These automakers sold the most cars in the US in 2025
High new car prices push consumers to hold onto vehicles or buy used
Analysts said higher new car prices hurt sales estimates.
- Despite economic headwinds, U.S. vehicle sales rose by 2.4% in 2025, marking the industry’s strongest year since 2019.
- General Motors led all automakers in 2025 sales with 2.85 million vehicles sold.
- Trucks and SUVs dominated the best-seller lists for most major auto brands.
Automakers had a banner sales year, despite major headwinds in the forms of rising sticker prices, interest rates and tariffs imposed on imported cars and parts.
The auto industry’s year was so good in fact that the White House on Tuesday, Jan. 6 touted the fact that U.S. vehicle sales rose by 2.4%, which it said was the industry’s strongest performance since 2019 and also evidence its tariffs have not made cars more expensive.
With that in mind, the USA TODAY Cars team surveyed the top automakers’ most recent sales reports to look at who had the best and worst 2025 when it came to dealership transactions.
Here’s the top 10 best selling auto brands among manufacturers who have reported full-year sales figures for 2025:
1. General Motors
2025 sales: 2,850,000
Best selling vehicles: Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra
What They’re Saying: GM said in a press release touting its 2025 sales figures that it is “America’s full-size pickup leader for the 6th straight year, with the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra recording their best combined sales in 20 years.” The company also said it led the full-size SUV market for the 51st consecutive year and was the industry’s #2 EV seller in 2025.
2. Ford
2025 sales: 2,147,811
Best selling vehicle: F-Series
What They’re Saying: Ford said its “market share increased by 0.6 percentage points for the year and 0.9 percentage points for the quarter, reaching 13.2% annual share, driven by Ford’s appeal to a broad customer base through diverse trim levels and powertrain offerings.”
3. Toyota
2025 sales: 2,147,811
Best selling vehicle: Toyota Rav-4
What They’re Saying: Andrew Gilleland, senior vice president, Automotive Operations Group, Toyota Motor North America, said in a statement the Japanese company is “grateful for the strong response from our Toyota customers in 2025, which reflects our deep commitment to affordability and choice.”
4. Tesla
2025 sales: 1,636,129
Best selling vehicle: Tesla Model Y
What They’re Saying: Tesla said in a statement to investors “in the fourth quarter, we produced over 434,000 vehicles, delivered over 418,000 vehicles and deployed 14.2 GWh of energy storage products – a record for deployments.”
5. Honda
2025 sales: 1,430,57
Best selling vehicle: Honda CR-V
What They’re Saying: Honda said in a press release that its 2025 sales represented “its best year since 2021, a year over year increase of 0.5%.” The company said the sales increase was achieved “despite the impact of changes in market conditions and a microchip shortage that contributed to leaner inventories in the 4th quarter.”
6. Stellantis
2025 sales: 1,260,344
Best selling vehicle: Ram light duty pick up
What They’re Saying: Jeff Kommor, head of U.S. retail sales, said in a statement “with consecutive quarterly sales increases and market share growth, it’s clear that we are taking the right steps to reset our business in the U.S..” Kommor added the company “ended 2025 on a high note and will keep that momentum in 2026 with five new models entering the showrooms.”
7. Nissan
2025 sales: 926,153
Best selling vehicle: Nissan Rogue
What They’re Saying: Nissan said in a press release that its Kicks and Pathfinder SUVs “delivered standout performances for the calendar year, with sales up 33.9% and 25.6% respectively, each achieving its strongest annual volume since launch.” Mike Soutter, senior vice president, U.S. Marketing and Sales, Nissan Americas added “trucks and SUVs were the clear growth engine for Nissan in the fourth quarter and throughout 2025.”
8. Hyundai
2025 sales: 901,686
Best selling vehicle: Hyundai Tucson
What They’re Saying: Randy Parker, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor North America, said in a statement “Hyundai closed 2025 on a high note, achieving our fifth straight year of record retail sales, what we called our ‘5 for 5 in 2025’ mission, along with delivering best-ever December totals and retail sales.”
9. Kia
2025 sales: 852,155
Best selling vehicle: Kia Sportage
What They’re Saying: Kia said in a press release “retail sales through Kia dealers have grown for eight consecutive years, increasing 5 percent year-over-year and reaching an all-time high for the sixth consecutive year. This marks the brand’s highest-ever U.S. market share, underscoring continued consumer demand for Kia’s diverse model lineup.”
10. Volkswagen
2025 sales: 329,813
Best selling vehicle: Volkswagen Tiguan
What They’re Saying: Volkswagen said in a press release that its fourth quarter 2025 sales decreased 19.8% year-over year compared to Q4 2024. Volkswagen said it closed the year down 13% from 2024.
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