Rising new car prices are causing consumers to either sell their cars or buy used ones.
Analysts said rising new car prices would push down sales forecasts.
- Despite economic headwinds, U.S. auto sales rose 2.4% in 2025, the industry’s strongest year since 2019.
- General Motors sold 2.85 million vehicles in 2025, ranking first among all automakers.
- Trucks and SUVs dominated the best-seller lists for most major auto brands.
Automakers had a strong sales year despite significant headwinds from higher sticker prices, interest rates and duties on imported cars and parts.
In fact, the auto industry has had such a strong year this year that the White House on Tuesday (Jan. 6) touted the fact that U.S. auto sales rose 2.4%, calling it the industry’s strongest performance since 2019 and proof that tariffs aren’t driving up car prices.
With this in mind, the USA TODAY Cars team examined the latest sales reports from top automakers to find out who did the best and worst in 2025 when it came to dealer deals.
Among the manufacturers that have announced full-year sales for 2025, the top 10 best-selling car brands are as follows:
1.General Motors
Sales in 2025:2,850,000
best selling vehicle: Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra
what they are sayingIn a press release touting 2025 sales numbers, GM said, “Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra combined for the highest sales in 20 years, making them the U.S. full-size pickup truck leaders for the sixth year in a row.” The company also said it led the full-size SUV market with the 51-inch model.cent In 2025, it became the industry’s second-largest EV unit seller.
2. Ford
Sales in 2025: 2,147,811
Best selling vehicle: F series
What they are saying: “As a result of appealing to a broad range of customers through a variety of trim levels and powertrain products, Ford’s market share increased by 0.6 percentage points for the year and 0.9 percentage points for the quarter, reaching 13.2% market share for the year,” Ford said in a statement.
3. Toyota
Sales in 2025: 2,147,811
Best selling vehicle: Toyota RAV-4
What they are saying: The Japanese company is “grateful for the strong response from Toyota customers in 2025, which reflects our deep commitment to affordability and choice,” Andrew Gilleland, senior vice president of Toyota Motor Corporation North America’s automotive business group, said in a statement.
4. Tesla
Sales in 2025: 1,636,129
Best selling vehicle: Tesla Model Y
What they are saying: “In the fourth quarter, we produced more than 434,000 vehicles, delivered more than 418,000 vehicles, and deployed 14.2 GWh of energy storage products, a record for deployments,” Tesla said in a statement to investors.
5.Honda
Sales in 2025: 1,430,57
Best selling vehicle: Honda CR-V
What they are saying: Honda said in a press release that 2025 sales will be “the best year since 2021, up 0.5% year-on-year.” The company said the sales increase was achieved “despite the impact of changing market conditions and the microchip shortage, which contributed to inventory declines in the fourth quarter.”
6. Stella
Sales in 2025: 1,260,344
Best selling vehicle: ram light duty pickup
What they are saying: “With sequential quarterly sales growth and market share growth, it is clear that we are taking the appropriate steps to reset our U.S. operations,” U.S. retail sales chief Jeff Comer said in a statement. Komol added that the company “ended 2025 on a strong note and will continue that momentum in 2026 with five new models hitting showrooms.”
7. Nissan
Sales in 2025: 926,153
Best selling vehicle: nissan rogue
What they are saying: Nissan said in a press release that its Kicks and Pathfinder SUVs “delivered outstanding performance for the calendar year, with sales increasing 33.9% and 25.6%, respectively, and each achieving their highest annual sales since their launch.” Mike Sutter, Nissan America’s senior vice president of U.S. marketing and sales, added, “Trucks and SUVs were a clear growth driver for Nissan in the fourth quarter and throughout 2025.”
8. Hyundai
Sales in 2025: 901,686
Best selling vehicle: hyundai tucson
What they are saying: “Hyundai ended 2025 on a high note, achieving our fifth consecutive year of retail sales records in what we called our ‘2025 5-to-5’ mission, with record December total sales and retail sales,” Randy Parker, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor North America, said in a statement.
9. Become
Sales in 2025: 852,155
Best selling vehicle: kia sportage
What they are saying: “Retail sales through Kia dealerships increased for the eighth year in a row, up 5% year over year and a record high for the sixth consecutive year. This is the brand’s highest ever U.S. market share and confirms continued consumer demand for Kia’s diverse model lineup,” Kia Motors said in a press release.
10. Volkswagen
Sales in 2025: 329,813
Best selling vehicle: volkswagen tiguan
What they are saying: Volkswagen announced in a press release that sales for the fourth quarter of 2025 were down 19.8% year over year compared to the fourth quarter of 2024. Volkswagen announced that it ended this year with a 13% decline compared to 2024.
