First half scoreboard for 2020 U.S. sales

2020 Ford Ranger

U.S. auto sales rebounded in May and June, but not enough to overcome abysmal results in March and April. Here’s how the first 6 months of 2020 compare with last year.

Small crossovers vs. big pickups
Full-size pickups were the industry’s largest segment in the second quarter, but compact crossovers remained No. 1 in the first half. No other segment was even half as big as those two.
  2020 1st half change
Compact crossovers 1,066,779 –23%
Full-size pickups 1,051,119 –11%
Compact and midsize cars combined 958,946 –35%
Largest brands
Toyota’s lead over Chevy at the halfway point of 2020 is one-third as much as it was a year ago.
  2020 1st half change
Ford 900,089 –24%
Toyota 786,975 –23%
Chevrolet 767,339 –19%
Silverado’s revenge
After falling behind the Ram last year for the first time, the Silverado is back in second place.
  2020 1st half change
Ford F-Series 367,387 –18%
Chevrolet Silverado 269,570 4.20%
Ram pickup 246,253 –18%
GMC Sierra 106,833 9.70%
Midsize melee
The Ranger, reintroduced in early 2019, has jumped ahead of the Colorado.
  2020 1st half change
Toyota Tacoma 104,699 –14%
Ford Ranger 45,988 52%
Chevrolet Colorado 41,273 –37%
Not that bad
Subcompact crossovers are doing well under the circumstances ...
  year-over-year change
Subcompact crossovers –5.8%
Compact sporty cars –8.4%
Midsize pickups –9.4%
Full-size pickups –11%
Shrinking fast
... while subcompact cars saw sales fall by half.
  year-over-year change
Large cars –53%
Large luxury cars –51%
Subcompact cars –50%
Minivans –41%
Avoiding the plunge
Every brand posted lower sales in the first half, but only two managed to keep their decline to single digits.
  year-over-year change
Mazda –7%
Lincoln –8%
Mercedes-Benz –11%
Kia –14%
Volvo –14%
Biggest declines
Five brands reported U.S. sales that were at least 35 percent lower year-over-year.
  year-over-year change
Fiat –52%
Dodge –42%
Nissan –40%
Mini –39%
Buick –35%
Mercedes back in front
Halfway through 2020, Mercedes is on track to take the luxury crown from BMW for what would be the fourth time in five years.
  2020 1st half change
Mercedes-Benz 127,207 –14%
BMW 110,412 –28%
Lexus 106,801 –28%
Tesla 89,600* –20%
Audi 76,210 –25%
*Estimate
Camaro a distant third
The Mustang is speeding toward another year on top in the pony car race, while the Camaro keeps falling further behind.
  2020 1st half change
Ford Mustang 33,786 –12%
Dodge Challenger 22,018 –23%
Chevrolet Camaro 13,860 –43%
Civic leads cars
Can the Civic hang on to surpass the Camry as the year’s top-selling car? It had a slim lead at the halfway point.
  2020 1st half change
Honda Civic 127,858 –24%
Toyota Camry 125,899 –28%
Going exploring
The redesigned Explorer has become Ford’s top-selling utility vehicle.
  2020 1st half change
Ford Explorer 101,149 –0.7%
Ford Escape 84,797 –36%
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