Now that 2015 has come to a close, it’s little surprise that the Toyota Tacoma has run away with the midsize pickup truck sales crown, leading from start to finish.
The Tacoma is the quintessential midsize truck, following in the tradition that started with the Hilux here in the U.S. market (note: the Hilux is still available worldwide). Especially after its recent refresh, the Tacoma is the go-to truck for anyone looking for something capable yet smaller than a full-size pickup.
Not that the General Motors twins aren’t bad trucks. In many ways, the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon are superior to the Tacoma, both being newer designs that do a lot better job of acting like a car while still providing the capability of a midsize truck. The diesel variants add something special that the Tacoma never had.
Nissan’s Frontier continues to split the GM twins, although sales are down for the month and the year. Nissan just released an all-new Titan for 2016, so hopefully they will address the Frontier next to make it more competitive in the segment. However, it is the smallest of the offerings, so anyone who laments the passing of the true small pickup should pick one up before it most likely grows with the next generation.
Midsize Pickup Sales – December 2015
| Dec 2015 # | Nov 2015 # | Nov ’15/Dec ’15 % | Dec ’15/’14 % | YTD 2015 # | YTD ’15/’14 % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Tacoma | 17,192 | 13,465 | 27.7% | 20.4% | 179,562 | 15.8% |
| Chevrolet Colorado | 7,909 | 6,230 | 27.0% | 95.9% | 84,430 | 955.0% |
| Nissan Frontier | 5,693 | 5,099 | 11.6% | -6.1% | 62,817 | -15.5% |
| GMC Canyon | 3,000 | 2,236 | 34.2% | 95.7% | 30,077 | 879.7% |
| Total: | 356,886 |
Check out this TFLtruck real world towing MPG video of the 2015 midsize pickup sales champ, the Toyota Tacoma:
