The Quickest-Selling Cars in Today's Market

Highlights:

• The Honda CR-V is the fastest-selling new vehicle, taking an average 7.6 days to sell

• Fastest-selling used vehicle is the Tesla Model X

• Fuel-efficient cars and SUVs dominate the fastest-selling new car list

• Toyota-Lexus vehicles account for 8 vehicles on the fastest-selling new vehicle list

• Four Tesla models appear on the fastest-selling used car list

The latest iSeeCars.com analysis found the fastest-selling new car during the month of March was the Honda CR-V, while Toyota is the most-represented automaker on the list. The fastest-selling used car is the Tesla Model X, topping a list that is dominated by alternative-fuel vehicles.

Analyzing over 150,000 new and used cars sold in March 2022, iSeeCars.com found that overall, the average new car takes 35.5 days to sell and the average used car takes 52.9 days to sell. Both new and used cars took longer to sell in March compared to February, when new cars took 34 days to sell and used cars took 49.4 days.

“While used car prices saw slight declines in March over February, they are still well above average, while other economic factors like inflation and high gasoline prices slowed the demand for used cars during what is typically a high-volume sales month,” said iSeeCars Executive Analyst Karl Brauer. “Inventory constraints have persisted for new cars due to supply chain issues in Asia and Europe, and the new car market is struggling to keep up with pent-up demand.”

Fastest-Selling New Cars

iSeeCars identified the top 20 fastest-selling new cars, which sell 1.5 to 4.7 times faster than the average new vehicle and average 19.3 days on dealers’ lots. SUVs comprise the majority of the top 20 list, with 13 vehicles. The list includes 10 small SUVs, four sedans, and three hybrid vehicles.

“The surge in gas prices has heightened the demand for fuel-efficient vehicles, which include small SUVs, sedans, and hybrids,” said Brauer.

The fastest-selling new vehicle is the Honda CR-V compact SUV, which spends an average of 7.6 days on dealer lots. “Honda is among the automakers that have the tightest inventory, and sales of the CR-V in the first quarter decreased by 37.5 percent compared to the previous year due to supply constraints,” said Brauer. “The demand for the popular small crossover is likely exacerbated by high gas prices as demand outpaces supply.”

Seven Toyota vehicles and one from its Lexus luxury division make the list. The vehicles include the Lexus RX 350 midsize SUV, the Toyota Highlander midsize SUV, the Toyota Camry midsize sedan, the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid compact SUV, the Toyota Tacoma midsize pickup, the Toyota Corolla compact sedan, the Toyota RAV4 compact SUV, and the Toyota Tundra full-size pickup. “Despite having some of the lowest inventory of all automakers, Toyota sold the most vehicles in the first quarter, confirming that demand is still greatly outweighing supply,” said Brauer. “Demand has been high for Toyota’s fuel-efficient and hybrid vehicles, as well as for Toyota’s pickups, including the newly redesigned Tundra.”

Three Hyundai vehicles and one from its luxury Genesis division make the list, including the Genesis GV70 compact SUV, the Hyundai Tucson compact SUV, the Hyundai Elantra hybrid compact sedan, and its non-hybrid counterpart. “The Genesis GV70 is an all-new model for 2022, and its soaring demand has made it one of the new cars priced the highest over MSRP,” said Brauer. “Meanwhile, Hyundai reported a decrease in inventory for March over February while demand increased for these fuel-efficient models.”

Three small Subaru SUVs make the list, including the Forester compact SUV, the Crosstrek subcompact SUV and the Outback compact sports wagon. “Limited inventory of Subaru models led to a 34.1 percent reduction in sales in March compared to 2021,” said Brauer. “Both the Crosstrek and Forester were refreshed for 2022, and dealers have limited inventory of these popular models, forcing them to pause orders of the Forester to help stabilize inventory.”

Two recently-released Ford vehicles make the list including the hybrid version of the Ford Maverick compact pickup truck and the Ford Bronco compact off-road SUV. “The Ford Maverick and the Ford Bronco are in such high demand that dealerships stopped taking retail orders for the vehicles for the 2022 model year, and the limited versions on dealer lots are commanding a premium over MSRP,” said Brauer. “The demand for the Maverick represents the public’s fervor for the newly created compact pickup truck segment, which provides the function of pickup at a more affordable price, while offering excellent fuel efficiency.”

Two BMW SUVs round out the list: the compact BMW X3 and the midsize BMW X5. “BMW’s sales rose by 3.2 percent in the first quarter of 2022, while overall luxury vehicle sales declined by 10 percent,” said Brauer. “BMWs X model SUVs comprise more than half of the brand’s sales, and demand for these vehicles soared while inventory remained lean.”