July 2014 brought some mixed results to the full-size crossover segment. Ford Explorer is still far in the lead with 16,797 units sold, which represents a chunky 31.8% increase over July of last year. Toyota Highlander firmly hold the second spot. Expect the all-new 2014 Highlander to gain momentum over the coming months.
The current generation of the Honda Pilot is getting long in the tooth. It declined, but still was able to sell over 10,000 units for the month and squeaked into third sales place. It is practically locked in a battle with the Chevy Traverse, Kia Sorento, and Hyundai Santa Fe for third. There are just 1,000 units that separate all four of these people haulers in year-to-date sales numbers. The Chevy Traverse grew by 25.2% and the Hyundai Santa Fe by 26.4%.
The Nissan Pathfinder, Dodge Durango, and the Mazda CX-9 had a rough month. The initial boost of the all-new Pathfinder in 2013 has flattened out and went south when compared to the same period of last year. The face lifted Durango struggled for the month, but is doing well for the year. The refreshed and sporty Mazda CX-9 was never able to get traction in the market.
Full-size Crossover – July 2014
| July 2014 # | July ’14 / ’13 % | YTD 2014 # | YTD ’14 / ’13 % | |
| Ford Explorer | 16,797 | 31.8% | 111,785 | 3.5% |
| Toyota Highlander | 11,357 | 0.1% | 83,495 | 14.9% |
| Honda Pilot | 10,933 | -18.7% | 61,613 | -18.7% |
| Chevrolet Traverse | 9,533 | 25.2% | 61,586 | 1.1% |
| Kia Sorento | 8,749 | -8.6% | 60,670 | -3.6% |
| Hyundai SantaFe | 8,655 | 26.4% | 60,660 | 26.4% |
| GMC Acadia | 8,095 | 7.0% | 49,265 | -8.9% |
| Nissan Pathfinder | 7,364 | -12.6% | 47,328 | -13.9% |
| Dodge Durango | 4,807 | -6.0% | 37,682 | 13.0% |
| Mazda CX-9 | 1,678 | -19.5% | 10,931 | -34.8% |
Check out this fun and informative TFLcar video off-road matchup between the Traverse and the Durango.
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 simply ‘going for a drive’.
