Crossovers are Americans’ favorite type of passenger vehicle. This category accounts for over 45 percent of automobile sales in the United States as of June 2022. The most popular models include Honda’s CR-V, Nissan’s Rogue, and Toyota’s RAV4. In the first quarter of 2022, U.S. auto buyers bought just under 101,200 units of Toyota’s RAV4 model, making it the best-selling vehicle in this category.
Toyota is the market leader
The RAV4 was one of the very first specimens of its kind, as production of this model began in 1994. Toyota was the second most valuable automotive manufacturer worldwide in 2022, with a brand value of just over 33.1 billion dollars. It followed Tesla, which was first in the ranking with a gap of over 42 billion dollars compared to the runner-up. Toyota’s net revenue rose to 31.4 trillion Japanese yen in 2022 (around 257 billion U.S. dollars as of March 2022 exchange rates), a visible growth of over 15 percent compared to 2021, despite the manufacturer being impacted by the global automotive chip shortage.
Crossovers benefit from the shift away from sedans
Crossover SUVs (sport utility vehicles) combine the fuel efficiency levels of compact and midsized cars and the higher seating positions of light trucks. They gained in popularity when fuel prices were low and, consequently, automakers increased production volumes and model additions of this vehicle type. Between 2014 and 2021, U.S. car sales fell from over 7.7 million to around 3.34 million units. Concurrently, light truck sales increased from 8.7 million units in 2014 to close to 11.6 million units in 2021. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on vehicle demand led to a 9.6 percent drop in light truck sales in 2020. This drop in vehicle sales impacted countries across the globe. In 2020, Germany recorded a loss of over 140,000 sales of SUVs compared to 2019, whereas China’s new SUV registrations remained stable between the two years.
FAQs
Pickup trucks and SUVs are the leading vehicle types in the United States. Passenger cars, like sedans, are just as common but not as popular as SUVs and trucks. Read more: Best Car Insurance for a Honda Accord.
What is America's number one selling vehicle? ›
The Ford F-Series maintained its spot as the best-selling vehicle in America for over four decades straight. Of the two million cars that Ford sold last year, nearly 40% were of the F-Series. While the automaker has cut back electric vehicle (EV) plans for 2024, sales of EV models increased 18% over the year.
What is the most popular car body type? ›
SUVs pass sedans as most popular body type in US auto market.
What is the number one vehicle on the market? ›
1. Ford F-Series. The Ford F-150's offers the best attributes of a modern pickup: power, efficiency, comfort and capability. Add to that a huge range of configurations and options, and you've got the best-selling vehicle in America for 2023.
What is the trend in the US vehicle market? ›
US Total Vehicle Sales is at a current level of 16.22M, up from 16.01M last month and up from 16.21M one year ago. This is a change of 1.29% from last month and 0.06% from one year ago.
What percent of US cars are SUVs? ›
Over 52 percent of automobiles purchased in 2021 were SUVs, more than two to one over sedans. The first four months of 2022 showed that 72.9 percent of all car purchased were either SUVs or pickups. With the rise of bigger, heavier, more powerful vehicles comes the alarming rise in pedestrian fatalities.
What type of car do most Americans drive? ›
Most Popular Cars in the U.S.
The Ford F-150 is the most popular used car nationwide, based on 2023 sales. More than three percent of all one-to-five-year-old used car sales were Ford F-150 pickups in 2023. Other car models that rank among the most popular in 2023 included: Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (2.6% of sales)
Which car is No 1 in America? ›
FAQs. What Is The Top Selling Car? The top selling vehicle in the US is the Ford F-150 with 750,789 units sold in 2023. The best-selling cars (as in, a traditional sedan), is the Toyota Camry with 290,649 units sold in 2023.
What is the most common type of car? ›
Crossovers are Americans' favorite type of passenger vehicle. This category accounts for over 45 percent of automobile sales in the United States as of June 2022. The most popular models include Honda's CR-V, Nissan's Rogue, and Toyota's RAV4.
What is the most purchased vehicle in America? ›
1. Ford F-150. Ford's F-Series has been the top-selling vehicle in the United States since 1981. Once more, the ever-popular pickup truck is the best-selling vehicle in America in 2021.
What company sells the most cars? The company that sold the most cars globally is Toyota. The Toyota group including, Toyota, Lexus, Daihatsu, and Hino, sold a combined 10 million vehicles in 2022. Toyota alone is the most sold brand globally selling over 8.5 million vehicles.
What month has the most car sales? ›
Peak Seasons. The two peak seasons for auto sales occur during the spring, from March through the end of May, and from September through November.
Should you buy a car in 2024? ›
Experts say that 2024 will be the best year to purchase a new car since 2019. As interest rates slowly drop throughout the remainder of the year, payments will become more manageable. Don't overlook manufacturer rate promotions, as they can save you thousands of dollars.
What is the most sold car in the US of all time? ›
1955 Ford F-100. Over 40,000,000. America's bestselling vehicle for 40 consecutive years; 33,900,000 in 12 generations to May 2010.
Why are people buying SUVs instead of sedans? ›
SUVs typically have a larger cargo area with trunk access through a flip-up rear hatch door, which may make them a convenient option for families or new parents wondering where they'll fit all that baby gear. Under the hood, you'll typically find SUVs to have more powerful engines to accommodate their size and weight.
Do more people drive sedans or SUVs? ›
From large to small, sport utility vehicles are the most popular category of new vehicle by a wide margin. But many buyers still want to drive four-door sedans. It seems like nearly everyone buys an SUV of some sort these days, and statistics bear that out.
What is the #1 American made car? ›
Which Car Ranks #1 Among American-Made Vehicles? The Tesla Model Y took the top spot in the 2023 AMI rankings, marking the third consecutive year that an electric vehicle headed the list. In the previous rankings, Tesla's Model 3 was #1. Tesla vehicles landed in the first four spots on the 2023 list.
What is the most iconic vehicle in America? ›
The most iconic car in American history is the Ford Model T, which was first released in 1908.
What vehicle is used the most? ›
At the forefront of this trend are trucks, with used Ford F-150s taking the #1 spot. A used Ford F-150 in the United States currently averages $34,594.
