Sedan Sales Surge in 2026, Honda and Toyota Lead the Way

Car and Driver reports that sedan sales are climbing again in 2026, with Honda and Toyota leading the charge. Through the first three quarters, Honda's passenger cars—including sedans, hatchbacks, and sports cars—rose 15.6 percent compared to last year. Meanwhile, Honda's trucks and SUVs managed only a 0.3 percent gain. Honda says the third quarter was its best for car sales since 2020.

The Toyota Camry and Honda Accord posted the biggest increases. Camry sales hit 260,684 units, up 11.2 percent. The Accord jumped 32.7 percent to 145,520 units. The smaller Corolla (195,141 sold, up 8.4 percent) and Civic (195,135 sold, up 5.4 percent) also climbed.

Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia, which kept sedans in their lineups when many American rivals dropped them, also saw gains. The Hyundai Elantra rose 11 percent despite being late in its life cycle, and the midsize Sonata and Kia K5 posted double-digit increases. Other standouts include the Mazda 3 (up 42.3 percent) and luxury models like the BMW 3-series (up 37.3 percent), Lexus IS (up 51.7 percent), and Acura Integra (up 37.3 percent).

Nissan was left out of the party. The Sentra and Altima both fell by double-digit percentages, and Nissan's car sales dropped 25 percent overall, even as its trucks and SUVs rose 14.4 percent.

Car and Driver attributes the shift to buyers chasing affordability. Sedans cost less than SUVs—a Honda Civic or Accord starts under $30,000 while a CR-V starts over $32,000. They also get better fuel economy: hybrid Civics and Accords top 48 mpg combined, while the CR-V hybrid manages 40 mpg.

The publication says it will watch fourth-quarter numbers to see if the sedan resurgence holds.