2014 was the year American buyers kept choosing the same sensible sedans and started drifting toward trucks and crossovers. Toyota sold more than 428,000 Camrys. Ford sold more than 750,000 F-Series pickups. Between those two numbers is most of the story.
This list ranks the popular cars of 2014 by what people actually bought in the US, then tells you what each one is like to own more than a decade later. “Popular” here means new-car sales, with a nod to the used market, since that’s where these cars live now.
TLDR
- The five best-selling cars in the US in 2014 were the Camry, Accord, Corolla, Altima and Civic, in that order.
- The F-Series pickup outsold every one of them, and trucks and SUVs took seven of the ten top spots on AutoTrader’s most popular new vehicles list.
- If you want a used 2014 car today, the Camry, Accord, Civic and CR-V are the safest bets. Be careful with the Altima (CVT), the Focus (dual-clutch automatic) and the 2.4-liter Sonata.
- In the UK, the Ford Fiesta was the clear number one, with 131,254 registrations.
Contents
- How we ranked them
- The 12 most popular cars of 2014
- The UK sidebar
- What made 2014 distinctive
- Should you buy a used 2014 car today?
How we ranked them
Three different things can make a car “popular,” and they give different answers.
New-car sales is the cleanest measure, and it’s what the ranking below follows. Shopper interest is different: AutoTrader’s 2014 list was based on clicks, which is why it favored trucks and SUVs people dream about. Used demand is a third answer, driven by price and reliability, and it explains why a Civic keeps selling long after the dealer lot has forgotten it.
The first ten entries are the sedans and compacts that dominated the US charts. Entries 11 and 12 are there because a list of 2014 popularity that ignores trucks and crossovers would be wrong. Sales figures are US calendar-year totals; the later ones are rounded.
The 12 most popular cars of 2014
1. Toyota Camry
2014 US sales: 428,606 (up about 5%). It was the best-selling car in America for the 13th year running. The Camry won by being the answer to a question nobody wanted to think hard about: what’s a car that will start every morning for 200,000 miles? The 2014 model also got a restyled front end and interior, which mattered less than the reputation.
2. Honda Accord
2014 US sales: 388,374 (up about 6%). The Accord was the enthusiast’s pick of the midsize sedans, with sharper steering than the Camry and a V6 that still existed. The four-cylinder paired with a CVT, or a six-speed manual if you were that person. It was also the only entry in this class where a coupe version still sold in real numbers.
3. Toyota Corolla
2014 US sales: 339,498 (roughly flat). An all-new, longer Corolla arrived for 2014, with a much nicer cabin than the one it replaced. The rest of Toyota’s 2014 range is covered in our 2014 Toyota car models guide. The LE Eco trim earned 42 mpg on the highway, which was a headline number for a car with no hybrid hardware. It’s not exciting, and that was the selling point.
4. Nissan Altima
2014 US sales: 335,644 (up about 5%). Nissan priced the redesigned Altima aggressively and leaned on a smooth CVT and 38 mpg highway ratings. It sold in huge numbers to rental fleets and private buyers alike, which means a lot of used examples exist. We’ll come back to that CVT.
5. Honda Civic
2014 US sales: 325,981 (down about 3%). The 2012 Civic was criticized hard for cheap interior materials, so Honda rushed a refresh for 2014 with better plastics and a revised suspension. Sales dipped a little but the Civic still beat every domestic compact. The Si trim kept the manual gearbox and a high-revving 2.4-liter for people who cared.
6. Ford Fusion
2014 US sales: about 307,000. The Fusion looked like a car costing twice as much, thanks to the Aston Martin-style grille that launched with the 2013 redesign. It was the best-selling domestic sedan in the US in 2014 and offered a hybrid, a plug-in Energi model and a turbocharged 2.0-liter for people who wanted speed.
7. Chevrolet Cruze
2014 US sales: about 273,000. GM’s compact was a legitimate Civic competitor for the first time in years. The Cruze offered a turbo 1.4-liter, a quiet cabin and, in 2014, a diesel version rated at 46 mpg on the highway. It was assembled in Lordstown, Ohio, and sold heavily to fleet buyers.
8. Hyundai Elantra
2014 US sales: about 222,000. The Elantra’s “fluidic sculpture” styling still looked fresh, and a 10-year powertrain warranty made it easy to pick over a Corolla if you were willing to give up resale value. For 2014 Hyundai added the Elantra GT hatchback and a Coupe. Used prices are low, which is the entire argument for them now.
9. Ford Focus
2014 US sales: about 234,000. The Focus was the driver’s choice among compacts, with a Titanium trim that felt like a small luxury car and the high-performance ST that earned real praise from magazines. It also came with one of the more problematic automatics sold in the US in this period, but more on that below.
10. Hyundai Sonata
2014 US sales: about 217,000. A mid-cycle Sonata, because the redesigned 2015 model was already on the way. The 2014 version was good value, with a long list of features for the money and a hybrid option. It also carries the engine recall that haunts many 2011-2014 Hyundai and Kia four-cylinders.
11. Ford F-Series (F-150)
2014 US sales: 753,851 (down about 1%). America’s best-selling vehicle, by a wide margin, for the 33rd year in a row. The 2014 model was the last F-150 before the aluminum-bodied redesign, so it was also the end of an era. The 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 had become the engine to want, and AutoTrader’s 2014 popularity list put the F-150 at the very top for shopper interest.
12. Honda CR-V
2014 US sales: about 335,000. The best-selling SUV in the country that year, and the vehicle that explained why sedans were slipping. A Civic-sized drive, a high seat, a low price and an easy reputation for reliability. Add the RAV4 (around 315,000) and Ford Escape (around 306,000) and you can see where the car buyers were going. Honda’s full 2014 range is listed in The Complete List of 2014 Honda Car Models.
The UK sidebar
Outside the US, the picture changes. The Ford Fiesta led the UK in 2014 with 131,254 registrations, ahead of the Focus and Vauxhall Corsa. British buyers were choosing smaller, cheaper-to-run hatchbacks, the opposite of what Americans were doing. The Fiesta had been Britain’s best seller for years and had no reason to stop.
What made 2014 distinctive
The sedan slump had started. Cheap gas, around $3.35 a gallon by late 2014 and falling, nudged buyers toward larger vehicles, and 2014 became the first year the CR-V and RAV4 sold in numbers that rivaled the Civic and Corolla. Truck and SUV share climbed every year after.
At the other end, the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray launched for the 2014 model year, the first all-new Corvette in nine years, and it was named North American Car of the Year. Porsche released the 911 GT3, with a rear-wheel-steering system and a PDK-only gearbox that annoyed traditionalists. Neither was a volume seller, but enthusiasts remember 2014 for them, and so do we. For a wider look at the year’s standouts, see The 10 Best Cars of 2014.
Should you buy a used 2014 car today?
Usually yes, if you pick carefully. Typical private-sale prices in 2026 vary by mileage and region, but expect roughly these ranges:
| Car | Typical price range | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Camry | $7,000-$11,000 | Very little; check service history |
| Accord | $8,000-$12,000 | Check the A/C compressor and recalls |
| Corolla | $7,000-$10,000 | Largely trouble-free |
| Altima | $4,500-$7,000 | CVT failures; avoid without service records |
| Civic | $7,000-$10,000 | Check recalls and AC condenser |
| Fusion | $5,000-$8,000 | Recalls on the 1.6 EcoBoost |
| Cruze | $4,000-$6,500 | Coolant leaks on the 1.4 turbo |
| Elantra | $5,000-$7,500 | Fine; low prices make it good value |
| Focus | $4,000-$6,500 | Avoid the automatic if you can |
| Sonata | $5,000-$7,500 | 2.4-liter engine recall history |
| F-150 | $12,000-$20,000 | Check frame rust and EcoBoost history |
| CR-V | $9,000-$13,000 | Very little |
Treat those as ballparks, not quotes. Your local market will move them.
Three checks matter more than the model:
- Run the VIN through the recall database. The NHTSA’s recall lookup is free, and it matters for these years. Takata airbag inflators affected 2014 Accords, Civics, Corollas and CR-Vs, among others, and a car with an unfixed recall is a bad deal at any price.
- Ask for transmission service records. The Altima’s CVT and the Focus and Fiesta PowerShift dual-clutch transmission are the two most documented failure points in this group. Nissan extended CVT warranty coverage on these years, but that coverage has mostly run out by now.
- Check real fuel economy. The EPA’s fueleconomy.gov lists the official ratings for every 2014 model, which is useful when comparing a Corolla Eco against an Elantra or a Cruze Diesel.
If you want the least risk, the Camry, Accord, Civic and CR-V are the ones to look for, in that order. They cost a bit more than their rivals, and they’re cheaper in the long run for that reason. If you want something with some character at a low price, a clean Focus ST with a manual gearbox or a Fusion Sport is the car that most buyers ignored in 2014 and shouldn’t have.
Tyler Bridges
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This article was researched against manufacturer records and editorially reviewed before publishing. We accept no payment for coverage. Some guides contain affiliate links; see our affiliate disclosure.
