These Were The Top-Selling Vehicles In The USA In 2023

These Were The Top-Selling Vehicles In The USA In 2023

There are lots of winners on this list.

Another year has come and gone, which means we have a new list of vehicles consumers couldn’t get enough of.

The US has a mighty appetite for vehicles, and in 2023, 15.5 million were moved off of factory floors and dealers’ lots into buyers’ hands. A solid increase over 2020 but still a far cry from the 17.5 million peak reached in 2016. It’s a sign that the country is healing from the pandemic, and soon, we may even be running into a surplus of vehicles for sale, which we last saw five years ago.

These vehicles represent the best of what consumers want, split into segments. America loves few things more than SUVs and pickup trucks, but even some sedans made the list. Also, remember that some winners benefit from automakers lumping multiple nameplates under one model, giving their numbers a nice boost over competitors.

It pays to be on top, so all’s fair in love and automotive sales.

For the 47th year in a row, the Ford F-Series pickup was the best-selling truck in America, with Ford managing to move 750,789 of the cash printing trucks.

For 42 of those years, it’s also been the best-selling vehicle overall, and it doesn’t look like it’s slowing down anytime soon since 2023 was its best year since 2020.

The F-Series consists of multiple models, from the all-electric F-150 Lightning to the Power Stroke Diesel F-450 Super Duty. Having all of these models under one umbrella certainly helps to cushion sales numbers, but even with its competitors doing the same it still sold 200,000 more trucks than Chevy and 300,000 more trucks than Ram.

Talk about dominance.

Yes, we split truck sales into smaller categories because Americans can’t get enough of them.

The winner in the midsize segment is the Toyota Tacoma, with 234,768 units sold. This is impressive for two reasons; number one is that the third-generation Tacoma debuted in 2016, making it an almost 10-year-old truck. The second is that the closest midsize competitor, the Chevrolet Colorado, only managed to move 71,082 trucks in the same period. Now, in Chevy’s defense, the brand-new 2023 Colorado only debuted early last year, meaning many buyers were most likely waiting for increased inventory and orders, but even with a healthy bump, it would be nowhere close.

Additionally, the Colorado was only the second best-selling “midsize” truck, as the second best-selling “small” truck was actually the Ford Maverick (94,058), which goes to show rivals need to build smaller pickups.

The Toyota RAV4 was the best-selling crossover of 2023, moving 434,943 units in 12 months and clinching the RAV4 Hybrid’s best-selling year ever.

This is no surprise, given the vehicle’s versatility, fuel economy, and reliability, making it one of the best RAV4 generations ever and the perfect one-car solution for most consumers’ needs.

As one would expect, the Honda CR-V was just a little behind, selling 361,457 models. Both Japanese crossovers have the formula buyers are looking for, even if that formula is a bit uninspiring. Don’t fret, though, as the US still loves a good “go anywhere” SUV, too, and the Jeep Wrangler (155,491) is the best-selling model that most closely fits that bill.

In yet another win for the world’s largest automobile manufacturer, the Toyota Camry continued to be a tour de force by clinching its 22nd consecutive year as the best-selling car in America with 290,649 sales.

Its choice of hybrid or potent V6 powertrains sets it apart from competitors, but it’s hard to deny it’s getting up there in age and isn’t as competitive as it used to be. This has done little to dissuade buyers looking for a roomy, comfortable, and dependable family sedan, and the new 2025 model will surely improve the formula.

If this Toyota is too big for your needs, you can always look at the second best-selling car in America, the Corolla (232,369), as a more compact option.

Moving upmarket, the best-selling US luxury crossover was the Lexus RX, moving 114,033 units throughout 2023. Last year, Lexus introduced the redesigned RX, emphasizing comfort over performance that isn’t seen too often these days and was rewarded with an almost 20% increase in sales.

When CarBuzz drove it, we loved its potent PHEV powertrain and wild Copper Crest coloring and welcomed a dose of excitement to what has become known as a no-nonsense luxury vehicle. This redesign did enough to resonate with buyers over other models, as the closest non-Lexus competitor, the Audi Q5, managed to move a mere 74,143 units.

As far as big, bold SUVs go, the venerable Cadillac Escalade is the best seller, with 41,690 land yachts sold to affluent soccer moms and chart-topping rappers nationwide.

Finally, we have a winner not made by the Toyota Motor Corporation, the BMW 4-Series. Roughly 60,000 units of this Bavarian model were sold in the US last year, meaning there must be 50,778 BMW buyers out there who were somehow able to get past this model’s buck-toothed facade.

She ain’t a beauty, but we know the performance is there courtesy of an optional 382 hp turbocharged inline-six and excellent driving dynamics. Plus, the interior is a great place to soak up the miles.

Seeing a significant uptick in sales over 2022, it appears these benefits were enough to sway buyers away from more attractive competitors.

To preface (and slightly spoil) this and the next section, the ever-easy-to-work Tesla refuses to separate S/X and 3/Y sales in its reports, so the numbers we’re working with are estimates from sources such as Automotive News.

Still, if they’re to be believed, the Tesla Model Y continues to dominate the competition, with an estimated 386,000 sold in the US in 2023. This is a healthy number for almost any segment, but it’s made even more impressive because its closest competitor, the Chevrolet Bolt, only sold 62,045 during its best sales year ever.

Today, quite a few competitors are on sale, making its dominant performance even more impressive.

If you assumed there would be another Tesla at the top of this list, congrats!

For 2023, the best-selling electric car was none other than the Model 3, which sold an estimated 232,700 units. The Model 3 has been around since 2017 but has continued to offer performance at the top of its class in a package that has aged well.

For 2024, the company has announced a significant refresh that will also bring in more customers. Even if it doesn’t, it will still sit far in front of the rest of the pack, as the closest competitor, the Hyundai Ioniq 6, lags a lifetime behind with only 12,999 sales in 2023.

The most popular van of 2023 was the Ford Transit, moving 129,009 units to hardworking Americans using it for business or pleasure. It’s a perfect all-around vehicle, and it benefits from the fact the Transit line encompasses different body styles, including the popular fully electric E-Transit. If we’re looking at honest to god minivans, though, the Chrysler Pacifica is the winner, moving 120,665 units in the same period. This minivan has enjoyed space at the front since its debut, but its age is starting to show, and the next meaningful update will have to wait until Chrysler launches its first BEV.

Additionally, this is your yearly announcement that the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans are still on sale nearly 30 years after they debuted, with GM managing to sell almost 50,000.

This last entrant is an amalgamation of a few classes, but the lines are so blurred these days that it’s hard to separate them at times. Take the Ford Mustang for example. What would have fit firmly in the muscle car category 20 years ago has now transformed into a bonafide American sports car, and it sold 53,159 units last year.

At the same time, the recently deceased Dodge Charger sold 75,919 units in the same period, but since that includes sales of the tepid RWD V6 family versions along with the bonkers 700+ hp Last Call models, should it really be included? That’s for you to decide, but as far as best-selling exotic supercars go, that designation firmly goes to the Audi R8, of which 630 were sold last year.

We also said goodbye to that model in 2023, and we can honestly say it will be dearly missed.