Most popular cars in 2022 | WTAJ

Ethel Walsh

(iSeeCars) — Large pickup trucks maintained their popularity in 2022, while strong SUV and crossover sales numbers kept them as the dominant vehicle type in terms of top 10 used vehicle purchases. Jeep managed to break into the top 10 this year with its Grand Cherokee, while Honda’s stalwart Civic ensured at least one best-selling car was actually a car.

iSeeCars looked at over 9.8 million one-to-five-year-old used vehicles on the road in 2022 to determine the most popular used cars across the United States, as well as by metro area and individual state. Supply chain issues and new car shortages kept the price of used cars high, but did not really impact which models were best sellers. 

The ever-popular Ford F-Series (F-150) remained atop the used car bestsellers list in 2022, followed by the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Ram 1500 pickups, confirming ongoing high demand for full-size trucks on the secondary market. “With more than 8% of the used car market occupied by the F-150, Silverado and Ram pickup there’s no denying America’s love affair with the trucks, despite their relatively low MPG numbers and the higher fuel prices we experienced in 2022,” said Karl Brauer, iSeeCars Executive Analyst.

Most Popular Used Cars in America

Most Popular Used Cars in the US, 2022 – iSeeCars Study
Rank Vehicle 2022 % of Total Used Car Sales 2021 Rank 2021 % of Total Used Car Sales
1 Ford F-150 3.3% 1 3.6%
2 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 2.8% 2 2.6%
3 Ram 1500 2.3% 3 2.3%
4 Chevrolet Equinox 2.2% 7 1.8%
5 Honda Civic 1.8% 4 2.0%
6 Toyota Camry 1.7% 6 1.9%
7 Toyota RAV4 1.7% 9 1.7%
8 Nissan Rogue 1.7% 5 1.9%
9 Ford Escape 1.5% 8 1.7%
10 Jeep Grand Cherokee 1.5% 12 1.5%

Beyond full-size trucks, the Chevy Equinox, Honda Civic, Toyota Camry, and Toyota RAV4 also make the best-selling models list. Two additional compact crossovers, the Nissan Rogue and Ford Escape, maintained their top 10 rankings from last year, while the Jeep Grand Cherokee broke into the top 10 rankings for the first time, climbing from 12 to in 2022. “Buyers continue to prioritize the utility and flexibility offered by SUVs,” said Brauer. “Second only to full-size trucks, the compact crossovers have become the most sought after vehicle in the U.S., as reflected in our most popular list.”

Most Popular Used SUVs in America

Most Popular Used SUVs in the US, 2022 – iSeeCars Study
Rank Vehicle 2022 % of Total New Car Sales 2021 Rank 2021 % of Total New Car Sales
1 Chevrolet Equinox 2.2% 1 1.8%
2 Toyota RAV4 1.7% 3 1.7%
3 Ford Escape 1.5% 2 1.7%
4 Jeep Grand Cherokee 1.5% 5 1.5%
5 Ford Explorer 1.5% 4 1.6%

Automakers have shifted their model lines toward SUVs over the past 20 years, as consumer demand dictated. Between their rugged styling, flexible hatchback design, and available all-wheel drive, SUVs serve a wide array of consumer needs. Ford’s Explorer joins the top four models that made the overall top 10 best-selling vehicles list. While there was some shuffling among the rankings, the Chevrolet Equinox remained at the top of the SUV rankings in 2022. Additional SUVs with over 1% used car market share include the Honda CR-V, Jeep Wrangler, and Jeep Cherokee.

Most Popular Used Trucks in America

Most Popular Used Trucks in the US, 2022 – iSeeCars Study
Rank Model 2022% of Total Used Car Sales 2021 Rank 2021 % of Total Used Car Sales
1 Ford F-150 3.3% 1 3.6%
2 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 2.8% 2 2.6%
3 Ram 1500 2.3% 3 2.3%
4 Toyota Tacoma 1.4% 4 1.3%
5 GMC Sierra 1500 1.2% 5 1.1%

The Toyota Tacoma and GMC Sierra round out the top five most popular trucks in America. The Tacoma has earned a reputation for long-term durability and exceptional off-road performance, particularly in TRD form. The GMC Sierra is essentially a more premium version of the Chevrolet Silverado, and with more than 1% of the used car market in 2022, people clearly like this version too.

Most Popular Used Passenger Cars in America

Most Popular Used Passenger Cars in the US, 2022 – iSeeCars Study
Rank Vehicle 2022% of Total Used Car Sales 2021 Rank 2021 % of Total Used Car Sales
1 Honda Civic 1.8% 1 2.0%
2 Toyota Camry 1.7% 2 1.9%
3 Nissan Altima 1.5% 5 1.5%
4 Toyota Corolla 1.5% 4 1.5%
5 Honda Accord 1.4% 3 1.6%

The same five passenger cars remain at the top of the used car market from 2021 to 2022, though the Nissan Altima and Honda Accord midsize sedans swapped rankings. The Nissan Sentra, Chevrolet Malibu, and Hyundai Elantra didn’t make the top 5, but did have at least 1% market share in 2022.

Most Popular Used Hybrid Vehicles in America

Most Popular Used Hybrid Vehicles in the US, 2022 – iSeeCars Study
Rank Vehicle 2022% of Total Used Car Sales 2021 Rank 2021 % of Total Used Car Sales
1 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid 0.3% 2 0.2%
2 Ford Fusion Hybrid 0.2% 1 0.2%
3 Toyota Prius 0.1% 3 0.2%
4 Toyota Camry Hybrid 0.1% 6 0.1%
5 Toyota Highlander Hybrid 0.1% 10 0.1%

Hybrid models still make up a small fraction of both the used and new vehicle market, but every new model year sees more hybrids introduced, and their market share continues to climb. Toyota occupies four of the top five slots for popular used hybrids, but we expect to see brands like Hyundai, Honda, Kia, and Subaru rise in popularity as their new hybrids and plug-in hybrids migrate to the used market.

Most Popular Used EVs in America 

Most Popular Used Electric Vehicles in the US, 2022 – iSeeCars Study
Rank Vehicle 2022 % of Total Used Car Sales 2021 Rank 2021 % of Total Used Car Sales
1 Tesla Model 3 0.4% 1 0.1%
2 Tesla Model Y 0.1% 9 0.0%
3 Tesla Model S 0.1% 4 0.1%
4 Tesla Model X 0.1% 5 0.1%
5 Nissan LEAF 0.1% 2 0.1%

Electric vehicles make up an even smaller part of the used market than hybrids, as most are relatively new to the market except for Tesla’s Model S and the Nissan Leaf. It’s no surprise to see those brands take up all five slots for most popular used electric cars in America. But Tesla’s EV dominance will soon be challenged by every brand from Acura to Volkswagen, and this list could look very different in a few years.

Most Popular Used Cars by US State

Most Popular Used Car in each US State, 2022 – iSeeCars Study
State Most Popular Used Car % of Total Used Car Sales
Alabama Ford F-150 3.8%
Alaska Ford F-150 4.6%
Arizona Ford F-150 2.6%
Arkansas Ford F-150 4.1%
California Honda Civic 3.5%
Colorado Ford F-150 4.3%
Connecticut Nissan Rogue 2.7%
Delaware Chevrolet Equinox 2.8%
Florida Toyota Corolla 3.1%
Georgia Ford F-150 3.4%
Hawaii Toyota Tacoma 5.2%
Idaho Ford F-150 5.8%
Illinois Chevrolet Equinox 3.1%
Indiana Chevrolet Equinox 4.0%
Iowa Chevrolet Silverado 1500 6.0%
Kansas Ford F-150 5.4%
Kentucky Chevrolet Silverado 1500 4.1%
Louisiana Ford F-150 4.8%
Maine Ford F-150 5.5%
Maryland Toyota Camry 2.4%
Massachusetts Toyota RAV4 3.4%
Michigan Chevrolet Equinox 8.3%
Minnesota Ford F-150 4.8%
Mississippi Ford F-150 5.0%
Missouri Ford F-150 4.1%
Montana Ford F-150 7.5%
Nebraska Ford F-150 5.0%
Nevada Ford F-150 2.0%
New Hampshire Ford F-150 3.8%
New Jersey Nissan Rogue 2.4%
New Mexico Ford F-150 4.0%
New York Chevrolet Equinox 3.6%
North Carolina Chevrolet Silverado 1500 2.9%
North Dakota Ford F-150 7.3%
Ohio Chevrolet Equinox 4.1%
Oklahoma Ford F-150 4.3%
Oregon Honda Civic 2.6%
Pennsylvania Ford F-150 3.2%
Rhode Island Toyota RAV4 3.3%
South Carolina Ford F-150 3.5%
South Dakota Ford F-150 7.6%
Tennessee Ford F-150 3.6%
Texas Ford F-150 3.7%
Utah Ford F-150 5.0%
Vermont Toyota RAV4 4.6%
Virginia Ford F-150 2.9%
Washington Ford F-150 3.5%
West Virginia Ford F-150 5.2%
Wisconsin Ford F-150 5.4%
Wyoming Ford F-150 7.1%

The Ford F-150 was the most popular used vehicle in 31 states in 2022, with the Chevrolet Equinox coming in a distant second as the most popular vehicle in 6 states. The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Toyota RAV4 were the most popular cars in 3 states each, followed by the Honda Civic and Nissan Rogue in 2 states, each. Three Toyotas, the Camry, Corolla, and Tacoma, were the most popular used cars in 1 state.

Most Popular Used Cars by City

Most Popular Used Car in Top 50 Metro Areas, 2022 – iSeeCars Study
Metro Area Most Popular Used Car % of Total Used Car Sales
Albuquerque-Santa Fe, NM Ford F-150 4.2%
Atlanta, GA Ford F-150 2.9%
Austin, TX Chevrolet Silverado 1500 4.0%
Baltimore, MD Ford F-150 2.1%
Birmingham, AL Chevrolet Silverado 1500 3.4%
Boston, MA-Manchester, NH Toyota RAV4 3.2%
Charlotte, NC Ford F-150 2.8%
Chicago, IL Chevrolet Equinox 3.0%
Cincinnati, OH Chevrolet Equinox 3.7%
Cleveland-Akron (Canton), OH Chevrolet Equinox 3.9%
Columbus, OH Honda Civic 3.5%
Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX Ford F-150 2.7%
Denver, CO Ford F-150 4.3%
Detroit, MI Chevrolet Equinox 7.7%
Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo, MI Chevrolet Equinox 5.9%
Greensboro-Winston Salem, NC Chevrolet Silverado 1500 3.4%
Greenville-Spartanburg, SC Ford F-150 3.9%
Harrisburg-Lancaster-York, PA Ford F-150 3.7%
Hartford & New Haven, CT Nissan Rogue 3.0%
Houston, TX Ford F-150 3.6%
Indianapolis, IN Chevrolet Equinox 3.9%
Jacksonville, FL Ford F-150 3.0%
Kansas City, MO Ford F-150 4.9%
Las Vegas, NV Toyota Camry 2.0%
Los Angeles, CA Honda Civic 3.8%
Louisville, KY Chevrolet Silverado 1500 3.8%
Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, FL Toyota Corolla 4.2%
Milwaukee, WI Ford F-150 4.0%
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN Ford F-150 4.4%
Nashville, TN Ford F-150 3.4%
New Orleans, LA Chevrolet Silverado 1500 3.3%
New York, NY Nissan Rogue 2.8%
Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News,VA Ford F-150 3.1%
Oklahoma City, OK Ford F-150 4.2%
Orlando-Daytona Beach, FL Toyota Corolla 3.5%
Philadelphia, PA Nissan Rogue 2.3%
Phoenix, AZ Ford F-150 2.6%
Pittsburgh, PA Ford F-150 3.0%
Portland, OR Toyota Tacoma 2.5%
Raleigh-Durham (Fayetteville), NC Chevrolet Silverado 1500 2.8%
Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto, CA Honda Civic 3.1%
Salt Lake City, UT Ford F-150 5.1%
San Antonio, TX Ford F-150 4.1%
San Diego, CA Honda Civic 3.2%
San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA Honda Civic 2.8%
Seattle-Tacoma, WA Ford F-150 3.4%
St. Louis, MO Ford F-150 3.8%
Tampa-St Petersburg (Sarasota), FL Ford F-150 3.0%
Washington, DC (Hagerstown, MD) Ford F-150 2.5%
West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce, FL Toyota Camry 2.5%

The Ford F-150 was the top used car in 24 metro areas, followed by the Chevrolet Equinox and Chevrolet Silverado 1500, each the top used car in 6 metro areas. The Honda Civic led in 5 cities, the Nissan Rogue in 3, the Toyota Camry and Toyota Corolla each in 2, and the Toyota RAV4 and Toyota Tacoma each in 1. Most of these cars were similarly popular last year, though the Honda Accord wasn’t the most popular used car in any cities in 2022, falling out of its top spot in Baltimore in 2021. The Toyota Tacoma entered the list in 2022 by being the most popular car in one city, Portland.

More from iSeeCars:

Methodology

iSeeCars.com analyzed over 9.8 million used car sales from the last five model years (2017-2021) in 2022. Each model’s share of used car sales was calculated nationally, as well as within each metro area and state. Heavy-duty automotive vehicles were excluded from the analysis.

About iSeeCars.com

iSeeCars.com is a car search engine that helps shoppers find the best car deals by providing key insights and valuable resources, like the iSeeCars free VIN check reports and Best Cars rankings. iSeeCars.com has saved users over $360 million so far by applying big data analytics powered by over 25 billion (and growing) data points and using proprietary algorithms to objectively analyze, score and rank millions of new cars and used cars.

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