10 Vehicles Americans Couldn’t Get Enough of in July
We’re in the dog days of summer, which means the days are starting to get a little shorter, football season and the school year are both creeping ever closer, and Americans are heading out to the dealerships for new cars. These are the days when dealers want to get the ’16 models out to make room for the ’17s, and as such, there are deals to be had.
But there are signs of a change on the horizon. Despite global economic turmoil in England, Europe, and China, American auto sales held strong. That said, the stratospheric post-recession sales burst we’ve been experiencing over the past few years looks to be coasting to a halt. Overall, 2016 new car sales are 1.6% up on the year; it isn’t much growth, but it certainly beats the alternative.
Automakers have picked up on these changes, and are now offering some big incentives to keep their cars moving. According to Cars.com, these incentives averaged $3,237 per car, and while July averages haven’t been calculated yet, it’s likely to be even higher. Using Cars.com’s calculations, here are the 10 best-selling models of July. There are a few surprises on here, but all the familiar faces make an appearance too.
10. Toyota Corolla
The world’s most famous car for the everyman grabbed the ten spot in July, thanks to 31,717 sales. The compact saw a healthy 4.7% bump compared to July 2015 sales, but unfortunately, numbers are down 2.9% on the year thanks to the rising popularity of vehicles like our number nine model…
9. Toyota RAV4
The Rav4 may share its platform with the Corolla, but it’s a compact crossover, and in case you haven’t noticed, Americans can’t buy enough of them lately. The Rav4 is no stranger to the best-seller list, and with 31,871 sold in July – a 19.3% jump over July 2015 and annual sales up 16.1% – it isn’t likely to leave anytime soon.
8. Honda Accord
Crossovers may be endangering the compact and midsize sedan segment, but for now, the Accord’s combination of value, quality, and reliability keeps it firmly in the top ten. The refreshed-for-2016 Honda found 31,946 buyers in July. That’s down 7.4% compared to 2015, but overall, sales are up 5.8% for the year.
7. Honda Civic
While the Accord benefits from a recent facelift, the compact Civic is all new for 2016, and it happens to be the best Civic Honda’s fielded in years. Buyers are taking notice; in July, Americans snapped up 32,952 of them, a 5.8% increase over July 2015, boosting year-to-date numbers to a whopping 17.6%. The new Civic is a winner, and Americans love winners.
6. Nissan Rogue
The Rogue is the perfect car for the average American car buyer circa 2016: It’s a modern, comfortable, handsome (if bland), and affordable crossover. And the numbers back it up: 33,298 were sold in July, an impressive 32.8% jump compared to last year. Overall, numbers for 2016 are up 13.5%.
5. Toyota Camry
Despite the assault from crossovers, the Camry still stands firm as the best-selling car in America. But the times truly are a-changing. Despite finding 34,122 new buyers, numbers are down 11.2% versus July 2015, and overall, they’re down 8% for 2016.
4. Honda CR-V
And why are cars like the Camry and Corolla slipping? Say it with us now: Compact crossovers. Despite being little unchanged for 2016, CR-V sales have been climbing steadily. 36,017 buyers took them home in July, up 13.3% from last year. Overall, sales are up 0.1% for 2016. It’s not much, but it’s something.
3. Ram Pickup
We’re now in the Overlook Hotel territory, where this month’s top three have always been the top three. This includes Ram’s trucks, which sold 39,827 units in July, a 1.7% increase over a year ago, and contributed to the truck division’s 6.2% sales bump so far in 2016.
2. Chevrolet Silverado
If the Chevy Silverado were anywhere but the number two spot, it would be major news. Still, there may be trouble brewing for the bowtie brand’s truck. With 54,116 units sold, July sales were down an eyebrow-raising 4% compared to last year, and overall, 2016 sales are down 1.3% on the year.
1. Ford F-Series
The sun came up today, the sky is still blue, and Ford trucks are still the best-selling vehicles in America. Chevy can knock the F-Series’ aluminum construction all it wants, but last month the trucks found 65,657 new buyers. That’s a 1% drop from July 2015, but overall, numbers for this year are up an impressive 8.8%.
