Ford Ranger Sales Are Creeping Up On Chevrolet And Toyota

November was the reborn Ranger's best month yet.

Ford has rightly fixed a wrong by bringing back its midsize Ranger pickup truck to the North American market. First discontinued in 2012, the Ford Ranger returned all-new for the 2019 model year and quickly became a sales success. Although it has not yet caught up to its main competitors, Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, and Toyota Tacoma, its sales momentum continues. November was its best month so far with 10,594 units sold in the US. So far this year, Ford has sold a total of 75,357 Rangers. Since late September, a total of 96,820 Colorados left dealership lots (GM only reports quarterly sales results, not monthly).

Despite the fact the Colorado will almost certainly outsell the Ranger this year, Chevrolet cannot ignore the Ranger's fast success. "We're pretty happy with where we're at," Ranger PR marketing manager Chad Callander told The Detroit News. "We set some aggressive targets, and we're hitting those targets." It's also important to note that Ford only "hit full stride" with Ranger production in the third quarter of this year. Next year will be a different story.

Ford and GM have a long history when it comes to selling pickup trucks. The Ford F-Series has not only been a segment best-seller, but it's also one of the best-selling vehicles in the US in general. The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 continues to fight for the No.2 spot against the Ram 1500. But the midsize segment presents another opportunity for Ford to take down its cross-town rival. Chevrolet, however, is prepared.

"We reignited the mid-pickup segment with the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon in 2014, and have sold about 700,000 since. We'll continue that momentum when we refresh our mid-size trucks next year," said GM spokesman Tom Henderson.

Ford also happened to launch its new Ranger at an ideal time. Customers that are moving away from sedans but don't want an SUV are opting for trucks. But as the F-150 is simply too big for their needs (and their garages), the Ranger fits the bill perfectly. Above all, the segment Ford considered to be dead has not only returned but has done so brilliantly.

"This is probably going to end up being the best year for trucks since 2005," said Jessica Caldwell, an analyst at Edmunds. "And the Ranger seems like it is going to have a good finish to the end of the year."