- Honda Civic topped US Google searches from 2022 to 2025, beating every other model.
- The Ford Bronco, Model Y, and Highlander ranked just behind the Civic in model interest.
- Toyota led overall brand searches while Tesla and Honda followed in second and third.
Despite the flood of trucks and SUVs clogging every suburban driveway, it turns out the humble Honda Civic still owns America’s heart, or at least its search history. Over the last three years, the Civic was the most searched car model in the US, proving once again that practicality, reliability, and reasonable fuel economy still have some pull in the age of Cybertrucks and six-figure EVs.
Honda didn’t just win on the model front, either. The Japanese brand landed in third place among the most searched automakers, right behind the usual suspects: Toyota and Tesla.
This data comes from a new U.S. study analyzing Google search trends between January 2022 and January 2025. While Toyota held on to the top spot for brand searches, Tesla trailed just behind—no surprise for a company that gets wall-to-wall media coverage whether it’s launching cars, rockets, or Twitter tirades. Honda came in third, ahead of Ram, Ford, Hyundai, BMW, Kia, Subaru, and Mercedes-Benz.
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While Toyota and Tesla predictably led in overall brand searches, it was the Civic that claimed the crown as the most searched individual model. In second place? The Ford Bronco, proof that nostalgia and boxy styling still go a long way.
Plenty of Toyota and Tesla models were among the most searched cars, as you might expect. In third place was the Model Y, followed by the Highlander, Model 3, and RAV4. The Camry and Tacoma were also among the most searched car models. We would have expected the Cybertruck to be among the top, but alas, it’s not featured in the study’s top 15.
Americans Love Subarus
Extreme Terrain’s study also reveals the most searched car brands by state, and it’s perhaps even more interesting. Of all US states, Subaru was the most searched brand in 28% of them, easily leading the charge. It led searches in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Minnesota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Alaska, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
Ford was the most searched brand in 18% of states, including Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Kansas, Missouri, and Michigan, and more. Chevrolet was the most searched brand in just four states, GMC in six states, Ram in two states, Nissan, Honda, BMW, and Mercedes in two states, while Porsche, Lexus, Hyundai, VW, Tesla, and Land Rover in one state.
The Subaru Legacy was the most searched vehicle in 14% of states, leading the charge over the GMC Terrain, and other top performers like the BMW 5-Series, Chevrolet Silverado, Kia K5, and Toyota Land Cruiser.
So while brand names like Tesla and Toyota may dominate headlines and sales charts, when it comes to what Americans are actually typing into their search bars, the results reveal a slightly different story, one where a sensible sedan can still punch well above its weight.
