Toyota RAV4 Ends 2018 As Top-Selling Vehicle In America's Largest Segment Beating Newer CR-V and Rogue

2018's sales are in the history books and the top-selling vehicle in the largest U.S. automotive segment is the Toyota RAV4. To be clear, there are three truck model series that had higher sales than the Toyota RAV4, but as GM pointed out years ago, trucks are no longer the largest of the U.S automotive sales segments. Two-row "compact" crossovers have overtaken trucks in total volume of vehicles sold. Among the best sellers, the six-year old design of the RAV4 sold best in 2018.

Toyota managed 427K units sold for the year. In second place was the Nissan Rogue with 412K units sold. Honda's CR-V beat out the Chevy Equinox to claim the third place sales position with 379K units sold. That Toyota's older RAV4 design, with a non-turbo engine and infotainment that has neither Apple Car Play nor Android Auto beat out the Honda and Nissan, must be very frustrating to the second and third place finishers.

Over the past few years, each of the top three has claimed their share of sales triumphs. Nissan's Rogue was the top seller during certain months and Honda likes to claim that more of its crossovers are sold to private individuals, as opposed to fleets of various types. Still, that Toyota's outgoing design has does so well speaks not just to the vehicle's ability to find buyers, but Toyota's dominance in the marketing of the vehicles it builds. Break down the numbers and it is apparent that Toyota's RAV4 Hybrid may have been what tipped the balance. Toyota has been averaging 4,000 unit sales per month of the hybrid and no competitor has anything close to that level of hybrid crossover sales.

RAV4 Quick Facts
The 2018 RAV4 is now being phased out as Toyota switches to an entirely new design for 2019. The RAV4 hybrid is the top-selling affordable green crossover in America and will also be a new model for 2019. The outgoing RAV4 was an IIHS Top Safety Pick.