Winners And Losers From May Auto Sales

Kia had a record-breaking month while sales slipped at Ford. Check out the results.

Kia Sales May

Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Anthony Alaniz

By: Anthony Alaniz

Jun 4, at 9:00am ET

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Another month has passed, and a handful of automakers have reported their May sales results. Hybrids were a strong driver of growth, as the average price of gas remains well above $4 a gallon.

This has been huge for brands like Hyundai and Kia, which offer a range of hybrid and electric vehicles, but last month wasn’t a success for all. Ford saw sales falter last month, continuing a trend, while the affordable Maverick stands out as a popular model.

The auto industry is facing numerous hurdles right now, including tariffs that are upending products and plans. There’s still plenty of time for the market to change, but until then, here are the May auto sales winners and losers.

Winner: Kia Breaks An All-Time Sales Record

2026 Kia K5 Front 3/4

Photo by: Kia

Last month, Kia set a sales record, selling 80,502 vehicles. That’s an 11 percent increase over May 2025, with the Sportage SUV outselling every other Kia model. Hybrids accounted for a large percentage of Kia’s sales last month, which were up 179 percent.

Sales for the Sportage Hybrid and Sorento Hybrid were up 171 and 101 percent, respectively, while Carnival Hybrid sales jumped 32 percent. So far this year, Kia has sold 360,220 vehicles—2.0 percent more than in the first five months of 2025.

Loser: Ford's Sales Slip

2026 Ford Bronco Sport Bronze Package

Photo by: Ford

In May, Ford’s sales slipped 13.3 percent year over year to 181,627 vehicles. Most models saw their sales decline, including the Ford Mustang, Bronco Sport, Expedition, and F-Series. The Ford Ranger saw the largest decline of 23.3 percent, more than any other model.

Strong sellers included the Maverick, up 10 percent for the month. It’s available with a hybrid powertrain, which makes it look appealing amid high gas prices. Bronco sales were up 5.2 percent, while Explorer sales climbed 8.8 percent.

Winner: Hyundai's Sales Surge Continues

2026 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid

Photo by: Hyundai

Hyundai sold 87,468 vehicles last month, an increase of 3.0 percent, and year-to-date sales are up 1.0 percent. According to the automaker, electrified vehicles drove growth, with hybrid sales up 90 percent year-over-year. The Tucson, Santa Fe, Elantra, and Sonata hybrids all had sales records last month.

The Tucson SUV remains the brand’s best-selling model, up 3.0 percent, followed by the Elantra and then the three-row Palisade. Sales for both are up by 7.0 percent and 17.9 percent, respectively. Even the Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV saw sales increase 28 percent last month, with year-over-year sales up 16 percent.

Loser: The Hyundai Ioniq 6 Is Virtually Dead

Dead Cars 2027: Hyundai Ioniq 6

Photo by: Hyundai

Just a few months ago, Hyundai confirmed it would only sell the high-performance Ioniq 6 N in the United States, discontinuing the regular trims. That decision is reflected in the sales numbers, with the automaker selling just 176 units, down a whopping 85 percent compared to May 2025.

Sales for the EV are down 79 percent for the year, but if you want one, you will have to live with the hot N version for now. It has up to 650 horsepower, and it can rocket to 62 miles per hour in 3.2 seconds.

Winner: Mazda Miata Leads Affordable Sports Cars

2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata

Photo by: Mazda

The iconic little sports car, the Mazda MX-5 Miata, had a sales resurgence last month, with sales increasing 196.6 percent. The automaker sold 1,053 Miatas in May, the majority of which were soft-top models. So far this year, Mazda has sold 3,911 Miatas, up 10.9 percent.

It outsold the Subaru BRZ at 255 units, down 21.8 percent. Honda sold just 319 Preludes, which is a new model this year. That might not be much, but it’s on par with Honda’s sales expectations, so it won’t be coming for the Miata anytime soon. Mazda sales were up 35.0 percent in May but are down 6.9 percent year-to-date.

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Winner: WRX Sales Soar

2026 Subaru WRX

Photo by: Subaru

After months of sales declines for the brand's beloved sports sedan, Subaru WRX sales are finally back on the rise. After the automaker introduced its new entry-level model—starting at just $33,690—sales were significantly up in May.

The WRX improved a whopping 148 percent compared to last year, with Subaru moving 1,195 units. Last May, Subaru only sold 482 WRX models. So far this year, Subaru has sold 5,875 WRXs, and it shows no signs of slowing.

By The Numbers:

Subaru WRX Sales Are Already Bouncing Back

Cadillac Is Stealing EV Customers From Tesla—And Everyone Else

The Honda Prelude Is Already Outselling The Subaru BRZ

Kia's EV Sales Were Up Last Month, Surprisingly