Honda Accord and Toyota Camry sales are enjoying their strongest year in more than a decade, with the two longtime sedans outperforming several SUVs and crossovers that were once expected to replace traditional passenger cars.
Accord and Camry Continue Strong Sales Run
Honda dealers sold 18,691 Accord sedans in August, a 19% increase from the same month last year. For the year so far, Accord sales are up 34%, reaching 129,014 units in the U.S.
That pace puts Honda on track to easily surpass 200,000 Accord sales for the year, a level the model has not reached since 2021. The Accord previously exceeded 300,000 annual sales for decades.
Toyota Camry sales slipped 9.7% in August, but the sedan still recorded an impressive 25,754 units sold. Year-to-date sales stand at 235,334, up 12% from the same period last year.
If that pace continues, Camry sales could exceed 350,000 units for the year, a mark Toyota has not reached since 2017. That was also the year the RAV4 moved ahead of the iconic sedan.
The Camry consistently outsold the RAV4 earlier this year and continues to lead it in year-to-date sales. Even during its weaker August, the Camry outsold notable family SUVs, including the Ford Explorer.
Could 2026 Sales Rankings Resemble 2016?
So far this year, the Camry is on pace to switch places with the RAV4 and reclaim its historic position as Toyota’s best-selling vehicle in the U.S.
RAV4 sales are down 32% for the year amid a production changeover to the new-generation model, though sales may finally be starting to turn the corner.
The Honda Accord, meanwhile, is already back among the nation’s top 25 best-selling vehicles. At the halfway point of the year, it ranked 20th after falling out of the top 25 last year.
The Accord is just 700 units behind the Kia Sportage, a crossover having a record year. It is also ahead of the Subaru Crosstrek, which is competing with the Forester for the title of Subaru’s best-selling model.
Camry Could Challenge for a Top-Five Position
The Toyota Camry could finish near the top of the overall sales rankings and possibly reach the top five. At the halfway point of the year, it was ahead of both the GMC Sierra pickup and the Tesla Model Y, vehicles that have outsold the Camry in recent years.
Other popular vehicles currently below the Camry include the Ford Explorer, Nissan Rogue, Chevrolet Equinox, and Hyundai Tucson.
For a segment that many automakers have significantly reduced or abandoned, the sales performance of the Camry and Accord is highlighting the continued strength of traditional sedans.
Why Sedan Sales Are Gaining Ground
Gas is expensive, while trucks and SUVs are also costly and generally consume more fuel. Sedan buyers can potentially save on both fronts by giving up the all-wheel-drive capability and larger footprint of a crossover.
That advantage is particularly notable because all new Camrys and most Accords are hybrids.
Until record-high vehicle and fuel prices begin to decline, traditional sedans could continue gaining ground over SUVs. Reports suggest that rising new-vehicle costs have already pushed one million potential buyers completely out of the market, and the sales results indicate that a significant number of buyers may be choosing new sedans instead of crossovers.
