Honda Claims Title of America's Best-Selling Car from Ford and Toyota: TDS
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Welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short, which is The Drive’s morning news summary featuring the most important automotive headlines from across the globe.
The Downshift provides a brief news recap, including links to full articles for those wanting more details. Please note there will be no edition tomorrow, so enjoy a safe and pleasant holiday weekend. Here’s your update for Thursday, July 2, 2026.
🔊 The newest episode of The Drivecast, The Drive’s weekly podcast, was released yesterday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts.
📈 Honda claimed the top-selling vehicle in the U.S. in the first half of 2026, with the CR-V taking the lead. Supply shortages have slowed the Ford F-150’s sales pace, while a generational redesign has similarly affected the Toyota RAV-4. The CR-V saw a 19% year-over-year increase in sales in May and an impressive 30% in June. By the end of June, Honda had sold 226,114 units of the SUV over the past six months. [Automotive News]
🎤 Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa recently reflected on the automaker's challenges over the past decade, stating to Reuters, “Previously, the focus was on volume, volume, volume. This is not a sustainable way to run a car company.” Espinosa also expressed a desire to separate the brand from the rental car sector. [Reuters]
🔋 Rivian exceeded its production and sales projections for the latter half of Q2, allowing it to increase its guidance for the end of 2026. This is promising news for the EV manufacturer following the R2’s introduction. [Electrek]
🚢 BYD's sales have increased for the second consecutive month, with the export market playing a crucial role in this growth. International sales surged by an astonishing 95%, effectively offsetting a 22% decrease in domestic sales. [Reuters]
📦 General Motors has reached an agreement with memory-chip maker Micron to supply chips for its vehicles, which is timely given the rising costs and dwindling inventory of memory and storage. As a PC enthusiast, I wish Micron would also continue selling directly to consumers, but that’s not how things operate anymore. [Micron]
🫖 Bugatti has crafted a unique Mistral featuring porcelain trim pieces, accented with black outlines that give it an appearance reminiscent of a manga character stepping into reality. [Autoblog]
🏁 Upcoming races to catch (all times Eastern):
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Chicagoland: Saturday at 5:30 p.m. on CW
Formula 1 British Grand Prix: Sunday at 10 a.m. on Apple TV
IndyCar Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio: Sunday at 12:30 p.m. on FOX
NASCAR Cup Series at Chicagoland: Sunday at 6 p.m. on TNT
Have a tip or feedback for TDS? Contact us at tips@thedrive.com.
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Honda Claims Title of America's Best-Selling Car from Ford and Toyota: TDS
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Honda Claims Title of America's Best-Selling Car from Ford and Toyota: TDS
While Ford and Toyota face challenges, Honda is benefitting as the CR-V has emerged as the top-selling model in the U.S. for the period leading up to 2026.