The Ford F-Series has been the best-selling truck in America for three decades and topped the chart among all vehicles for a quarter century. The Toyota Camry and Honda Accord traditionally haven’t been far behind.
In fact, of the estimated 14.3 million cars, trucks and crossovers expected to be sold by the time the books are closed on 2012, perhaps two dozen models will make up the vast majority of that volume. And that list includes a number of usual suspects, such as the F-Series, Camry and Accord.
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That said, the U.S. market is in the midst of some of the most dramatic changes it’s experienced in decades. Fuel economy is one reason. Since the middle of the last decade, the small car segment has surged from barely 13 percent of total U.S. sales to more than 20 percent, a trend likely to continue. And new competitors, such as Korea’s Hyundai and Kia, have shaken up the established order – even as Detroit makers show new signs of resilience in segments where they have long been also-rans, notably with midsize sedans.
Based on traditional rankings, sales for the first 11 months of 2011 – and recent industry trends – 24/7 Wall Street is forecasting the likely top-sellers of 2013, a list that includes the 16 models expected to generate sales of at least 200,000 apiece next year.
Perhaps the biggest surprise is the prediction that the latest-generation Camry will dethrone the F-Series as the nation’s best-selling vehicle for the first time in decades. The Camry will already be approaching its mid-lifecycle and facing some serious competition from newer players like the updated 2013 Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord and Chevrolet Malibu. But, in fact, all four of those models are also among the predicted winners.
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