USA Light Vehicle Sales: 2025-26 (Jan-Jun)

US light vehicle sales are down around or slightly above the 3% mark. If the figures below are rounded, then they are educated estimates or the way they are released by the car company. Otherwise they are exact numbers per the car company. 

Toyota is gradually pulling away at the top from Ford and Chevrolet. The next four Asian brands have all increased their share. 

There are small brands like Morgan that don't report sales, although Morgan for example could be about 150 sales in H1 2026.

If you are wondering why the usual influx of new Chinese brands aren't listed, it's because they haven't arrived. As this list is compiled from each car brand's press releases, I'm glad they haven't arrived. It's a big enough job as it is without more brands.  

Data source: Car companies. 
Photos: Ford Maverick, Nissan Sentra & Tesla Y.

USA Electric Vehicle Sales: 2023-2026 (H1)

Some people love them, others dismiss them, while some even dislike them. The electric car. Wherever you sit on the spectrum, they are here to varying degrees depending on where you live. 

The US is a very large car market so are electric cars having much impact there? Federal Electric Vehicle purchase incentives were put in place to entice buyers. Did it work?

2023: US EV sales reached just over 1.2 million, up 46.3%. Tesla contributed 54% of the total. The future looked electric even though at this point they accounted for about 7.5% of all sales.

2024: The total crept up to 1.3 million, up 7.3%. Tesla was the major brand with nearly 50% of the total. Were there signs that a ceiling was being reached?

2025: The national $7,500 new EV and $4,000 used EV incentives ended on September 30, 2025. It left buyers primarily relying on individual state rebates. Coming late in the year, it didn't have a huge impact but a 2% drop in the total showed it did have an effect. 

2026: Half way through the year and with numbers down 23%, it would seem that a lowering of incentives has impacted. Fossil fuel prices are up so will some switch to EVs as a result? Early indicators suggest not too many as yet. 

So EVs still need incentives to encourage some to join the movement. They also aren't practical for many either so even incentives won't sway a sizable number anyway. They are here to stay but in places where incentives don't exist or are limited, they remain an unlikely purchase. 

Data source: Cox Automotive. Photos: Tesla 3, Rivian R2.

Mexico USA Car Production : 2025

US car makers with plants in Mexico now have to deal with tariffs on cars entering the USA. This has obviously impacted the profits of the vehicles involved. 

Ford: It makes three models here for a combined total of 417,000. The compact Bronco Sport crossover SUV and compact Maverick pick up truck benefit from lower wages as magins are tighter on compact sized vehicles. 

GM: It manufactured over 800,000 vehicles in 2025. While some model production will return to the US, it is committed to continued investment and will retain the four plants it operates through.  

Stellantis: Jeep and Ram are the two brands that make vehicles here. Combined, 266,000 units were assembled in Mexico. 

Jeep is just starting production of the Recon BEV. The compact Compass crossover SUV is the mainstay of Jeep manufacturing.

Ram makes mainly pick up trucks here but also the large Promaster van. Some pick up production will return Stateside.

Summary: Mexico was an appealing place to make vehicles and it still is. Recent moves have made it a little less appealing. 

Data source: INEGI. Photo; Mexico Now (Ram 1500).

USA Top Models: 2025

The list below is for models from manufacturers who were open enough to publish the sales figures. All exceeded 100,000 units delivered. They came from US manufacturers as well as Japan and Korea. European models didn't make the cut.

China is conspicuous by its absence but models do make it there is when a brand imports them from a joint venture they have in China. Perhaps somewhere in the region of 100,000 were brought in during 2024. That number may drop in future due to increased import duty. 

Of course, with an embarassingly large US$1.2 trillion trade surplus in 2025, China will be opening its border to allow more imports and not be concerned about minimal access to the US. 

Data source: Manufacturers. Photos: Chervolet (Siverado) & Ford (Bronco Sport) USA.

USA Car/Light Truck Sales : 2025

Gradually, the amount of data available is shrinking. It is largely dependant on the car makers themselves to voluntarily release the sales figures. It may not be easy to publish information when there is a decrease but there are many reasons why sales retracted and not necessarily an admission of failure. 

You can tell which ones are estimates by the rounded figures. The largest non compliant brand is Tesla and sources vary wildly regarding sales numbers. That is a consistent theme. 

JLR used to give North American sales for Land Rover and Jaguar separately which gave a basis to estimate reasonably accurately. They are combined now but with Jaguar in run out mode, not too disruptive. Comparing JLR's data with some of the figures published, I wonder how some sources come up with the numbers they do.

Many smaller marques do publish North American sales like JLR does, but Q4 data by them is published quite late in an Annual Report format, so Q1-Q3 is used as a basis.  

There isn't much change to be seen here percentagewise. The top four are the same as last year. Mercedes-Benz, VW, Audi, Dodge and Mitsubishi all had double digit drops. There is a dearth of double digit upturns, volume increases with the top two being the reason for that. 

For the 2024 articles, simply click on the links below:

By brand. 

By model. 

Data sources: Brands & estimates. Picture sources: GMC (Canyon) & Buick (Envista).

US Model Sales : 2023/24

I've done a breakdown by model for many brands this year and now the summary chart I guess you could call it. The Ford F-Series took its customary place at the top with the Chevrolet Silverado was second for the third consecutive year. The RAM P/U range dropped to fifth, the last time it was lower was in 2012. 

Japanese brands are well represented, including Lexus which had the distinction of being the only premium marque represented. Korea too has some models here but notice not one from Europe and of course nothing from China.  

The top picture is of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, over 200,000 sold but down 12% as expected from a Stellantis model. Below the 'compact' Maverick pick-up with sales picking up nicely by 39% to 131,000. 

Data source: Manufacturers & estimates.

Mercedes US Model Sales : 2023/24

If there is one thing German marques do well in and that's complexity. It is at least partly fueled by intense competition and entering every niche they can think of. 

Looking at the list to the right bears this out and not all models available are here. Merecedes-Benz can point to the success they enjoy as justification and I can't deny that. It's a complex world and I believe at some point that becomes inefficient. 

Moving on, the GLE and GLC are the best selling passenger vehicles. Vans are combined and collectively they are up there with strong sales although they took a hit in 2024, taking them from top to third. The CLS and A-Class have been discontinued.

Data & pictures: Mercedes-Benz.

Sales for the year were the same as last year. The best performing models were the GLC (picture above) which was up 58% and the GLA up 65%. The CLE (picture below) arrived in 2024. 

Subaru / Genesis US Model Sales : 2023/24

Here we have two marques from Asia. Let's look at their place in the USA.

Subaru: Subaru relies on a handful of markets for most of its volume and does well in them, the US being the most important one of them.  

The brand is so successful in the US it's hard to imagine the brand exisiting without that success. 

Sales were up 6% YTD so a sound result. The Crosstrek and Forester are the main models with 54% of the total between then. The outback did OK but after that some reductions in sales.

Subaru has an outdoors, adventure image and that is what drives its success. The 668,000 sales gained in the US is enormous for what could be described as a niche brand. 

Genesis: It is a recent addition to the premium ranks and for now at least dependant on its protected home market. The US will be a target export market it will want to succeed in. 

Arriving in the USA in 2016, sales were at first up and down but for the two previous years there has been a strong increase. That has slowed in 2024 with no new models added. 

Volume was up 8% with the GV80 up 16% and the G80 down 22% (G is for sedan and GV SUV). 

Genesis is still a small player in the premium arena but it's early days. Conquest sales are a challenge in the premium segment. 

Data & pictures: Volvo & Genesis. V60 above & the GV70 below.

Volvo / Porsche US Model Sales : 2023/24

I've combined a Swede with a German Brand that are both premium and that compete with SUVs. Otherwise they are completely different. 

Volvo: Premium buyers are conservative and brand conscious so not always easily wooed. Volvo has a solid customer base and has recently attracted new customers as it returns to the former success it once enjoyed. 

Sales were down 3% with settled sales for most models. The 60 Series was up 29% so surprisingly the most successful ni 2024. 

That counted the C40's downward slump by 79%. Wow. Apparently, hybrids are doing well for Volvo but electric less so. This rush into electric has been pulled back by Volvo and others too.

SUVs lead the way for Volvo with the three at the top of the sales chart to the right of that persuasion. The usual USA's bigger is better philosophy is manifest as well. 125,000 sale is a good result I'd have thought.

Porsche: Sales were down 1%. The top selling model, the Macan dropped 7% which was the difference between sales being up or not. The Cayenne and 911 were OK but the rest down. Electric again not delivering with the Taycan down 37%.  

Data & picture sources: Subaru, Porsche.

Nissan / Infiniti US Model Sales : 2023/24

Nissan sales for the year were up 4% which is not bad in the current climate. Infiniti was down 10% though. So how did sales by model go? The data source is Nissan and the photos are by Nissan and Infiniti.

Nissan: The Rogue is the main model with 31% of all sales and despite it being down 9.5%, it didn't stop the brand from increasing. The facelift Sentra (pictured above) was up 40% so that was a huge help. The Versa was up 72% and the Ariya 47%.

Some of the smaller selling models were the ones that went down the most. The Murano (-38%) is soon to be replaced with a new generation model. The Armada (-28%) dropped its base model which seems to have affected volume. 

The Titan pick up truck (-24%) is being dropped altogether. The Maxima sedan has been axed but will be replaced with an electric model that's coming in 2025. 

Infiniti: The marque's sales were down 10% which wasn't an impressive result. With Acura selling over 130,000 units, I would have thought Infiniti's 58,000 is a fair way short of where it should be. 

Over 153,000 Infiniti vehicles were sold in 2017, so the fall since then has been dramatic. Perhaps they were pushing volume too much back then. 

The QX50 compact crossover (picture above) was up 8% but the rest were down to varying degrees. A new QX80 large SUV is coming so that would explain the 19% drop there. The QX55 crossover coupe's sales dropped -31% and the Q60 coupe is discontinued. 

Toyota / Lexus US Model Sales : 2023/24

Toyota and Lexus are very popular in the US and it got better in 2024. Combined they sold over to 2.3 million. That's less than GM's 2.7 million but that puts it second for company sales. 

So what's selling?

Toyota Brand: Sales are up 3% or 59,000 units. That's not substantial but the total is which shows just how well the brand is viewed in the US. It's the biggest selling nameplate.

The RAV4 is the most popular model with 24% of the total sales for the brand. That's no mean feat considering the large range offered by Toyota. It's also up 9% for the year. 

The Camry is in a segment that many other brands have abandoned and it's enjoying success with less competition in a shrinking area of the market. 

The Corolla kept an even keel while its jacked up namesake had a 31% increase to 93,000 sales. 

The Tacoma pick up is down 18% while its bigger brother the Tundra is up 27% but when combined sales are down. Maybe they'll pick up next year. 

The Mirai hydrogen fuel cell model had a quiet 2024 but its hard to read anything into that, seeing that it's a technology that's yet to take off. 

I've combined the Highlander with the Grand Highlander, the latter closing in numerically on its smaller sibling as expected for the newer Grand model.

The Crown Signia SUV is supposed to be replacing the Venza but sales wouldn't give that impression so I've kept them apart. 

Data & picture source: Toyota & Lexus. Photo above the Toyota Venza and below the Lexus TX. 

Lexus: Sales are up here too, but only by 8%. That's over 25,000 more than 2023 so a good result. The US hasn't taken the LBX which is doing well elsewhere but small isn't what USA buyers go for so a fair call. 

The most popular model, the RX is up 4%, but the new TX is already proving popular. The GX is down 3% but may have been affected by the arrival of the slightly smaller but not too dissimilar sized TX. The bargelike LX did similar numbers to last year.

Those ladies below look shifty.

VW / Audi US Model Sales : 2023/24

VW and its premium marque Audi come together here to see how they went in 2024. Mainstrean Euro brands are thin on the ground in the US, Fiat being the only other example and they are rarer than hen's teeth. However, it's a different story in the premium segment where Euro marques are as popular as lederhosen at an Oktoberfest.  

VW: The brand was up 15% with the Tiguan and Atlas SUVs leading the way, both up 24%. The Jetta was up 52%, now the only sedan left as the Arteon is the way out. It was down 47%.

The ID.4 is currently the sole electric model and has slipped back. The headlong rush to get into that arena hasn't proved to be the eldorado it was expected to become by now. 

Overall an impressive result with most models contributing to that. The range is more limited than in other markets but in this market it's all that is needed. There will be a 'buzz' around VW's  US HQ.

Audi: In contrast, sales are down 14%, with the Q5 leading the way with a 23% drop and 17,346 fewer registrations. The Q3 is up 45% but unable to negative the volume loss of its larger sibling. The A5 was up 4% but the Q& and Q8 both dropped by over a quarter.

The range is wide and new models are arriving such as the Q6 but in many countries Audi sales have retreated in number. Audi gives the impression that it's pulling back on chasing volume and if that is the case, not a bad move. 

Data and picture source: VW Group.

Hyundai / Kia US Model Sales : 2023/24

Two brands from the same stable but carefully managed to be sufficiently distinct from each other. Could the differentiation between them be greater? I guess it's working as it is.

Hyundai: Sales are up 4% to 837,000. The Tucson SUV is the clear best selling model for the brand. The Elantra, Sonata and Ioniq 6 show that US buyers still quite like their sedans even if local brands have given up on them. 

They took 26.1% of sales in 2024 . The Elantra is up 2%, Sonata 53% and the IONIQ 6 -6%. The top two SUVs both dropped in numbers but others compensated. Overall a solid result.

Kia: Sales were up by 2%, despite the top two being up 15% and 13%. The K5 was on run out and that has affected the total. The EV9 has arrived this year and has already nearly chalked up 10,000 sales. Losing the Rio hurt numbers. 

The Stinger has already left without a replacement but a K4 model is coming which seems to be replacing both the Forte and K5, slotting in between them in terms of size. 

Data and pictures: Hyundai and Kia.

Mazda / Mitsubishi US Model Sales : 2023/24

Two M brands from Japan share this page together. That's about the only connection they have though. Mazda is the larger of the two here and has a more comprehensive range. However, both Mazda and Mitsubishi are smaller mainstream companies.

Mazda: Sales in the US are up a decent 17%. The leading model (CX-5) is down 13% but that is more than compensated by other models. The CX-30 is up 25% and the CX-50 by 83%. The CX-90 is replacing the CX-9. SUVs dominate the range.

For cars, the 3 is the only regular passenger car, sold as a sedan and hatchback. It enjoyed a 27% hike in sales. The MX-5 was down 10%. 

Mitsubishi: A small range of models and modest volume characterise the brand in the US as is the case in many other markets. The Mirage is the sole passenger car and it had a strong 125% increase in sales. It has few competitors in the US.

However, it's the Outlander that is the backbone of the range with 48% of all sales. The Outlander Sport is known as the ASX in other markets such as here in New Zealand. It and the Eclipse Cross are small for US tastes so sell in subdued numbers. 

Data and pictures: Mazda and Mitsubishi. 

Honda / Acura US Model Sales : 2023/24

Both Honda and Acura have a good reputation in the USA. Honda in particular sells very strongly. Acura has its work cut out against several bigger selling premium marques, including fellow countryman Lexus.

Honda: The brand was up 11%  with the CR-V up 11% too and the Civic +21%. The Accord is down 18% and the HR-V up 24%. 

The CR-V is clearly the best selling model but for many years before it was the Accord, until 2014. In 2015, the Civic took over for just one year and then the CR-V has been top since. Those three are still on top but the HR-V looks destined to change that.

Acura: A North American brand which doesn't even feature in Japan. It has occasionally been used elsewhere but without much success but it works well in the US. 

Passenger cars were down 35% and SUVs were up 4% but combined sales were down 9% at 132,000. 

Acura is currently based around three main models, the RDX crossover the only one up at the present (+10%). The ADX SUV will join the range in 2025.

The new electric ZDX (picture to the left) is an interesting one. Honda has a cousin in the form of the Prologue and it has relatives in Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac. That's quite a family! It's built at a GM factory in Tenessee. 

Obviously, there are cost savings in sharing costs (which I think the industry doesn't do enough of) but the brands all have their own level of trim and sophistication so it's the way forward for the industry. 

Data & photo source Honda.