A Rough 2026 for the RAV4
This year has been rough for the Toyota RAV4. After ruling the sales charts last year, the compact SUV stumbled out of the gate this year, giving the Honda CR-V a chance to snatch the crown. The problem? Not enough new RAV4s to go around, leaving eager buyers waiting and dealerships with empty lots.
But things are starting to look up for Toyota’s crowd-pleaser. October numbers reveal the RAV4 is finally clawing its way back, notching its first monthly sales bump of the year. With more cars hitting the lots, the RAV4 is regaining some lost ground, though there’s still a long road ahead before the year wraps up.
Toyota
Finally Getting Back on Track
According to Automotive News, Toyota moved 39,888 RAV4s in the US this October, a modest 0.6% uptick over last year. Sure, it’s not a jaw-dropping leap, but for a model that’s been hamstrung by inventory woes all year, it’s a much-needed shot in the arm.
That boost also nudged Toyota’s overall US sales up by 5.7%, with 188,392 vehicles finding new homes in October. The RAV4 is back on top as Toyota’s best-seller, stealing the spotlight from the Camry sedan after months in second place.
Zooming out, though, the bigger picture isn’t quite as rosy. Toyota has shifted 293,552 RAV4s through October, which is still down over 26% from last year’s pace. Toyota’s been hustling to ramp up production of the new-look RAV4, now only available with electrified powertrains. With factories in Canada, Japan, and the US all pitching in, the supply situation is slowly getting better.
Hybrids Are Doing Most of the Heavy Lifting
It’s also worth peeking under the hood at the RAV4’s new powertrain game plan. Gone are the days of plain old gas engines – now it’s hybrids or plug-in hybrids, take your pick. Toyota’s October sales breakdown shows regular hybrids doing the heavy lifting, making up about 84% of RAV4 sales, while plug-in hybrids fill in the rest.
It’s a play straight out of the Camry’s playbook, which went all-hybrid last year. Toyota’s clearly doubling down on electrification, but isn’t ready to ditch tried-and-true hybrid tech just yet. In fact, about 57% of Toyota and Lexus vehicles sold in October packed some kind of electrified powertrain – whether that’s a hybrid, plug-in, full EV, or even hydrogen.
Inventory is inching up, but there’s still work to do. Toyota wrapped up October with a 29-day supply overall – 31 days for light trucks, 23 for passenger cars. The catch? Over half of that stock was still on the move, not parked at dealerships yet.
Toyota
The Honda CR-V Still Has the Advantage
Stacked up against the CR-V, the RAV4 actually had a better October. Honda sold just over 34,000 CR-Vs, so Toyota edged ahead for the month.
But if you look at the scoreboard for the year, Honda’s still in the lead. The CR-V is holding onto its advantage, which sets up a nail-biter finish for 2026 – especially now that Toyota seems to be sorting out its supply headaches.
The RAV4 still has a mountain to climb, and a good month doesn’t mean it’s a shoo-in for the yearly crown. But with more fresh models landing at dealerships, Toyota finally has a real shot at closing the gap. Whether that’s enough to topple the CR-V is anyone’s guess.
Toyota / Honda
About the author
Jacob Oliva
Senior Editor, Autoblog