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Ranking full-size pickup trucks by the size of their discounts

Each and every month, full-size pickup trucks dominate the new-car sales reports in America. It's been that way for years — the Ford F-Series has been America's best-selling vehicle for 38 consecutive years — and it's not going to change any time soon. With that in mind, we've compiled this list of discounts on brand-new full-size pickup trucks using data provided by Truecar, including their average retail prices, average transaction prices and discounts in dollars and percentage off list price. We've also created a visualization of the best deals Americans are scoring on the three best-selling models in America. If you're looking for the absolute biggest discount you can find on a new truck, look no further than your nearest Ram dealership, then scour the lot for a leftover 2019 1500 model. Buyers are averaging nearly 13% off the cost of the 2019 Ram, paying an average transaction cost of $41,667. That's $6,071 off the average retail price, which equals the best truck deal in October. The 2020 edition isn't discounted nearly as far, averaging $2,852 off for an average transaction price of $48,904. The next best deal is on the 2019 Ford F-150; its average transaction price of $43,064 equals $3,843 off its sticker price. The 2020 F-150's $2,810 discount means buyers are paying around $47,300. They should know, though, that a brand-new model is coming for 2021, so we'd expect bigger discounts on remaining 2020 inventory in the coming months. Moving to General Motors, the best deal you'll find is on leftover 2019 Chevy Silverado 1500s, which are selling for an average of $47,043. That's $2,852 off the sticker price. Interestingly, 2020 Silverados are seeing slightly lower transaction prices at $46,009, but with a smaller average discount of $1,693. The 2020 GMC Sierra is mechanically similar to the Chevy, but aimed at buyers who want a bit more luxury. That's reflected in the 2020 Sierra 1500's average transaction price of $54,491, which is $2,131 off its sticker. If pickup trucks aren't your thing, take a look at this list of the best new car deals in America based on the percentage discount off their suggested asking prices here. And when you're ready to buy, click here for the Autoblog Smart Buy program, which brings you a hassle-free buying experience with over 9,000 Certified Dealers nationwide.

Ford sells 7-millionth Explorer in America

Say what you will about the evolution of the Ford Explorer, from roofed Ranger to body-on-frame sport utility vehicle to unibody crossover - the bottom line is that it's been a tremendously successful model for Ford. In fact, the Blue Oval automaker has sold seven million Explorer models in the United States alone.
The milestone, marked nearly a quarter-century after the introduction of the original in 1990, comes on the eve of the introduction of a new Explorer at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week. We don't yet know how the new Explorer will shape up, but we're mere days away from finding out.
Now heading into its sixth generation, the Explorer has formed the basis of Ford's utility lineup for over two decades. The Explorer landed on the market right around the time that the Bronco was trailing off, predating the company's expansion into larger SUVs like the Expedition and Excursion and crossovers like the Escape, Edge and Flex.

NHTSA releases updated Takata airbag recalled cars list, but it still has errors

Unfortunately, the government's list still contains errors.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued an updated list of vehicle models that it's urging owners to repair under the mushrooming Takata airbag inflator recall. The latest version adds vehicles from new automakers like Subaru and Ford that are missing from the original announcement, and it also removes erroneous entries from General Motors, leaving only the 2005 Saab 9-2X (a reskinned Subaru WRX), and the 2003-2005 Pontiac Vibe, a joint project with Toyota.