The popularity of a car depends on various factors, which for example include the build quality and reliability of the car. A car needs to be fun to drive, and the interior of the car needs to be a comfortable place to be in. Fuel economy and mileage are also very important when deciding which car to go for. Whatever might be the reason, the popularity of the car is generally determined by the number of units sold.
The following ranking lists the Top 10 of the best-selling, best-rated, and thus most popular cars in the USA.
Top 10 Most Popular Cars in America 2021
1. Ford F-Series
As the historically most popular range of pickup trucks in the United States, the F-Series lineup by Ford has been dominating the competition for some time now, and that by quite a margin as well. The F-Series has been in production since 1948 and is currently in its 14th generation, available in different sizes and form factors with varying capabilities, from the entry-level F-150 pickup to F-650/750 Super Duty Class 6-8 trucks.
The F-150 is the most popular out of the bunch due to its less expensive price tag, smaller form factor, and more than enough capability needed by most people. Introduced in the year 1999, these trucks have evolved quite a lot over the years and have gone through a few generation upgrades as well. Its diesel engine outputs immense power and torque, which offers plenty of payloads and towing capacity. It is overall one of the more well-rounded trucks in the segment with a number of trim levels and specs for people with different budgets and requirements.
2. Ram Pickup
Pickup trucks remain very popular in the United States and Ram trucks, originally known as Dodge Ram, have had a tremendous impact on this car market segment since they got first produced in 1980. The Ram 3500 is basically the most capable heavy-duty truck in their line-up of pickup trucks sitting on top of the Ram 2500 heavy-duty pick-up truck. The 2021 Ram 1500 is also a very popular choice in the light-duty pickup truck segment and belongs among the best-rated cars on the market. The good selection of strong engines, good ride quality, and roomy and quiet interior, are a few of the reasons for its popularity in the USA.
3. Chevrolet Silverado
The Chevrolet Silverado is a full-size heavy-duty pickup truck developed and manufactured by General Motors. The Silverado series was introduced way back in 1998 and the truck has evolved quite significantly since then.
The popular pickup truck is available broadly in three different variants, namely the light-duty 1500, and the two heavy-duty 2500HD and 3500HD Crew Cab variants. The three variants differ in their total payload and towing capabilities, and the 3500HD Crew Cab is quite obviously the most capable of them all. Although the 1500 variant of the Silverado made a generation upgrade to its fourth generation of products for the 2019 model year, both the 2500HD and 3500HD were a year late in making the transition.
4. Toyota RAV4
The Toyota RAV4 is the most popular offering by the Japanese automaker giant among its wide selection of crossovers and SUVs. It is one of the most popular and best-selling cars in its segment in general, not just in the United States. Slotted between the sub-compact CH-R and the mid-size Venza crossover SUVs, the RAV4 compact crossover SUV is also one of the most versatile in its segment, and coming from one of the most reliable automakers in the market, it is not that hard to understand as to why the Toyota RAV4 is the best-selling car of its segment.
The RAV4 made its debut in 1994 and has been through quite a lot of changes and updates over the years. It was during the 2019 model year update when the RAV4 made its transition to its 5th generation of production, and the 2021 Toyota RAV4 is also a part of it. It offers good practicality and interior space in its segment, and the quiet interior and comfortable ride quality give it a huge edge in the competition as well.
5. Honda CR-V
With the rising popularity and demand for crossovers and SUVs among car drivers in the United States, the Honda CR-V manages to be the second most popular in this segment. Having made its debut in 1995/1996, it is currently in its fifth generation of production since the 2017 model year. It offers a good build quality, both inside and out. It furthermore offers drivers a good ride quality as well, with an above average amount of comfort on any kind of road. Moreover, it is one of the more dynamic and handling-wise more athletic cars in its segment. The CR-V stands for “Comfortable Runabout Vehicle” and the car does manage to justify its name.
6. Honda Civic
The Honda Civic is another very popular line of cars offered by Japanese carmaker Honda. The Civic Type-R hot-hatch variant arguably being the most popular, and not just in the United States. Being debuted in 1972, it is currently in its 11th generation of production. Just like most Japanese family cars, its main highlights include the excellent fuel economy, along with the performance from the turbocharged engine. It is one of the more athletic and dynamic cars in its segment and offers a superb high-quality interior for the price. In the USA, the Honda Civic is the best-selling car in California, Idaho, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, and the state of Washington.
7. Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is the next very popular model in the mid-size sedan segment by the Japanese automaker. Car drivers value its powerful and reliable engine, the fit and finesse of the interior, along with the advanced driving aids that come as standard with the car. The 2021 Honda Accord maintains all of these traits and tries to improve on it with an updated front-end styling, revised trim level lineup, along with a few other updates as well. No wonder why the Honda Accord belongs to consistently best-rated cars on the market.
In the United States, it is the best-selling car in Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia. Although facing steep competition from the likes of the 2021 Toyota Camry and other similar mid-size sedans in the market, the Honda Accord manages to reign supreme in the sales/rating category of its segment.
8. Toyota Camry
After several transitions over the years, the popular Toyota Camry has now returned to its early 1990s branding as a high-quality family mid-size car. The 8th generation 2021 Camry is characterized by a relatively powerful engine, a stylish design, and upgraded comfort level in its interior. The mid-size car also offers many additional features with extended driver assists and various variants with many optional features to choose from. While it has somewhat lost its popularity status over the last years, the 2021 Toyota Camry could bring the car back to its former glory.
9. Toyota Corolla
As the best-selling car in automobile history, the Toyota Corolla doesn’t need any introduction. Released to the world in 1966, the Corolla has gone through several changes and upgrades over the years, along with a number of generation upgrades as well. Starting off the 12th generation of production, the Toyota Corolla has been fully redesigned for the 2021 model year. Good interiors and the long list of standard advanced safety features, especially for its price, is the main reasons for the Toyota Corolla’s historic and ongoing popularity.
10. Nissan Rogue
The Nissan Rogue’s popularity has fluctuated quite a lot since the car’s production start in 2007. There was even a time when then the Rogue was the best-selling non-pickup truck car in the United States. While this is no longer the case, the Nissan Rogue still remains popular in the U.S. The 2021 model, part of the car’s third generation, offers a new styling design and heavily upgraded technology. The handling has also been improved, making the Nissan Rogue yet again competitive within the highly competitive Crossover SUV car segment.
The 10 Most Popular Cars in the USA 2021
(as of March 2021)
| The 10 Most Popular Cars in the United States: |
|---|
| 1. FORD F-SERIES Units sold in 2020: 787,422 C/D Rating: 9/10 |
| 2. RAM PICKUP Units sold in 2020: 563,676 C/D Rating: 10/10 |
| 3. CHEVROLET SILVERADO Units sold in 2020: 586,675 C/D Rating: 8/10 |
| 4. TOYOTA RAV4 Units sold in 2020: 430,387 C/D Rating: 8.5/10 |
| 5. HONDA CR-V Units sold in 2020: 333,502 C/D Rating: 9/10 |
| 6. HONDA CIVIC Units sold in 2020: 261,225 C/D Rating: 9.5/10 |
| 7. HONDA ACCORD Units sold in 2020: 199,458 C/D Rating: 10/10 |
| 8. TOYOTA CAMRY Units sold in 2020: 294,348 C/D Rating: 8.5/10 |
| 9. TOYOTA COROLLA Units sold in 2020: 237,178 C/D Rating: 8.5/10 |
| 10. NISSAN ROGUE Units sold in 2020: 253,016 C/D Rating: 8/10 |
The Top 10 Most Popular Cars in the USA ranking based on 2020 sales numbers (U.S. only) and car rating by CarAndDriver magazine. One point is equal to 100,000 sales.
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