The Biggest Winners and Losers in Auto Sales in Q1 2024

The Lincoln lineup had an incredible first quarter, up by 32 percent overall. The biggest drivers of growth were the brand's smallest crossover, the Corsair (up 56 percent to 6286 units), and the Nautilus (up 68 percent to 9231 units). The Aviator also experienced a 19 percent rise, with only the Navigator down. As the overhauled 2024 Nautilus reaches dealer lots and with the refreshed 2025 Aviator arriving later this year, Lincoln's upward momentum might have legs.

Despite a wonky infotainment interface, we love the driving dynamics of Volkswagen's two hot hatches, so we are happy to see sales of both sporty compact cars significantly rise in the first quarter. The GTI registered 2412 units, up 156 percent from the same period in 2023, while the Golf R collected 1233 sales, a 125 percent increase. The GTI and Golf R are losing their manual-transmission option after the 2024 model year, so we'll see if sales of these enthusiast-focused vehicles keep up once they go auto only.

Along with subcompact crossovers, further proof that buyers want cheaper vehicles comes via Nissan's smallest cars, the Versa and Sentra. The subcompact Versa sedan, which starts at just $17,530, saw its sales jump by 92 percent to 7474 units. The $22,030 Sentra proved far more popular, with 40,081 units sold—a 78 percent rise for the first quarter of 2024.

Ford's compact Maverick pickup has been around since 2022 but continues to pick up steam, becoming Ford's fourth-biggest-selling vehicle in Q1, just behind the Transit van. With 39,061 examples sold, the Maverick was up 82 percent over the first quarter of 2023. Last year, Ford delivered 94,058 Mavericks, a 27 percent rise from 2022. If Ford can maintain the same momentum for the rest of this year, 2024 might set a new sales record.

While the littlest pickup in the U.S. had a great start to 2024, sales of American full-size trucks slowed during the first quarter. Ford's F-series lineup, which includes the electric F-150 Lightning, was down 10 percent to 152,943 units. However, the Lightning did see an 80 percent jump to 7743 units. Ram's pickup line, which includes the light-duty 1500, dropped 15 percent to 89,417 sales. Only the Chevrolet Silverado experienced a slight bump to 129,987 units, but this 2 percent rise was carried by the heavy-duty models, with the light-duty Chevy down 3 percent. The Toyota Tundra did see a 31 percent rise, but its 36,215 sales make it a bit player in this segment.

Ford saw several double-digit jumps, from the Maverick to the electric Mustang Mach-E and even the aging Edge. But the Bronco off-roader had a dismal opening three months—sales were down 26 percent, with Ford moving 24,066 Broncos. Meanwhile, Jeep shifted 38,308 Wranglers, up 1 percent over the first quarter of 2023. Sales of the Bronco during the full 2023 calendar year were also down by 10 percent, suggesting waning interest for the boxy all-terrain SUV.

Mini has a range of updated models on the way, with both a new Cooper hatchback and Countryman SUV arriving for 2025 with gas and electric powertrains. But as Mini waits for these new vehicles to hit dealerships, its sales are taking a nosedive, with the brand down 13 percent overall. Mini's bestseller, the Countryman, dropped 24 percent; the two-door Cooper Hardtop slid by 10 percent, and the four-door variant experienced a 21 percent decline. Only the Cooper Convertible was in the green with a 20 percent increase. The 2025 Cooper and Countryman can't come soon enough.

As sales of Audi's electric SUVs continue an upward trajectory, sales of the German automaker's gas-powered SUVs tanked in the first quarter. The Q5 remained Audi's top seller but fell 33 percent to 11,473 units, while the Q7 decreased by 35 percent, and the Q8 was down by 37 percent. The only saving grace was the smallest member of Audi's SUV lineup, as the Q3 saw a whopping 80 percent increase to 6926 units.