October Car Sales: Kia, Honda, Hyundai and Subaru Grew, and Hybrids Did Much of the Work
Kia, Honda, Hyundai, Subaru and Mazda all grew, with record hybrid sales at Honda and Hyundai. An extra selling day and quarterly reporters complicate the picture.
Every automaker that still reports U.S. sales monthly grew in October, and hybrids carried a big share of the gains. Kia posted its sixth straight record month, Hyundai had its best October ever, and American Honda had its best October since 2020, with record hybrid sales at both Honda and Hyundai.
Two caveats before reading too much into it. October 2026 had 28 selling days against 27 a year earlier, which flatters every year-over-year comparison by roughly 4%. And the biggest sellers, including Toyota, Ford, GM, Nissan and Stellantis, report quarterly, so these numbers don't describe the whole market. For that view, see our breakdown of third-quarter sales and what it means for buyers.
October at a glance
| Automaker | October 2026 | vs. Oct. 2025 | Year to date | YTD change | Hybrid share, October |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Honda | 119,952 | +8.0% | 1,269,213 | +5.0% | 27% |
| Kia | 80,008 | +16% | 747,394 | +6% | Not disclosed (hybrid sales +114%) |
| Hyundai | 73,452 | +5% | 770,916 | +3% | 29% |
| Subaru | 54,090 | +6% | 529,968 | −0.8% | Not disclosed |
| Mazda | 31,446 | +25.0% | 341,714 | −0.9% | Not disclosed |
Totals are each company's reported unit sales. Honda's hybrid share and Kia's year-to-date change are our calculations from the automakers' own figures; Hyundai states its 29% directly.
Adjust for the extra selling day and the picture shifts. By our math, Hyundai's daily selling rate was up only about 1%, Subaru's about 2% and Honda's about 4%, while Kia's was still up roughly 12%. Mazda, the only one of the five to publish a selling-rate figure, was up 20.5% on that basis.
Honda: record trucks, record hybrids
American Honda sold 119,952 vehicles, up 8.0%. Light trucks had their best October ever at 83,559 (+9.6%), and hybrids set an October record at 32,519 (+5.1%), a little more than a quarter of the total.
The CR-V did most of the work. It sold 34,815 units (+9.8%) for a record October, and hybrids made up 53% of that, or 18,534 vehicles. Honda says hybrids also accounted for 36% of Civic sales and 45% of Accord sales. If you're cross-shopping, our CR-V Hybrid vs. RAV4 Hybrid comparison runs the numbers on both.
Elsewhere, the Passport set an October record at 5,419 (+14.9%), the HR-V hit a record 12,353 and the Odyssey rose 32.2%. Acura slipped 2.5% to 10,790, but the MDX jumped 54.3% to 5,232 and has already outsold its full 2025 total. See the full Honda breakdown.
Hyundai: the Santa Fe outsold the Tucson
Hyundai sold 73,452 vehicles, up 5%. Retail sales, reported separately, rose 9% to 62,646, an October record. Hybrids were up 20% and made up 29% of total volume, and year-to-date hybrid sales are up 50%.
The standout was the Santa Fe at 17,959 (+52%), which edged the Tucson, normally Hyundai's best seller. The Tucson fell 23% to 17,808. Hyundai doesn't explain the drop in its release; it comes as the brand readies the all-new 2027 Tucson, revealed in October and due in North America next year.
The Kona (+21%), Ioniq 5 (+21%), Elantra (+17%) and Palisade (+14%) also grew, and the Palisade set an October record at 10,840. The Ioniq 6 recorded zero sales. CEO Randy Parker called the retail gain "a clear sign that customers are choosing Hyundai."
Kia: a sixth straight record
Kia sold 80,008 vehicles, up 16%, and retail rose 20% to 68,926. That put Kia ahead of Hyundai for the month, though Hyundai still leads its sister brand by about 23,500 sales for the year.
Kia doesn't give a hybrid share, but it says hybrid sales rose 114%, led by the Sorento Hybrid (+122%), Carnival Hybrid (+88%) and Sportage Hybrid (+57%). The Telluride had its best month ever at 14,009 (+63%), about 4,000 units behind the Sportage at 17,977. The EV3 added 976 sales, and no Souls were sold. Kia's figures come from its October release.
Subaru and Mazda
Subaru sold 54,090 vehicles, up 6% for its sixth consecutive monthly gain, though it remains 0.8% down for the year. The Crosstrek (16,574, +1.8%) and Forester (16,094, +26%) both had their best Octobers ever, and the Forester is up 18.4% year to date. Subaru doesn't break out Forester Hybrid sales. The WRX more than doubled to 1,707 (+137.1%), the Ascent fell 8.7%, and the Legacy registered just two sales.
Mazda sold 31,446 vehicles (+25.0%), its second-best October, on big gains for the CX-90 (4,620, +114.6%) and CX-70 (1,358). The CX-5 rose 7.9% to 9,689. Mazda is still down 0.9% for the year.
What about Toyota?
Toyota doesn't publish monthly U.S. results; its next report, covering the fourth quarter, is due in early January. Automotive News reported that the RAV4 posted its first year-over-year gain of 2026 in October, but Toyota hasn't released those figures, so we're not putting a number on it. If you've been waiting on one, our guide to RAV4 wait times and alternatives is still the place to start.
Why hybrids, and what it means for you
The backdrop hasn't changed: the national average for regular gas was $4.15 on November 3, according to AAA, and buyers are a year into life without the federal EV tax credit. Our explainer on what $4 gas actually costs you covers the math.
Industry-wide numbers aren't in yet. Cox Automotive had forecast about 1.38 million October sales and a seasonally adjusted annual rate near 16.1 million, but that was a forecast, and the actual rate hadn't been published when this story ran.
For shoppers, the takeaway is simple: hybrid versions of the CR-V, Santa Fe, Sorento and Sportage are selling hard, so expect less wiggle room on those trims than on their gas counterparts. If fuel economy matters less to you than price, the gas versions are where to push.
