Through Q1 2023, we’re tracking three US vehicle sales narratives. Trucks and SUVs outsell cars, pushing tiny vehicles like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla down the list in favour of larger crossovers and SUVs. Outback 25 Subaru (32,767 units sold) Subaru’s second best-selling model is the all-wheel-drive station wagon, which is higher on this list than the Crosstrek, the best-selling model. Minor changes will be made to it for the 2023 model year. Nissan Altima (model 24). (32,832 units sold) Even though sales of the Nissan Altima mid-size sedan dropped by 14% from the year before, it still made it into the top 25. It’s better than cars like the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. Chevrolet Malibu 23 (37,438 units sold) Chevrolet’s Malibu is performing well. Sales rose 46% year-over-year. The 22nd Wrangler Jeep (37,971 units sold) The first quarter of this year was 17 percent lower than last years for Wrangler sales. However, those numbers may increase when the redesigned 2024 model comes out later this year. The CX-5 is made by Mazda (21). (38,727 units were sold in total.) Mazda’s best-selling car has been the CX-5 compact crossover for a while. It made a list even though sales were down 24% from the year before. A crossover SUV is a Subaru Crosstrek 20. (41,562 units sold) As it moves into the 2024 model year, sales of the Crosstrek are up 11% from the year before. Even though the new car has a lot of improvements, the starting price is the same as the 2023 model. Honda Accord 19. (42,806 units sold) So far this year, the successful redesign of the Accord for 2023 has led to more sales. It has gone up by 2% since the same time last year. The 19th Toyota Corolla (42,975 units sold) The Corolla fell one spot on our list because sales have been down 10% this year. Its main competitor, the Honda Civic, is suddenly getting closer. Honda Civic is 17. (45,548 units sold) Honda says it has more cars in stock than ever before, which has helped boost sales of its small Civic sedans and hatchbacks by 10% compared to last year. Tucson Hyundai 16. (46,170 units sold) Hyundai is now breaking sales records, and the small crossover SUV Tucson is a big reason why. Sales were 16% higher than the previous year. Equinox 15 is a Chevrolet model (52,902 units sold) Even though the Equinox isn’t the newest compact crossover on the market, it still sells well enough to keep up with the competition. Toyota Tacoma, model 14. (53,583 units sold) Tacoma sales were unchanged in the first three months of this year. Tacoma fans may be waiting for the 2024 model. Jeep Grand Cherokee (54,502 units sold) Even though it was higher on this list last year, the Grand Cherokee is one of five Stellantis cars whose sales have dropped significantly this year. The Toyota Highlander 12th Gen. (55,344 units sold) Due to a 31% drop in sales, the Ford Explorer sells more than the Highlander, which has three rows of seats. But a brand-new version called the Grand Highlander will be made, with a roomier interior. The eleventh version of the Ford Explorer (58,061 units sold) Over the past year, Explorer’s sales grew by 36%, more than the Toyota Highlander. Except for the Tesla Model Y, which we didn’t include because its third-row seat is so small, it is the most popular three-row SUV in the US right now. Tesla Model 3 10. (63,000 units sold, estimated) During Tesla’s first quarter, which was good, most deliveries were of the Model 3 sedan and the Model Y crossover. However, the company doesn’t break down its sales by region or model, so the numbers below are, as usual, estimates from Automotive News. The Toyota Camry 9th Gen. (66,037 units sold) Hell will freeze before the Toyota Camry loses its non-SUV sales lead. 7% annual increase maintained its status. GMC Sierra (67,198 units sold) The Sierra and the Chevy Silverado are mechanically identical, and this quarter, sales of both the full-size Sierra and the heavy-duty Silverado are up. They went up by 19% from the year before. The CR-V is a small SUV (67,241 units sold) Over the past year, sales of the CR-V grew by 15%, but this quarter, the Nissan Rogue, a competitor, did better. We’ll keep an eye on how the sales competition for compact crossovers changes over the year. The Nissan Rogue 6 is a small SUV (76,499 units sold) Compared to the same quarter in 2022, sales of Rogue grew by 69% this quarter. RAV4 Toyota 5. (84,704 units sold) Last year, the RAV4 was the most popular SUV in America, but it will have to work hard this year to keep that spot. Sales dropped by 16%, and the electric Tesla Model Y, a unique competitor, beat it. Model Y 4 from Tesla (85,000 units sold, estimated) Automotive News praised Model Y’s first quarter. Sales are only behind the top three full-size pickup trucks, so it will be fascinating to see if Tesla can retain this pace until 2023.
