The Dodge Durango cracked the list of America’s ten best-selling SUVs in 2004 with the kind of volume the brand has not achieved since. In fact, though much attention has been paid to the Durango of late, Dodge sold more Durangos in calendar year 2004 than they have in the 30 months between November 2011 and April 2014.
Continual drops weren’t yet big enough for Ford to lose hold of its crown as the builder of America’s favourite SUV, the Explorer.
• Top 10 Best-Selling SUVs In America – 2003 Year End
• Top 10 Best-Selling SUVs In America – 2005 Year End
• Top 40 Best-Selling Vehicles In America – 2004 Year End
In the meantime, the Escape was steadily climbing the leaderboard even as it aged. Escape sales jumped 9% in 2004, the biggest increase of any SUV in the top ten aside from the aforementioned Durango.
It’s worth noting, General Motors relied on the second-ranked TrailBlazer’s platform for 9.5% of the company’s U.S. sales volume in 2004. The TrailBlazer’s platform, of course, was also used for the tenth-ranked GMC Envoy (which, combined with the TrailBlazer, outsold the Explorer/Mercury Mountaineer by 35,132 units), Buick Rainier, and Oldsmobile Bravada.
The Ford Motor Company also sold 23,644 copies of the Explorer-based Lincoln Aviator.
|
Rank
|
Best-Selling SUV
|
2004
|
2003
|
% Change |
|
#1
|
Ford Explorer
|
339,333 | 373,118 | -9.1% |
|
#2
|
Chevrolet TrailBlazer
|
283,484 | 261,334 | 8.5% |
|
#3
|
Chevrolet Tahoe
|
186,161 | 199,065 | -6.5% |
|
#4
|
Ford Escape
|
183,340 | 167,678 | 9.4% |
|
#5
|
Jeep Grand Cherokee
|
182,313 | 207,479 | -12.1% |
|
#6
|
Jeep Liberty
|
167,376 | 162,987 | 2.7% |
|
#7
|
Ford Expedition
|
159,846 | 181,547 | -12.0% |
|
#8
|
Honda CR-V
|
149,281 | 143,909 | 3.7% |
|
#9
|
Dodge Durango
|
137,148 | 108,010 | 27.0% |
|
#10
|
GMC Envoy
|
134,897 | 127,782 | 5.6% |
Source: Automakers & ANDC