Download All Of GCBC's 2016 U.S. Sales Data
At traditional U.S. brands, however – Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge, Chrysler, Buick, Cadillac, Lincoln, and Tesla – U.S. sales of passenger cars plunged 13%.
Among the 37 nameplates collecting sales for those marques over the course of the 2016 calendar year, including defunct nameplates such as the Dodge Avenger and all-new entries such as the Lincoln Continental and Chevrolet Bolt, only seven established models generated more sales activity in 2016 than in 2015.
The fastest-growing was the Chevrolet Volt, which is all new for 2016. Volt sales jumped 61% to 24,739 units, good enough for 22nd among these U.S. nameplates, 61st among cars overall, and 144th among vehicles overall. 2016 was the Volt's best annual performance to date.
Among continuing nameplates, vehicles which unlike the Chrysler 200 and Dodge Dart have not been discontinued, the most rapid decline in 2016 belonged to the Ford Fiesta, which tumbled 24%.
The Ford Fusion was America's best-selling American car in 2016. Fusion sales nevertheless plunged 11% from 300,170 units in 2015, making 2016 the second consecutive year of decline for the Fusion. Ford builds Fusions in Hermosillo, Mexico, with Flat Rock, Michigan, production now over.
The five most American-made vehicles on Cars.com's American-Made Index wear Japanese badges.
The second-ranked vehicle on this best sellers' list, the Chevrolet Malibu, is assembled in Kansas City, Kansas.
In addition to the 25 best-selling American brand cars we displayed last year, we've extended 2016's list to include each passenger car nameplate and given space to show totals by brand, as well.
Rank | Best-Selling American Cars In America | 2016 | 2015 | % Change |
#1 | Ford Fusion | 265,840 | 300,170 | -11.4% |
#2 | Chevrolet Malibu | 227,881 | 194,854 | 17.0% |
#3 | Chevrolet Cruze | 188,876 | 226,602 | -16.6% |
#4 | Ford Focus | 168,789 | 202,478 | -16.6% |
#5 | Ford Mustang | 105,932 | 122,349 | -13.4% |
#6 | Chevrolet Impala | 97,006 | 116,825 | -17.0% |
#7 | Dodge Charger | 95,437 | 96,633 | -1.2% |
#8 | Chevrolet Camaro | 72,705 | 77,502 | -6.2% |
#9 | Dodge Challenger | 64,433 | 66,377 | -2.9% |
#10 | Chrysler 200 | 57,294 | 167,368 | -65.8% |
#11 | Chevrolet Sonic | 55,255 | 64,775 | -14.7% |
#12 | Chrysler 300 | 53,241 | 53,025 | 0.4% |
#13 | Ford Fiesta | 48,807 | 64,458 | -24.3% |
#14 | Ford Taurus | 44,098 | 48,816 | -9.7% |
#15 | Dodge Dart | 43,402 | 87,908 | -50.6% |
#16 | Chevrolet Spark | 35,511 | 32,853 | 8.1% |
#17 | Lincoln MKZ | 30,534 | 30,901 | -1.2% |
#18 | Buick Verano | 30,277 | 31,886 | -5.0% |
#19 | Chevrolet Corvette | 29,995 | 33,329 | -10.0% |
#20 | Tesla Model S † | 29,156 | 25,202 | 15.7% |
#21 | Buick LaCrosse | 27,582 | 42,035 | -34.4% |
#22 | Chevrolet Volt | 24,739 | 15,393 | 60.7% |
#23 | Cadillac XTS | 22,171 | 23,112 | -4.1% |
#24 | Cadillac ATS | 21,505 | 26,873 | -20.0% |
#25 | Ford C-Max | 19,834 | 21,768 | -8.9% |
#26 | Buick Regal | 19,833 | 19,504 | 1.7% |
#27 | Cadillac CTS | 15,911 | 19,485 | -18.3% |
#28 | Cadillac CT6 | 9,169 | --- | --- |
#29 | Buick Cascada | 7,153 | --- | --- |
#30 | Lincoln Continental | 5,261 | --- | --- |
#31 | Lincoln MKS | 4,951 | 6,877 | -28.0% |
#32 | Chevrolet SS | 3,013 | 2,895 | 4.1% |
#33 | Chevrolet Caprice PPV | 1,021 | 1,845 | -44.7% |
#34 | Dodge Viper | 630 | 690 | -8.7% |
#35 | Chevrolet Bolt | 579 | --- | --- |
#36 | Cadillac ELR | 534 | 1,024 | -47.9% |
#37 | Dodge Avenger | 45 | 1,326 | -96.6% |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
--- | Chevrolet | 736,581 | 766,873 | -4.0% |
--- | Ford | 653,300 | 760,039 | -14.0% |
--- | Dodge | 203,947 | 252,934 | -19.4% |
--- | Chrysler | 110,535 | 220,393 | -49.8% |
--- | Buick | 84,845 | 93,425 | -9.2% |
--- | Cadillac | 69,290 | 70,494 | -1.7% |
--- | Lincoln | 40,746 | 37,778 | 7.9% |
--- | Tesla † | 29,156 | 25,202 | 15.7% |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
--- | Total | 1,928,400 | 2,227,138 | -13.4% |
* estimate supplied by HybridCars.com
