Oldsmobile sold a staggering 518,160 Cutlasses in 1979, making it the best-selling car in America. By the early ‘90s, when the Honda Accord and Ford Taurus were battling for passenger car supremacy, each sold around 400,000 units per year. Mid-size cars ruled America’s roads.

Beginning in the late ‘90s, however, Americans changed their desires to crossovers. In 2023, Honda sold 197,947 Accords in the U.S., but moved 361,457 CR-Vs. Nissan Rogue outsold the Altima 271,458 to 128,030. Even the best-selling Camry’s 326,094 total sales were surpassed by 434,943 RAV4s.

Despite this shift, there are stand-out sedans.

“From a sales standpoint, it’s the Toyota Camry,” said Joseph Yoon, consumer insights editor at Edmunds. “Camry and Accord are the most recognizable nameplates. The Honda Accord is interesting — very sleek, efficient, (with an) interior (that) feels upmarket without feeling too luxurious.”

To keep it fresh, Toyota is updating the Camry for 2025 with Prius hammerhead styling, hybrid power and optional all-wheel-drive. An available 12.3-inch touchscreen, head-up display and wireless phone charging add tech. Stay safe with automatic emergency braking and lane tracing steering. When it arrives this spring, expect 50 mpg and a $30,000 base price.

“Americans’ present fascination with hybrid-electric vehicles is putting sedans back on the consideration list,” said Curt McAllister, Midwest public relations manager at Toyota. “We have a hybrid variant for every one of our sedans, and they are in high demand. The all-new 2025 Camry will be 100 percent hybrid.”

Camry’s chief rival, the Honda Accord, remains formidable with a $27,895 base price. Choose a 192-horsepower turbo-four that delivers 29 mpg/37mpg city/highway or optional Sport Hybrid delivering 204 horsepower and 48 mpg.

“Honda has always incorporated exceptional packaging into our car offerings—a key consideration for crossover buyers,” said a Honda spokesperson. “This continues to be a key component of our development and is taken into consideration for each new iteration. It’s more of an evolution of delivering the best combination of functionality, design, and dynamics to meet our customer wants.”

Given the utility of crossovers, why should drivers consider sedans?

“They’re cheaper,” Yoon said. “For instance, the Toyota Camry vs. Highlander. Camry hovers around $31k-32k, while Highlander is around $46k. The smaller RAV4 is still a $35k car. When price gaps are that significant, people ask, ‘Do I really need a crossover?’ At the end of the day, money talks.”

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