Giants like Toyota and Honda dominate the car market. That’s especially true if shoppers are interested only in a certain segment, such as sedans. Although those two automakers absolutely crush the sedan segment, shoppers have other options. Here’s a look at the most popular sedans this year that aren’t from Toyota or Honda.

These Toyota and Honda sedans are best-sellers

Recent sales charts show that the perennially popular Toyota and Honda models top the list of best-selling sedans. Overall, though, sedans are no longer the most popular segment in America. SUVs and trucks have overtaken cars. Regardless, the Toyota Camry midsize sedan is still going strong, selling almost 94,000 units so far this year, GoodCarBadCar reports.

That’s a significant enough number to put it within the top four best-selling vehicles overall. The Camry’s smaller sibling, the Corolla, isn’t selling as well. The Japanese auto giant moved about 60,000 units of the compact car in the first four months of 2023. However, that’s still a good number, putting the Corolla above many other models in the segment.

Although Honda isn’t performing as well as Toyota, Honda sedans are still popular. So far this year, the company has sold about 61,800 Civic units, slightly higher than the Corolla’s number. Meanwhile, the Accord is also moving well, selling 62,100 units of the midsize sedan. That means the Accord, Civic, and Corolla are all in the same ballpark. 

But what about sedans not produced by the two Japanese auto giants?

The Hyundai Elantra and Kia Forte are the most popular sedans not made by Toyota or Honda

Aside from the Toyota and Honda sedans that dominate the segment, the next-best-selling options are from South Korea.

Hyundai has sold about 46,000 units of the Elantra. That figure puts Hyundai’s midsize sedan within range of many other popular models, such as the Subaru Outback midsize SUV and Kia Sportage compact SUV.

Meanwhile, Hyundai’s sibling brand, Kia, produces the other best-selling non-Toyota, non-Honda sedan. The South Korean automaker has sold 42,000 units of the Forte compact sedan this year. That’s similar to figures for other popular models, such as the Toyota Tundra full-size truck and the Kia Telluride midsize SUV.

However, these numbers don’t push the Forte or Elantra anywhere near the top. Instead, the data indicates how poorly the sedan segment is doing because the other models are selling much worse than these two cars.

Why are Toyota and Honda sedans so popular?

There’s no apparent reason why Toyota’s and Honda’s sedans sell so much better than the competition, at least on paper. For example, the Elantra has some advantages over the Corolla, and many of those benefits are in areas that car shoppers care about. Hyundai’s compact sedan is about $1,000 cheaper than Toyota’s. It’s also more fuel-efficient and provides more passenger and cargo space.

It’s a similar story for the Forte. The compact Kia is also an affordable, capable sedan. But the difference between the top-selling Toyota and Honda sedans and everyone else seems to be reputation. Cars like the Camry and the Civic have been popular for decades. So consumers might trust Toyota and Honda more than younger brands.