Big van sales are growing in a big way. The Ford Transit is still leading the pack in sheer numbers, but every full-size van manufacturer is enjoying better sales in the United States. Surely, the #vanlife craze has a lot to do with this.
This sales report is focused on Q3 2019 for full-size vans in the United States. However, sales of other midsize vans and mini-vans are also doing very well.
Ford sold nearly 44,000 Transit last quarter, which is a 25.2% improvement over Q3 of last year. The aging Chevy Express and GMC Savana vans also improved by a significant amount. Chevy Express has an especially successful Q3 with 26% sales growth. The Ram ProMaster grew by about 30% in the quarter.
The Nissan NV improved the most with a 51.6% growth. Not to be forgotten, the Ford E-Series is still in the hunt. Ford is positioning the E-Series as a commercial van chassis option with heavier gross vehicle weight capability than the Transport. The E-Series is still a popular choice for shuttle busses and RV/Motorhome builders. For 2020, the E-Series is also getting the new 7.3-liter gas V8 engine.
Check out all the numbers below.
Full-Size SUV Sales – Q3 2019
| Q3 2019 | Q3 19/18 % | YTD 2019 | YTD 19/18 % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Transit | 43,876 | 25.2% | 116,983 | 9.9% |
| Chevy Express | 22,062 | 26.0% | 60,805 | 3.6% |
| Ram ProMaster | 14,589 | 30% | 41,301 | 31% |
| Ford E-Series | 9,875 | -10.6% | 32,226 | -11.8% |
| Nissan NV | 6,140 | 51.6% | 15,676 | 27.5% |
| GMC Savana | 5,021 | 4.3% | 21,090 | 25.7% |
*Mercedes-Benz reports Sprinter full-size and Metris midsize van sales together/combined, and we cannot separate the two at this time. In the month of September 2019, Mercedes sold 4,569 Sprinter and Metris vans. This was 2.7% more than in September 2018.
Here is a look at a Ford Transit turbo-diesel van that has been converted into a family RV on a budget.
