Honda CR-V Claims the Sales Crown as Honda Posts Strong First-Half Results
Honda is celebrating a strong first half, but one statistic stands above the rest.
For the first six months of 2026, the Honda CR-V has become America’s best-selling (non-truck) vehicle, edging out the Toyota RAV4 in year-to-date sales. It’s a significant achievement for Honda’s compact SUV and another sign that families continue to flock toward practical, fuel-efficient crossovers.
Whether the CR-V holds onto that title through the end of the year remains to be seen. The sales suggest production constraints may be limiting RAV4 availability during the launch of the redesigned model. If production catches up, history suggests the RAV4 could reclaim the top spot before year’s end. Still, for now, the CR-V wears the crown.
Honda’s First Half Was One for the Record Books
American Honda reported multiple records during June and the first half of 2026.
The company delivered more than 756,900 vehicles through June, a 2.4% increase over the same period last year. The Honda brand itself accounted for more than 687,000 sales, also finishing ahead of last year’s pace. June was particularly strong, with overall sales climbing more than 12% on a daily selling rate basis.
The results were driven largely by Honda’s SUV lineup, which continues to be the backbone of the brand.
The CR-V Is America’s Sales Leader
The Honda CR-V reached 226,114 sales through the first half of the year, surpassing the Toyota RAV4’s 153,955 sales.
That’s a remarkable accomplishment considering the RAV4 has dominated U.S. sales charts for years.
Several factors likely contributed to the shift.
Honda has enjoyed a steady supply of CR-Vs while Toyota transitions into production of its redesigned RAV4. Toyota’s year-to-date RAV4 sales have fallen compared with last year, with demand far outpacing the supply, suggesting production limitations rather than weakening consumer interest.
For families, however, the takeaway is simple: both remain among the very best compact SUVs on the market, and buyers continue rewarding practical, efficient, comfortable crossovers.
SUVs Continue to Lead Honda’s Growth
The CR-V wasn’t the only bright spot.
Honda’s SUV lineup continued producing strong results across much of the portfolio.
Highlights include:
- CR-V up 6.4% year to date.
- Passport up 12.2%.
- Pilot remains Honda’s strongest three-row family option despite a slight decline.
- The all-new ADX gave Acura another growth product, increasing more than 250% year to date.
- The refreshed Accord enjoyed a 32.5% increase year to date, moving over 90,000, showing there is still healthy demand for family sedans.
What This Means for Families
At GT: Garage Talk®, we always look beyond the headline numbers.
The CR-V’s success reinforces what we’ve seen firsthand during years of testing family vehicles.
Buyers continue prioritizing:
- Comfortable rear seating.
- Efficient hybrid powertrains.
- Easy cargo access.
- Manageable exterior size.
- Strong long-term reliability.
Those qualities have made the CR-V one of the easiest recommendations in the compact SUV segment for years.
At the same time, the competition isn’t standing still. The all-new Toyota RAV4 raises the bar again with fresh styling, new technology and a hybrid-focused lineup. The sales race between these two family favorites could become one of the industry’s most interesting stories during the second half of 2026.
Acura’s Predicament
While Acura brand numbers are up, the brand is not without its struggles. The sub-compact ADX is showing strong growth in its second year of sales, but will have to do the heavy lifting when the RDX takes a hiatus.
The all-electric ZDX, which was based on GM’s Ultium platform, was discontinued despite strong sales of over 10,000 units last year.
The luxury 3-row MDX, the brand’s best-selling vehicle, has serious competition in the Lexus TX. Acura has sold 24,102 MDX models so far in 2026, up 9.8%, while Lexus has sold 28,112 TX models, an 11.8% increase.
Honda Sales Highlights
- Honda CR-V: 226,114 YTD sales (+6.4%)
- Honda becomes one of the industry’s strongest performers with 756,920 total U.S. sales YTD (+2.4%)
- Honda brand sales reach 687,205 YTD (+2.5%)
- Accord sales increase 32.5% year to date.
- Civic remains Honda’s best-selling car with 132,440 YTD sales.
- HR-V sales declined 13.6% year to date.
- Odyssey struggled with 42,846 YTD sales, down 14.4%.
- Acura sales increased 1.9% year to date, led by the new ADX.