2020 wasn’t a great year for new vehicle sales, with production slowing to a crawl and American buyers doing everything in their power to save a dime. This actually created a unique opportunity for underappreciated vehicles like the Toyota Tacoma and the GMC Sierra to claim a spot in the top ten.
Ford F-Series
Still reigning supreme, the Ford F-Series managed to hold the lead on its 45th birthday, despite a 12.2% drop in sales to 787,422 units sold by the end of the year. This marks
There are no major changes to the truck for 2020, except that lower trim levels have more engine options now. So you won’t have to upgrade to a Limited to take your pick between all the various V6 and V8 engines available to F-Series buyers.
Chevrolet Silverado
The Chevrolet Silverado sees a modest 3.4% bump in sales to 595,184 units, allowing the brand to reclaim the second place position from the Ram Pickup, but by a fairly narrow margin of around 30,000 units.
As with the F-Series, the biggest change in the Silverado for 2020 comes down to engine options. Namely, you can find the 6.2L V8 and ten-speed automatic transmission in lower trim levels now, and they’ve added a 2.0L turbo-diesel V6 option for LT, RST, LTZ and High Country models.
Ram Pickup
The Ram Pickup remains in the top three at 563,676 units sold. This is around 70,000 units fewer than the brand sold the previous year, but clearing the half-million mark in year when vehicle purchases are down, that’s nothing to sneeze at.
For 2020, the Ram 1500 gets an EcoDiesel V6 engine option, and you can get it in any trim level you like. The engine packs a punch at 260 horsepower and 480 lb.-ft. of torque, capable of carrying up to 2,040 pounds in the bed, and towing around six tons, depending on your options.
Toyota RAV4
The Toyota RAV4 holds steady in fourth place for 2020 with a 3.9% dip in sales, keeping the SUV in the same position it placed the year before.
Perhaps tired of their flagship SUV being perceived as a glorified minivan, Toyota added a rugged off-road package to the RAV4 for 2020. This means that you get all-terrain tires and suspension specifically tuned for muddy slopes and rocky roads.
Honda CR-V
The Honda CR-V sees a 13.2% drop in sales to 333,502, which would be enough to knock it out of the top five in any other year, but numbers are down across the board in 2020.
For 2020, the CR-V gets a new 1.5L turbo engine, which delivers 190 horsepower and an average 28/34 miles per gallon, city/highway. Beyond that, you’ve got a few cosmetic tweaks here and there, like Radiant Red Metallic and Sonic Gray Pearl paint being added to the exterior color options.
Toyota Camry
The Toyota Camry jumps a couple spots to sixth place with 294,348 units sold by the end of the year, which is actually 12.7% lower than the previous year.
All-wheel drive is the biggest change for the Camry in 2020. Why a mid-size car you typically see in suburbs and cities needs AWD, who can say, but, if you want to take your Camry mudding, Toyota made this option available in every non-hybrid trim level.
Chevrolet Equinox
The Chevrolet Equinox drops a whopping 21.7% in sales, but maintains the seventh place position with 270,994 units sold.
2020 sees the introduction of a few new colors for the Equinox. Chocolate Metallic, Midnight Blue Metallic, and Cayenne Orange Metallic. The LT trim level adds Jet Black perforated-leather seats, and, if you get the Midnight Edition, some sleek exterior accents and a unique black grille.
Honda Civic
The iconic Honda Civic barely clears a quarter million sales in 2020, moving 261,225 units by the end of the year, nearly twenty percent lower than the compact sold in 2019.
Honda didn’t exactly overhaul the Civic for 2020, but they gave the car a whole bunch of little tweaks that add up to a full update. Improved transmission gearing, LED headlights, and Standard Honda Sensing with features like adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist all help to make the 2020 Civic the obvious choice over a 2019 Civic.
GMC Sierra
The GMC Sierra jumps all the way from sixteenth place to ninth in 2020, selling 253,016 units and setting a new watermark for the nameplate.
For 2020, GMC adds a ten-speed automatic shifter to the Denali, you’ve got a whole bunch more cameras for easy parking and cornering, and an optional ProGrade Trailering system making the Sierra an absolute beast at hauling and towing.
Toyota Tacoma
The Toyota Tacoma climbs from twelfth place to tenth in 2020, selling 238,806 units by year’s end. This marks a four percent drop from the year prior, but Toyota still sold enough units to place the Tacoma as the only non-full-size truck in the top ten.
2020 was a refresh year for the Tacoma, adding ten-speed power driver seats as standard equipment, visual tweaks like redesigned grilles tailored to each trim level, and the addition of Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Amazon Alexa capability.
