Jumpstart Automotive Media, a leading media, insights, and marketing solutions company, today released its February shopper interest data results, showing how much luxury-oriented consumers are now cross-shopping full-size pickup trucks. In February, the full-size pickup truck segment climbed four spots from last year and now represents the third most-shopped segment, the highest it’s ever been according to Jumpstart.  

Helping fuel the interest in full-size pickup trucks were the RAM 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500, which made their debuts at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this past January. The fully redesigned RAM 1500 was up 172% in shopper interest from December to January and overtook Ford’s F-150 for the top spot in share among full-size pickup trucks. The Chevrolet Silverado 1500, with a lighter body and now a diesel option, climbed 31% compared with January 2017.

Showcasing the continued power and interest in full-size pickup trucks, this segment represented three of the top-five most-shopped models during January. Ford Mustang finished first in January (#1 in December); RAM 1500 finished second in January (#24 in December, climbing 22 spots); Ford F-150 finished third in January (#4 in December); Chevrolet Camaro finished fourth in January (#7 in December); and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 finished fifth in January (#6 in December).

One of the notable areas that drove this increase in trucks was from luxury shoppers. Luxury shoppers who were also looking at trucks (cross-shopping) were up by 22% from the previous month, while non-luxury shoppers only saw an increase of 11%.

“Luxury shoppers are willing to pay higher prices to get the latest technology and advanced features, and most trucks offer this in some of their higher packages.” said Aline Hilsabeck, senior director of insights and analytics at Jumpstart. “For example, the new RAM 1500 has a trim option that comes with a 12-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, all the blind spot monitoring and advanced safety features, and more.  These are luxury features, so when you combine them with the size, functionality, and versatility of a large pickup truck with towing capability, the appeal is undeniable.”

Jumpstart’s Path to Purchase Reports
Jumpstart analyzes share of shopper interest regularly to gain insight into what consumers are considering when researching their next vehicle purchase, as well as how long it takes them to make a decision and how media influences their shopping process. These insights are based on the shopping patterns of more than 17 million in-market auto shoppers who are researching vehicles across the company’s portfolio of automotive publishers.

About Jumpstart

Jumpstart Automotive Media, a division of Hearst Autos, offers high-impact and performance-driven marketing and advertising solutions that achieve optimum results. An industry thought-leader known for its in-depth shopping reports, Jumpstart connects automotive marketers with the largest, high-performing audience of car shoppers and enthusiasts through partnerships with:Car and Driver, U.S. News Best Cars, J.D. Power Cars, NADAguides, Autoweek.com, Autobytel, Autolist.com, Daily News Autos, LeftLaneNews.com, CarSoup, CarBuzz, CarStory, and VehicleHistory.com.

JumpstartAuto.com, @JumpstartAuto