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Last updated: February 9, 2024
The Most Popular Cars in America in 2022
The number one car, the Ford F-Series, sold over 650,000 units last year.
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In the United States in 2022, the most popular cars were from brands like Toyota, Ford, Chevrolet, and Honda. Although the most popular car was the Ford F-Series pickup truck, with 653,957 units sold in 2022, the brand with the plurality of the top 25 most-sold cars was Toyota. The brand made up 22 percent of the top 25 car models sold. Let’s delve into further interesting statistics about the most popular cars in America.
The Most Popular Cars in America in 2022
By Units Sold
Check out the most popular cars of 2022, such as the Ford F-Series and the Honda Civic.1
| Car make and model | Total units sold in 2022 |
|---|---|
| Ford F-Series | 653,957 |
| Chevrolet Silverado | 513,354 |
| Ram Pickup | 468,344 |
| Toyota RAV4 | 399,941 |
| Toyota Camry | 295,201 |
| GMC Sierra | 241,522 |
| Honda CR-V | 238,155 |
| Toyota Tacoma | 237,323 |
| Tesla Model Y | 231,400 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee | 223,345 |
| Toyota Highlander | 222,805 |
| Toyota Corolla | 222,216 |
| Chevrolet Equinox | 212,072 |
| Ford Explorer | 207,673 |
| Tesla Model 3 | 198,200 |
| Nissan Rogue | 186,480 |
| Jeep Wrangler | 181,409 |
| Hyundai Tucson | 175,307 |
| Subaru Crosstrek | 155,142 |
| Honda Accord | 154,612 |
| Mazda CX-5 | 151,594 |
| Subaru Outback | 147,262 |
| Nissan Altima | 139,955 |
| Ford Escape | 137,370 |
| Honda Civic | 133,932 |
Toyotas made up 22 percent of the top 25 most popular models. Learn about the best auto insurance for Toyotas.
By State
While the Toyota RAV4 dominated the Northeast, the Ford F-Series was the most popular car in the South and Midwest. Altogether, Toyotas were the No. 1 cars in 15 states, compared to 14 states for the Ford F-Series.2 The Tesla Model Y electric vehicle was only No. 1 in one state: California.
| State | Best-selling car in 2022 |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Chevrolet Silverado |
| Alaska | Ram 1500/2500/3500 |
| Arizona | Chevrolet Silverado |
| Arkansas | GMC Sierra |
| California | Tesla Model Y |
| Colorado | Ford F-Series |
| Connecticut | Toyota RAV4 |
| Delaware | Chevrolet Silverado |
| District of Columbia | Toyota RAV4 |
| Florida | Toyota Corolla |
| Georgia | Ford F-Series |
| Hawaii | Toyota Tacoma |
| Idaho | Ford F-Series |
| Illinois | Toyota RAV4 |
| Indiana | Chevrolet Silverado |
| Iowa | Chevrolet Silverado |
| Kansas | Ford F-Series |
| Kentucky | Chevrolet Silverado |
| Louisiana | Ford F-Series |
| Maine | Ford F-Series |
| Maryland | Toyota RAV4 |
| Massachusetts | Toyota RAV4 |
| Michigan | Ford F-Series |
| Minnesota | Chevrolet Silverado |
| Mississippi | Ford F-Series |
| Missouri | Chevrolet Silverado |
| Montana | Ford F-Series |
| Nebraska | Chevrolet Silverado |
| Nevada | Ram 1500/2500/3500 |
| New Hampshire | Toyota RAV4 |
| New Jersey | Honda CR-V |
| New Mexico | Chevrolet Silverado |
| New York | Toyota RAV4 |
| North Carolina | Toyota RAV4 |
| North Dakota | Chevrolet Silverado |
| Ohio | Chevrolet Silverado |
| Oklahoma | Chevrolet Silverado |
| Oregon | Toyota RAV4 |
| Pennsylvania | Toyota RAV4 |
| Rhode Island | Toyota RAV4 |
| South Carolina | Chevrolet Silverado |
| South Dakota | Ford F-Series |
| Tennessee | Ford F-Series |
| Texas | Ford F-Series |
| Utah | Ford F-Series |
| Vermont | Ford F-Series |
| Virginia | Toyota RAV4 |
| Washington | Toyota RAV4 |
| West Virginia | Chevrolet Silverado |
| Wisconsin | Chevrolet Silverado |
| Wyoming | Ram 1500/2500/3500 |
DID YOU KNOW?
California has the highest number of electric vehicle charging ports of any state by far, with 27 per electric vehicle as of September 2021.3 Perhaps that is part of the reason why the state has the highest number of electric vehicle registrations, which make up nearly 40 percent of the national total as of the end of 2021.4
Selling Vehicles in the U.S.
Buying a new car? You’re not alone. In 2021, the last time the Bureau of Transportation Statistics released national data, Americans purchased about 2,376,000 vehicles. That said, car sales have been on the decline since 2016, with the largest percentage decrease of 28 percent occurring between 2019 and 2020.
| Year | Number of passenger motor vehicles sold in thousands of units | Average domestic auto inventories in thousands of units, seasonally adjusted | Total expenditure on new and used cars in millions of dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 3,791 | 806.3 | $287,877 |
| 2011 | 4,146 | 744.3 | $304,446 |
| 2012 | 5,120 | 956.6 | $333,302 |
| 2013 | 5,433 | 1147.5 | $352,050 |
| 2014 | 5,610 | 1242.9 | $375,171 |
| 2015 | 5,595 | 1221.4 | $405,499 |
| 2016 | 5,146 | 1138.6 | $412,652 |
| 2017 | 4,593 | 1078.8 | $427,848 |
| 2018 | 4,087 | 839.8 | $443,979 |
| 2019 | 3,544 | 661.5 | $436,692 |
| 2020 | 2,560 | 504.6 | $460,816 |
| 2021 | 2,376 | 212.3 | n/a |
| 2022 | n/a | 92.9 | n/a |
The COVID-19 pandemic certainly had an effect on car buying — it caused supply chain issues, labor shortages, and car shortages. Plus, inventories had already been on the decline since 2015.5
Even though Americans are buying fewer cars, they’re spending more on them. From 2019 to 2020, as car sales decreased by 28 percent, total spending on new and used cars increased by 6 percent. As anyone who has shopped for a used car or new vehicle knows, the new car shortage has caused prices to skyrocket.
NOTE:
As of December 2022, the average car buyer has paid above the MSRP (manufacturer retail price) every month since July 2021.
While the average price of a new car in 2022 was $48,301, the average price of a used car was $28,219. Fifty-three percent of car shoppers would like to buy new cars, 32 percent would like to buy used cars, and 15 percent are undecided, according to our research.
Conclusion
Despite the decline in vehicles sold, car ownership in the U.S. isn’t going anywhere. In fact, as electric vehicles (EVs) become more commonplace and manufactured by larger players aside from Tesla, we expect a greater number of the most popular vehicles in 2023 to be EVs.
For more information, read our frequently asked questions below, or check out our research on what consumers are looking for in new cars. While price is a top factor in buying decisions for 54 percent of car shoppers, most people’s budgets don’t match the average prices of cars. Many customers have to sacrifice features they want to buy cars they can afford. We hope to see prices decrease in 2023 as supply chains and labor shortages return to pre-pandemic conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the No. 1 selling car in the world?
According to Focus2Move.com, the bestselling passenger car in the world in 2022 was the Toyota Corolla, which sold 1.12 million units.
What are the top 10 cars not to buy?
Consumer Reports found that these 10 cars are the least reliable:
- Chevrolet Colorado
- Chevrolet Silverado 1500
- Ford EcoSport
- Jeep Compass
- Jeep Wrangler
- Subaru Ascent
- Tesla Model S
- Volkswagen Atlas
- Volvo XC60
- Volvo XC90
What is the most successful car?
The most successful car worldwide is the Toyota Corolla. It’s been in production since 1966 and has sold about 50 million units as of 2021.
Senior Writer & Editor
A seasoned journalist and content strategist with over 10 years of editorial experience in digital media, Aliza Vigderman has written and edited hundreds of articles on the site, covering everything from plan coverages to discounts to state laws. Previously, she was a senior editor and industry analyst at the home and digital security website Security.org, previously called Security Baron. She has also contributed to The Huffington Post, SquareFoot, and Degreed. Aliza studied journalism at Brandeis University.
Citations
25 Best-Selling Cars of 2022. Kelley Blue Book. (2023, Jan 10).
https://www.kbb.com/best-cars/top-10-25-best-selling-cars-trucks-suvs/Most popular cars in America. Edmunds. (2023).
https://www.edmunds.com/most-popular-cars/Charging Stations By State. EVAdoption. (2021, Sep 31).
https://evadoption.com/ev-charging-stations-statistics/charging-stations-by-state/Maps and Data – Electric Vehicle Registrations by State. Alternative Fuels Data Center. (2023).
https://afdc.energy.gov/dataDomestic Auto Inventories. FRED Economic Data. (2023, Mar 3).
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/AUINSA
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