Sedans Are Making a Comeback as Car Prices and Gas Costs Bite

Sedans are making a comeback in the United States as buyers look for relief from expensive vehicles and gasoline. Honda Accord sales rose 32.7 percent during the first nine months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, according to Honda, and Toyota Camry sales rose 11.2 percent over the same period. The trend arrives as the average new-vehicle transaction price hit 50,562 dollars in September 2026, just under the all-time record of 50,614 dollars set in December 2025, according to Kelley Blue Book data via Cox Automotive.

Fuel costs are doing much of the work. Regular gasoline averaged roughly 4.16 dollars per gallon from April through September 2026, compared with 3.15 dollars over the same period in 2025, based on United States Energy Information Administration monthly figures. Sedans cost less upfront and generally use less gas than the SUVs that dominate sales: the average transaction price for compact cars, including sedans and hatchbacks, was 27,977 dollars in September 2026 against 37,614 dollars for compact SUVs, a gap of 9,637 dollars.

Efficiency seals the case. According to an Environmental Protection Agency vehicle trends report, model-year 2024 sedans and wagons averaged 31.7 miles per gallon, compared with 30.2 mpg for car-based SUVs and 24.7 mpg for truck-based SUVs. For a buyer facing a 50,000-dollar average new car and 4-dollar gas, the sedan math is simple: a cheaper car that sips less fuel, from nameplates that never really went away.