Ford is the best American car brand in 2026 on our scorecard, with 2,097,256 US sales in 2025, ahead of Chevrolet, Tesla and Jeep. We rebuilt this list around what each brand sold or achieved in 2025, using each company’s own sales releases.
Several brands are not broken out by their owners, so the ranking mixes hard sales numbers with reported results. Where a brand total is unavailable, we say so and rank on the best verified evidence.
| Rank | Brand | Key 2025 figure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ford | 2,097,256 US sales (Ford brand, 2025) |
| 2 | Chevrolet | Part of GM’s 2,853,299 US sales (brand total not broken out) |
| 3 | Tesla | 1,636,129 vehicles delivered worldwide in 2025 |
| 4 | Jeep | 593,410 US sales (2025) |
| 5 | Ram | Retail sales up 17% in 2025 |
| 6 | GMC | Record sales for a second year (2025) |
| 7 | Cadillac | Best year in a decade (2025) |
| 8 | Dodge | Sales down 28% in 2025 |
| 9 | Buick | One of the fastest-growing mainstream brands in 2025 |
| 10 | Lincoln | 106,868 US sales (2025) |
1. Ford: 2,097,256 US sales (Ford brand, 2025)
Ford Motor Company was incorporated on 16 June 1903 by Henry Ford and is still controlled by the Ford family through Class B shares. In 2025 the Ford brand sold 2,097,256 vehicles in the United States, up 6.24%, and the company as a whole sold 2,204,124 with Lincoln.
The F-Series alone sold 828,832 trucks, with the Explorer at 222,706, the Maverick at 155,051 and the Bronco at 146,007. See our best Ford models.
Our basis: Ford’s sales release (Ford brand 2,097,256; company total 2,204,124) and model sales from industry tallies.
2. Chevrolet: Part of GM’s 2,853,299 US sales (brand total not broken out)
Chevrolet is GM’s volume brand and the company says its SUV range had its best sales ever in 2025. The Equinox sold 207,730, the Tahoe 105,147 and the Suburban 44,398.
GM as a whole led the US market with 2,853,299 deliveries in 2025, up 6%. Chevrolet and GMC pickups together sold about 940,000. See the best GM models.
Our basis: GM group total and SUV record from its sales release; model figures from industry tallies.
3. Tesla: 1,636,129 vehicles delivered worldwide in 2025
Tesla is the only American brand on this list built entirely around electric drive, and its 2025 deliveries came to 1,636,129 vehicles worldwide. It has a place here on reach: it is also the most valuable carmaker by far, see the most valuable car brands.
Tesla does not publish US-only unit totals, so we do not rank it on US sales.
Our basis: Delivery total from industry tallies; Tesla does not break out US sales.
4. Jeep: 593,410 US sales (2025)
Jeep is part of Stellantis and grew in the US in 2025, with 593,410 vehicles sold. The Wrangler sold 167,322, the Gladiator 56,790 and the Grand Wagoneer 5,133. Read the best Jeep models and the most expensive Jeeps.
Our basis: Jeep total and model sales from industry tallies.
5. Ram: Retail sales up 17% in 2025
Ram was spun out of Dodge as its own truck brand in 2010 and is the pickup arm of Stellantis. The company said Ram retail sales rose 17% in calendar 2025, but it did not give a brand total.
Our basis: Stellantis North America full-year release (retail growth only).
6. GMC: Record sales for a second year (2025)
GMC is GM’s truck and SUV brand, and GM reported that it set a sales record for the second year in a row in 2025. The Yukon alone sold 87,312.
Our basis: GM’s sales release plus Yukon sales.
7. Cadillac: Best year in a decade (2025)
Cadillac is GM’s luxury brand and had its best US sales year in ten years in 2025, according to GM. It has pushed electric models such as the Lyriq-V and Optiq-V since 2025.
Our basis: GM’s January 2026 sales release.
8. Dodge: Sales down 28% in 2025
Dodge is Stellantis’s muscle car brand. Sales fell 28% in 2025, although the Durango had its best total sales year since 2005 (81,168 vehicles, up 37%). See the most expensive Dodge cars.
Our basis: Stellantis full-year release and industry tallies.
9. Buick: One of the fastest-growing mainstream brands in 2025
Buick traces back to the Buick Auto-Vim and Power Company of 1899, incorporated as the Buick Motor Company on 19 May 1903 by David Dunbar Buick in Detroit. It is the oldest active North American automaker. GM said Buick was among the fastest-growing mainstream brands of 2025.
Our basis: GM’s January 2026 sales release.
10. Lincoln: 106,868 US sales (2025)
Henry Leland and his son Wilfred founded Lincoln in 1917, and Ford bought it in 1922 for $8 million. Lincoln sold 106,868 vehicles in 2025, up 1.95%, led by the Navigator at 22,185 (up 42.8%, its best since 2007).
Our basis: Ford’s sales release (brand total) and Ford sales tables.
Which classic American brands are gone?
Pontiac was dropped from our top ten because GM announced it would discontinue the brand by the end of 2010. Chrysler also fell out: it still sells vehicles as part of Stellantis (the former Fiat Chrysler, formed 2021), but it has no standout 2025 result, and the brand grew only about 1%.
What changed since the original list?
Tesla and Ram are new entrants, Pontiac and Chrysler are out, and every entry now carries 2025 results instead of a 2013 sales figure.
Keep reading
- 10 Best General Motors Models of All Time: the GM side of this list
- 10 Best Ford Models of All Time: the model behind the number one brand
- 10 Best Jeep Models of All Time: the Wrangler and its siblings
- Most Valuable Car Brands: how the markets value these makers
FAQ
What is the best American car brand?
On our 2026 scorecard, Ford, which sold 2,097,256 vehicles in the United States in 2025.
Which American car brand sells the most?
Ford leads on a verified brand total. Chevrolet is probably larger within GM’s 2,853,299 US sales, but GM does not publish a Chevrolet total in the release we checked.
Is Tesla an American car brand?
Yes. Tesla is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and delivered 1,636,129 vehicles worldwide in 2025.
Is Pontiac still made?
No. GM announced it would discontinue Pontiac by the end of 2010.
Which American luxury brand is growing?
Cadillac had its best US sales year in a decade in 2025, according to GM, while Lincoln grew 1.95% to 106,868.
How we put this list together
We built the ranking from company sales releases and year-end sales reporting for 2025, favouring brands with a published total and then those with reported growth. Rankings are our judgment, and unit totals are for US sales unless noted.
Last updated: October 2026.
