November 2018 crossover sales reports have been released – which manufacturers rose to the top last month?
Across the size spectrum from compact to midsize, crossovers have accounted for hundreds of thousands of new car purchases this past. Which manufacturer came out on top in November 2018? That all depends on how you slice it. In this comprehensive sales report, we’ve compared each size category and their competitors to see which one was the best-seller, by sheer volume, last month. We report full-size SUV sales on TFLtruck.com. We’re including mainstream and luxury crossovers in different sections, listed by size category.
Another important note: GM began reporting sales quarterly in 2018, rather than monthly. The next round of figures available from the manufacturer and its brands (Buick, Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac) will be available in January 2019.
This post may be updated as sales figures are released.
Jump to segment:
- Mainstream crossovers: Subcompact | Compact | Midsize
- Luxury crossovers: Subcompact | Compact | Midsize
Subcompact Crossovers (Winner: Kia Soul)
Subcompact crossovers have shifted around these past few months, thanks to a few notable additions like the Hyundai Kona, Ford EcoSport and Nissan Kicks. Overall, the segment is growing as more competition joins the fray. That competition seems to be pulling sales away from perennials like the Jeep Renegade and Mazda CX-3.
Despite the Renegade still selling more than 7,000 units in November, the top title goes to the Kia Soul. Kia’s smallest crossover is one of the few ongoing models that has grown from last year, along with the Toyota C-HR. Kia did just redesign the Soul for the 2020 model year, the results of which can be seen at this year’s LA Auto Show. Check out the video above for more!
| Make | Model | Nov 2018 Sales | Nov 2017 Sales | MoM change |
| Kia | Soul | 8,742 | 8,121 | 7.6% |
| Jeep | Renegade | 7,139 | 7,795 | -8.4% |
| Hyundai | Kona | 5,976 | N/A* | N/A* |
| Ford | EcoSport | 5,893 | N/A* | N/A* |
| Honda | HR-V | 4,241 | 6,153 | -31.1% |
| Nissan | Kicks | 4,032 | N/A | N/A |
| Toyota | C-HR | 3,732 | 3,391 | 10.1% |
| Mazda | CX-3 | 988 | 1,514 | -34.7% |
| Fiat | 500X | 358 | 556 | -35.6% |
*New model – 2017 sales figures are not available.
Compact Crossovers (Winner: Toyota RAV4)
Despite the fact the 2019 Toyota RAV4 is right around the corner, the previous generation still sells remarkably well. The RAV4 came out on top again in November (no surprises there). Not only that, but it performed much better than last November, while its chief competitors lost ground.
Nissan and Mitsubishi suffered the worst in this segment last month, while models like the Jeep Compass continue to showcase strong momentum. Aging models like the Ford Escape and Mitsubishi Outlander have slowed. Others, like the recently updated Mazda CX-5 and Hyundai Tucson, saw a slight bump over this time last year.
| Make | Model | Nov 2018 Sales | Nov 2017 Sales | MoM change |
| Toyota | RAV4 | 35,350 | 28,736 | 23.0% |
| Nissan | Rogue | 31,860 | 36,080 | -11.7% |
| Honda | CR-V | 31,488 | 32,206 | -2.2% |
| Ford | Escape | 21,516 | 25,101 | -14.3% |
| Subaru | Forester | 16,066 | 14,662 | 9.6% |
| Hyundai | Tucson | 11,908 | 11,532 | 3.3% |
| Jeep | Compass | 11,665 | 9,368 | 24.5% |
| Mazda | CX-5 | 10,882 | 10,610 | 2.6% |
| Subaru | Crosstrek | 10,625 | 10,151 | 4.7% |
| Kia | Sportage | 6,927 | 5,503 | 25.9% |
| Volkswagen | Tiguan | 6,794 | 5,221 | 30.1% |
| Mitsubishi | Outlander Sport | 2,579 | 2,931 | -12.0% |
| Mitsubishi | Outlander** | 2,419 | 3,740 | -35.3% |
| Mitsubishi | Eclipse Cross | 1,169 | N/A | N/A* |
*New model – 2017 sales figures are not available.
**Includes sales of the Outlander PHEV.
Midsize Crossovers/SUVs (Winner: Jeep Cherokee)
Yep, the Jeep Cherokee is still going strong thanks to its 2019 refresh. It’s not quite as large a gain as previous months, but the facelifted Cherokee KL did pick up 22.6 percent over this time last year. The usual victor in this segment, the Toyota Highlander, also picked up slightly over November 2017.
While the compact segment has gained momentum, the same can’t be said for midsize crossovers. Nearly every model lost ground, including the refreshed Honda Pilot and Hyundai Santa Fe. However, older models like the 4Runner and even the Dodge Journey were up last month. As with the compact segment, Nissan also lost ground in the midsize segment as well. In fact, the entire brand saw double-digit drops over its November 2017 sales, with the exception of the electric LEAF.
| Make | Model | Nov 2018 Sales | Nov 2017 Sales | MoM change |
| Jeep | Cherokee | 20,296 | 16,551 | 22.6% |
| Toyota | Highlander | 20,139 | 19,077 | 5.6% |
| Jeep | Grand Cherokee | 18,717 | 18,614 | 0.6% |
| Ford | Explorer | 17,696 | 21,520 | -17.8% |
| Jeep | Wrangler | 15,963 | 13,289 | 20.1% |
| Subaru | Outback | 13,437 | 14,361 | -6.4% |
| Toyota | 4Runner | 11,494 | 10,103 | 13.8% |
| Honda | Pilot | 10,537 | 14,189 | -25.7% |
| Ford | Edge | 9,787 | 13,180 | -25.7% |
| Hyundai | Santa Fe | 8,994 | 11,346 | -20.7% |
| Kia | Sorento | 7,092 | 8,153 | -13.0% |
| Nissan | Murano | 6,552 | 8,393 | -21.9% |
| Subaru | Ascent | 5,890 | N/A | N/A* |
| Dodge | Journey | 5,645 | 4,868 | 16.0% |
| Nissan | Pathfinder | 5,404 | 6,585 | -17.9% |
| Volkswagen | Atlas | 5,233 | 5,154 | 1.5% |
| Mazda | CX-9 | 2,385 | 2,499 | -4.6% |
*New model – 2017 sales figures are not available.
Subcompact Luxury Crossovers (Winner: Mercedes-Benz GLA)
The Mini Countryman and Audi Q3 also lost ground in November, and not slightly either. The Countryman slipped 23.7 percent, while the Q3 fell by 36.5 percent. There is a new Audi Q3 coming next year, so it seems those in the market are waiting for that, or they’re buying a BMW X2 or Mercedes GLA-Class instead.
| Make | Model | Nov 2018 Sales | Nov 2017 Sales | MoM change |
| Mercedes-Benz | GLA | 2,411 | 2,288 | 5.4% |
| BMW | X2 | 2,283 | N/A* | N/A* |
| BMW | X1 | 1,866 | 2,798 | -33.3% |
| MINI | Countryman | 1,175 | 1,539 | -23.7% |
| Audi | Q3 | 1,155 | 1,818 | -36.5% |
| Volvo | XC40 | 1,022 | N/A* | N/A* |
| Infiniti | QX30 | 416 | 611 | -31.9% |
| Jaguar | E-Pace | Unavailable | N/A* | N/A* |
| Land Rover | RR Evoque | Unavailable | N/A* | N/A* |
*New model – 2017 sales figures are not available.
*Jaguar Land Rover sales are not available as of December 4, 2018. Check back soon!
Compact Luxury Crossovers (Winner: Audi Q5)
Once again, the Audi Q5 comes out way ahead of the pack. This month, Audi’s best-selling crossover saw a 61.4 percent sales gain over this time in 2017. Remarkably, nearly every model in this segment gained ground. The redesigned Volvo XC60 went on sale late last year, and has only gained ground since then, doubling its November sales over 2017.
Other models like the refreshed BMW X3 and Infiniti QX50 also performed well. Acura’s RDX and Mercedes’ GLC rounded out the top three. The only model to suffer last month in this segment was the slow-selling BMW X4, which saw an 11.1 percent drop over last year. While sales in other crossover segments are a bit of a mixed bag, there’s no denying the car-buying public is snapping up luxury models at a tremendous pace.
| Make | Model | Nov 2018 Sales | Nov 2017 Sales | MoM change |
| Audi | Q5 | 7,419 | 4,596 | 61.4% |
| Mercedes-Benz | GLC | 6,199 | 5,357 | 15.7% |
| Acura | RDX | 5,951 | 3,775 | 57.6% |
| Lexus | NX | 5,622 | 5,404 | 4.0% |
| BMW | X3 | 5,451 | 3,087 | 76.6% |
| Volvo | XC60 | 3,226 | 1,605 | 101.0% |
| Infiniti | QX50 | 3,009 | 1,622 | 85.5% |
| Lincoln | MKC | 2,263 | 2,037 | 11.1% |
| Porsche | Macan | 2,101 | 1,981 | 6.1% |
| Alfa Romeo | Stelvio | 1,034 | 657 | 57.4% |
| BMW | X4 | 481 | 541 | -11.1% |
| Jaguar | F-Pace | Unavailable | N/A* | N/A* |
| Land Rover | RR Velar | Unavailable | N/A* | N/A* |
*New model – 2017 sales figures are not available.
*Jaguar Land Rover sales are not available as of December 4, 2018. Check back soon!
Midsize Luxury Crossovers (Winner: Lexus RX)
Every month, I find myself most curious about how this particular crossover segment is going to shake out. It’s not that the Lexus RX may lose the top position. Honestly, Lexus winning this segment is a total layup. It’s by how much the RX manages to stay ahead. Last month, Lexus’ midsize model saw a slight 1.4 percent gain in sales. However, it beat the next best-selling model, the BMW X5, by nearly two-to-one.
The Infiniti QX60 also did well here, gaining 37 percent sales momentum over November 2017. However, nearly every other model in the segment lost ground, most significantly the Volvo XC90. While some of the newest crossovers are in the compact luxury segment, this part of the market has not seen a lot of turnover to new models in the past year. BMW has updated the X5, Porsche changed the Cayenne and Mercedes-Benz has also revised the GLE. We’ll have to wait and see if the segment drastically changes as we close out the year in December.
| Make | Model | Nov 2018 Sales | Nov 2017 Sales | MoM change |
| Lexus | RX | 10,248 | 10,102 | 1.4% |
| BMW | X5 | 5,191 | 5,515 | -5.9% |
| Infiniti | QX60 | 5,151 | 3,759 | 37.0% |
| Acura | MDX | 4,422 | 5,341 | -17.2% |
| Mercedes-Benz | GLE | 3,988 | 4,914 | -18.8% |
| Lincoln | MKX | 3,153 | 2,619 | 20.4% |
| Audi | Q7 | 2,903 | 3,538 | -17.9% |
| Volvo | XC90 | 2,499 | 3,261 | -23.4% |
| Lexus | GX | 2,369 | 2,432 | -2.6% |
| Porsche | Cayenne | 1,294 | 1,347 | -3.9% |
| BMW | X6 | 696 | 799 | -12.9% |
| Lincoln | MKT | 109 | 161 | -32.3% |
| Land Rover | Discovery | Unavailable | ||
| Land Rover | Range Rover | Unavailable |
Come back to TFLcar.com for more November 2018 sales updates!
*Jaguar Land Rover sales are not available as of December 4, 2018. Check back soon!
