The auto industry is booming in United States. Nearly every manufacturer is report growth and most are reporting record setting sales. Luxurious pickup trucks are not the only vehicles enjoying huge sales success recently. Their large body-on-frame SUV relatives are trying to keep up.
You might think that large crossovers are sure to take over the market and displace their large truck based cousins. May 2013 United States sales reports show a different picture. Affluent buyers still value these roomy and capable behemoths. After all, they have all the creature comforts, plenty of ground clearance, and can tow upwards of 10,000 lbs. This comes in handy when you need to move your large boat or your horses.
These SUVs are pricy and use a lot of fuel, but which one attracted the most customers in May 2013. As you can see from the following table, the 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe reins supreme with 9,243 units sold last month and growing by a strong 29% over last year. However, it was not the one to post the largest growth. This title goes to the 2013 GMC Yukon XL. It sold 5,063 units and nearly tripled over last year. Wow! Oddly, the regular Yukon declined in sales and was outnumbered by the XL about 3 to 1. Perhaps, the surveys are right? The Yukon XL and its Denali line are the choice vehicles for the alpha male and any guy aspiring to be one.
Full-Size Luxury SUV May 2013 Sales Chart
| May 2013 # | May ’13 / ’12 % | YTD 2013 # | YTD ’13 / ’12 % | |
| 2013 Cadillac Escalade | 1,033 | 12.8% | 4,642 | -3.9% |
| 2013 Chevrolet Suburban | 4,753 | 3.8% | 17,850 | -0.1% |
| 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe | 9,243 | 29.0% | 35,067 | 30.6% |
| 2013 Ford Expedition | 3,817 | 9.2% | 14,530 | -4.7% |
| 2013 GMC Yukon | 1,814 | -27.5% | 10,308 | -0.1% |
| 2013 GMC Yukon XL | 5,063 | 181.9% | 12,880 | 94.2% |
| 2013 Lexus LX | 348 | -10.1% | 1,725 | -23.1% |
| 2013 Nissan Armada | 1,537 | -1.2% | 6,244 | -19.0% |
| 2013 Infiniti QX56 | 938 | -5.6% | 5,055 | -6.8% |
| 2013 Toyota Land Cruiser | 268 | 11.7% | 1,225 | 36.9% |
| 2013 Toyota Sequoia | 1,202 | 15.2% | 5,548 | 7.6% |
GM will be first to redesign their aging full size luxury liners, with the reveals of their Chevy, GMC, and Cadillac SUVs this fall. Ford, Lincoln, Nissan, and Infiniti are likely to follow with unveils in the 2014 calendar year. The large SUV is still alive and well.
Check out our sales reports from previous months.
Please enjoy this TFLcar insider video of the 2014 GMC Sierra reveal:
Andre Smirnov is a life-long automotive enthusiast, software engineer, writer, and reporter. He has been writing and reporting at TFLcar since 2011. When not working or spending time with the family – you can find him tinkering in the garage or scouring the internet and other media for various automotive, mechanical, and computer related information.
