The Ford F-150 lost its bragging rights to the teeny tiny Toyota RAV4 for one important reason
The Ford F-150 is more than big in stature. It’s a sales juggernaut. For over 40 years, the F-150 wasn’t just the best-selling pickup truck in the country, it was the best-selling vehicle full stop. However, consumers are feeling the squeeze of hard times, and the pricey F-150 lost its top spot to the Toyota RAV4.
Just as ‘money makes the world go ‘round’, it stripped the sales crown from the Ford F-150 and handed it to the Toyota RAV4
Americans took home 732,139 Ford F-150 and F-Series trucks last year. That made Ford’s perennially popular pickup the best-selling vehicle of 2024. But that is just the tip of the F-150’s sales iceberg. The F-Series has served as the country’s best-selling pickup truck and overall best-selling vehicle for 47 and 42 years, respectively. That is, until now.
The Toyota RAV4, the brand’s most popular SUV, is now America’s best-seller bar none. And the reason? People simply don’t want to or can’t afford to opt for a pricey pickup truck. Interest rates rose in 2024, prompting consumers to look for more affordable vehicles to serve as utility vehicles and daily drivers.
It makes sense, too. A 2025 Toyota RAV4 starts at around $30,245 for the entry-level LE model. Conversely, Ford’s mega-popular F-150 starts at closer to $39,245 for the 2025 model year. However, while a range-topping RAV4 Limited starts at $38,550, a top-trim F-150 can reach past the $70,000 mark.
Consumers are also feeling the financial burden of fuel costs in addition to rising interest rates and high sticker prices. As a result, consumers often opt for the hybridized versions of the RAV4. Granted, Ford released an EV version of its F-150 pickup truck, the F-150 Lightning.
What’s more, market variety contributed to the decline of the Ford F-150 sales stranglehold. For starters, the F-150 is far from alone in the pickup truck market. The usual suspects remain, like the Chevrolet Silverado and the RAM 1500. But small trucks, like the Toyota Tacoma and Ford Maverick, are a popular choice for consumers’ shifting preferences.
