Car and Driver
Following car sales in 2022 requires careful management of expectations. As supply chain issues continue to affect dealer inventory, it’s difficult for those in the market to find a new vehicle to buy—let alone for an affordable price. So it’s no surprise that many automakers are reporting sales declines compared to 2021. However, some models are breaking through the chaos. Here’s our list of the 25 best-selling cars, SUVs and trucks for the year.
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25. Honda Civic (133,932 units sold)
Like many of the other cars on this list, the Civic suffered from supply issues that contributed to a 49 percent drop in sales in 2022. That’s despite the fact that the Civic sedan and hatchback were redesigned for the 2022 model year.
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24. Ford Escape (137,370 units sold)
Ford Escape sales are down 6 percent from 2021, and better watch out, as the more distinctive Bronco Sport is catching up in terms of sales. The “baby Bronco” will sell nearly 100,000 units by 2022.
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23. Nissan Altima (139,955 units sold)
With sales up 35 percent in 2022, the Altima mid-size sedan is outselling the Sentra compact sedan by a wide margin. Sentra sales down 40 percent.
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22. Subaru Outback (147,262 units sold)
The Outback sold more units this year than the Forester, but the Crosstrek overtook it to become the best-selling Subaru. Sales are down 5 percent compared to last year.
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21. Mazda CX-5 (151,594 units sold)
Mazda sales picked up at the start of the year, but things slowed in the second half of 2022. The CX-5, which was just updated for the 2022 model year, is still leading the charge, even though its sales were down 10 percent from 2021.
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20. Honda Accord (154,612 units sold)
The Accord is our perennial favorite, even though sales are down 24 percent from 2021. It’s no longer chasing the Toyota Camry for best-selling non-SUV in the country, but we’d still pick it over the popular Toyota. Maybe the new 2023 Accord could turn things around.
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19. Subaru Crosstrek (155,142 units sold)
With sales up 22 percent compared to 2021, the Crosstrek is now the best-selling model in the Subaru lineup. It uses the same formula as the old Outback Sport model: it’s a facelifted version of the Impreza hatchback with extra body cladding and a nice roof rack. There is a redesigned model coming for the 2024 model year.
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18. Hyundai Tucson (175,307 units sold)
It’s no surprise that the Tucson is Hyundai’s representative on this bestseller list. Not only was it redesigned for 2022, it also competes in the popular crossover compact segment, and sales are up around 16 percent over 2021 totals.
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17. Jeep Wrangler (181,409 units sold)
The Wrangler is to Jeep what 501s are to Levi’s, but it’s not the brand’s best-selling model. The Grand Cherokee has been outpacing this iconoclastic 4×4 of late, and we’re left wondering how much the 117,057 Ford Bronco units sold in 2022 factored into the Wrangler’s 11 percent drop from last year.
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16. Nissan Rogue (186,480 units sold)
Sales of the Nissan Rogue are down 35 percent from 2021, meaning it’s lagging behind other compact-crossover competitors on this list. And this despite the fact that Nissan combined sales figures for the standard Rogue and the smaller Rogue Sport.
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15. Tesla Model 3 (190,472 units sold, estimated)
The Model 3 and Model Y make up the bulk of Tesla’s shipments in 2022. But because Tesla doesn’t break out its US sales numbers from its global numbers, we use Automotive News sales estimate.
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14. Ford Explorer (207,673 units sold)
The Explorer hasn’t been keeping up with its midsize SUV rivals lately, with sales down 6 percent compared to 2021. The Jeep Grand Cherokee and Toyota Highlander, meanwhile, both now find themselves higher on the list.
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13. Chevy Equinox (212,072 units sold)
The Equinox currently ranks third in the mainstream compact crossover sales race. Sales increased 28 percent compared to 2021.
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12. Toyota Corolla (222,216 units sold)
The Toyota Corolla is synonymous with fuel efficiency, reliability, and affordability, but its popularity is on the wane. Sales are down 11 percent compared to 2021. The GR Corolla 300 hp hot hatchback that just hit the market is certainly exciting, but it won’t be able to increase Corolla volumes significantly due to its niche status.
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11. Toyota Highlander (222,805 units sold)
The Toyota Highlander has climbed the sales ranks this year, even breaking into the top 10 bestseller at one point, but it had a poor second half of the year. Sales are now down 16 percent compared to 2021.
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10. Jeep Grand Cherokee (223,345 units sold)
Just like the Highlander, we’re not used to seeing a Jeep mid-size SUV this high on the bestseller list. Both the new three-row and two-row L models are now on sale; after a strong first half, GC numbers are down 16 percent compared to 2021.
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9. Toyota Tacoma (237,323 units sold)
Toyota still dominates the mid-size pickup market in terms of sales, beating the Ford Ranger and Chevy Colorado. But the Tacoma is down 6 percent from 2021.
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8. Honda CR-V (238,155 units sold)
The new 2023 Honda CR-V is on sale now, but the outgoing model also accounted for a significant amount of nameplate sales in 2022. It retained its spot in the top 10 bestseller, though it was down 34 percent from 2021.
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7. GMC Sierra (241,522 units sold)
Chevy Silverado’s top-of-the-line twin is on the list of top 10 best-selling vehicles in 2022. This includes both the heavy-duty model and the light-duty Sierra 1500.
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6. Tesla Model Y (253,793 units sold, estimated)
Teslas are neither cheap nor easy to get these days, but the Model Y still finds its way into many American driveways. Automotive News estimates that EV automakers will ship more than 253,000 in 2022.
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5. Toyota Camry (295,201 units sold)
While SUVs have largely taken over this list, the Toyota Camry remains the best-selling vehicle that is neither an SUV nor a pickup truck. The Camry is down 6 percent but still beats out many SUVs and outpaces the next best passenger car, the Corolla, by a significant margin.
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4. Toyota RAV4 (399,941 units sold)
The RAV4 has solidified its position as the best-selling non-pickup in recent years, and that continues for 2022. Sales are down 2 percent but it still has a wide margin over the next best-selling model on this list.
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3. Ram Pickup (468,344 units sold)
Ram’s pickup lineup, including light and heavy-duty versions, is down 18 percent from 2021. It and the Silverado are competing for the silver medal in the sales race, though Chevy is retaking the lead.
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2. Chevy Silverado (513,354 units sold)
The light-duty Silverado 1500 gets an update for 2022, and it needs to regain sales momentum to pass the Ram for second place. These numbers also include sales of heavy-duty models.
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1. Ford F-Series (653,957 units sold)
Even a 10 percent drop shouldn’t knock the F-series lineup off its top selling spot. Ford has also started selling an electric version of the F-150 called the Lightning and says it has sold 15,617 electric pickups so far.
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