The first quarter was rough for the auto industry overall, but there were still clear bright spots — particularly for Ram's trucks and Toyota's electric vehicle lineup.
The year opened amid considerable turbulence. EV sales remain soft following the elimination of the federal tax credit last fall, while surging gas prices linked to the U.S. and Israel's military campaign against Iran have added pressure. With Q1 now complete, a clearer picture of market impact is emerging. Our full ranking of the 25 top-selling vehicles for 2025 will follow once complete data is available later this month, but here is a breakdown of who gained and who stumbled in the first three months.
While both the Chevy Silverado and Ford F-Series posted declines, Ram's full truck lineup opened the year in strong form with 98,425 sales — a 25 percent year-over-year increase. Of that total, the light-duty Ram 1500 contributed 59,828 units, up 27 percent, while the Ram HD added 38,597, up 21 percent. Across the entire Ram brand, volume climbed 20 percent, with only the ProMaster van slipping 5 percent.
Sports cars remain a contracting segment, but the Ford Mustang bucked that trend with 14,074 units in Q1, a 50 percent jump from the same period in 2025. The gain is particularly notable given that performance vehicle sales typically soften during winter. The Mustang will add another variant later this year — the Dark Horse SC, featuring a supercharged 5.2-liter V-8.
Nissan's car lineup was a clear weak point, dropping 38 percent, but the brand's SUVs and trucks more than offset that with a collective 16 percent gain. The Frontier mid-size pickup and the Pathfinder SUV paced the recovery, advancing 48 percent and 45 percent respectively. The Armada gained 18 percent and the Kicks added 16 percent, while the Rogue and Murano both posted modest gains of 13 percent and 9 percent. The sole exception was the Leaf, which sank 71 percent to just 668 units despite the introduction of the substantially improved third-generation model late last year.
BMW thoroughly overhauled the X3 for 2025, and after a modest dip early in the model year changeover, the fourth-generation SUV found its footing by late 2025 and carried that momentum into 2026. BMW sold 17,767 X3s in Q1 — a 58 percent improvement over the prior year period and more than 1,000 units above Q1 2024 levels. BMW has further updates on the way, with next-generation X5 and X7 models scheduled to be revealed this year.
Toyota was a striking outlier in the EV segment. The refreshed bZ — which received sharper styling and stronger performance for 2026 — surged 79 percent to 10,029 units, not counting the new bZ Woodland with its expanded, wagon-like body. Over at Lexus, the closely related RZ posted a remarkable 207 percent gain to 4,456 units. For perspective, Lexus sold only 6,400 RZs in all of 2025, while Toyota moved 15,609 bZs during the same period.
The EV picture at Stellantis was far darker. Every battery-powered model in the portfolio collapsed in Q1. The Jeep Wagoneer S recorded just 175 sales, a 93 percent crash from 2,595 units in Q1 2025. The Dodge Charger Daytona fared only slightly better at 240 units — an 88 percent decline — though part of that drop reflects the arrival of the gas-powered Charger, which moved 1,672 units. The Fiat 500e attracted only 68 buyers, down 85 percent from 448 units a year ago.
Alfa Romeo carries no EVs, but the Stellantis-owned brand also had a brutal start to 2026, with sales tumbling 53 percent to just 919 units. The Stelvio led in raw volume at 429 sales, though that still represented a 37 percent decline. The Giulia placed second at 252 units, off 53 percent, while the Tonale came in last at 238 units, down 67 percent as the refreshed 2026 version rolled out. With next-generation Stelvio and Giulia programs both delayed, Alfa's near-term outlook remains difficult.
General Motors struggled across all four of its mass-market brands in Q1. Buick was hit hardest, dropping 33 percent. The China-built Envision bore the worst of it with a 71 percent decline, while the South Korea-built Encore GX fell 36 percent and the Envista slid 10 percent. Even the U.S.-built Enclave dipped 3 percent. Buick has committed to assembling its next compact SUV — the Envision's successor — in the United States.
Cadillac also declined, posting a 26 percent drop. The Escalade slipped 29 percent, and two EVs extended the pain: the Lyriq fell 22 percent and the Escalade IQ dropped 27 percent. The exits of the XT4 and XT6 left a gap that rising sales of the electric Optiq and Vistiq couldn't fully bridge.
Honda had restrained expectations for the revived Prelude, telling media at its first drive earlier this year that it was targeting roughly 4,000 sales for 2025. Even those measured goals are proving elusive. Honda moved just 795 Preludes in Q1 — a pace that would fall about 820 units short of the annual target. For a vehicle priced below $45,000, the figure is surprisingly low.
