America's 10 Best-Selling SUVs & Crossovers In 2014

by Timothy Cain

January 6th, 2015 8:03 AM

america s 10 best selling suvs crossovers in 2014

American Honda grabbed its third consecutive best-selling SUV crown with the increasingly popular CR-V in calendar year 2014. The CR-V’s lead over the next-best-selling Ford Escape grew to 28,807 units (about one month of sales for the CR-V) in 2014 from 7911 units in calendar year 2013.

• CR-V leads SUVs & crossovers in seven of the last eight years

• Seven of the ten best sellers post record U.S. sales

• Explorer is America’s best-selling three-row vehicle

The CR-V was alone on top, but it was not alone in its ability to achieve record-high U.S. sales volume. Along with the CR-V, the Ford Escape, Toyota RAV4, Chevrolet Equinox, Nissan Rogue, Jeep Wrangler, and Subaru Forester all sold more often in 2014 than in any prior year.

Utility vehicles accounted for 32% of new vehicle sales in the United States over the last twelve months, up from 30% a year ago. Segment-wide sales jumped 12% in an industry which reported collective gains of 6%. These ten best sellers alone produced 367,298 more sales for the U.S. auto industry in 2014 than they did in 2013 while generating more than four out of every ten SUV/crossover sales.

No vehicle exemplifies the more-than-gradual turn toward utility vehicles more than the CR-V, and not just because it leads the category. In each of 2014’s final two months, the CR-V didn’t just lead the SUV/crossover world, it outsold all passenger cars, as well. Best sellers don’t always speak for the overall industry, but the CR-V’s ability to conquer all non-pickup trucks is more than simply symbolic.

RankSUV / Crossover20142013%Change#1 Honda CR-V335,019303,90410.2%#2 Ford Escape306,212295,9933.5%#3 Toyota RAV4267,698218,24922.7%#4 Chevrolet Equinox242,242238,1921.7%#5 Ford Explorer209,994192,3979.1%#6 Nissan Rogue199,199162,75122.4%#7 Jeep Grand Cherokee183,786174,2755.5%#8 Jeep Cherokee178,50825,786592%#9 Jeep Wrangler175,328155,50212.8%#10 Subaru Forester159,953123,59229.4%

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures.

#2014Sales #AmericanHonda #AnnualSales #BestSeller #CrossoverSales #HondaCR-V #SUVSales

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22 of 58 comments

Speed3 on Jan 06, 2015

I bet this list next year will include the Jeep Renegade. 4 Jeeps would be something awesome to see.

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- Lie2me on Jan 06, 2015
  
  It should be a given, Jeep kind of invented the segment
  
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- Raresleeper on Jan 06, 2015
  
  @Lie2me And they (Jeeps) also cost an arm and a leg.
  
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- Lie2me on Jan 06, 2015
  
  @raresleeper Compared to what? The new Renegade will be priced below $19K
  
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- Raresleeper on Jan 06, 2015
  
  @Lie2me I did not know that the Renegade will only be 19K. But that sounds awful inexpensive for having the word Jeep on it... So it starts at 19K, but can be optioned up to a meager 36K??
  
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- Lie2me on Jan 06, 2015
  
  @Lie2me According to Jeep pricing of the new Renegade will be "well below $20K" Pricing should be out later today, so we will know for sure $36K would put it at or above a loaded Cherokee which wouldn't make much sense
  
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- 319583076 on Jan 06, 2015
  
  @Lie2me Any thoughts on long-term reliability of the "new" FCA product? They are stylish and it seems like there is value, but ownership may diminish or eliminate that value.
  
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- Bball40dtw on Jan 06, 2015
  
  There is no way Jeep is going to move 160K Renegades, in the US, in 2015. I think it will be a sales success, but it's not going to crack this list. The planned global annual capacity at the Melfi, Italy plant, for the Renegade, is 150K units. IHS Automotive predicts the Renegade will sell just under 110K units globally in 2015.
  
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- Raresleeper on Jan 06, 2015
  
  @319583076 Put down that cup, you.
  
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- Lie2me on Jan 06, 2015
  
  @Lie2me All the right components are in place, Tigershark engine, ZF 9-speed trans. Cherokee 4X4 with lockers and 20:1 crawl, but time only will tell if everything comes together correctly
  
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- Vulpine on Jan 06, 2015
  
  @Lie2me I'm betting the Renegade Trailhawk will run between $22-$24K.
  
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- Mjz on Jan 06, 2015
  
  @bball40dtw The Renegade is poised to be the best selling Jeep ever. The reaction to it has been unprecedented. IHS is full of $hit. Some dumba$$ MBA analyst that doesn't know $hit from shinola. This Jeep will be HUGE, and Sergio will find a way to crank out more of them.
  
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- Bball40dtw on Jan 06, 2015
  
  @mjz They do not have the capacity to move over 150K units this year. I'm sure Sergio/FCA will find a way to increase it (Mexican production?). However, right now, it is built in an Italian factory, with other product, and US pricing hasn't been announced. These are facts. It won't be in the top three of best selling Jeeps of 2015.
  
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- SC5door on Jan 06, 2015
  
  @mjz I don't know about that many Renegades, but people did say that the Cherokee wouldn't sell.......
  
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- Bball40dtw on Jan 06, 2015
  
  @SC5door I'm sure the Renegade will sell just fine. However, saying that it will be the best selling Jeep ever or saying that it will be a top ten CUV/SUV seller is ridiculous. Since FCA cannot produce more Renegades GLOBALLY than any vehicle on this list sold units in the US in 2014, it will not overtake any of them.
  
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- Raresleeper on Jan 06, 2015
  
  @SC5door bball, excuse you!!!! Acting like you didn't know that the new Renegade is the second coming of Christ. Hmmmmph! And don't even think about disagreeing, or I shall summon the ultimate FCA Fan Boy (dare I say who!)
  
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- Bball40dtw on Jan 06, 2015
  
  @SC5door I like the Renegade. My neighbor has an orange one that I want to borrow. I think it looks pretty sweet. They'll sell a bunch. However, people are acting like the Renegade gave them a bj while they watched the NFL Playoffs, made them a snack, paid their credit card off, and then brought all the small pickup trucks from the rest of the world for a good old fashion chicken tax @rgy. For f$cks sake. It's a niche vehicle that will never approach sales of the Cherokee or Wrangler unless gas is $8 a gallon. People need to put the Renegade lube away and stop touching themselves. The price ain't even annouced yet.
  
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- Lie2me on Jan 06, 2015
  
  @SC5door If the Renegade Trailhawk can do 75% of what a stock Wrangler can do off road while getting 25-30 mpg on road while getting you to work in reasonable comfort and do it all for $25K then it'll be better then a bj during the Superbowl
  
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Durishin on Jan 06, 2015

Methinks the Outback belongs in here.

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- Timothy Cain on Jan 06, 2015
  
  If the Outback was listed with utility vehicles and not cars, it would rank 12th in 2014, behind this group and the Toyota Highlander.
  
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- Vulpine on Jan 06, 2015
  
  @Timothy Cain The Outback still exists? I thought it was reduced to a mere trim package for the Legacy again.
  
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- Lorenzo on Jan 06, 2015
  
  @Vulpine "Trim package for the Legacy" is what it IS, but they're still selling it as a separate model. The name 'Outback' still has enough cache to add a premium to the price.
  
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