The Toyota RAV4 was the world’s best-selling car in 2024, with an estimated 1.187 million units sold—just ahead of the Tesla Model Y’s 1.185 million. The full-year global ranking also shows how SUVs dominated the top four, while Toyota placed five models in the top ten.
Global top 10 best-selling cars in 2024
These are estimated worldwide sales for the complete 2024 calendar year, not a year-to-date ranking. The figures are attributed to JATO Dynamics and reproduced in RACV’s July 14, 2025 report. Year-over-year changes are compared with 2023.
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| Rank | Model | Estimated global sales | Change vs. 2023 | Body style and powertrain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyota RAV4 | 1,187,000 | +11% | SUV; available with hybrid and combustion powertrains, depending on market |
| 2 | Tesla Model Y | 1,185,000 | −3% | SUV; battery-electric |
| 3 | Toyota Corolla Cross | 859,000 | +18% | SUV; powertrain availability varies by market |
| 4 | Honda CR-V | 854,000 | +1% | SUV; available with hybrid and combustion powertrains, depending on market |
| 5 | Toyota Corolla sedan | 697,000 | −11% | Sedan; powertrain availability varies by market |
| 6 | Toyota Hilux | 617,000 | −15% | Pickup; combustion powertrains |
| 7 | Ford F-150 | 595,000 | −2% | Pickup; combustion, hybrid, and battery-electric versions are offered in some markets |
| 8 | Toyota Camry | 593,000 | −8% | Sedan; hybrid and combustion availability varies by market |
| 9 | Tesla Model 3 | 560,000 | +10% | Sedan; battery-electric |
| 10 | BYD Qin | 502,000 | +6% | Sedan family; plug-in hybrid and battery-electric versions |
Sales estimates and year-over-year changes: RACV’s global 2024 ranking, which attributes the figures to JATO Dynamics. Body-style and powertrain descriptions summarize model-family variants; availability differs across countries.
Did the Tesla Model Y beat the Toyota RAV4?
No. In RACV’s table, the RAV4 led by about 2,000 vehicles. The difference is so small relative to totals above one million that the two models were effectively tied; the published estimates should not be read as a meaningful margin of victory.
#1 Best Overall
Providers may define model families differently and round figures or year-over-year changes differently. For example, Motor1 rounds the RAV4–Model Y gap to just over 3,000 and reports the Camry’s decline as 9%, rather than RACV’s 8%. The ranking depends on consolidated global data, so small discrepancies do not change the close result.
What stands out in the ranking?
SUVs filled the first four places
The RAV4, Model Y, Corolla Cross, and CR-V took the top four spots. That mix includes a battery-electric SUV in second place and three models with combustion or hybrid offerings, depending on market.
Toyota had five models in the top ten
Toyota’s entries were the RAV4, Corolla Cross, Corolla sedan, Hilux, and Camry. The Corolla Cross had the strongest year-over-year growth among them, rising 18%, while the Hilux had the steepest decline, down 15%.
Three battery-electric models made the list
The Model Y and Model 3 are battery-electric Teslas. BYD’s Qin is a model family that includes plug-in hybrid and battery-electric versions. The Qin ranked tenth, and most of its demand remained in China, according to Motor1’s analysis.
Rank #3
How the global ranking was compiled
The underlying coverage combines official sources, estimates, and consolidated data from 153 markets. According to Motor1’s methodology, one third of the information came from JATO Dynamics; the rest came from national statistical agencies, dealer networks, and customs authorities. RACV’s table credits global automotive analyst Felipe Munoz at JATO Dynamics.
Because the ranking combines markets and data sources, it is best treated as a global estimate rather than a precise count drawn from one universal registration database. It also answers which model families sold most worldwide—not which cars led in a particular country. A model’s place here does not establish that it is sold in every reader’s market.
Rank #4
Sources: RACV, “The world’s best-selling cars in 2024,” July 14, 2025; Motor1’s analysis of global 2024 sales.
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