SUVs routinely dominate U.S. bestseller lists thanks to their higher driving position and safety, and consumers increasingly think they’re worth the outlay. In 2024, the Toyota RAV4 even threatened to upend Ford’s F-150 sales record. So it’s probably no surprise that, per iSeeCars, this favored segment lays claim to 48 out of 50 US states.
SUVs are particularly popular in New York, where they enjoy a whopping 55.4% of vehicle share. This is followed closely by Michigan, with 54% of vehicles being SUVs. There also appears to be an SUV frenzy in Massachusetts (52.1%), Rhode Island (52.0%), New Jersey (51.1%), Minnesota (50.9%), Pennsylvania and Colorado (both 50.5%), and Maine (50%). On the flip side, Arizona and New Mexico are the SUV-dominant states with the least share of the high-riders, albeit at a still-impressive 40.1% each.
Pickup trucks aren’t the most popular vehicle type in any U.S. state. They achieve their highest share in Wyoming, where they’ve captured 37.1% of the market, while New Jersey has the smallest proportion of trucks, a paltry 7.9%. Which raises the question, which vehicle types are favored in the two states where SUVs aren’t the most popular?
Cars are the dominant vehicle type in California
Cars have long taken a back seat to SUVs nationally, but drivers in the Golden State still find a lot to like in them, apparently. The iSeeCars study, based on used car sales data between April 2022 and March 2023, shows cars account for 46.4% of California’s vehicles. That’s 7.7% higher than SUVs, which have the second-best share at 38.7%. Thar leaves trucks a distant third, holding 11.3% of California’s market share, while minivans make do with 2.6%.
The findings suggest positives for Toyota and Honda, as the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, and Toyota Camry are among the bestsellers in California, per MyCarPark.com. Despite Tesla dropping below 50% of California EV sales, it is plausible to think that Tesla is another major beneficiary of cars and SUVs dominating California’s roads, considering its Model 3 and Model Y are among the five most popular vehicles in California, according to Edmunds.
Some 41.6% of vehicles in Hawaii are cars
Drivers in the multi-island state are well-known for their huge affinity for trucks such as the Toyota Tacoma. Still, cars are the most popular class of vehicle in Hawaii, topping the state with a 41.6% share versus 38.5% for SUVs. Even with the Tacoma and Tundra being some of the most in-demand models in Hawaii, trucks fared worse, claiming only 13.7% of the car market, while minivans accounted for 5.3% of vehicles in the Aloha State.
Now, you’re probably wondering what the most popular cars in Hawaii are. According to the same Edmunds data cited above, the Model Y and Toyota Corolla appear high in the ranking of the most commonly bought vehicles. According to AmeriFreight, Hawaiians also tend to favor the Model 3, Honda Civic, and Toyota Prius. Other popular vehicles besides the Tacoma include the F-150 and the Honda CR-V, Toyota 4Runner, Jeep Wrangler, and Subaru Outback.
Why does the US have so many SUVs?
More than 80% of all new car sales in the U.S. are trucks and SUVs, with the high-riders comprising over 57% of that share. This is from a J.D. Power study in October 2021, but it’s a testament to how far they’ve come. Rewind back to 2010 and the SUV portion was just 32.75%, with cars leading the pack with 47.26% while trucks took third place with 20%. The years have been kind to SUVs, due to their size and usefulness.
SUVs tend to be larger than cars and accordingly more spacious inside, making them more attractive to families. They also have more cargo space. Take the 2025 Toyota RAV4, which provides a whopping 37.5 cubic feet with all seats in use and 69.8 cubic feet with the second-row seats folded down. That’s a lot more space than you’ll find in a Toyota Camry, for example, with 15.1 cubic feet of trunk space.
Another factor driving the appeal of SUVs is that they let occupants sit higher than cars do, providing a commanding view of the road. There’s also their all-around performance, since when appropriately equipped, SUVs can be almost as comfortable off-road as on the tarmac; this ability to go from smooth-sailing city cruisers to bona-fide mud-slinging machines makes them especially popular with adventure seekers. Finally, the fact that SUVs are usually cheaper to insure than other vehicles also adds to their allure.