Kelley Blue Book Revamps Brand Watch; Toyota and Lexus Top the Leaderboard in 2025 New-Vehicle Consideration – Cox Automotive Inc.
Cox Automotive Inc.
Kelley Blue Book has relaunched its Brand Watch study as a twice-annual recap, offering a clearer view of brand and model consideration across the non-luxury, luxury and electrified segments.
Kelley Blue Book’s Brand Watch, a long-running shopper-perception study, captures brand and model consideration among roughly 12,000 in-market new-car shoppers on KBB.com annually. The study tracks 14 factors important to shoppers, including technology, driving comfort, durability, reputation and value for money.
Toyota remained the most considered non-luxury brand in 2025, despite a slight year-over-year dip. Chevrolet, Subaru and RAM all gained momentum during the past year. Pickup trucks again dominated shopper attention, led by the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado – two of the Top 10 models that posted year-over-year consideration growth. Other models that grew included the Toyota RAV4, Ford F-Series Super Duty models, Chevrolet Tahoe and Ford Explorer.
Several additional models remained in the Top 10 but recorded year-over-year consideration declines, including the Honda CR-V, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Toyota Tacoma.
With all the struggles that Nissan is going through, it’s no surprise they dropped in consideration, and Subaru now outranks them. Nissan’s consideration likely declined because its lineup is a bit outdated and in need of a refresh. Subaru gained modest momentum, thanks to the refreshed Crosstrek and a solid brand reputation, allowing it to overtake Nissan.
The Ford F-150 secured first place, moving the Silverado 1500 to second. A minor facelift introduced to the F-150 in mid-2023 helped renew consumer interest. Additionally, targeted marketing initiatives and increased inventory availability helped the F-150 achieve the top position.
Honda Civic and GMC Sierra 1500 fell out to the Top 10 most considered non-luxury models, while Chevy Tahoe and Ford Explorer made it into the Top 10. The Civic lost favor as shoppers shifted to crossovers and its 2022 launch buzz cooled. Meanwhile, the GMC Sierra 1500 was squeezed out amid softening overall pickup truck demand.
Lexus held the top spot as the most considered luxury brand in 2025, while Cadillac, Genesis, Lincoln, Infiniti and Lucid all posted year-over-year increases. Four models in the Top 10 recorded yearly consideration growth: the Acura MDX, Lexus RX, Tesla Model Y and BMW X5.
The Cadillac Escalade – still the most considered luxury model overall – declined year over year, along with several other Top 10 nameplates, including the Buick Enclave, Buick Encore, BMW 5 Series, Cadillac CT5 and Acura RDX.
Tesla’s consideration remained stable; however, Genesis now outranks it. Tesla’s aging lineup remains a best-seller, but is showing signs of saturation as competition intensified; some shoppers flagged Tesla’s quality and image issues.
The BMW 3 Series dropped out of the Top 10 most-considered luxury vehicles, while the Acura RDX climbed into that ranking. Once a staple among luxury sedans, the BMW 3 Series lost ground as buyers increasingly chose SUVs over cars. In fact, industry data showed that interest in luxury SUVs reached an all-time high in 2025. The Acura RDX benefited from this shift, as its strong reputation for reliability and competitive pricing boosted its popularity alongside the growing demand for luxury crossovers. Unfortunately for Acura, recent reports suggest the current RDX will be sunsetted this year, before a new hybrid model is launched after a brief hiatus.
Electrified vehicle consideration rose in 2025 – across EVs, hybrids and fuel cell vehicles – despite fewer government-backed EV incentives. Among electrified brands, Toyota ranked No. 1, followed by Honda, Ford, Tesla and Hyundai. Toyota continued to lead the segment with six models in the Top 10. Three models posted year-over-year consideration growth: the Tesla Model Y, Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid – up a standout 169% – and the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid.
All other Top 10 electrified models saw declines, including the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, Honda CR-V Hybrid, Toyota Sienna Hybrid, Honda Accord Hybrid, Toyota Highlander Hybrid and Toyota Prius.
Among electrified brands, Tesla is now No. 4, pushing Hyundai down to No. 5. Aggressive price cuts and the broad appeal of the newly refreshed Model Y helped Tesla maintain strong EV consideration, even as sales for the brand declined.
The Tesla Model 3, traditionally a highly popular vehicle, and the Ford Maverick Hybrid both experienced a decline in consumer consideration. This trend may indicate EV sedan fatigue, as interest in the Model 3 plateaued or declined, with many consumers choosing the Model Y or competing EV sedans such as the Hyundai Ioniq 6.
Hyundai Tucson Hybrid and Grand Highlander Hybrid gained traction and are now in the Top 10 most considered electrified models. The Tucson Hybrid, in particular, saw a notable rise in consideration thanks to its high fuel efficiency, affordable price, and crossover practicality, attracting shoppers who weren’t ready for a full EV but wanted to save on gas. Toyota’s Grand Highlander Hybrid, a three-row SUV that debuted in 2024, quickly gained significant interest by 2025. It hit the mark with buyers by combining Toyota’s reliable hybrid technology with ample space for families, resulting in a surge in demand.
Kelley Blue Book’s Brand Watch study surveys in-market shoppers across both mobile and desktop browsing sessions on KBB.com. Invitations are served at random across all makes and models. The study spans six major vehicle segments and captures both brand- and model-level familiarity and consideration. It also details the wide scope of tracked models – particularly in the pickup segment, where more than two dozen trucks are measured. Respondents can select up to five vehicles they are currently considering, then rate model familiarity, segment awareness and the importance of key purchase factors.
Visit KBB.com for expert reviews, pricing and photos of the vehicles represented in this study. The Brand Watch recap for the first half of 2026 will be published in late July.
The Cox Automotive Economic and Industry Insights team is closely monitoring tariff developments and regularly publishing insightful commentary and analysis as appropriate.
