Top 10 Best Selling Vehicles of 2012

2012 was the best-selling year for automakers since 2007, marking the third year in a row that sales have increased. So now is a great time to look back at the best-selling vehicles from last year.

Coming in 10th place with 261,008 units sold is the Ford Escape which was updated for the 2013 model year. Earlier last year, AutoGuide.com had the opportunity to review the 2013 Ford Escape and we came away surprised by its sleek new look, engine selection, and its great handling. It wasn’t without its cons, but overall the crossover delivered a vastly improved driving experience.

SEE ALSO: 2013 Ford Escape Review – Video

[Source: Cars.com]

The Honda CR-V was also refreshed for 2012 with updated styling and technology. Essentially, it was everything good about the old CR-V, but in a better package. Unfortunately, it was more of an evolution than a revolution – but sometimes that’s better when it’s a popular model like the CR-V. Last year, the Japanese automaker managed to sell 281,652 units – a huge increase compared to 2011’s 218,373 figure.

SEE ALSO: 2012 Honda CR-V Review [Video]

RAM pickup trucks proved to be a viable competitor in the marketplace last year, with 293,363 units sold, marking a 19.9-percent increase compared to 2011’s 244,762 figure. The model remained consistent however, also coming in the same 7th place spot in 2011. AutoGuide.com had the opoprtunity to put the 2012 RAM 1500 Laramie to the test and came away impressed by its power and acceleration, though its fuel economy and small cargo capacity left more to be desired.

SEE ALSO: 2012 Ram 1500 Laramie Review

Nissan debuted its new 2013 Altima at the New York Auto Show last year, so its total sales figure is a mix of both 2012 (pictured above) and 2013 model years. With 302,934 units sold last year, the Altima actually fell a couple of spots compared to 2011 – though it’s likely to rise again this year given its new model change happening last year. The Japanese automaker continues to hope that its improvements made to the 2013 Altima will help it trump the Toyota Camry, though sales figures clearly shows it still has quite a bit of work to do.

SEE ALSO: 2013 Nissan Altima Review

Despite all the negative press surrounding the 2012 Honda Civic, the popular model continued to hold steady in sales moving 317,909 units last year. It is really a testament to the Civic nameplate how well it can perform on dealership lots, even though reviews of the vehicle was bad enough for the Japanese automaker to redesign it for the 2013 model year. In case anyone is curious, the Honda Civic sold a mere 221,235 units in 2011, marking a 43.7 percent increase over 2011.

SEE ALSO: 2012 Honda Civic Review

Another consistent model from Honda is the Accord, which was also redesigned for the 2013 model year, though that made its debut late in the year.

Regardless, the Accord’s sales were strong in 2012 with 331,872 units sold, also an impressive increase over its 2011 figure of 235,625. In 2011 it was the ninth-best selling vehicle of the year while in 2012 it skyrocketed up to claim 4th place on the list. It’ll be a surprise if the 2013 Honda Accord doesn’t do better this year.

SEE ALSO: 2013 Honda Accord Review – Video

The king of the mid-size sedans, the Toyota Camry lands in 3rd place for 2012 and is the best selling car on the list – the top two spots belong to pickup trucks. With 404,886 units sold in 2012, the Camry has quite the lead on its main competitors and looks to remain consistent for many more years to come. It’s hard to believe that any mid-size sedan will come and dethrone the Camry anytime soon, but the competition has definitely been stepping up to the plate in recent years.

SEE ALSO: 2012 Toyota Camry SE Review

Coming in second place is the Chevrolet Silverado, a pickup that saw a slight 0.4 percent increase in sales compared to 2011. 418,312 Silverados were sold in total last year, which may seem impressive until you hear the figures of the number-one selling vehicle of 2012.

SEE ALSO: 2012 Ford F-150 vs. 2012 Chevy Silverado 1500

And the number-one selling vehicle of 2012 is none other than the Ford F-Series pickup truck. The Ford F-Series was so successful in America that its sales lead is monumental compared to the Chevrolet Silverado. 645,316 F-Series in total were sold in 2012, a 10.3-percent increase compared to 2011’s 584,917 figure. The F-Series was even a huge success in Canada, allowing Ford to become the first automaker to ever sell more than 100,000 trucks in the country.

SEE ALSO: One in Every 340 Canadians Bought a Ford F-Series this Year