The crossover might still be king, but the sedan is making a comeback

Summary

Americans drive smaller SUVs, and large trucks account for 75% of sales.
Sedans, like the Toyota Camry, Corolla, and Honda Civic, remain top sellers.
Sedans are cost-efficient, offer better fuel efficiency, and feature superior handling compared to crossovers.

Americans drive smaller SUVs, and very large trucks make up 75% of sales. The rest, surprisingly enough, are mainly passenger cars, including sedans and hatchback (three of the top-ten models are sedans).

At number six is the Toyota Camry, a mid-size sedan now only available as a hybrid. Breathing down the Camry’s neck at number seven is the Toyota Corolla, which is new on the top ten list because of a 22% sales growth. Number nine is the Honda Civic. Like the Corolla, it’s a compact sedan and is available in both ICE and hybrid versions.

Cost is certainly a factor at a time when a quarter of Americans are using options like Klarna to pay for groceries or DoorDash. All three sedans on the top ten list start under $30,000, with the Corolla priced closer to $20,000. Because sedans tend to be smaller and more streamlined, they mostly give better fuel efficiency than crossovers and trucks. There are reasons other than price that keep the sedan in the picture as well, and I’ll explore those later.

For the sake of brevity, I’ve used sedan to cover four-door cars and hatchbacks. A crossover has a monocoque construction like a car, while a true SUV is built like a truck on a ladder frame (think RAV4 vs 4Runner).

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The sedan is back

The four-door passenger car is still around

At one stage, the four-door passenger car seemed to fade away, at least for the US Big Three. The Germans kept making them, as did the Japanese and Koreans. Both the Tesla Model S and 3 are sedans, as is the Lucid Air. You can still get a Caddy or Chevy, and a couple of Volvos.

The sedan is making a comeback and regaining some market share, but it doesn’t pose a threat to the dominance of the crossover. That remains the crowd favorite.

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Why crossovers are so popular

The vehicles continue to dominate the market

Toyota

Before we look at the sedan, let’s find out why the crossover is so popular. The crossover is an automotive compromise, offering more space, a taller ride, and improved dirt driving capabilities compared to a car, while providing a more comfortable ride and better fuel efficiency than a traditional SUV.

Toyota RAV4 vs Toyota Camry

The Toyota RAV4 is a compact crossover and the bestselling vehicle in the US. The Toyota Camry is a sedan, which is also in the top ten. The hybrid RAV4 AWD and the Camry AWD are built on the same platform, but give very different outcomes..

They use the same 2.5L 4-cylinder hybrid drive, and both have a passenger volume of 98.9 cu-ft. The RAV4 has 37.6 cu-ft cargo space behind the rear seats, while the Camry’s trunk holds 15.1 cu-ft. The RAV4 has 8.1-inches of ground clearance, while the Camry has 5.4-inches.

The RAV4 shows why there are four crossovers on the top ten seller list:

RAV4 # 1
Honda CR-V #3
Tesla Model Y #4 (but perhaps not in 2025)
Nissan Rogue #8

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Sedan benefit: cost

Unsurprisingly, Sedans generally are cheaper than crossovers

Toyota

So why are there still sedans, if crossovers are so great? It’s because the crossover is a compromise, which means you win some and you lose some. A sedan costs less in key areas. We’ll keep the Camry and RAV4 for comparison.

Camry vs RAV4 price range

Model	Toyota Camry	Toyota RAV4
MSRP most affordable	$28,700 (LE hybrid)	$29,250 (LE gas)
MSRP most expensive	$34,900 (XSE hybrid)	$40,600 (Hybrid Limited)

Camry vs RAV4 fuel efficiency (City/Highway/Combined)

Camry AWD 51/49/50 MPG
RAV4 AWD Hybrid 41/38/39 MPG

Cost of ownership

Sedans are smaller and lighter than comparable crossovers, and this reduces wear and tear on everything from tires to brakes, and the engine has to do more work. Crossovers weigh a bit more and their taller ride height causes more wear on tires, brakes, and suspension over time.

Edmunds has an excellent five-year total cost of ownership calculator. Besides the higher purchase price resulting in higher finance costs, the three main cost differences are in maintenance, depreciation, and fuel costs.

Model	Camry LE AWD	RAV4 LE hybrid
Maintenance costs over 5 years	$3,099	$5,734
Fuel costs over 5 years (15,000 miles per year)	$7,438	$9,546
Depreciation over 5 years	$11,604	$12,475

The average new car price in April was around $48,000, so both models covered here are well below that. There is a tendency for more expensive vehicles to depreciate faster — for example, a Mercedes EQE SUV will lose 53% of its value over five years.

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Sedans are known for their handling and performance

For an easier-to-manage ride, Sedans are the way to go

Mercedes-Benz

The RAV4 only weighs about 100lbs more than the Camry, but because the RAV4 has a higher ground clearance and a taller body profile, most of its weight sits higher off the ground. As it goes around a corner, the centrifugal force shifts the weight to the outer wheels, causing the body to lean out. The higher the body, the more the car will lean.

A low-slung sedan handles better and will always beat a crossover around corners and on curvy roads.

Performance

The Toyota RAV4 hybrid and Camry AWD have identical engines and powertrains. The RAV4 has slightly less horsepower, but more torque than the Camry. The RAV4 weighs just under 100lbs more than the Camry, yet its combined MPG is 39 vs 50 for the Camry. The only explanation for this is wind resistance, with the RAV4 higher profile and boxy shape working against it.

Sedans are normally a bit quicker than crossovers, with the Camry going from 0-60 mph in 6.8 seconds, and the RAV4 taking 7.3 seconds to do the same.

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Real performance sedans

Top-tier sedans exist

Subaru

There is another side to the sedan saga that’s a bit darker and way more attractive than a hybrid Toyota. The three cars in our top ten list above are all everyday, practical family or work cars, perfectly capable, but not spectacular. You don’t need a snarling road monster to drive to work. Or do you?

The Camry makes 232 hp, the Civic hybrid a perfectly respectable 200 hp, and the Corolla 169. So, how about a Honda Civic Type R? It has 315 hp, 310lb-ft of torque, and can go to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. John Cena drives one.

This kind of driving experience can only be found in a jacked-up sedan and nothing else

Have you heard of Gazoo Racing? This is Toyota’s motorsports division, and its road cars are marked with a GR suffix. You can get a street-legal Corolla GR for under $50 K, with a 1.6L turbo that makes 300 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Zero to 60 also in 4.9 seconds.

You get the Hyundai Elantra N, the Golf R, Merc AMGs, the BMW M5 that can only reach its limits on the track, and the 600+ hp Audi RS 7. All family sedans or hatchbacks, all with eyeball-popping power and the handling and brakes to cope with the power.

This kind of driving experience can only be found in a jacked-up sedan and nothing else. These cars are probably the reason we are not all driving crossovers now.

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