A compact crossover is coming for America's pickup vans. Here are the top-selling cars of 2023

DETROIT – America maintained its love affair with pickup vans in 2023 — however a top-selling car from Toyota Motor practically ruined their tailgate get together.

Sales of the Toyota RAV4 compact crossover got here inside 10,000 items of Stellantis‘ Ram pickup truck final 12 months, a near-No. 3 rating that might have marked the first time since 2014 {that a} non-pickup claimed one of the prime three U.S. gross sales podium positions.

The RAV4 has quickly closed the hole: In 2020, the car undersold the Ram truck by greater than 133,000 items. Last 12 months, it lagged by simply 9,983. Stellantis bought 444,926 Ram pickups final 12 months, a 5% decline from 2022.

“Trucks are all the time at the prime as a result of they’re purchased by not solely people, but additionally fleet patrons and we noticed heavy fleet shopping for final 12 months,” stated Michelle Krebs, an govt analyst at Cox Automotive. “The RAV4 reveals that folks need reasonably priced, smaller SUVs, and the reality that there is additionally a hybrid model of that makes it fashionable with individuals.”

At 750,789 items bought, Ford Motor’s F-Series pickups, which embrace the F-150 and its bigger siblings, led the business for the 42^nd consecutive 12 months. They have been adopted by General Motors’ Chevrolet Silverado pickup with gross sales of 543,780 items.

Rounding out the prime 5 have been the RAV4 at 434,943 items bought and the Tesla Model Y at 394,497, based on knowledge and gross sales estimates from Motor Intelligence. (Tesla doesn’t disclose regional gross sales by car.) The Model Y moved up one position in the rankings in contrast with 2022.

The success of the RAV4 is notable. It aligns with Toyota’s growing lead as America’s second bestselling automaker, behind GM however outselling Ford annually since 2020.

Toyota first overtook Ford throughout the coronavirus pandemic and has continued to extend its gross sales lead since, outpacing the Detroit automaker by greater than 250,000 items in 2023.

The Japanese automaker additionally notably bested GM to develop into the country’s top-selling automaker for the first time ever in 2021 amid main manufacturing and provide chain disruptions attributable to the coronavirus pandemic. GM has since reclaimed its crown and outsold Toyota by lots of of hundreds of automobiles in 2022 and 2023.

Ivan Drury, director of insights at Edmunds, stated the RAV4 in addition to the Honda CR-V, which ranked sixth final 12 months in gross sales, supply one thing utterly completely different than American pickups: Small, economical automobiles that match many American’s life and budgets amid excessive rates of interest and financial uncertainty.

“It’s all these different issues that we have skilled all through the final 12 months that sort of power individuals into sensible purchases,” he stated. “I believe these automobiles converse to the most sensible buy you should buy.”

New car gross sales have been stronger and extra constant than anticipated all through 2023, notching the business’s finest 12 months of sales since 2019.

Motor Intelligence studies automakers bought 15.6 million automobiles in the U.S. in 2023, a 12.3% improve from 2022. That compares with greater than 17 million automobiles bought in 2019 earlier than the coronavirus pandemic upending the world auto market.

December gross sales, which have been reported this week, have been surprisingly robust, as automakers upped incentive spending to maneuver merchandise.

Auto gross sales to finish the 12 months elevated 13% in contrast with December 2022, greater than double some analyst forecasts.

Automotive analysts and forecasters expect sales this year to be between roughly 15.6 million and 16.1 million automobiles. GM stated Wednesday it expects the industry to hit 16 million items bought in 2024.

Here are the 10 bestselling automobiles in the U.S. by unit gross sales for 2023, based on Motor Intelligence.