2023 Best Selling Small Cars In the United States (All Models Ranked)
The small car segment, which includes subcompacts and compact vehicles, has experienced several notable trends and challenges over the past few years in the U.S. As with the broader passenger car market, the small car segment has felt the impact of consumers’ growing preference for SUVs and crossovers. This trend has been driven by the versatility, higher seating positions, and perceived safety benefits of these vehicles, even in the subcompact and compact SUV categories. Reflecting the above trend, sales of small cars have generally decreased. Many consumers who might have previously opted for a small car have chosen compact crossovers instead.
Due to the decreasing demand, some automakers have decided to discontinue their small car models in the U.S. For instance, Ford decided to stop selling the Fiesta in the U.S., and Chevrolet did the same with the Sonic. While the overall trend for small cars has been challenging, there has been a silver lining in the form of electrification. Small cars have become a popular platform for electric vehicles (EVs), given their city-friendly size and the decreasing cost of batteries. Cars like the Chevrolet Bolt and Nissan Leaf have found a niche within this segment. Small cars continue to be more popular in urban areas where their size makes them advantageous for parking and navigating tight spaces.
While small cars faced challenges in the U.S., they remained popular in many global markets, especially in urban areas in Europe and Asia. This global demand often means that automakers continue to develop and refine small car models, even if they’re less emphasized in the U.S. market.
Here Are The Most Popular Small Cars in the U.S for 2023
This data table looks at last month’s total small car sales volumes in the United States by model. We compare U.S market small car sales for last month with the same month last year. We also include the year to date sales numbers and compare with the same year to date numbers from last year. With both monthly and YTD sales numbers we have a growth rate column so you can better gauge an individual small car sales success in the U.S market.
| Model | Month | Month LY | Change | YTD | YTD LY | YTD Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mazda 3 | 4,019 | 2,872 | 39.94 | 9,962 | 7,295 | 36.56 |
| Fiat 500 | 14 | 0 | 0.00 | 40 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Honda Civic | 25,252 | 17,423 | 44.93 | 61,929 | 45,548 | 35.96 |
| Mini Cooper | 1,452 | 1,597 | -9.08 | 4,217 | 4,496 | -6.21 |
| Toyota Corolla | 22,328 | 13,528 | 65.05 | 60,071 | 42,975 | 39.78 |
| Hyundai Elantra | 11,528 | 13,447 | -14.27 | 26,860 | 32,473 | -17.29 |
| Kia Forte | 13,417 | 11,891 | 12.83 | 33,623 | 30,526 | 10.15 |
| Volkswagen Golf | 1,247 | 529 | 135.73 | 3,645 | 1,489 | 144.80 |
| Subaru Impreza | 2,836 | 3,802 | -25.41 | 7,434 | 8,844 | -15.94 |
| Volkswagen Jetta | 4,456 | 1,625 | 174.22 | 13,024 | 4,574 | 184.74 |
| Mitsubishi Mirage | 1,712 | 1,187 | 44.23 | 5,004 | 3,341 | 49.78 |
| Kia Rio | 246 | 2,436 | -89.90 | 1,823 | 7,005 | -73.98 |
| Nissan Sentra | 13,712 | 7,999 | 71.42 | 40,082 | 22,517 | 78.01 |
| Kia Soul | 5,284 | 6,907 | -23.50 | 12,452 | 16,984 | -26.68 |
| Nissan Versa | 2,557 | 1,386 | 84.49 | 7,475 | 3,901 | 91.62 |
| ∑ = 110,060 | ∑ = 86,629 | ∑ = 287,641 | ∑ = 231,968 |
2023 U.S Quarterly Small Car Sales Numbers
This data table looks at quarterly sales performance for the small car segment in the United States. It includes all major small car models sold in the U.S market. We compare last quarter’s small car U.S sales at the model level with the same small car model sales quarter last year. We also include a growth rate too so you can see which small car models are growing and which ones are declining. The quarterly view of small car sales at the model level often gives you a better picture of what is happening than monthly because it takes out some of the month to month noise.
2023 New Small Car Sales Data by Month in the U.S
This sales data table looks at monthly sales performance for the small car segment in the United States on a month to month basis for the entire year so far. It includes all major small car models sold in the U.S market and you can see that the monthly small car sales trends clearly. Seeing the individual small car model sales performance in this way gives you a good sense of the momentum (good or bad).
