The Honda CR-V is on the verge of becoming the best-selling crossover in the U.S. in 2026, overtaking the Toyota RAV4 in a dramatic reversal that would give Honda the top spot for the first time since 1991.
Honda CR-V Builds a Major Lead
Honda’s September sales results strengthened the CR-V’s position at the top. Honda sold 37,778 CR-Vs in September, a 21.9% increase from the same month a year ago, despite the model recently falling to just 17 days of inventory, less than half of what Honda would like to have.
The September results brought Honda’s total CR-V sales for the year to 336,834 units. Hybrids accounted for 53% of those sales, another high mark for the brand.
Toyota sold 34,192 RAV4s in September. While that represented an improvement from the lower sales figures seen earlier in the year, it was still 6.6% below the same month a year ago.
Through the first three quarters of 2026, RAV4 sales have fallen 29.2%, dropping from 358,134 units during the first three quarters of 2025 to 253,663 through Q3 of 2026.
RAV4 Faces a Wide Sales Gap
The rapid change in sales between the two models has put the CR-V more than 83,000 units ahead of the RAV4. Closing that gap would require an extraordinary reversal during the remainder of the year, with Toyota needing record RAV4 sales while Honda’s CR-V sales essentially collapse.
Barring a catastrophic event, Honda is positioned to claim the distinction of selling the best-selling U.S. vehicle that was not a pickup for the first time since 1991.
What Happened to the Toyota RAV4?
In 1991, Honda sold 399,297 Accords, keeping the model ahead of the Ford Taurus. No car or SUV has come close to matching the best-selling pickup in the U.S. for decades, while the last time Honda’s best-selling model outsold Toyota’s was in 2001, with another Accord.
Just before the start of 2026, Toyota launched a brand-new version of the RAV4 crossover. The model had been the best-selling car or SUV in the U.S. for a decade, but Toyota struggled to supply enough vehicles to meet demand.
RAV4 sales fell nearly 50% through the end of the first quarter. Sales improved as factories increased output and U.S. production began, but the model has still not closed the gap with the previous year.
Toyota RAV4 Trails the Camry
The RAV4 could also finish the year behind Toyota’s Camry on the automaker’s own sales charts. Some RAV4 customers have clearly moved to Honda, while others may have remained within Toyota’s lineup.
Camry sales are up 11.2% for the year at 260,684 units, putting the sedan slightly ahead of the RAV4’s 253,664 sales.
With the third-quarter sales figures now reported, the Honda CR-V has established a substantial lead over the Toyota RAV4, putting Honda on course for a major shift in the U.S. vehicle sales rankings.
