet, but old. The Lexus Land Cruiser is just paying extra to add a stupid front end. The Armada is old. The Infinity Ugly Stick or whatever is known to induce vomiting after long term exposure.

BrtStlnd > nermal 03/03/2015 at 10:41

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Yes, GM owns that segment. Everyone else is just fighting for table scraps.

pauljones > BrtStlnd 03/03/2015 at 10:42

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To be fair, a surge like this is always something of a pattern when a new generation of SUVs are introduced, notably, in this case, GM's new generation of GMTs.

I think that a more telling indication of the state of America's love affair with SUVs would be to compare number like this to numbers indicating how many were taken off the road in the same time period. It could conceivably be that owners of older SUVs may simply replace their SUVs every other generation or so if they can afford to, thus keeping the general numbers of SUVs on the road roughly steady despite sales surges.

I also don't think that gas prices are as big of an influence as many like to tout. If you're the kind of individual that has to have an SUV, and is only going to buy SUVs, then lower gas prices - while convenient - aren't that big of a make-or-break issue, given how much gas prices can fluctuate. More important than that is the incremental gains in fuel efficiency that SUVs have seen in the past 20 years. SUV owners are already committed to paying more for fuel, but buying a newer SUV only helps their fuel bill.

Shift24 > BrtStlnd 03/03/2015 at 10:43

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Thats true too, the LTZs now come with almost everything an escalade has except a caddy badge. And if i remember right I think there was an article about how its not just the low grade models people are buying but the high grade like the LTZ are selling just as fast

BrtStlnd > pauljones 03/03/2015 at 10:49

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Yes, obviously the new models are a huge reason for the boost. There's a huge, very sticky market for the GMT triplets and I think many people were waiting with cash in hand to order one. I think many owners don't really even consider another vehicle.

loki03xlh > BrtStlnd 03/26/2015 at 14:33

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My dad bought one in November. He was waiting for a few years for the new ones to come out. He previously owned an '01 (which is now mine and made me a GMT convert).