The 10 Best-Selling Cars, Trucks and SUVs in March

13Fusion_30
Source: Ford

It’s everyone’s favorite time of the month: auto sales data time! That’s right, the numbers from March just rolled in, and unlike some months, we have some rather big surprises among the top 10.

As we’ve been following along, this month started rather strong for automakers in terms of sales numbers, thanks to a number of new models and redesigns hitting the market, and lots of them at fairly competitive prices. As usual, pickup trucks and midsize sedans have been ruling the roost in the American marketplace, but there are also compact SUVs that are making a run at usurping some of the mainstays among the top 10.

As for March, however, the biggest surprise is undoubtedly the notable absence of two incredibly popular sedans — the Honda Accord and the Honda Civic — which have had their respective positions taken over by a couple of newcomers. But we’ll get to that in a minute.

As usual, we get our numbers by way of Cars.com, which aggregates sales data from the top automakers to give us a clear, accurate picture of the market. But enough about that, let’s get on to the top 10. Read on to see the best-selling vehicles for March 2015, per Cars.com.

2014 Nissan Rogue
Source: Nissan

10. Nissan Rogue

One vehicle that is having a fairly successful campaign in 2015, and in March specifically, is the Nissan Rogue SUV. Last month, more than 27,000 Rogue models were sold, which accounts for substantial year-over-year growth of 41.2%. On the year, that makes for nearly 64,500 total sales, a 27.8% increase over 2014. The Rogue has definitely been a surprise this year, and as the summer months hit, it will be interesting to see if it can keep that momentum going.

2015 Honda CR-V
Source: Honda

9. Honda CR-V

Another SUV edging into the bottom of the top 10, Honda’s CR-V barely beat out the Nissan Rogue for the ninth spot. In fact, the CR-V sold only 200 more units than the Rogue, with the final tally for March coming in at 27,618. Add that onto the numbers from February and January, and over 73,000 CR-Vs have been sold in 2015 so far. It does look like Honda’s been having a tough month in March, however, as CR-V sales are down 3.6% from last March.

And of course the list does not feature the Civic or Accord. What’s happening in Honda land?

2014-elantra-gallery-04
Source: Hyundai

8. Hyundai Elantra

Here’s a big surprise: The Hyundai Elantra is one of the big usurpers in the March numbers, moving past both the Honda Accord and Civic. An impressive showing, no doubt, as Hyundai dealers sold 28,794 total Elantras last month. That’s over 33% more than March 2014, and makes for more than 56,700 for 2015 so far. The Elantra’s always been fairly popular, but the big question is whether it can keep up the pace and win-out over its more popular rivals.

fusion_hybrid
Source: Ford

7. Ford Fusion

The Ford Fusion in March, has kept on keepin’ on. Ford’s fan-favorite sold just over 29,000 units in March, making for 71,470 on the year. The thing is, the Fusion is having a tough year, all things considered. Sales are down, and it’s unclear whether they’ll bounce back. Numbers have fallen nearly 8% for the year from this time in 2014, and March numbers were down almost 12% compared to March of 2014.

2015_nissan_altima_04
Source: Nissan

6. Nissan Altima

Another sedan that is having a tough year is the Nissan Altima, which is seeing sales tumble much like the Ford Fusion, despite capturing the sixth spot on March’s best-sellers list. Nissan moved just about 32,000 Altimas last month, which is down about 11% from March 2014. On the year, dealers have moved almost 87,000 total. That, too, is down 2.7% from 2014.

Maybe it’s just a bad year for sedans?

2014_Toyota_Corolla_S_003
Source: Toyota

5. Toyota Corolla

As some of its major rivals have departed the list this month, Toyota has been able to take advantage and capture even more sales. One of the big winners was the Corolla, which saw a huge spike in sales of almost 20% in March 2015 over March 2014. That’s more than 35,000 Corollas sold last month, making for more than 90,700 for 2015 thus far. Compared to this time last year, Corolla sales are up 16.7%.

camry hybrid
Source: Toyota

4. Toyota Camry

Pacing right ahead of the Corolla is Toyota’s other big seller, the Camry. Again, with the notable absence of the Honda Accord, Camry sales soared — although they were actually down from March 2014 by 2.7%. In all, 40,800 Camry models were sold last month, which adds up to 100,505 for the year. In contrast to the March comparisons, sales for the year are actually up 6.6%.

ram1500-exterior-tailgate-down-sm
Source: Ram

3. Ram Pickup

Per usual, the top of the best-sellers list is populated by pickup trucks. And, per usual, Ram came in at the number three position. While Ram has been doing substantially better as of late than in previous years, it still lags behind its major rivals. In March, 41,595 Ram pickup trucks were sold, accounting for a 2.2% drop from March 2014. The year-over-year numbers are a bit better, as Ram has been able to sell 101,511 trucks so far. That’s a 4.8% increase.

Source: Chevrolet
Source: Chevrolet

2. Chevrolet Silverado

Chevy’s been on a bit of a tear with its popular Silverado pickup line, and the proof is in the numbers. In March, Chevy dealers sent more than 45,000 Silverado pickups home with new owners, which is a 7% spike over March of last year. In all, 126,694 Silverados have sold in 2015 so far, a 17.6% increase over last year’s figures. Evidently, selling pickups is easier when your company isn’t embroiled in the midst of a large number of recall announcements.

Source: Ford
Source: Ford

1. Ford F-Series

The crown remains on the head of the Ford F-Series, to nobody’s surprise. Specifically, the Ford F-150 is continuing to cut down all competitors when it comes to pure sales. Case in point, the F-150 had 20,000 more sales than the Silverado, with a total of 67,706 in March, and over 177,000 for 2015 as we head into April. Again, the F-Series is by far and away America’s top-selling vehicle, and there’s little reason to believe that will change anytime soon.