On the whole, the car industry was down in February.
While some models gained some ground in February 2019, the industry on the whole is slower compared to last year. With a new round of sales reports, we’re taking the opportunity to look at the winners and losers this month. Which cars sold the best and which ones sold the worst? We’ll break that down, plus provide more detailed reports in the coming days.
Crossovers continued to sell well, as you’d expect, but sales have shrunk compared to where they were at this time in 2018. However, it’s worth noting that both General Motors and Ford have switched to quarterly reporting. That means we won’t see a whole picture in a larger sales report until April.
This report includes cars and SUVs that automakers sold in February 2019. Trucks will not be included on this list, as we write up truck sales reports over on TFLtruck.com.
Editor’s Note: The sales figures in this report may change as more data becomes available. Check back for more updates!
Best-selling cars of February 2019
| Car | Feb 2019 Sales | Feb 2018 Sales | YoY Change |
| Nissan Rogue | 31,899 | 38,119 | -16.3% |
| Toyota Corolla (sedan) | 27,370 | 32,535 | -15.9% |
| Honda CR-V | 26,304 | 25,852 | +1.7% |
| Toyota RAV4 | 26,149 | 29,869 | -12.5% |
| Toyota Camry | 24,267 | 30,865 | -21.4% |
| Honda Civic | 22,979 | 25,816 | -11.0% |
| Honda Accord | 20,254 | 19,753 | +2.5% |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee | 18,009 | 17,468 | +3.1% |
| Toyota Highlander | 17,384 | 15,960 | +8.9% |
| Nissan Sentra | 17,072 | 17,148 | -0.4% |
While the Nissan Rogue was the best-selling crossover and best-selling car, its sales slumped in February. The Toyota Corolla also slipped, but still came out at the number 2 spot. The Toyota RAV4’s rank may come as a surprise, but dealers are in the process of switching over to the 2019 models. Still, it come in third in crossover sales, behind the Rogue and Honda CR-V.
Some cars saw slight gains, like the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Honda Accord. The Toyota Highlander also did well, gaining 8.9 percent in sales from February 2018.
What about the worst sellers?
The bottom 10 worst sellers list comprises cars whose sales slipped significantly from 2018. Some of these cars are long in the tooth by now, and the buying market has moved on to fresher, more up-to-date models. We’re excluding small-number cars, like the Audi R8, as they’re meant to be exclusive, and never sell in huge numbers.
| Car | Feb 2019 Sales | Feb 2018 Sales | YoY change |
| Alfa Romeo 4C | 16 | 20 | -20.0% |
| Kia K900 | 36 | 32 | +12.5% |
| Fiat 500L | 51 | 118 | -56.8% |
| Toyota Yaris Liftback | 55 | 136 | -59.6% |
| Audi TT | 77 | 76 | +1.3% |
| Lexus LC | 89 | 128 | -30.5% |
| Kia Cadenza | 113 | 652 | -82.7% |
| Acura RLX | 127 | 151 | -15.9% |
| Fiat 124 Spider | 139 | 223 | -37.7% |
| Fiat 500 | 207 | 416 | -50.2% |
Notice a pattern on this list? Cars in the bottom end of the list saw a tremendous slide in their sales figures, with a couple exceptions. The Audi TT held steady, with dealers selling one more car than they did last year. The redesigned Kia K900, as well, found a few more buyers.
However, Fiat’s entire range is suffering in the U.S. Sales of the 500, 500L and 500X are down by half. The Fiat 124 Spider also lost ground, with 37.7 percent fewer sales than in February 2018. The Alfa Romeo 4C fared the worst, with just 16 cars finding owners in February. Other models like the Toyota Yaris Liftback and Kia Cadenza are getting old now, while the Lexus LC and Acura RDX are large, expensive cars that aren’t attracting as many buyers.
It’s also worth noting the Audi Q3, which would have made this list, selling 120 units in February. However, as we await the new Audi Q3, the 2018 model is the latest available to configure on Audi’s website.
