R.L. Polk, a provider of automotive information, recently released their latest figures on 2012 U.S. sales of midsize pickup trucks.  The figures are a bit surprising.

Ever since Ford discontinued the Ranger and Dodge discontinued the Dakota, there has been a hole in the compact/midsize pickup lineup.  That hole may be filled in the coming years with possible entries from Ford, Hyundai and the VW Amarok, an entry that has done well in Europe.  Until those things happen, however, the field has been a bit weak.

For 2012 the leader in midsize pickups was Toyota Tacoma with 133,477 pickups sold.  Second on the list was the Nissan Frontier with 50,566.  Next comes the Chevy Colorado, followed by the Ford Ranger, Honda Ridgeline, GMC Canyon, Dodge Dakota and the Ford Sport Trac.  The fact that the now defunct Ranger outsold Honda and GMC does not bode well for those two vehicles.

All of this confusion in the compact/midsize genre leaves buyers with only one option, and that is the full-sized truck, and in 2012 the leader in that category was Chevrolet’s lineup, followed closely by the Ford F-Series.  Note that the Ford F-Series has been the most popular vehicle sold for the past thirty years, so the new of Chevrolet outselling the Ford is big news indeed.

What is the reason for this shift?  No one seems to know.  It is too early to call this a trend, for a trend takes some time to establish.  What is obvious is that there is a market for a compact pickup and it would not surprise anyone to see new offerings from the major auto manufacturers in the coming year. Worldwide the compact pickup is much more appealing to buyers than in the United States. The Ford Ranger is still selling new in Europe and some Asian nations, further giving credence to the belief that there is a market for compact pickups.

Having said all that, the best place to buy replacement parts for your pickup truck, whether it be a compact of full-size, is at your local salvage yard.  Places like All Import Auto Parts have a huge selection of recycled auto parts at your disposal, and you can bet that any used part you may need will be priced for your satisfaction.  There is no reason in the world to pay full price at a dealership when you can buy with confidence from an auto salvage yard.