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Another quarter has gone by, and surprise surprise, the Toyota Camry sold extremely well. This isn’t actually too surprising, since customers and critics seem to agree that the Camry is the best sedan on the market right now. What’s interesting, however, is the fact that the only other sedan to give the Camry any competition seems to have been the Toyota Corolla.

The Toyota Camry and Corolla did great 

When it comes to the best-selling cars in America, the top dogs are pickup trucks, and according to Car and Driver, that’s still true. The next most popular segments are the SUVs, and as far as sales in Q1 are going, that is still true. Sedans typically aren’t selling well nowadays, but that’s not the case for the Toyota Camry or the Corolla whatsoever. 

In fact, according to Car and Driver, the seventh best-selling car in the first quarter of 2021 is the Camry, as it sold about 78,000 units. The smaller Corolla, meanwhile, wasn’t far behind, as it came in at eighth place with about 72,000 units sold. While those are some impressive rankings, more importantly, both cars saw an increase in sales compared to Q1 of 2020. 

What’s also impressive is the fact that, after the Corolla, the next best-selling sedan in Q1 of 2021 was the Honda Civic, which came in at 14th with almost 56,000 units sold. The Civic’s sibling, the Accord, was the next best-selling sedan at 18th place, with just over 46,000 units sold.

Toyota simply dominates the sedan market

2020 Toyota Camry Hybrid is on display at the 112th Annual Chicago Auto Show
The 2020 Toyota Camry Hybrid | Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

Despite sedans going out of favor, Toyota continues to do very well in this segment, and it’s really not surprising. After all, Toyota has, over the course of many years, earned a reputation for making safe, reliable, and affordable cars. While the Camry and the Corolla may have their issues here and there, by and large, they both live up to that reputation.

As a result, for customers that don’t need or want a big SUV or truck, a sedan is usually the way to go. And, as far as sedans go, due to how well-known and well-respected Toyota’s sedans are, they naturally become the front-runner when it’s time to shop around for a car. 

On top of that, Toyota’s reputation also makes the Camry and the Corolla excellent picks for families looking to get a car that’s suitable for teen drivers. Since the Camry and the Corolla are so safe, and since they are so reliable, teens will generally have a great and safe time driving around in their Toyota.

An overview of the Toyota Camry and the Toyota Corolla

In many ways, the Toyota Camry and the Corolla are similar, but Toyota did make an effort to differentiate the two. For example, the Camry is a midsize sedan, while the Corolla is a compact sedan. As such, the Camry’s going to be roomier than the Corolla, but it’ll also cost a bit more. Right now, the Camry costs about $25,000, while the Corolla will cost about $20,000.

That being said, the Corolla does have a hatchback option that will improve its cargo capacity while the Camry doesn’t. In any case, both cars are very similar when it comes to things like safety, reliability, and fuel economy. For example, both are well-known for being reliable cars, and both are equipped with a ton of standard smart safety features.

Since the Camry is bigger, its fuel economy will be slightly worse. However, both cars still have some great numbers. The Camry’s slightly worse fuel economy is probably because of its bigger and more powerful engine. The standard Camry gets over 200 hp, while the standard Corolla gets about 139 hp. The standard Camry gets an EPA-estimated 34 mpg combined while the Corolla earns an EPA-estimated 36 MPG combined.

No matter which model you choose between the new Toyota Camry and the Toyota Corolla, you’ll be getting a high-quality sedan that’s clearly pretty popular.