We tracked a few different storylines as collected U.S. auto sales numbers throughout 2023. Many of the narrative arcs were looking up: the sales numbers were strong, in large regard thanks to increasing inventory. Many automakers were finally able to produce more cars to keep up with demand as supply-chain issues continued to ease. It's not all rosy, as Stellantis didn't quite keep up with the previous year's sales pace, but other major players—namely Ford, GM, Toyota, and Honda—were all up compared with 2022. Here we've ranked the 25 bestselling models by nameplate. Interestingly, it's not just SUVs and trucks that posted big sales increases; even many sedans were up and make up a significant chunk of the list.
Bestselling Cars in 2024
25. Ford Escape (140,968 units sold)
Although the more rugged-looking Bronco Sport is hot on its heels, Ford's more mainstream compact crossover still managed to eke its way onto the bestseller list. The Escape received a refresh for the 2023 model year but still offers the same range of nonhybrid, hybrid, and plug-in-hybrid powertrain options as before.
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24. Subaru Forester (152,566 units sold)
The Forester may not sell as well as the Outback and Crosstrek, but it still managed a respectable showing considering that this is the last year of the current generation. A new 2025 Forester has already been revealed, and yet the outgoing model still managed to jump 34 percent compared with 2022.
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23. Mazda CX-5 (153,808 units sold)
The CX-5 compact crossover has been Mazda's bestselling model for a while now, and it managed to make it onto the overall bestseller list despite a meager 2 percent increase in sales compared with 2022.
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22. Jeep Wrangler (156,581 units sold)
Wrangler sales were down a significant 14 percent compared with 2022. The refreshed 2024 model that went on sale later in the year may continue to improve those numbers throughout 2024, but the Wrangler—and the Jeep brand overall—could be suffering from increased competition from the Ford Bronco lineup.
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21. Subaru Crosstrek (159,193 units sold)
The Crosstrek, with sales up 3 percent compared with 2022, went through a changeover for the 2024 model year. The new car is improved in many ways but has the same starting price as the 2023 model.
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20. Subaru Outback (161,814 units sold)
The Outback received a minor update for the 2023 model year, and the all-wheel-drive station wagon continued strong into the 2024 model year. With a 10 percent increase, it finished the year as the bestselling Subaru, beating the smaller Crosstrek also found on this list.
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19. Toyota Highlander (169,543 units sold)
The Highlander three-row SUV was down 24 percent compared with 2022. We attribute much of that drop to the arrival of the new, larger Grand Highlander, which racked up 48,036 sales of its own in just a few months and will surely continue to encroach on the standard Highlander's territory throughout 2024.
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18. Ford Explorer (186,799 units sold)
The Explorer had plenty of ups and downs this year, but finished 2023 with a 10 percent decline in sales. Even still, it managed to beat out the Toyota Highlander in the three-row-SUV sales race.
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17. Honda Accord (197,947 units sold)
The Accord's successful 2023 redesign, paired with increasing inventory levels, helped lift its sales numbers in 2023. It was up 28 percent compared with a soft result in 2022. But it was outsold by both the smaller Civic and by its chief rival, the Toyota Camry, which is redesigned for 2025.
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16. Honda Civic (200,381 units sold)
Honda says it had lots more inventory in 2023 than it did in 2022, and that has helped the Civic range of compact sedans and hatchbacks enjoy a huge 50 percent rise in sales compared with the previous year.
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15. Hyundai Tucson (209,624 units sold)
Hyundai is setting its own sales records these days, and the company is led by the Tucson compact crossover. Its sales rose 20 percent compared with the previous year.
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14. Chevy Equinox (212,701 units sold)
The Equinox isn't the newest compact crossover on the block, and it's a bit behind its competitors in terms of sales. While the Honda CR-V and Nissan Rogue both posted notable increases, the Equinox's numbers were flat throughout this year.
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13. Toyota Corolla (232,370 units sold)
Corolla sales were up nearly 5 percent over 2022, meaning it maintains its high standing on this list. That's notable for 2023, as few compact cars remain among America's bestsellers, and the Toyota also finished the year quite a bit ahead of its close rival the Honda Civic.
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12. Tesla Model 3 (232,700 units sold, estimated)
Tesla had a big year, and the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover made up a vast majority of deliveries. But, as always, the numbers here are merely estimates from Automotive News, as the company itself doesn't break out its sales by region or model.
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11. Toyota Tacoma (234,768 units sold)
Tacoma sales were down 1 percent in 2023. Many Taco faithful are likely waiting for the new model that's arriving for the 2024 model year, and we can see why given how it outperformed the old model handily in our testing.
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10. Jeep Grand Cherokee (244,595 units sold)
Earlier in the year, the Grand Cherokee was previously one of several Stellantis models with sales declines. But a strong second half helped the mid-size SUV rise 10 percent compared with 2022.
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9. Nissan Rogue (271,458 units sold)
Similar to some of its rivals, Rogue sales saw a huge jump this year, increasing 46 percent over 2022. That surely still included some sales of the smaller Rogue Sport subcompact crossover, but that model has been discontinued and will trickle out of the sales reports from now on.
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8. Toyota Camry (290,649 units sold)
We think hell will freeze over before the Toyota Camry relinquishes its spot as the bestselling non-SUV in the country. Its sales declined 2 percent compared with 2022, but it maintained its place and even managed to pass the Nissan Rogue.
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7. GMC Sierra (295,737 units sold)
The Sierra is a mechanical twin to the Chevy Silverado, and this full-size pickup and its heavy-duty stablemate both had a strong year. They increased by 22 percent overall compared with the previous year.
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6. Honda CR-V (361,457 units sold)
After a supply-limited 2022 hampered CR-V deliveries significantly, sales were up 52 percent in 2023. But it still finished well behind the Toyota RAV4. We'll see if it can make up more ground in 2024.
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Joey Capparella
Deputy Editor, Rankings Content
Despite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.
