With SUV sales skyrocketing, the best selling SUV had some stiff competition in 2016.
The year began on an uptick in SUV sales, and it’s a trend that did not slow. SUVs are quickly taking the reins as America’s favorite style of vehicle and the numbers prove it.
Year over year, SUV sales increased 8 percent from the 2015 sales numbers. Eight percent might sound like a modest number, but that equates to nearly 150,000 units over the previous year. Not too shabby, right?
And here are the top 10 bestselling SUVs of 2016.
Edging out the Subaru Forester to claim 10th place is the Toyota Highlander. It’s a deserving vehicle for the top-10 bestsellers list for 2016, and the only one on the list that seats up to eight people. The 2016 Toyota Highlander is a Kelly Blue Book Best Buy Award winner, so you know it must be good value. Entune Premium Audio, Toyota Safety Sense-P, and, of course, it’s dashing good looks round out its worthiness.
In 2016, the Toyota Highlander took its competition, along with the general public, by surprise. 191,379 Toyota Highlanders were purchased in 2016, up 20.4 percent from its sales in 2015.
America’s favorite SUV, and the most iconic SUV ever, is the Jeep Wrangler. For 2016, the Wrangler remains largely unchanged. That’s a good thing, because how do you improve on a vehicle everyone loves? I guess you sell more of them… The Jeep Wrangler can be dressed up with the Hard Rock edition or stripped down to the bare-bones Wrangler S. You’ll always get rugged 4WD.
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For 2016, the Jeep Wrangler drops 5.2 percent on sales from 2015. That’s 191,774 brand new Jeep Wranglers on the road still.
In eighth position, trailing its high-end sibling, is the Jeep Cherokee. This is Jeep’s response to bestselling models from import brands, but it doesn’t really embody the Jeep spirit. The Cherokee comes primarily as a front-wheel-drive unit, and 4X4 is an option that sounds like “cha-ching”. The Cherokee prices itself out of grasp on the high-end Overland – where you get all the toys – at $37,500! Yeouch!
The Jeep Cherokee drops to eighth place, down 9.5 percent to 199,736 units sold in 2016
A strong showing by the Jeep Grand Cherokee means it swaps positions with its little brother, the Cherokee. The Grand Cherokee is the most awarded SUV ever, and that’s because it’s a phenomenal vehicle. The best 4WD systems around, the most luxurious appointments without a luxury badge, more set the Grand Cherokee apart.
Grand Cherokee sales were up 8.1 percent in 2016, selling 212,273 vehicles. That would most assuredly be higher if the price tag wasn’t so high as well.
You can’t leave your sales position in the hands of the competition. The Chevy Equinox was refreshed in 2016 but not so much that it required an upgrade from past model-year customers. Without a reason to push buyers into a new car, sales stagnated for the Chevy Equinox.
In 2016, Equinox sales were down 12.8 percent. That’s 242,195 vehicles sold which would have placed the Equinox in fifth place if the Explorer Police Interceptor was not included. But we don’t make the rules…
Along with a modest retail sales drop, the Explorer is a couple years into a redesign which is when sales typically slow down. Its 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine might be the best thing about it with 280 horsepower. Or it might be a truck-inspired 4WD system. It’s one of the few SUVs that has a truck-like presence still.
The Ford Explorer sold 248,507 units, of which 32,213 were police vehicles. It’s down 0.3 percent from last year.
The Ford Escape’s sales remain nearly unchanged from 2015, but it drops a position to number four. The Ford compact SUV is an omen of what’s to come in the market with some great options, like auto stop-start technology and SYNC 3 Connect. In an unusual move considering the competition, Ford Escape has three engine choices.
Ford Escape sold 307,069 vehicles in 2016, up 0.2 percent. It’s the fourth best selling SUV. Perhaps less choice might drive sales in the next version of the Escape?
A surprise gain comes from Nissan’s Rogue. Its stylish exterior catches your eye first, soon followed by its impressive equipment. You can dress out the Rogue fully for an affordable price – it’s a great SUV under 30,000. The Around View Monitor is perhaps the standout feature, although all in all, it’s built and equipped really well.
The Nissan Rogue was the third best selling SUV, up 14.9 percent from 2015 to finish at 329,904 units sold. Riding on the back of “Star Wars: Rogue One,” the Nissan Rogue has the strongest December sales too.
Another strong showing from Toyota saw the gap close between the No. 1 and 2 spots. For 2016, Toyota’s RAV4 continued to do great things for Toyota dealers, up 11.6 percent from 2015. That’s coming from an incredibly solid crossover, offering possibly the best value in the market. An efficient 2.5-liter engine, quality Entune Audio systems, and Toyota Safety Sense equipment make it a great choice.
In 2016, Toyota sold 352,154 RAV4s, just about 3,000 units less than the best selling SUV.
Once again, the Honda CR-V was the best selling SUV in 2016. The 2016 model was impressive in its own way. But then, Honda had to go and one-up themselves with the brand-new 2017 CR-V. Embracing the most recent technologies like adaptive cruise control, a massive infotainment display, and the most refined interior to date, the all-new 2017 Honda CR-V contributed to Honda’s successful title retention. Being a very fuel efficient SUV has to help.
Honda CR-V sales were up 3.4 from 2015 for a total number of 357,335 units rolled.
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