Ford considers the F-150 a nameplate with the heavy-duty F-600, and by that measure, the F-Series has been America’s best-selling vehicle for 44 consecutive years. As an analyst firm, break down the F-150 on your own Jato Dynamics and Automotive News does, and the streak has been broken twice since 2009: the Toyota Camry that year and the Toyota RAV4 for the full calendar year in 2024.
Halfway through 2026, the F-150 has passed again, but this time the winner isn’t the RAV4.
according to Mid-year data from Automotive NewsThe Honda CR-V finished the first half of 2026 as the best-selling light vehicle in the United States. Honda sold 226,114 CR-Vs through June, ahead of 209,311 for the F-150 and 194,807 for the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, according to GlobalData.
RAV4 sales dropped 36% to 153,955 units, falling to fourth place.
Model-to-model between the Ford F-150 and Honda CR-V, the latter tops out in mid-2026. It took a special mix of pricing, marketing strategy and supply chain issues for the CR-V to take the lead over the best-selling F-150.
- Main Trim Engine
-
2.7L EcoBoost V6 ICE
- Base Trim Transmission
-
10-speed automatic
- Basic Trim transmission
-
Rear wheel
3
Consumers want more affordable cars
Midsize SUVs offer strong value
The average new car transaction price today is $50,000 or so, an all-time high in the auto industry. I guess so the days of ultra-affordable cars passed, and even has a six-figure salary may not leave enough margin when considering the total cost of vehicle ownership.
Trucks like the F-150 span a wide range of MSRPs, some of which will fall below the national average. For example, the 2026 F-150 XL, STX, and XLT have a national average of less than $50,000. However, trucks can easily jump in price with options and packages. Stepping up to the fully loaded crew cab with leather and sunroof will be superior to the extended cab with cloth seats.
In contrast, the 2026 Honda CR-V starts at $30,920 for the entry-level LX. Even the top trim level, the Sport Touring Hybrid, is below the national average for new car prices at $42,550.
Compared to full-size trucks, vehicles like the CR-V offer a lower sticker price and better fuel economy, both of which are selling points for buyers looking for one. affordable family truck. Today, cars like the CR-V offer good cargo space and the latest safety technologies, so buyers can’t feel like they’re compromising by choosing something like this over a full-size truck.
At the same time, 48-month and 60-month loan terms are less common than before, as many buyers opted for 72- or 84-month financing to manage their car payments. Financing a vehicle like the CR-V is more realistic for some than a full-size pickup like the F-150.
2
Supplier difficulties left Ford short on trucks
Two fires in the same plant
The F-150’s mid-year second-place finish to the CR-V may have more to do with what Ford can actually build than with demand.
Fire Novelis aluminum plant, Oswego, New YorkOn September 16, 2025, and then on November 20, a second fire broke out in the same area where repair work was being carried out. Ford has suffered a brutal supply chain crisis for the aluminum-bodied F-150, with the hot mill offline until the end of May 2026 due to the fires. costing the automaker nearly $2 billion.
Although the mill eventually restarted, an inventory bottleneck kept Ford on the defensive all spring. The Novelis facility supplies about 40% of the sheet aluminum used by the US auto industry.
Toyota had its share of roadblocks with the RAV4, which may explain its position as the fourth best-selling vehicle midway through the year. Gone is the RAV4, now in its sixth generation hybrid only for the 2026 model year. Although the first units will hit dealers in December 2025, the production shift has bottlenecked inventory at plants in Japan and North America until winter.
Honda kept its CR-V plants running at full capacity, while Ford and Toyota struggled to do the same, holding onto dealer lots.
- Main Trim Engine
-
1.5 liter I4 turbo
- Main Trim Transmission
-
CVT
- Basic Trim transmission
-
Front wheel drive
1
Honda has changed the price of CR-V
About $1,300 off the average sticker price
In addition to having inventory when Ford and Toyota didn’t, Honda priced the CR-V to move and advertised accordingly. As Edmunds points out, the CR-V’s real-world transaction price It works out to about 3% below MSRPa savings of about $1,300, with the Sport Touring Hybrid even more discounted.
Honda also backed the CR-V with APR financing as low as 3.74 percent in addition to standard cash offers for students, recent graduates and military.
As mentioned above, aluminum shortages left the F-150 with limited inventory for discounting in the first place. Ford failed to run a comparable stimulus push.
Honda will maintain the lead for the remainder of 2026
It’s not impossible, but it’s possible. Novelis is back in full production and Ford expects F-150 production to return to normal in the second half of the year. Toyota’s Kentucky plant began production of the new RAV4 in June and is expected to add about 40,000 units by the end of 2026.
The first half of 2026 showed what happens when America’s two best-selling cars go short at the same time. Regardless of its year-end sales ranking, the 2026 Honda CR-V is still one of the best. the best SUVs on the market today.
