Whoever said that the United States auto market was in a slump was wrong. In fact, data compiled by the automotive research company Kelley Blue book and Business Insider, it appears that car sales in the United States are up over 2% from where there were during the same period of time in 2017. This year’s numbers (thanks to a strong economy and people who feel like they have more income to spend and put back into the economy), may actually post a new record for all time high numbers of cars sold in the United States. In fact, 14 out of the 20 top car models that have been sold this year are showing positive growth numbers for their sales compared to the same period of time for the year previous. In fact, almost 10 million cars have been sold in the United States so far for 2018.

In the land of where bigger is better, the numbers are clear. People love their pickup trucks. They have and probably always will. It seems like about as far back as we can remember (at least the last consecutive thirty-five years), the top spots have always gone to the pickup trucks. Right now the top three spots are F-Series Ford, Chevy Silverado and the Ram pickup truck comes in third. However, another interesting new trend is that the standard car is quickly being replaced. Not everyone is driving a pickup truck, but it seems like everyone is driving an SUV. The numbers are clear Americans have fallen in love with cross over SUV’s. They are the pride and joy of the average American driver and are quickly becoming the new family favorite. In the first half of 2018 over 2.8 million mid-size and compact SUV’s have been sold. If we look at the top 20 best selling vehicles in 2018, over half of them were crossover SUV’s. It looks like the United States auto industry will be introducing some big changes in order to keep up with the demand for SUV’s. 

The best selling vehicle of any kind and of all time is the Ford F-Series. The Ford’s still out-pace all other vehicle sales and easily sell over 160,000 more than it’s next competitor in line. The love of pickup trucks isn’t going anywhere, but that’s not to say that there can’t be some new contenders for the next spots below the pickups. There are three models that have all see a huge increase in sales over the same period of time last year and have been able to see a substantially increased number over the first have of 2018. Jeep Wranglers are up 34.9%, Jeep Cherokees are up 39.8% and Toyota Tacomas are up 22.9%. Some other notable mentions besides the not-surprising Ford F-Series, was the Honda CRV and the Ram pickup that also posted meaningful gains in their sales compared to last year.

What’s fascinating is that the most significant drops in sales were the six top-selling passenger cars like Honda Civic, Toyota Camry, and the Honda Accord. All of them could only manage to sell about four-fifth of the amount that they sold in the same period of time last year. Subaru generally posts great sales numbers, but it appears that the Impreza is hurting their numbers with the lackluster sales reports. The Ford Focus sales numbers aren’t any better. They were only able to sell a half of the amount they sold in the same period last year. Apparently they are coming out with a new model sometime next year, but it almost makes us wonder if they should be bringing out a new one at all with those kinds of sales statistics. Evidently there have also been some rumors flying around about the family hatchback being used as the inspiration for a new compact pickup truck by Ford. We wonder how those sales will do, but we know that the sales on Ford’s current Fiesta and Focus are winding down and they most likely will be halting production on those models here shortly. We’ve compiled a list of some of the top selling vehicles (top twelve) in the country for 2018.

• F-Series Ford Trucks: These are trucks that can’t be beat. We love our trucks and the F-Series are a phenomenal choice. They continually dominate the sales statistics and have been a top choice for the last thirty-five years. They are a dominating force that has not been knocked from their top spot in decades. These trucks have made a name for themselves by recently offering all-aluminum bodies in their F-150 model, which reduces the curb weight by over 700 lbs. but still manages to keep the towing values and the payload intact. They are known for their great fuel economy and come with all sorts of choices from four different engines, three different box lengths, three different cab styles and five different trims. There really is an F-150 for every style. The 6-speed automatic transmission is just icing on the cake for these remarkable trucks. Say what you will about the Americans loving their trucks-these have been a top and choice and will continue to be until further notice. These trucks earned the title of fourth vehicle in history to ever surpass one million units sold in a single year. 
• The Ram pickup is another great choice with three different engines (V6, V6 Turbo diesel, or a HEMI V8) to choose from and also boasts three different cab styles and three different wheel bases to keep all of their differing customers content with their personal preferences. Also, instead of the traditional spring leaf suspension that most trucks have, it has a multi-link coil spring rear suspension that which improves the handling and ride characteristics without changing the towing capability and payload.
• The Toyota RAV4 is one of the best-selling family SUV’s on the market that feature 18-inch black alloy wheels, larger over-fender flares, lower body guards as well as other fantastic features that helped this car be one of the best compact SUV’s on the market. The RAV4 seats five and has four doors and comes available in six different trims and has full-time all-wheel drive. It also has 176 horsepower and comes in a six-speed automatic transmission.
• The Honda CRV has long been a family favorite and really made a name for itself in the compact crossover vehicle class. It’s got plenty of room for cargo and passengers and boats 184-horse power to 190-horse power depending on what model you choose. The gas mileage on these is pretty awesome as well at 28-30 miles per gallon. The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety has given this car a top safety pick and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave this car five stars for crash testing. One of the best things about this car is the Honda Sensing that comes installed on all but one model, which is a full suite of safety technology that includes lane-departure warnings, adaptive cruise control, and automatic emergency braking, automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, and road departure mitigation. If you start to change lanes without signaling, the wheel will resist and if you depart from your lane the lane-keep assist can help nudge the car back to where it’s supposed to be. Front-wheel drive is standard and all-wheel drive is available to those who want it.
• The Nissan Rogue is a cute little cross over SUV that has all-wheel drive available for those who want it. These are pretty small little cars though that have had their third row seat completely dropped so they no longer hold more passengers. We suppose you could consider the Rogue a big compact vehicle or a small midsize vehicle. Some of them come with ProPilot Assist Technology, which can maintain the vehicle speed, accelerate and brake without driver input under certain conditions. Most of these cars come with 170-horsepower and 27-29 miles per gallon for fuel efficiency. These cars have not been a popular choice among dog owners because the cargo area, which is not bad for cargo, has unattached floorboards that causes issues for your buddy Fido in the back who is sliding around on the floorboards. It should be noted however that the Rogue did get great marks for Safety ratings and decent headlamp ratings. 
• The Toyota Camry is still a strong choice for those who like the standard, traditional car. It’s got great safety ratings, awesome standard features, great fuel economy and it’s got sleek and sexy lines that are attractive and timeless. It’s got a v6 engine that boats 203 horsepower and the standard fuel economy is 28 miles per gallon city, 32 miles per gallon combined and a whopping 39 miles per gallon on the highway. There is another v6 option that boasts 301 horsepower for those who want a little more speed. The Camry hybrid can totally keep up with the ever-popular Toyota Prius electric vehicle and boasts 51 miles per gallon in the city, 52 miles per gallon combined and 53 miles per gallon on the highway. These are great cars that have proven themselves to be functional, reliable and efficient. 
• The Honda Civic has had a long and illustrious career as one of America’s favorite cars- it’s been popular for the last 45 years. It was totally made over in 2016 and the bodies were made wider and also longer. In 2017 the ever-popular hatchback was introduced and has been flying off the lots. These are economy cars that don’t feel like economy cars but closer to a premium car. The sedans drive smoothly and give the driver and passengers an easy ride with easy breaks and good handling. While this car may not be the sportiest feeling, it’s safe and reliable. It only has 158 horse power or 174 horsepower depending on what engine you choose, but most drivers who have one claim it’s enough to meet their needs. They come in either manual or automatic transmissions and gets 35 mpg. There is a sportier version of the Civic available called the Civic SI that gets 205 horsepower and the Type R turbo gets 305 horsepower, which shows you that there really is a version of the Civic for anyone. 
• The Honda Accord is an old favorite for anyone who loves a good sedan that will run forever and get good gas mileage. The new Accords are refined and upscale and boast all sorts of standard features that are luxuries for other vehicles. The body style on the new Accords is wider and lower and more substantial than before using high-strength steel, and the inside is not only quieter during the drive but also roomier and bigger than before to offer more comfort for the driver and passengers. There are two new turbocharged, four-cylinder engines on their models and there is even a hybrid version available for those that want one. The handling and ride in the new Accord is amazing. These sedans are the epitome of class and luxury at an affordable price. The 10-speed automatic Accords have wood dash accents, soft leather seats, LED headlamps, touchscreens, advanced safety features and interior noise cancellation as standard features. This car gets between 33-38 miles per gallon depending on the driving conditions and offers a safe, reliable and comfortable ride that offers extended legroom in the back for passengers. The drive is quiet and smooth and it’s easy to see why the Accord has been a fan favorite for years. 
• The Toyota Corolla has been through eleven different variations and generations and it’s clear that they are here to stay. These cars have 132-140 horsepower depending on what engine you choose and have long been a favorite in the small/compact vehicle class. These cars run well and get good gas mileage. They are reliable and smooth and although you won’t feel like you are in an upper class sports car, for the price these little cars are a great choice. They have a continuously variable transmission it’s designed and programmed to feel like a 7-speed automatic and also comes in a 6-speed manual transmission for those that want one.
• The Ford Escape is technically a cross over but it feels more like a tall wagon than it does an SUV. It’s sporty and stylish and handles well. Depending upon which engine you choose the horsepower can range from 168 horsepower to 245 horsepower. Front-wheel drive comes standard but all-wheel drive is also available for those that want in on certain models. These SUV’s get about 24-26 miles per gallon depending on driving conditions and they get four stars in crash testing ratings by the federal NHTSA. These cars are affordable and reliable and come with all sorts of features like navigation, HD satellite radio, panoramic sunroof, tow package, push-button start, Bluetooth with audio streaming, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, forward collision warning with braking, blind-spot monitoring, and an active park assist that can help steer a driver into a parking spot. As an added bonus, there is a warning on the dash that will go off when the car senses that the driver is tired. 

That rounds out the list for some of the top 12 most popular cars and trucks in American for 2018 thus far. The Chevy Silverado ranks at #2 should be on that list as should the Chevy Equinox ranking at #9 but GM has stopped releasing their monthly sales reports and so we chose to focus on the other vehicles that would readily release their information.

If you are curious about the ranking for most popular vehicles in the United States for the year 2018 and want to know what made number 13-20 to round out the top 20 list, then the quick list would be (starting with number thirteen and working our way to number twenty)

• Jeep Wrangler
• Ford Explorer
• Nissan Altima
• Toyota Tacoma
• Nissan Sentra
• Toyota Highlander
• Jeep Cherokee
• Jeep Grand Cherokee

Suffice it to say that Americans love their pick up trucks but are finding a new appreciation and quite possibly, an obsession for cross over SUV’s that are quickly taking the top spots that used to belong to traditional sedans. There are still some fantastic cars on the list but it’s clear from sales statistics that the crossover SUV’s may be a new force to be reckoned with as far as popularity and functionality is concerned. It used to be that the ever-popular minivans were flying off the lots because of their practicality for families all over America, but these days it looks like soccer moms and other drivers are turning in their minivans and taking a crack at the new and improved cross over SUVs that are offering all the functionality of a minivan without the minivan body style and appearance that some felt was boring, homely, uninteresting and just not that fun and sexy to drive. It will be interesting to see how the crossover SUV’s continue to progress and evolve over time and whether or not the SUV will ever be able to kick the pickup truck out of it’s number one spot.