Explore More Than Just This Free Article

This article is a glimpse of the exclusive insights we provide daily to industry leaders. Dive deeper into our industry-specific reports and uncover the strategic information you need.

Honda Civic is best-selling retail passenger car in US for sixth year, capturing 25% of buyers in 2021; Civic top choice for Millennial buyers since 2011 and for past six years captures most Gen Z, first-time, multicultural buyers: studies

TORRANCE, California , February 9, 2022 (press release) –

  • Civic continues its reign as retail No. 1 passenger car in America fueled by the popularity of all-new 2022 models
  • Civic dominates compact segment for a 12th straight year, capturing 25% of buyers in 2021
  • Civic is a key gateway to the Honda brand, leading the industry with key groups including Millennial, Gen Z, first-time and multicultural buyers

Driven by the popularity of the all-new 11th-generation Civic, recently named the 2022 North American Car of the Year, the Honda Civic is the best-selling retail passenger car in the U.S. for the sixth year in a row1. Civic has dominated the compact car segment for 12 consecutive years and in 2021, captured one in four retail sales in the category2.

A major gateway to the Honda brand, Civic continues to lead the industry with key customer groups:

Since 20113, Civic is the No. 1 vehicle among Millennial buyers.
It also has captured the most Gen Z buyers, first-time buyers, and multicultural buyers in the industry for the past six years4.
Honda has sold nearly 2 million Civics in the U.S. since 2016 and Civic is the No. 1 selling certified pre-owned car in America in each of the past three years5. And now the all-new 2022 Civic leads its competitive segment in residual value6, according to J.D. Power.

"Our all-new 11th-generation Civic is the benchmark for the compact car class and a runaway success with young, first time and multicultural buyers.”  said Mike Kistemaker, assistant vice president, Honda national sales. "Coupled with the HR-V and our CPO program, Honda has a strong three pillar approach to capturing young and first-time buyers into the future."

The 2022 Civic Sedan, sporty Civic Hatchback, and performance Civic Si Sedan deliver fun-to-drive dynamics, stylish design, an award-winning interior, excellent fuel efficiency, and cutting-edge standard technology. An all-new, high-performance Civic Type R will join the lineup this year. Learn more about the Honda Civic lineup here.

Introduced in 1973, Civic is the longest-running automotive nameplate in Honda history and is one of the top three best-selling cars in America over the past five decades with more than 12 million units sold7.

About Honda
Honda offers a full line of clean, safe, fun and connected vehicles sold through more than 1,000 independent U.S. Honda dealers. Honda has the highest fleet average fuel economy and lowest CO2 emissions of any major full-line automaker in America, according to the latest data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Honda lineup includes the Civic, Insight, Accord and Clarity series passenger cars, along with the HR-V, CR-V, Passport and Pilot sport utility vehicles, the Ridgeline pickup and the Odyssey minivan. Honda’s electrified vehicle lineup includes the Clarity Fuel Cell and Clarity Plug-In Hybrid, Accord Hybrid, CR-V Hybrid and Insight hybrid-electric sedan – to be joined in 2024 by the Honda Prologue, Honda’s first volume battery-electric vehicle.

Honda has been producing automobiles in America for 40 years and currently operates 18 major manufacturing facilities in North America. In 2021, more than 95% of all Honda vehicles sold in the U.S. were made in North America, using domestic and globally sourced parts.

More information about Honda is available in the Digital Fact Book.

# # #

1. Source: Urban Science DataHub, retail sales data among all passenger cars 2016-2021CY
2. Source: Urban Science DataHub, retail sales data in Compact Car segment 2010-2021CY
3. Source: Strategic Vision New Vehicle Experience Study, 2011-2021
4. Source: Strategic Vision New Vehicle Experience Study, 2016-2021
5. Source: MotorIntelligence certified pre-owned retail sales 2019-2021CY
6. Source: J.D. Power 2022 U.S. ALG Residual Value Awards
7. Source: Wards Intelligence cumulative U.S. light vehicle sales among passenger cars, 1972-2021CY

* All content is copyrighted by Industry Intelligence, or the original respective author or source. You may not recirculate, redistrubte or publish the analysis and presentation included in the service without Industry Intelligence's prior written consent. Please review our terms of use.

See our dashboard in action - schedule an demo with Chelsey
Chelsey Quick
Chelsey Quick
- VP Client Success -

We offer built-to-order consumer wellness coverage for our clients. Contact us for a free consultation.

About Us

We deliver market news & information relevant to your business.

We monitor all your market drivers.

We aggregate, curate, filter and map your specific needs.

We deliver the right information to the right person at the right time.

Our Contacts

1990 S Bundy Dr. Suite #380,
Los Angeles, CA 90025

+1 (310) 553 0008

About Cookies On This Site

This website stores cookies on your computer. These cookies are used to improve your website experience and provide more personalized services to you, both on this website and through other media. To find out more about the cookies we use, see our Privacy Policy. We won't track your information when you visit our site. But in order to comply with your preferences, we'll have to use just one tiny cookie so that you're not asked to make this choice again.