The Toyota RAV4 Is Losing Its Top Spot As America's Favorite SUV

The sales results for the first three quarters of 2026 are in. As of the end of September, the Toyota RAV4 has lost its top-selling compact SUV crown, which it had most recently achieved in 2025. In fact, the RAV4's sales leadership goes all the way back to 2017. The current winner is the Honda CR-V, which has notched 336,844 sales in the first three quarters. In comparison, the Toyota RAV4 came in with just 253,664 sales, a difference of 83,180, which actually landed the RAV4 in seventh place in the overall sales standings, behind the Ram pickup, the Toyota Camry, and the GMC Sierra. We examined both of these leading SUVs in depth and came up with an answer to which compact SUV is right for you.

There's a good reason Toyota lost to the Honda CR-V in the 2026 sales race. As Toyota tries to increase production of the new hybrid-only RAV4, it is having trouble meeting its previous production targets. This has caused supply issues for the RAV4 line, which has affected its sales results. This reversal of fortune has helped the Honda CR-V take the top spot as the best-selling SUV in the U.S. Once Toyota overcomes its production limitations and RAV4 supply reaches its maximum, it could regain its lead over its main rival. 

The Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CR-V have battled for the lead in SUV sales for most of the time since both arrived in the U.S. in the late 1990s. These compact SUVs from two major Japanese brands offer consumers a complete package of interior space, high reliability, practicality, and ease of driving. But because Toyota has shifted to an all-hybrid lineup, fuel economy now goes to the RAV4, not only because every model is a hybrid, but also because the RAV4's hybrid engine gets better fuel economy than the hybrid CR-V's. That's something to consider with today's high fuel prices, even though both of these vehicles made our list of the most fuel-efficient cars you can buy.

The news about the Toyota RAV4 losing its customary top spot in the SUV sales rankings comes down to a large asterisk on its 2026 results, due to its switch to an all-new model that offers only hybrid powertrains. It could very likely reclaim the top position when all of these supply issues have been resolved. 

Another factor in the Toyota RAV4's favor is its pricing structure, which doesn't appear to impose a big upfront financial penalty for choosing a hybrid. Whereas the entry-level 2027 CR-V LX 2WD non-hybrid lands at $33,070 including destination charges, the 2026 RAV4 LE Hybrid (both currently available base models) can be yours for $33,495, which gives you the fuel-sipping hybrid drivetrain for an upcharge of just $425.